During our final Waterville Valley Community Church service of the season, one of our attendees took his last breath here on Earth. This is what some of our church members had to say while reflecting on this event.

What we forget is that our neighbors surround us in our daily rhythms – trips to the coffee shop, the grocery store, church, school...everywhere. Usually the most annoying and persistent presences in our lives are those whom God is calling us to serve. May God open our eyes this week to truly see our neighbors. Who are they? What do they need? And how will He help us show them His love?

When we look at Jesus life, we see that his strategy was not nearly as complicated. He gathered amongst the religious and the non-religious alike, eating good food and sharing intentional, meaningful conversation for hours on end. I challenge you to look at how you use your meals to reach others around you

Relationships, even healthy ones, are messy. Sometimes they require us to downshift, slow down and come alongside someone in their place of need. Other times, healthy relationships challenge us to hit the gas and throw it into overdrive. That challenge looks different for each one of us, but the truth remains the same. Life is not meant to be lived alone!

There is freedom in letting people be people because that is God’s way. People were never supposed to be our number one priority. God always was. He designed us to have Himself first in our hearts. No wonder we feel hurt & frustrated, we aren’t putting first things first! In light of God’s wisdom we see people are faulty and they can’t be our joy or satisfaction. Not only that, when we love God first, we can love others better because we aren’t expecting them to be God to us.

I am willing to bet there are spiritually, physically and emotionally weary people in your community that you can help or encourage in the grocery store, on the roadside or walking down your street. Step out in faith and lend a helping hand. Who knows how God will use your brief encounter to impact someone's life for eternity!

In Acts 2:42 it says that the church was devoted to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to eating with one another and to prayer. Believe it or not, the fellowship of believers was kind of a big deal to the early church and I believe it's a big deal to God. God desires his people to regularly come together in relationship, companionship, gratitude, worship and mutual encouragement in Christ.

Our shared love for Jesus should unite us no matter how we vote, what music we like or what translation of the Bible we read. In Philippians 2 we see the apostle Paul's joy wasn't in ones team dominance, it was in one loves unity. Mom always said Philippians 2 was Jesus’ Christmas list. Let's give Him what he wants and by the power of the Spirit love one another.