Sometimes that is difficult to believe. Especially if we think God is responsible for everything that happens. Bad things definitely do happen so by the above premise, God can not always be good.

However, God wanted us to have free choice so much, so we are able to choose to love Him without manipulation or litigation, that He choose to not control everything that happens.

When a grandparent holds an infant baby close to them, the two hearts come together. Trust, fellowship and love flows between the two; the two hearts come together. Both very different in experience and knowledge of life but they come together with the bond of love. One can feel the love flowing between the two independent lives- God given lives loving each other.

America has just gone through a very divisive election which has even further polarized an already divided nation. The two hearts of this nation could not be further apart. There is no love flowing between the two sides and there certainly is no fruit of the Spirit evident from the candidates. The Christian community is pitched, one against the other, claiming one candidate or another was God’s person. We are in a divided house and it will not stand. The winner is divisiveness itself, the fruit of which is division.

Despite this God is still love, and we are still called to love our neighbors as ourselves. The extraordinary thing about democracy is, we are called to accept a change of leadership through love, to have it work we need to accept the change with love. We have to work together as a nation and as a Christian Community, otherwise we fall divided. Hug a baby today to remember what love feels like. God’s love for us will never change, as a parent loves their child.

Fortunately, November also is blessed with Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for in this country that it is good to be still and go through all the blessings we enjoy. This year we were part of a community Thanksgiving hosted by the First Presbyterian Church in Hudson but held at Christ Church Episcopal. Through various circumstances the two churches came together along with a lot of volunteers from different congregations to serve over 150 Thanksgiving meals. We do have so much to be grateful for and there is no better way to celebrate that than in a community of neighbors.

Christine has an exciting month coming up and is opening her new studio in Hudson for three Saturdays in December. God is always working in ways we often do not see coming and God is always good.

We love you and rejoice in your prayers for us and ours for you.

Michael and Christine          www.Mickhales.com      www.newchristianicons.com