One of the surprises we find in the Christmas story comes when we discover who God invited to greet the newborn Savior. One would think that powerful people, foreign dignitaries, the rich, and the powerful would be invited to come and welcome this newborn King. Instead, it was a bunch of lowly shepherds to whom the Lord extended the one and only invitation.

Everyone in the world goes through storms in life and Christians aren't exempt. However, Jesus works in the midst of the storm on behalf of the believer and as a result, there are good things that come out of the storm. In fact, we can grow spiritual in the storm if we respond with the right attitude.

If we want to be effective in changing the world around us, we need to be broken in the right places - our wills, our pride, and our hearts.