It's 2025! May God bless you as you walk with Him and worship Him this year! I am beginning the year with grateful reflection. I will be sharing some of my favorite call to worships from the past during the month of January. Today's was originally sent on January 7, 2022.

The summer sun burned extra hot this December 25th in Cape Town. Our family is in the middle of transitions and growing pains. Still… joy and abundance were thick on Christmas Day. It was a perfect Ladd-style celebration: full throttle, high energy, and fit for a King. We gathered close on the couch and gave thanks in front of a breathtaking spread of presents. It was, of course, the King’s presence that ushered in the kind of joy that sticks beyond circumstances…

On this Christmas Eve morning, the excitement was rightfully high in my house. I took a deep breath and prayed, knowing someone would explode if we didn't get out the door in four and a half minutes. The UV index is 13 today... I used to think it only went up to 10! And every one of those 5.5 million was going to be out and about in Cape Town.

It seems like modern society is more sensitive to accessibility than ever before. Smartphones come with features to support visual and hearing impairments. There are laws for structures and hiring to give every person an opportunity to access life in the fullest way possible.

We make decisions in our family to help our autistic son maintain access himself and important relationships. Even Christmas is accommodated so he can stay fully-engaged and our other children can enjoy him, each other and the reason for the holiday throughout the entire day.

John 3 tells of a Jewish leader coming to Jesus in the covering of the night. Baffled Nicodemus has the education and qualification behind his name to be considered an expert. Yet he humbly seeks Jesus, sure that this man of miracles has a more authentic power than him.

Jesus responds, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:3, 6)

I am cautious about miracles. Don't get me wrong... I know miracles intimately. I've witnessed bodies heal while my fingers still interlocked, while my mouth still formed the "Amen". I've seen finances and families resurrected against all odds. My own life's story is marked by miracles, big and small.

Those visible miracles are so very spectacular, like the fireworks of faith. If I'm honest, they can easily become the prize I run toward or a measuring stick I use to see if I'm pleasing to God. The miracles are not the prize, the portion or my salvation. Jesus is.

Brittanica encyclopedia defines "amen" as "an expression of agreement, confirmation or desire". The ancient word's Semitic root means "firm, fixed or sure" and is related to the Hebrew verb that means "to be trusted". Jesus' words "Verily, verily" or "truly, I say to you" in the Gospels is written in Greek as "AMHN, AMHN".

My post-prayer amen can often be translated as , "This is me, God, signing off!"

Yesterday, I was part of a "hike" with a pair of five-year old best friends. They had a map, binoculars, super hero figurines, and the electrifying energy of friendship in the wild. Their hearts were set for adventure. They would seek it until they found it. In fact, everything was an adventure because they were looking for one. The same paths they've walked since they could walk played out like a symphony in their spirits - the songs of the Cape frogs, the moss-covered climbing rocks, the slippery bridge and twisty trees, and the cold waterfall foaming into the perfect rock-throwing target.

Cape Town's wintery, rainy school holidays are fast-approaching. My sons are already stir-crazy. The long holidays can feel like an episode of Survivor with all the pent-up energy. It's not realistic to just "get through" a school holiday or season, waiting for the abundant life around the corner. Jesus didn't enter into extreme adversity so we wouldn't have to, but so we could thrive amidst it.