Read: John 1:29-42 Every once in a while, the disciples thought about how different their lives would have been if they had never met Jesus. It all started in a very undramatic way. John the Baptist was standing with two of his followers when Jesus walked by. John said, “That’s the one! You know how conceited I can be, but I’m not good enough to untie his sandals.” The two disciples were understandably curious. They started following Jesus. He turned and asked, “What are you looking for?” I imagine that question caught them off guard, and they answered with a rather strange reply, “Where do you live, Teacher?” Or maybe it was more like, “We just wondered where you’re staying.” Or perhaps, “We don’t have anything better to do, so we wondered what you’re doing.” Jesus then offered a life-changing invitation: “Come and see.”

I walked by my shiny guitar in our music room. My previous goal was to learn how to play it.

The New Year is here. The days are starting to get longer, and spring is coming.

First, you notice the small changes. It may be challenging to find the right word or remember the name of someone you just met. You may forget where you placed your keys when you came home from the grocery store. Overall, you feel healthy, and these instances are easily brushed off as a normal part of aging or the result of poor sleep the night before. However, over time, these instances become more frequent, and you start to miss appointments or struggle to organize your shopping list. If this sounds like you or someone you know, it is time to seek medical help to get screened for dementia.

The story of the wise men visiting Jesus is found only in Matthew’s gospel. This account is a tale of kings: King Herod, who not only rejected but also feared the coming of Jesus into the world; the kings from afar, who not only worshiped Jesus but also testified to the message he was to give; and, of course, Jesus, who was the baby born to be the king of the Jews.

“Let’s move the flour to the basement pantry,” I said to my husband. Since one of our family members has celiac disease, food storage and preparation are special safety considerations.

It’s been a tough winter on my spruce trees, and we’re only in December! The heavy snow and high winds have pulled a lot of needles and smaller twigs from the trees. It doesn’t help that, when I clear the driveway with the snowblower, the spruce trees are right where I aim the chute.

Picture a man crawling through the desert in tattered clothing, whispering “water” as he nears an oasis. He isn’t thinking about his kidneys, yet they may be the main organ still keeping him alive.

Today, I want to talk with you about three knots for a New Year. This is not a message on “Thou shall NOT steal,” or “Thou shall NOT kill.” I’m talking about knots: K-N-O-T-S.

As the holiday season winds down and the New Year approaches, many of us begin reflecting on the past year and thinking ahead. It’s a natural time to set resolutions—those hopeful promises to ourselves to eat better, move more, stress less or simply live healthier. Yet, despite our best intentions, many resolutions fade by February. Why is lasting change so hard? As a physical therapist helping patients make healthy changes for over 30 years, I have found the answer may lie in how we approach change, by using the science of behavior change to our advantage. Drawing from the work of Chip and Dan Heath in their book, “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard,” we can rethink our strategy. Their model uses a simple metaphor that I have found helpful: to make meaningful change, we must direct the rider (our rational mind), motivate the elephant (our emotional side), and shape the path (our environment and habits).