Hey Y'all. I hope everyone has a great Christmas this year. I am actually typing this from my parents computer in Mississippi. We are here for a few days to spend Christmas with our family and to visit with some friends. And the weather...WOW! I am actually wearing short sleeves outside because the temps are in the 60's. Whew...its getting kind of hot! We do miss the snow, though.
So have a great Christmas remembering and celebrating the birth of our Savior who was miraculously born in human flesh. He humbled or emptied Himself and gave up the splendor of heaven to take on our human flesh and live on this earth and then die on the cross for sins He had not even committed. Now that really deserves a WOW!!! That is definitely the greatest gift we could ever receive. So please don't forget Christ's birth this year as we celebrate one of the most awesome events (if not the most awesome) to ever take place in the history of mankind. And what great hope we have because Christ rose from the grave on the third day and now is in heaven preparing a place for us and will soon return to take us HOME. It is going to be great when we get HOME to heaven and spend eternity with our ginormous (thats the gigantic and enormous combo) family of believers. WOWSERS!! That will be awesome. And we are confident that Christ will return. Just as many prophecies were fulfilled when Christ was born in Bethlehem that night many years ago, so too, we can be confident that the prophecies dealing with Christ's return will also be fulfilled. Our HOPE is a CERTAINTY!!
Ok, so I hope that encourages you a little. I am encouraged just thinking about all of these things and knowing that I am a secure child of God. I hope everyone reading this also has that security. If not you certainly can. Just ask me how, its simple, it is simply faith in Christ.
All right, y'all have a great Christmas!!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Super Cold Caroling was Super
Thanks to all who came out to carol this weekend. We caroled with the youthies and their families on Saturday night and that was great. I think the folks that we caroled to really enjoyed the carols and next time we will either not sing Ring the Bells or we will practice it beforehand. So thank you very much for getting out in the cold and spreading some Christmas joy to folks from our church who can't be with us every week at our worship services. It was a great time.
And of course it was a great time afterwards when we had some good food and a warm place to meet and even some good laughs around the karaoke machine and playing games and exchanging ornaments. It was a long night...but it was a super fun night too! So thanks.
And then we sang some more on Sunday night at the church wide caroling event. And if you thought it was cold Saturday, you missed out on what cold was all about. This time we were walking and not driving and by the time we got to the third or fourth house I couldn't feel my face anymore. So hopefully my mouth was moving and carols were coming out of my mouth. But we also had a great time Sunday night caroling to our neighbors close by the church and passing out calendars (great job Becca passing out the calendars). It is very important for us to be a testimony to our neighbors and minister to them as often as we can. Who knows what impact passing out a calendar, a note, and a gospel tract might have on someone's life. At least we have given them an opportunity to read and hear the gospel. And that is the most important thing of all. Not that we are cold or tired...but that we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. So thanks to all who came out for that.
And today...well it is even colder today. So nice and sunny as you look out the window...so freezing cold when you walk outside. Hey, its not even really winter yet. Its still fall. Maybe this will be a warm day in a couple of months. BURRRRR!!!
And of course it was a great time afterwards when we had some good food and a warm place to meet and even some good laughs around the karaoke machine and playing games and exchanging ornaments. It was a long night...but it was a super fun night too! So thanks.
And then we sang some more on Sunday night at the church wide caroling event. And if you thought it was cold Saturday, you missed out on what cold was all about. This time we were walking and not driving and by the time we got to the third or fourth house I couldn't feel my face anymore. So hopefully my mouth was moving and carols were coming out of my mouth. But we also had a great time Sunday night caroling to our neighbors close by the church and passing out calendars (great job Becca passing out the calendars). It is very important for us to be a testimony to our neighbors and minister to them as often as we can. Who knows what impact passing out a calendar, a note, and a gospel tract might have on someone's life. At least we have given them an opportunity to read and hear the gospel. And that is the most important thing of all. Not that we are cold or tired...but that we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. So thanks to all who came out for that.
And today...well it is even colder today. So nice and sunny as you look out the window...so freezing cold when you walk outside. Hey, its not even really winter yet. Its still fall. Maybe this will be a warm day in a couple of months. BURRRRR!!!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Let's Go Caroling...
We are going to go caroling and have a Christmas party on December 17th for the Sr. High and Jr. High as well as their families. Our desire is to carol to some folks in our body at CBC who are not able to get out very much and who cannot join us at church all that often. It is important that we do not forget these precious ones who are a part of our body.
So we will meet at CBC at 4pm on the 17th and we will divide into two groups and take off caroling. Don't forget to dress warm, I think it will be pretty chilly!
After we are finished caroling (around 6:30 - 7:00), we will meet back at the church for a snack, some Christmas karyoke, a carol battle, and an ornament exchange. I would ask that each family bring a snack to share, and that each person would bring a wrapped ornament for our ornament exchange. We should be finished with everything by 9pm. It should be fun.
I hope you are able to come. Please let me know ASAP if you are coming so I can make necessary arrangements. Thanks!
So we will meet at CBC at 4pm on the 17th and we will divide into two groups and take off caroling. Don't forget to dress warm, I think it will be pretty chilly!
After we are finished caroling (around 6:30 - 7:00), we will meet back at the church for a snack, some Christmas karyoke, a carol battle, and an ornament exchange. I would ask that each family bring a snack to share, and that each person would bring a wrapped ornament for our ornament exchange. We should be finished with everything by 9pm. It should be fun.
I hope you are able to come. Please let me know ASAP if you are coming so I can make necessary arrangements. Thanks!
Birthday Parties for Jesus
We have a great opportunity this month to minister to kids around the Aurora area by having Birthday Parties for Jesus. Thanks to all who attended the training on November 20th, now we get to put that training into action.
We will be involved in three of these events in December.
December 10th at Life Spring from 10:30am - 12:30pm
December 17th at CBC from 11am - 2pm
December 21st from 3pm - 5pm Place TBA.
We certainly look forward to the way that the Lord will be able to use us as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. And remember...everyday is an opportunity to share the Good News with someone.
As we prepare for these events, please pray that the Lord would use us as He sees fit to accomplish the purpose He has for us.
We will be involved in three of these events in December.
December 10th at Life Spring from 10:30am - 12:30pm
December 17th at CBC from 11am - 2pm
December 21st from 3pm - 5pm Place TBA.
We certainly look forward to the way that the Lord will be able to use us as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. And remember...everyday is an opportunity to share the Good News with someone.
As we prepare for these events, please pray that the Lord would use us as He sees fit to accomplish the purpose He has for us.
Christmas...or...Xmas
It's the most wonderful time of the year... at least according to the popular Christmas song. And while I certainly don't want to be a Scrooge with a "ba-humbug", I do think it is sad to see what our world really thinks of Christmas. Why is it the most wonderful time of the year? Because we get presents and get out of school and off work? Because many times people get Christmas bonuses and have some type of worldly benefit? Or is the reason because we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to this earth to give us the greatest gift we could ever have.
Unfortunately, although not surprisingly, our world has lost the focus of Christmas...although I wonder if the world really ever had the proper focus anyway. But, from my perspective, it seems each year that our world moves further away from focusing on the birth of Christ, and more and more on themselves. And, even more unfortunate, is the fact that many believers lose focus of Christ during this time of the year and get caught up in what the world is focused upon. During this time of the year, DO NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE THINGS OF THE WORLD AND LOSE SIGHT OF CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF CHRIST!!
One evidence I see of a worldly focus of Christmas that really bothers me, is the change from Christmas to Xmas. Now obviously "Xmas" is quicker to write and easier to spell, but it sure gets rid of the reason we celebrate Christmas. I would really hate having my name replaced with an "X" and that is exactly what we do when we say Xmas. We replace "Christ" with an "X". That is pretty sad to me. It is also interesting to me that schools no longer have Christmas break or Christmas vacation. Instead they have winter break or winter holidays. People also are beginning to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Little things like this are evidence to me of the disdain our "tolerant" society has for Christ or the things of God. I hope we, as believers, do not fall into this form of thinking.
In addition, as believers, we celebrate Christ's birth as well as His life, death, burial, and resurrection every day. Obviously we celebrate and are thankful for so much more than that as well. We have all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. He is the reason that we can have hope. I heard a story on the radio the other day of a lady who leaves her nativity up all year long to remind her that we celebrate Christ's birth every day. I hope we remember that as believers. Christ is the reason for everything. He is to be our focus. Have a great Christmas.
Unfortunately, although not surprisingly, our world has lost the focus of Christmas...although I wonder if the world really ever had the proper focus anyway. But, from my perspective, it seems each year that our world moves further away from focusing on the birth of Christ, and more and more on themselves. And, even more unfortunate, is the fact that many believers lose focus of Christ during this time of the year and get caught up in what the world is focused upon. During this time of the year, DO NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE THINGS OF THE WORLD AND LOSE SIGHT OF CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF CHRIST!!
One evidence I see of a worldly focus of Christmas that really bothers me, is the change from Christmas to Xmas. Now obviously "Xmas" is quicker to write and easier to spell, but it sure gets rid of the reason we celebrate Christmas. I would really hate having my name replaced with an "X" and that is exactly what we do when we say Xmas. We replace "Christ" with an "X". That is pretty sad to me. It is also interesting to me that schools no longer have Christmas break or Christmas vacation. Instead they have winter break or winter holidays. People also are beginning to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Little things like this are evidence to me of the disdain our "tolerant" society has for Christ or the things of God. I hope we, as believers, do not fall into this form of thinking.
In addition, as believers, we celebrate Christ's birth as well as His life, death, burial, and resurrection every day. Obviously we celebrate and are thankful for so much more than that as well. We have all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. He is the reason that we can have hope. I heard a story on the radio the other day of a lady who leaves her nativity up all year long to remind her that we celebrate Christ's birth every day. I hope we remember that as believers. Christ is the reason for everything. He is to be our focus. Have a great Christmas.
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