Tag: faith
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The Arrival—Love
The Christmas season tends to be synonymous with family. When people ask me about our Christmas plans, what they are asking is which family you will be spending the holidays with. Christmas and family tend to go together. That’s why this can also be a tough time for many people. Family relationships can cause a…
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The Arrival—Joy
Christmas joy is not based on circumstances but on the arrival of Jesus—the Savior who brings lasting joy to a weary world. ____________________________________ Our teaching series this Advent season is called The Arrival. Because with the arrival of Jesus into our world comes Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love. We all want these things in our…
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The Overflow of a Grateful Heart
When gratitude fills our hearts, it spills into our world. _______________________________ Last week we started this conversation about Living with Thanksgiving Everyday. Specifically, we talked about the Power of a Grateful Heart and how gratitude has the power to rewire our brains to think differently about ourselves, the people around us, and even God. When…
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The Power of a Grateful Heart
Gratitude is not a reaction—it’s a decision rooted in trust. A thankful heart transforms our perspective on God, others, ourselves, and our circumstances. ____________________________________ We are counting down the days until Thanksgiving, and following on its heels is the Christmas season. As much as I hate being predictable, this is simply a great time to…
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Less Chaos, Better Conflict
Today is the last message in our series: The Thing About Relationships. The Thing About Relationships Over the past several weeks, the things about relationships that we have talked about were, first, becoming less distant, more present. The next week we talked about becoming less selfish and more selfless. Then we covered becoming less critical…
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When Memory Becomes Worship—Transforming Moments into Monuments
A few weeks ago, my friend Brett and I hired a guide for the upper part of the Yakima River and spent the day catching some beautiful fish. Every time we caught a fish, our guide took out his phone and took a picture. When we finished the trip at the end of the day…
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Less Oblivious, More Aware
In your relationships, whether with your spouse, a friend, or a co-worker, have you ever felt like the person you have a relationship with is oblivious to who you are? They want you to see the world only through their lens, not your unique lens. Of course, we all have people like that in our…
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Less Critical, More Kind
I’m a decent writer, and I’ve always enjoyed writing. One of the things that brings me great satisfaction is when I can edit what I write. I’m pretty good at finding all sorts of writing and grammar errors. I like efficiency in my writing. Sometimes I tend to be too wordy when I write, so…
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Presence In Your Relationships
As a pastor, I occasionally provide marital counseling. Here is my observation about couples seeking counseling: Many couples, by the time they seek counseling, are simply two people living under the same roof but really living on two different planets. Their marriage has come to a place where they are merely roommates. Not helpmates, not…
Chris Hankel 