As I sat on my deck on an overcast December afternoon, I watched the bare limbs on our cluster of hardwood trees. Dark limbs reached upward towards hovering clouds that threatened showers. Although arrival of astrological Winter had passed, the weather was balmy. Just a week earlier, we had wrapped waterpipes because of a hard freeze. The weather is oscillating between warm and winter temperatures. 

I began ruminating over the past months; those same trees had been lush with rich green leaves, ,abundant acorns, and hickory nuts. Squirrels scampering over the ground leaping onto the trees had tantalized our Corgi, frustrating her as they dashed to safety. Now a scant scattering of lingering leaves was accompanied by an abandoned squirrel nest. What a contrast to the months before. 

Although early summer rains had been abundant, the earth was over six inches low for rain by now. The heavy crop of leaves was now cycled back as nutrients for the mighty oaks. Bird nests, now empty, had provided a new crop of our feathered friends. Snapshots fail to tell the story of nature’s cycles. But thoughtful attention to nature does describe how nature reinvents itself for new growth.

Taken with the long view, those bare limbs tell something of the story of vibrant life teeming all around them. It is something like you’re breathing. You inhale; you exhale. But you do not stop. Each breath sustains life and is necessary. Those bare limbs burst forth in greenery earlier this year. Now they are bare. They are regrouping for new growth in the next season.

Christmas time is something of a time of renewal. The year has brought difficulties and delights. Looking back, we can see places where we really dropped the ball or made poor decisions. If we take the year into perspective, we can find times of victory, maybe even small ones, yet they are victories. Christmas offers opportunity for reconciliation, a time of renewal. It’s not the toys, presents, nor even the parties. It is a time to acknowledge Emanuel — God with us. 

Looking at those dark, cold, bare limbs could have been discouraging. Yet as I sat in the declining temperatures, I began to feel a sense of warmth inside. Dark, cold times do not define the future. They are fallow times. Times for new growth, new hope. I think of the seasonal song, “We need a little Christmas!”

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

I have several friends, rural and urban, who care for feral cats. As I learned about this (what I considered) eccentric behavior, questions arose: Where did these cats come from? Why do you spend time and money on caring for them? Are you right in the head?

Each of my friends is very smart. They are professionals; well retired professionals. And, I understand their compassion for animals. The question that remains is, “Where do these feral cats come from?” In too many cases the answer is infuriating; too many feral cats were dropped off out in the country, or in back-streets by people who just didn’t want them any more. They threw them into the elements to fend for themselves.

It is sad that human beings will toss out a living being, leaving that being to fend for itself; no home, no immediate means of food, and no protection from the elements or danger. Such behavior is heartless and cruel. Fortunately, in some cases there are other human beigs who who have deep compassion for God’s creatures, and reach out with food, water and some degree of care for those forlorn felines.

As sad as it may seem that anyone would cast out a domesticated animal to fend for itself, it is even worse that any human parent would cast out their own child to fend for themselves; and it does too often. In present times, it happens more often when a son or daughter comes out; some parents kick them out of their home; some parents disown them. However they spurn them, that child is left to fend for themself. They must search for shelter, food, clothing, and some means of support.

Worst of all, they are vulnerable to the worst of society, those who would exploit them in the worst of ways. Fortunately there are organiations who offer safe help, such as shelter, food, clothing, and guidance for self support. While you would think a church would be the first line of support, you would not be entirely correct. Only a few churches get involved with helping LGPTQ+ people. . One such group in Atlanta is an organization called Lost-n-Found Youth. The organization has found that 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+. Their thrift store helps support homeless LGBTQ+ youth in Atlanta. While you would think a church would be the first line of support, you would not be entirely correct. Only a few churches get involved with helping LGPTQ+ people.. One such group in Atlanta is an organization called Lost-n-Found Youth. The organization has found that 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+. Their thrift store helps support homeless LGBTQ+ youth in Atlanta.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent. Christians the world over celebrate Advent as “the coming of Christ at the Incarnation;” basically, advent means “coming into being.” There are four Sundays celebrated during Advent; Typically, Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Many Christian churches and families mark Advent celebration with an Advent wreath, which holds four candles evenly spaced on the wreath’s circle with a “Christ Candle” placed in the center of the circle. Typically, the candles are purple, with the third candle being Pink, for the Third Sunday in Advent. The Pink candle is known as the “Candle of Joy,” or “The Shepherd’s Candle.”

In our church, members of the congregation, typically a family—but sometimes other volunteers—lead a lighting ceremony during morning worship to light the candles in designated order. Recently our student Interns led that ritual, with great meaning. Sometimes, when a family leads that part of worship, we get an extra chuckle, and even a special poignant moment—when a child breaks forth in unexpected insight.

That the “Shepherd’s Candle” means Joy can have important significance in mid-December; schedules have become crowded, expectations—especially among little children—have kicked up a few notches, and weather, over which we have no control, just may have thrown a monkey wrench into everything. Joy is on no-one’s radar. Joy is the redeemer. Come to think about it. We’re celebrating the coming of The Redeemer! In times of tension, we’re often counseled to “Pause. Breath deeply. Let your soul re-set.” I think this is the message of the candle of Joy.

Sometimes life, or circumstances force us to do just that. Pause. Reset. It may be broken leg on the way to a crucial meeting, a flat tire on a back road out of reach of AAA, or just plain stomach flu. Whatever; it screeches you to a halt, and if you’re wise, you pause, reflect, reconnoiter, and take a new lease on life.

Sometimes I am able to experience joy by reflecting deeply on life, friends, and nature. At other times joy comes slipping up on me like Millie’s little white cat=feet, as she cuddles in my lap. I hope you find joy, not just as the Shepherd’s candle is lighted, but also in the accord of your daily doings.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

Favorite foods for Christmas, according to Good Housekeeping author Susan Choung, include roasted potatoes (76%), mashed potatoes (75%), turkey (73%), bread or rolls (70%), and stuffing or dressing (70%). Ms. Choung pointed out that this list was from a 2020 YouGov poll that closely resembles the typical traditional Thanksgiving menu. She, however, has her personal preferences: “I’m dreaming,” she said, “of a white Christmas and a holiday menu that features a big hunk of beef, creamed spinach and baked potatoes.”

Take a poll from among your circle of family/friends. It could closely resemble the Good Housekeeping list or vary widely. I suspect you have your own personal preference for your Christmas menu. As families grow, or blend, personal choices—sometimes influenced by medical/dietary needs—change over time. Such changes can become a challenge for planning Christmas Dinner.

My family held onto traditional Christmas culinary choices. My maternal grandmother added raisins and coconut to the sweet potato casserole. She also topped it with brown sugar and roasted pecans. Paige, my late wife, and I added a Christmas Eve menu that I came to enjoy a great deal — oyster stew, served with crackers, and a cheese ball alongside. A cranberry juice cocktail topped off the meal. It was a perfect repast before going to church for Christmas Eve worship.

Another food tradition accommodated the visit from Old St. Nick. We adopted the Christmas morning brunch. Naturally, the first thing Christmas morning was seeing and enjoying what Santa brought during the night! Food was not anywhere near the minds of the children! Finding, opening, playing with, and enjoying toys dominated the attention and activities of everyone.

Combining food preparation with Christmas morning fun was made easier with a sausage/cheese/egg casserole, prepared the night before. It could then be popped into the oven to feed hungry mouths without fanfare and was ready at a convenient point as hunger pangs beckoned toward the tempting smell of that casserole baking. Santa sometimes happened to drop off a lagniappe, such as Krispy Kreme donuts, much to great rejoicing among the natives! 

We get excited, and sometimes critical of the food fare at Christmas. Fun, food, and joyful festivity need not chafe or destroy the holy holiday. Good planning and managed expectations are essentials in celebrating this special time of the year. Whatever your food preferences that are served at Christmas, those tantalizing aromas arising from the kitchen linger for a lifetime.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2024

What have we done to Joy at Christmas? I know Christmas is still 24 days away — but who knew? Advertisements for Christmas have been ubiquitous since July — sometimes, even earlier! The race to win more consumer’s cash is more competitive than the Kentucky Derby’s Run for the Roses! Yet how, in all the rush, do we find Joy?

Several weeks ago, there were Facebook posts reminiscing about the Sears Christmas Book. (For you young folks, that was a commercial annual tantalizing tome, published by a world-renowned retail store). Many a child lay on the living room floor from late October until December 24, joyfully looking at pages of toys. Their hope lay on the enticing toys, enchantingly displayed on those wonderful pages; that Santa Claus would bring some of these to them on Christmas Eve.

Even now, TV screens, billboards, and in every other possible way, we are continuously assaulted by ads shouting Christmas Joy can be bought right here! Not so fast. The Joy of Christmas, as we all know, cannot be bought. All the sales, festivities, food, and frivolity put together do not in themselves create Christmas Joy. 

The truth is that JOY is not limited to, nor created by Christmas. Even though it may be difficult to silence the shrill sirens of sensationalism, to find joy at Christmas time; we must focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Media voices, time pressures, personal schedules, all collude, tending to pressure our psyche away from true joy.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne PhD, in a Psychology Today article wrote of ways to bring more joy into our lives. Spoiler: none of them includes the typical pitch of typical “Christmas Joy” hawkers. Dr. Whitbourne found that simple everyday approaches, tend to bring that deep, abiding sense of happy contentment; in a word, joy. She also pointed out that by … inserting joyous moments into your daily experiences, long-lasting effects can foster your fulfillment… adding to your deeper sense of joy.

What have we done to the Joy of Christmas? We have smothered it with elaborate ersatz promises. Joy doesn’t happen that way. As Dr. Whitbourne’s article points out, …joy has the unique potential, compared with happiness, to foster the kind of well-being “derived from living in alignment with one’s values, purpose, and personal growth.”

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

A national survey on gratitude, commissioned by the John Templeton Foundation, showed that Americans believe that gratitude is important. Important findings include: 

• More than 90 percent of those polled agreed that grateful people are more fulfilled, lead richer lives, and are more likely to have friends.
• More than 95 percent said that it is anywhere from “somewhat” to “very” important for mothers and fathers to teach gratitude.
• 93 percent of those polled agreed that grateful bosses were more likely to be successful, and only 18 percent thought that grateful bosses would be seen as “weak.”

These results from the survey make us appear skilled at gratitude. However, the survey exposed what they call the “Gratitude Gap.” We think we are better at expressing gratitude than others are. But there is the rub. Indicators in the survey showed gaps in whom and how we acknowledge those to whom we express gratitude. The study also indicates the lack of actual accurate memory that most people have about expressed gratitude. And a caveat, most people don’t want to admit if they are less expressive of gratitude. But only one percent saw no reason to be grateful.

Turning our attention to our personal attitudes of gratitude: How attentive are you to expressing the gratitude you feel? A good metric for expressing gratitude is how do you feel when someone expresses gratitude to or for you? As in “I am so glad you are my friend,” or in other ways that offer you specific gratefulness.

A friend of mine recently took “Angela,” an elderly widow, who had no family, to a medical procedure. Throughout the journey, Angela kept saying “Thank You!” My friend had the time, transportation, and knowledge of how to properly provide the support her friend needed. Angela did not take her friend’s support for granted. She specifically spoke of immense gratitude.

Sadly, my father couldn’t fully grasp the concept of gratitude. He believed that kindness, or any kind of help or gift was an exchange, so to speak. He thought, “You did this for me; I must do equal or more in return for you.” For some of us, accepting acts of kindness is difficult. Many people believe that they must be stoic or that accepting help is a sign of weakness.

In a few days, our nation will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It is a festive, wonderful, and usually excellent family time of expressing gratitude. It can also help us begin a personal pattern of expressing gratitude daily. 

“Thank You”; two words, spoken considering small or large deeds, are solace for the soul.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

“That makes no sense!” I thought, as I overheard a couple of teenagers talking. The words and terms they were using did not compute in this adult brain of mine. Later, as I pondered that snippet of conversation I chanced to hear, I remembered my college years. My group had done just that — we concocted words, spoke disconnected sentences, and created a malapropism just for our group. Specific groups of people, especially teenagers, enjoy having their own “in-group” language.

In 1965 “The In Crowd” hit the charts wildly. A refrain from the song is …we got our own way of walkin’ we got our own way of talkin’ …it’s what the In Crowd does. If you have run across the confusing 6-7 term, you have stumbled upon an age-old coding practice. years

Just as the senseless terms my friends tossed about ago, and as Doby Gray did in The In Crowd, that coding practice remains today.

Madison Burgess, a journalist at Tyla who writes on culture, gives insights to 6-7:

6-7’s significance is what Shakespeare’s Macbeth said in the play by the same name; …full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Certain writers consider “6-7” an inside joke that has no technical definition or signals being part of in-group language or group-speak. Other linguistics experts compare “6-7” to previous slang expressions, noting it serves more of a social function than a literal one. And lastly, there is a trend of non-traditional “words,” like phrases or slang, chosen to capture a cultural moment. 

That Dictonary.com selected 6-7 as the Word of the Year may highlight a trend of non-traditional words, phrases, or slang, designated to capture a cultural moment. It could also be deemed as an insider’s joke. Strange, unconventional verbosity often serves as an attention getter. I’ll bet you just looked up 6-7, just in case it could add the hopeful flavor you needed for your esoteric expressions.

And then, there is the sinister, divisive “dog-whistle,” explained by Meriam-Webster when used in politics:an expression or statement that has a secondary meaning intended to be understood only by a particular group of people. To my mind, use of such subversive terms is not only dishonest, but also divisive. In our current cultural climate, there is a clear and an extraordinary need to be straight forward and home in on interpersonal discussion. Jesus made that truly clear.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution ran a story this past Sunday about Paul Anderson, once “The World’s Strongest Man.” More than half a century ago, Mr. Anderson not only held that moniker, but also set Olympic records and an astonishing number of similar titles. Paul Anderson is local hero in Toccoa, GA, his hometown for “putting (the small town) Toccoa on the map!” — bringing the small-town recognition and positive press coverage.

The young Paul Anderson searched junk yards and scrap metal dumps to find items heavy enough for him to lift and build strength. He searched for actual “heavy lifting.” He knew such difficulty would bring the kind of results he sought.

In a manner of speaking, we all have heavy lifting to do. Many times, that heavy lifting may tear us down instead of building us up. Heavy lifting is from poor choices or ruinous attitudes. When we become wearied by anger, fear, shame, or regrets, we are carrying heavy weights. Such weights chafe our relationships, daily work, and, in adverse ways, canker our very being. 

Paul Anderson deliberately searched junk yards for scrap metal to build up his strength. He made the weights work for him. In a like manner, we can make our heavy lifting work for us. A critical part of building strength and character is to purge ourselves from seeking “unnecessary heavy lifting.” Certain matters are none of our business, so keep out! Steer clear. Life is too short to take on extra trash to tote.

Too often family and friends take on heavy lifting, thinking they are helping, when they were becoming enablers sliding down poisonous, slippery slope. When I was earning Certification as a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, we learned to never thoughtlessly jump into the water to save a drowning person, lest both the “lifesaver” and the victim both drown. Assess the danger, plan the process, and protect the outcome. 

Too often, I have gotten angry only to learn that I made an early mistake — misjudging circumstances or someone. My worst faux pas was a call to finalize an event; I became angry because “…they had not done any planning for the event…” only to discover I had called the wrong number! No wonder they knew nothing about the “plan!”

Perhaps asking “Why?” should be the first step in any heavy lifting. And if something must be done, there are ways, as Paul Anderson discovered, to lift with purpose.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

Today is Halloween. Halloween is a less than sacred day that occurs one day before a Sacred Day, “All Saints Day.” All Hallows’ Eve, over time, morphed into Halloween. We celebrate All Saints Day on November 1 each year as Christians recount the memory of those who have died in the past year. This custom, observed during worship service on All Saints Day, is a Solemn ritual. Each name is read, a candle is lighted, and a bell tolls — as a sacred time of remembering the life of each Saint (Christian member) who died in the past year.

Latinos celebrate Día de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead. We mistakenly call it “Mexican Halloween,” but it isn’t. The Day of the Dead and its significance is closely related to All Saints Day. Secular celebrations have hijacked these sacred celebrations, transforming them into raucous carnivals, more focused on death, horror, and frightening festivities.

As has happened to Christmas and Easter, Halloween has hijacked the celebration of sacred events, metamorphosing them into something barely resembling their original intent and meaning. It becomes especially difficult to discern their significance in light of the hype of commercialism.

According to Forbes, …Halloween is not only the most profitable festival in the USA but also in the world. The estimated total consumer spending for Halloween in 2025 is projected to be $13.1 billion, a record high. This spending includes $3.9 billion on candy, $4.2 billion on decorations, and $3.5 billion on costumes. This holiday’s commercial success is driven by a combination of factors, including the extended holiday season, early shopping habits, and the influence of online trends. Halloween’s profitability continues to grow because Halloween is celebrated in thirteen countries, each with their own unique traditions and customs for celebrating the holiday.

“Trick or Treat” reigned as the heart of Halloween for children for years. However, cruel tricks, various criminal activities, and other nefarious deeds seem to have pushed children’s activities to safer places. Our church, along with various other organizations, hosts “Trunk or Treat” events. Members and neighbors park their cars with trunks open toward a walking pathway. Decorated automobile trucks are filled with candy and other treats for children. The event lasts several hours and features other activities, including music and a cake walk. Child safety and fun-filled entertainment are the focus of a safe and fun-filled event.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025

Today is United Nations Day. The words of the Secretary General of the United Nations: “We the peoples of the United Nations…” These are not just the opening words of the United Nations Charter – they define who we are. The United Nations is more than an institution. It is a living promise – spanning borders, bridging continents, inspiring generations. For eighty years, we have worked to forge peace, tackle poverty and hunger, advance human rights, and build a more sustainable world – together.”

Noble goals are not always popular or well-received by everyone. Greed, hatred, racism, and blind patriotism throw grit into the mechanisms of meaningful and harmonious comity. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, world leaders often reminded us — We are in this together. Modern space explorations often give us pictures of Planet Earth in contrast with the Cosmos. We live on a tiny boat spinning in the Universe. More than we are willing to admit, we all need each other.

People are different, communities are different, and countries are different. Nations represent their current leadership’s opinion, resulting in dramatic policy shifts. The United Nations, flawed as it is, allows an opportunity for open dialogue, understanding, and positive direction for the peoples of Planet Earth. Living together in symbiotic relationships is possible. Compromise, in the best sense of the word, is not only desirable, but also possible. 

Compromise, too often, is seen as weak or flaccid. The root word comes from the early 15^th Century: The sense of “a coming to terms, a settlement of differences by mutual concessions” is from extension to the settlement itself. The meaning “that which results from such an agreement.” To reach an agreement, there must be give and take. Both sides must be able to give as well as to receive.

According to Britannica, one of the greatest compromises was the Compromise of 1850. Compromise of 1850, in U.S. history, a series of measures proposed by the “great compromiser,” Sen. Henry Clay of Kentucky, and passed by the U.S. Congress in an effort to settle several outstanding slavery issues and to avert the threat of dissolution of the Union. The crisis arose from the request of the territory of California (December 3, 1849) to be admitted to the Union with a constitution prohibiting slavery. The Apostle Paul urged the Church at Rome to open your hearts to one another, as he worked to bring them into agreement. 

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2025