1. The needs of the people remain the same, but now the people are you and me. We still sin, and that sin causes so many challenges in our lives.
  2. It’s scary to share my struggle and to show that I have cracks because once I’ve shown my cards, I open myself up for judgment.
  3. Unprompted, without any warning, for no reason at all, without any instigation say, "I love you." And that will wash over your parents like a beautiful absolution.
  4. Forty days after giving birth, Mary, along with her husband Joseph, presented their firstborn Son at the temple and "bought" him back with a sacrifice of two small birds. This is known as the "Presentation of Our Lord."
  5. Jesus not only healed her daughter, but he also gave himself to her. Wherever she went from then on, he was with her.
  6. God gives us the power and authority to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to burdened sinners who entrust us with their pain, guilt, and defeat.
  7. Repentance is meaningless unless we are willing to acknowledge who we are: sinners needing mercy.
  8. We will not become hopeless because the Lord is with us.
  9. While the world is full of horizons and endpoints, for Christians, there is always tomorrow, and there are people in that tomorrow waiting for us as we wait for them.
  10. We ache in eager anticipation as we see Christ in action and as we take in the snapshots of his life, death, and resurrection.
  11. Help comes for those who cannot help themselves. When we bottom-out and come to the end of ourselves, that is where hope springs.
  12. Our God is a living God and he listens to our cries for help.