Posts by The_Embassy

It’s that time of year again, Team – the holidays. Typically, people either love or hate the holiday season because it has a way of making us examine our lives. It might have something to do with it being the end of the year, maybe we’re faced with the reality of what we did or didn’t accomplish and why. Or, it could be that the cold and darker days slow us down long enough to take stock of what and who really matter.

If you have a great family and a cool job, it means so much more, and if not, it seems to hurt so much worse. Let’s touch and agree that we will beat any holiday blues this year and walk in the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I don’t know about you, but when I’m going through a trial or test, “joy” is not the first word that comes to mind. I’m more likely to think that once I get through the difficulty, I can throw my hands up in the air and say, “It’s finally over! Now I can have some joy.” But the Scripture doesn’t say that. Rather, it says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trails, knowing that the test of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2–3).

I learned the significance of “brother” and “sister” long before I began to use those biblical terms myself. As a child, I would half-listen to my parents’ side of phone conversations, absorbed in a book but mildly curious about who was on the other end. 

The introductory chatter never aroused my attention. Their transition to hushed pauses or solemn tones failed to fully engage my interest. But then I would hear my dad address the caller as “brother,” and I would look up from the page.