Weekly Update// Pastor Will

Happy Thanksgiving Asbury Family!

 What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? Is it your family and friends? Is it your faith? How about your job or hobbies? Could it be your health? Is it just the good food you’ll soon be consuming? For me, it’s a combo of these things and it’s easy to harp on the negative, but I do my best to focus on the positive.

 Studies show that when we practice gratitude, a few things happen: Our brain releases two feel-good chemicals, dopamine and serotonin. Science also shows that the more we practice and express gratitude, the more these neural pathways become strengthened, and that state of gratitude becomes more permanent. More things that gratitude does include: aid in releasing unpleasant emotions, relieve pain, improve sleep, and help with stress and anxiety. Long story short, be grateful!

 I am going to practice gratitude and focus on how God has blessed me in my life. I’m reminded of James 1:17 (NLT) where he says, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” I intend to write the positives down and find time to pray over them. If you can find some time, you can do it as well. Optimistically, this can be a tradition from now on alongside my other traditions of drinking cream soda and eating crescent rolls.

 This coming Sunday is Advent already. Can you believe it? On Sunday, we will kick off our Advent sermon series “The Characters of Christmas” starting with Elizabeth and Zechariah. We will be back to our usual services of our 9:30am Celebration (Contemporary) Service and 11:00am Traditional Service. We’d love it if you joined us in person or online, as both services will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and God Bless!

 Thanks!

 Pastor Will