This picture used to hang in my dad’s barber shop. Not out where customers would wait for their turn to sit in his barber chair, but in the backroom. As a young child I looked at this picture and found it to be heartwarming and endearing.

“These are my fancy shoes. My mom told me to be careful.”

As we turn to the new year of 2026 there is so much to give thanks to God for the past 365 days and much to look forward to in the coming year.

This will be my last video devotion for the year. Next week I will be focused on planning the Christmas Eve worship at Ascension and the following week we will have grandchildren here so I’m taking a little time off.

I have reached that point in my life where I don’t need Christmas gifts.

The front arrived on schedule. More windy than icy. More blustery than wet. Front porch wreath blown off the wall. Welcome rug covered with leaves blown off the river birch.

There’s a problem with giving just a little information in that it is not the whole story. Yes, the 5 love languages book is helpful, but it’s just a little bit of the whole story. Helpful and in the right direction but it is far from complete.

In all of my years I’ve never seen a turkey get the axe at the Rose Garden.