“’Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting andweeping and mourning.’” ~ Joel 2:12 Growing up, I knew little about the forty days before Easter, referred to as Lent. The church my father pastored didn’t observe the six weeks of Lent the way Lutherans, United Methodists, Catholics and other mainline churches did back in

“I will turn their mourning into laughter and their sadness into joy; I will comfort them.” ~ Jeremiah 31:13   Reflection: Is Christmas a hard time of year for you or for someone you know?   Many churches, ours included, offer Holiday Blues classes for people who struggle with sadness or depression during Christmas and New Year’s.   I’ve wondered if