It's CHRISTmas time!  In the Christian calendar we call this the season of Advent.  We who practice the celebration of Advent, do so because we are looking forward to something... according to Dietrich Bonhoeffer,

The Celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.  

As we begin the journey to CHRISTmas, we need to know with clarity that God is with us in every moment.   Through our pain. God is with us.  He is with us in the waiting. God's being ever present gives us courage when we feel anxious.

In this first Sunday, we light the candle of Hope.  We'll look at a few key verses from the Bible to remind us that God is with us as we walk through the valley.