Dealing with Holiday Stress
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
12/17/25
The holidays are a stressful time for many people. While I love going home to see my family, I know that I will be stressed out from traveling, family drama, plus planning and coordinating with people on events and food. It can all feel overwhelming. Many of my friends deal with the same holiday stress or have their own unique situations, and some can’t go home to their families during Christmas for a variety of reasons.
Family is the thing which emphasizes, so being kept from home may make anyone feel left out and alone. If you or a loved one know loneliness during tough times, also know that is when it is most important to reach out to others. It can be difficult, but reaching out for help is a sign of strength as it shows trust in those you reach out to. It can also strengthen the bonds of your relationships.
There are many ways to cope with a stressful holiday season. Some ways I recommend include taking a soothing bath, watching a movie, doing a hobby that you enjoy, or praying. Whatever way people try to get through the season, it is important to remember that God is with you during the hardships.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2
A Bit of History
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
10/28/25
October 31st is best known for Halloween but historically significant for being Reformation Day. This day marks the anniversary of when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Church in 1517 which kickstarted the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was an academic and German monk who wrote his 95 Theses as a way to express distaste for issues within the Catholic Church.
One of the major issues was the selling of indulgences. Indulgences were sold by church officials to people as a way of exacted penance for misdeeds. Essentially, these indulgences limited the amount of time that people’s loved ones would spend in purgatory before going to heaven. The money for indulgences was part of a campaign to help rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica. Martin Luther felt that this taught people that people could buy their way into the kingdom of heaven and that the Church was putting material things such as a building above the Gospel.
After his 95 Theses were posted, Martin Luther was accused of heresy and put on trial. Martin Luther attended the trial to defend himself and accused the Pope of thinking he was above the Scripture. After this trial Martin Luther was an enemy of the church and excommunicated for refusing to recant the 95 Theses among other works. This laid the groundwork for a revolution which we celebrate every year on October 31st.
If you want to read the 95 Theses, click the link below.
Kicking Off Community
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
9/4/25
Like many Americans, I play fantasy football. I sit on a couch and look up football players to draft while in a group call trash talking to my closest friends. I was first introduced to fantasy football by my friend Tasha. She watches over our league like a mother watches over her newborn. She keeps track of everyone’s teams to see who has players out and messages them to let them know. The first year I played fantasy football she needed more people to join the league to keep things competitive. Last year when the same issue arose, I reached out to my high school friend Kevin. Now Kevin will sometimes attend tailgates with Tasha and the rest of our league.
The real kicker about all of this fantasy football talk is that I don’t even care about football that much. Yes, I have a few teams that I like, but I never reach for the remote to put a game on. Usually if a game is playing in my house, it is on in the background while I am doing chores or playing a video game. I love fantasy football because my friends have a large group chat on a platform called discord. I love hearing my friends laugh at silly football memes or celebrate a team’s win. I look forward to this year’s chat lighting up with messages as we all connect over football.
Click the link below for a song about community with a shout out to football.
Do the Dishes
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
8/1/25
When reading the story of the Good Samaritan, I am reminded of the quote “Everyone wants a revolution. No one wants to do the dishes.” While attributed to several prominent Christian activists, including Dorothy Day and Shane Claiborne, its true origin remains unknown. Regardless of where it comes from, I find that the sentiment holds true. People look up to notable revolutionaries of history like Martin Luther or Rosa Parks, and we’d all like to think that we’d be like them. We believe that we’d always be good Samaritans, selflessly helping others and standing bold in the face of danger. However, reality shows that we often get lost in the daydreams of being grand heroes, neglecting the little ways where we can do right.
We have thousands of interactions every day, and thousands of things we can do for everyone around us. What if we all took the time to be a little more helpful, even on a small scale? What if all of us did the dishes? To help us think more deeply about these small acts of kindness, I’ve attached below a website that lists some ways to make someone’s day a little better.
Caring for God’s Creation
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
4/22/25
As spring rolls around, so does gardening season. My apartment has a nice big patio for all my plants and also houses my recycling bin. Each week I am shocked by how much trash and recycling I produce and think there must be a way to reduce this. This led me to searching for beginner guides on being more sustainable. I found the video linked below helpful and hope you will too. Let’s all take care of God’s creation together!
Desert Cross Faith Formation 