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Food for Thought...
A NOTE FROM COURTNEY

Is there a song lyric or movie quote that “gets you” every time? You know what I mean—one that hits you right between the eyes with its clarity, simplicity, and truth.

Every Christmas, when we sing O Holy Night and reach the line, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth,” I weep. Those words capture both the enduring ache and deep longing every soul carries, and they point so clearly to the remedy: Christ. Christmas celebrates the moment he appeared—when everything changed. Because of Christmas, my soul can finally experience one of its deepest longings: true worth. All because of Jesus.

While that hymn is nearly two hundred years old, I recently experienced the same hit-you-between-the-eyes moment reading a brand-new children’s book—The Gift of All Gifts. Written by our dear friend and co-worker Melissa Kruger, the book is a whimsical rhyme chronicling all the gifts we may want for Christmas but reminding us that there is one gift greater than the rest: Jesus. Near the end, here’s the line that “got me”—“The gift of all gifts, a heart made new.” Of all the things that God gives us in Christ, one of the greatest is a new heart (see Ezekiel 36:25–27). Without it, I am incapable of loving God.

A soul that feels its worth. A new heart freely given. What a reason to celebrate.
Author Image Merry Christmas and much love!
Courtney Doctor
Director of Women’s Initiatives
The Deep Dish
LISTEN IN TO OUR LATEST PODCAST EPISODE
Siblings, Young and Old

Sibling relationships can be beautiful and complicated. Listen in as Courtney and Melissa chat with Jen Wilkin about their relationships with their siblings growing up, talk about how they dealt with conflict among their children, and share words of wisdom they wish they’d heard sooner.

Listen In
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Discussion Questions
  1. What was your relationship with your siblings like as you were growing up? How has it developed over the years?
  2. What patterns of dealing with conflict do you see in your family (past or present)? 
  3. What has God taught you about conflict resolution through your sibling relationships?
  4. How do you see your children (or children you’re close to) developing friendships in their sibling relationships? What’s challenging about this? How would you like to encourage this more?
  5. As you interact with adult siblings, in what ways might you be reverting to childhood roles? How can you guard against this?
  6. How are your siblings navigating (or planning to navigate) care for aging parents? What advice from this episode was helpful as you consider how to do this well?
Taste & See
We’ve reached the last two verses of Psalm 34, which we’ve spent 2025 memorizing together! Download the graphics below to learn the new verses, plus you can see all the graphics here. Next month we’ll start memorizing another Psalm together.
"[21] Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
[22] The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned."
Psalm 34:21–22 (ESV)
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ARTICLES TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
 
 
 
Delectable Delights
FRESH PICKS FROM OUR TEAM
 

Our family loves games, but with my youngest not yet reading it’s hard to find one that is both fun and age-appropriate for the whole crew. Enter Flip 7! It’s simple to learn and fun to play, and you get a glimpse of everyone’s personalities as they decide whether or not to play the odds to get a higher score. —Rachel Madzima
 

These buttery dinner rolls are my go-to when I have friends over for soup and bread. I have to make a couple of crusty loaves too, because the rolls go so quickly! —Cassie Achermann
 

Cerave moisturizing cream has kept my hands and nails in great shape this winter! —Caroline Tubbesing
The Global Dish
PRAY FOR THE CHURCH AROUND THE WORLD
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The Women’s Initiatives at TGC recently partnered with TGC Australia to serve churches in Perth and Melbourne, Australia as well as Christchurch, New Zealand. Across the three locations, more than 1,700 women gathered to encourage and equip one another in gospel ministry. Courtney Doctor joined several local women’s ministry leaders and taught on practical ministry topics as well as John 15. Please join us in thanking God for the provision for this initiative, the fruit already emerging, and his ongoing work throughout Australia and New Zealand. 

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