Although we often take what we have for granted, it’s relatively easy to be grateful when things are going our way. How do we go about living a grace-filled and grateful life even when times are hard? Sometimes grit is just as important as gratitude.

This holiday season brings many challenges. Some are personal–losses of loved ones, losses of relationships, illnesses, changes in employment status, and so on. Others are more political or societal–loss of a sense of safety, increased isolation, divisions among neighbors and organization, etc. How do we deal with these challenges while still finding something to celebrate?

In the wake of a brutal election season, how do we go about repairing and healing the wounds that have occurred? What do we need to do to heal our own wounds, and how might we help others heal? And how do we move from healing to organizing for change?