In Walt Disney’s Aladdin, we’re introduced to a poor street rat, a boy who is down on his luck. Aladdin feels like he has no choice but to steal to eat. One day, Aladdin unknowingly meets the princess in disguise.

More, better, bigger, and faster in this world does not bring rest, peace, joy, or serenity. None of those things deal with the real reason for the gloominess in our lives. Trying to treat our gloom with those things is like trying to cure the flu with a band-aid.

Aren’t you glad it’s over? Last night, we left another year behind us. It was a doozy, wasn’t it? A year marked by racial violence, terror attacks, an unprecedented election that demonstrated the national division in our country.

Every one of us his forgiveness, his peace, his hope, his presence for that day! Today, God promises his forgiveness, peace, hop“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Every year I hold out the empty hope that winter will not come. Every year I dream that somehow fall will go straight into spring. But every year, I’m disappointed. It’s the first real snowfall that always kills that dream.