Have you ever been in a situation where all you're trying to do is help, and you feel completely misunderstood? Where instead of appreciating your efforts, people are negative and even hurtful? You're not alone. There's a reason for the old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished," and Jesus himself paid the ultimate price for his efforts to help others and to show them a "better way."

It sounds easy enough - just "listen!" Yet studies show we're not very good at it. Typically, we remember only about 25% of what we hear, and most people would much rather talk than listen. And if we're honest, how many of us think of prayer as us TALKING to God? We may express frustration about not getting answers to our prayers, but when do we actually listen?

As much as we might want to avoid them, we all face our share of tough times. Our lives can change in an instant.  It can be an accident - an illness - a loss of a job or a loved one - or just the daily hassles of life. And typically, our prayer is for God to "make it go away - NOW!" But instant fixes, as great as they may sound, are not always His plan or in our best interest. Instead, God allows challenges to make us stronger, wiser, and more creative. He allows us to use the gifts He has given us to push through to something better, for ourselves and others. More importantly, tough times can turn us to Him, providing opportunities for us to grow in our faith and trust, and to see God in powerful new ways.

It's amazing how different we all are, and how what can be harmless or even good for one person, can do great damage to another. A simple example is the rising increase in food allergies. Something as simple as a peanut butter sandwich -- a staple for many of us -- can be devastating to those who are allergic to peanuts. And it doesn't take much; even tiny traces can be deadly.

How many of us have lost hope and trust in today's leaders? In the job market? in our still-struggling economy? The list goes on.  If this true for you, you're not alone.  It's not a matter of politics. In the end, people are people, and the things of this world may seem full of promise, but they will always let us down. 

There is something in each of us that makes us want to be known, understood and loved. Some of us go to great links to achieve this. At the same time, we may also fear it - for each of us have parts of our lives that we may not be proud of, or that we may even regret.

For many, once the packages are unwrapped, the decorations taken down, and the new year rung in, Christmas is done. We're ready to move on. But Jesus' birth was only the beginning as the world began to unwrap what it all meant. Some, like King Herod, reacted in fear. Others, like the wise men, reacted with awe. They traveled far, following the star to meet him, worship him, and share their gifts.

Have you ever had something happen in your life that was...unexplainable? Highly unlikely, yet it happened? for want of a better word, a "miracle?" Many of us feel torn. We want to believe that with God, nothing is impossible; that God can do anything. But then fear creeps in. And we begin to question whether God will come through for us.

Do you ever wonder about your purpose in life; about how you're supposed to live? It may surprise you to hear that God actually wants you to be joyful - all the time and "no matter what." But how is that even possible? IS it possible?