Dear Abby, (That is still funny to me).

Babe, I can’t believe it’s been a year. Admittedly, I think the distance has made it go faster, but nonetheless, a year has flown by. I wanted to take some time and share some of the reasons why I love you.

• You have an uncanny ability to make the goofiest joke with near perfect comedic timing. Seriously, it’s borderline supernatural.
• You’re passionate about getting the perfect gift. It’s like there’s a special recipe you see that’s has different portions of thoughtfulness, love, and your personality, and you always seem to find it.
• You’ve not just handled, but embraced my full blown nerdiness. Few people could handle a conversation on the theology of early church fathers while on their way to the new Star Wars movie (while I’m wearing a Star Wars shirt), but you don’t miss a beat.
• You are quite skilled at rolling with my half-thought out plans. You seem to trust me, even when I’m not so sure I would.
• Your ability to call me out for my mistakes without attacking me or tearing me down.
• You randomly smack my butt, and enjoy it way too much.
• You are more emotionally connected to God, which serves as a powerful reminder that it is a relationship with God, and not just a lecture or class.
• You are warm, kind, and expressive, whereas I am a cold, sarcastic piles of rocks at times, and I need that warmth in my life.

I better understand Paul’s opening to the Philippians when he said “I thank my God for thee everyday”.

In short, I love you, and thank you for being in my life. As I am prone to say, we have enough in common to come together, and are different enough to keep life interesting.

Sincerely,
Brady

PS. to the reader: Please leave your favorite thing about Abby in the comments down below. I can’t list every way she’s awesome, so I need your help 😉

Have you ever tried to read through court room transcripts? Or legal statements from the judge? (I mean, you know that the SCOTUS publishes both a favoring and dissenting opinion piece after every decision they make?) Anybody out there really enjoy reading those accounts?

Matthew’s Gospel, as popular as it is this time of year, can be really misunderstood without the appropriate context. Matthew (real name: Levi) was a tax collector and almost certainly a highly educated Jew. He knew the rules, customs, and laws of Judaism, as well as the Roman system. And his telling of Jesus’ story on earth comes from a very legalistic perspective.

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Churches, like all organizations, inevitably face moments where they need to bring in new leaders. That transition period is critical and tough. There are a multitude of factors and moving pieces that play a role in how well that transition goes. The hand off of responsibilities, authority, and leadership can be challenging, even when done well.

In churches, there are two stereotypical extremes of leadership transition that are talked about most, and they create a spectrum that all transitions fall on – ‘Sink or Swim’ or ‘False Handoff’.

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