The Session: The First Christmas (and other holidays) Without A Loved One

Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted"

Highlights And Reactions To The First Christmas Without A Loved One from Tom and Scott.

It Is Important To Prioritize Your Needs. Take Time To:

• Walk
• Nap
• Have important conversations
• Take time to have your space.
• Crying and hugs are to be expected and enjoyed

Find new family traditions that help after experiencing loss

• New traditions could include cruises
• Rent a house in a vacation spot for the family

Continue with routine that helps normalize life

• Have your regular coffee time?
• Continue watching your favorite shows or news on TV
• Praying
• Seeking God And His Word
• Eat healthy
• Connect with a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time

3 Suggestions from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

1. Look to the past. God gave you and your spouse many years together; have you ever stopped to thank Him for this? In other words, don’t let the loneliness of the present crowd out the happiness of the past. iMovies, photo albums

2. Look to the present. All around you are people who are lonely or grieving or discouraged. Ask God to help you reach out and be a friend to them this Christmas. It may be someone you already know—in your church or among your circle of friends. Invite them to dinner; take them to a Christmas program at your church; in small ways let them know you care. They need you—and you need them.

3. Third, look to the future. Jesus came into the world for one reason: to make it possible for us to be with Him in Heaven forever. The more we focus on eternity, the lighter our burdens become. In Christ we have hope, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.

The Session - The Christian Response to AI

• The Golden Calf (Exodus 32): While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites created a golden calf to worship, a blatant act of idolatry that angered God.
• Exodus 20: 3-5 You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God.

The Setup from Scott: We did some training and orientation to A.I. in the office. Some of us were a little uneasy with it. Including me. My position has been that I would prefer to use the A.I. God gave me…my brain.

Advantages to AI

• Translating scripture into different languages CBN
• When creative with ethic Christian values, it can be helpful
• AI and promote God’s values like compassion and justice, encourage and
• Promote God’s sovereignty

AI Dangers

• Believing anything that would distort God’s plan or will in this world
• Avoiding any form of worship or unmerited importance that would be more important than our God
• Unhealthy dependence on AI
• AI becomes an unhealthy control over society

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.

Sorry, no show notes for this one. This is the conclusion of a two-episode conversation I had with my daughter, Erin about her daughter, Allison. My hope is that our conversation raises awareness about just how truly beautiful and special kids with exceptionalities are, and that they have a role in our world today.

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.