Tomorrow is King Day, and the beginning of the National Civil Rights Museum’s yearlong observance called “Community Over Chaos,” a special event tied to the 60^th anniversary of the Selma March and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Given what we know about the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s religious faith influenced his activism, centering community in the days to come is a powerful way to live out your faith.

The holidays may be joyful, but they can also be exhausting. As we begin the new year, refill your proverbial cup with this activity inspired by the “Take What You Need, Give What You Can” bulletin boards found in some schools. Most of us don’t have a bulletin board at home, so you can use your refrigerator, a countertop in your home, or even the notes app on your phone!

Today marks the “official” end of the Christmas season, and we will be marking the occasion by making one more stop on our journey to visit Desert Mission families and experience their holiday traditions. But this one is unique because it’s not a Christmas tradition per se – it’s a very special way to ring in the new year, courtesy of Mike P!

We have come to the third stop on our trip to visit Desert Mission families and learn about their unique Christmas celebrations, and this week our focus widens and all of our senses are engaged. That’s because this week we are visiting four different families to sample the special foods they enjoy as a part of their Christmas meal and explore how our holiday experience is shaped by the foods we eat.

This Advent season, our annual trip around the world to explore Christmas traditions from different places looks a little different. Instead of visiting a different country each week, we are visiting a different Desert Mission family and learning about the special traditions that make their Christmas celebration unique. This week’s stop: Susie G’s house, where holiday joy brings the whole neighborhood together!