The sunny spring day was a great day to go hiking. A youth camp was adjacent to the park. They chose to hike the Rugged Canyon Trail. The trail suddenly ascended into the thick pine forest. It wound left, then right. They wondered, “Where’s the Rugged Canyon?”

Most people, who are mourning the death of a loved one are not aware that their difficult experience also includes a change in identity. They are not the same person they used to be, and identity change is a major part of the adjustment process.

Separation from God is a person’s greatest problem, and because of that separation, one cannot experience the abundant life coming from a personal relationship with God. Life is filled with a great many problems.

No matter where we are from or what has happened to us, each one of us deals with grief throughout our life. There is the grief that comes with the loss of a loved one and there is grief that is a necessary response to what we may carry with us from our childhood. There is also grief as a result of changes in our lives such as relocation, birth of a child, or a new job. This grief is there regardless of whether the change is inherently one that we are happy about or not; all change implies some degree of loss. In fact, the experience of grief is necessary to our overall health and wellbeing. Our goal is not to avoid grief but to learn to grieve well - to deeply feel, to honor these feelings and then to release them.

Darryl was just a boy when he committed his crime. He was imprisoned for nearly two decades. Then he went up for parole and it was granted. Freedom was only a few months away. “Free, at last!” he rejoiced. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling?

Have you noticed how some animals cooperate with each other? For instance, when my sister’s two female cats had kittens at the same time, they nursed each other’s kittens. Also, some birds will take turns sitting on their nests while their mates search for food. Likewise, certain packs of animals will cooperate in hunting where some will distract the prey while others get into optimal positions to attack.

This past year has been tough for all of us. With COVID-19 and all the restrictions, it has changed our way of life in many ways. But this year is leaving and we will be ringing in the new year for 2022. What are your hopes for this new year? My hopes for this new year is that people remember to be kind to one another. Kindness is the one thing in life that will always be free. You don’t have to spend a dime to be kind, all you need to do is smile and maybe help someone out.

Was 2021 really a good year? Or, would you call it an unlucky year for you? Are you really looking forward to 2022 with hopeful anticipation, eager to explore new opportunities? Come on, let’s be honest, do you really want to be better or bitter in this New Year?

Many New Year’s traditions that we take for granted actually date back to ancient times. This year, ring out the old and ring in the new with a tradition or two, making a lot of noise, from fireworks to gun shots to church bells seems to be a favorite pastime around the world.

In a Roman province, in the town of Bethlehem, there was a humble birth. The young, new parents had no idea how much their baby boy's birth would one day affect the entire world. In nearly every country, and in many languages, His words would reign supreme.