Love is the foundation of our relationship with God. It is not merely an attribute of His nature—it is who He is. Every action of His toward us is motivated by love. From the moment He formed us in our mother’s womb to the moments we feel furthest from Him, His love remains constant, unwavering, and relentless. His love won’t fail us.

As you start the New Year, plant your feet in the hope of Christ, and receive this blessing:

May you find the moxy and verve to smile in places designed to scare you.

And now join me in this toast: 

And in the end

Death died,

And we survived.

Christ reigns,

And we have life!

In closing, I want to briefly share some of Sam’s story (not his real name). Sam attended our annual conference for the first time last year. Before then, he had started the journey of coming out to those around him who were important to him. He knew that faithfulness to Jesus meant that he needed to embrace celibacy. Attending our annual conference gave him a vision for a form of communal living in the context of his local church that could be a source of life for him. Challenges remain, and it hasn’t always been easy, but Sam is committed to walking out the obedience he feels called to pursue as he follows Jesus.

In Advent, we reflect on Jesus' incarnation as the hope that comes to find those who sit in darkness. Perhaps Mary was the first to fully experience this: exhausted, in pain, finding a place to lay her newborn. I imagine she squints in the dim light, leaning over to behold Jesus' face. Did that voice still echo in her mind: "We have no place for you?" God meets her not just in human like-ness but on a dark, difficult night.

Sadly, many gay and same-sex-attracted Christians have a complicated relationship with the word “change” because of the ex-gay movement. For many many years, the phrase “change is possible” was the official mantra of the ex-gay movement. Ex-gay leaders weren’t referring to something relatively meaningless, like changing the cereal we like to eat for breakfast. They were referring to the aching hearts’ desire of many gay kids every night: to wake up the next day and be straight… be normal.

Have you ever felt inadequate or as if you're just going through the motions of prayer and Bible study? It's important to remember that God is in the process of lifting our feelings of inadequacy at this very moment. He values our efforts and calls our hearts daily to remind us of our worth.  Fruitful activity flows from the heart, not just by actions alone but by resting in His presence. Take some time with God to examine your heart. Allow him to revitalize you and give you a moment's rest from the busyness of life.

Nehemiah doesn't really know how to tell a good story when he's writing. Before reading and rereading this book in preparation for our conference, all I could have said about him was that Nehemiah was a cupbearer to a foreign king before he left to build the wall of Jerusalem for the Israelite exiles in need and succeeded in his efforts. Now that's good story-telling: character and setting introduction, conflict and purpose, then resolution. Except Nehemiah doesn't do that. 

What if God is asking you to move forward, but you hesitate—even though, deep down, you know it’s necessary? That’s where I am. Sometimes, it feels like I’m the only one wrestling with this, but maybe you’ve been there, too. This season of my life is like the changing colors of autumn leaves: some things need to fall down so new life can emerge. A dear friend once compared my journey to leaving Egypt and stepping into the desert.