No better way to start off this week's note, than to talk about the Christmas Market. Lisa, Tania and their crew, got things started off Friday around noon, bringing all the gifts from our secret hiding place to the fellowship hall. Lots of help from our friends at Grace were on hand helping sort, price and hang. By 5 or so, Santa's helpers were finishing up!
Saturday morning, by 8am, there was a line of folks waiting to get their tickets. We had rearranged the chapel for a gathering area, full of hot coffee, pastries and Christmas movies playing on the big screen! When 9 am rolled around, everybody was in place to open the doors. Pastor Juan and all our friends from Grace showed up to help with the shopping, wrapping, and taking the gifts out to their cars, keeping the food warm and the coffee hot. As Lisa has already posted on our Facebook page, lives were changed on both sides of the aisle! We almost doubled the number of folks from last year who shopped! What a blessing for everyone involved.
Scott visited the camps to find everybody doing fine. Our Christmas gifts for our friends got lost in the mail, so Scott took time out of his busy schedule to go shopping for them and then on Christmas morning, he delivered the gifts. What a huge blessing!
Tuesday evening, we gathered in the fellowship hall for a meal prepared by Vicky and her elves. A big crowd of boys and men enjoyed it all. We then moved into the chapel and Brother Rickie led the study reading from Exodus chapter 3, talking about Moses and the burning bush.
Thursday we had small meal and a small crowd. Glad there was a small crowd, because that meant, folks were with their families. The highlight of the evening was we got to talk with Joey on the computer! We had worked it out to Skype him and we got to visit for a long while. I don't understand all of it, but it was Friday morning around 7:30 in the Philippines. He is doing fine, missing all of you. He wanted us to tell you how much he appreciates all your prayers for him, he can feel them. He will try to call us again on another Thursday.
Continued prayers for our friend Jerry. He had a heart attack Saturday morning at the center. Our friend, Mary, had a baby aspirin to help with the attack. As the paramedics told us, because of the aspirin, they were able to get him to the hospital in time. So Ardis wanted to tell everybody, she bought a jar of baby aspirin and it is in the medical kit, which is in a front cabinet in the kitchen.
Prayers for our outdoor friend Brad. We finally got to see him Wednesday. He was still not awake but holding his own. While we were there, we called his mother. She was very appreciative of our call. We held the phone to Brad's ear and his mom told him she loved him and to get better. While she was talking to him Brad twitched! The only movement he made while we were there. She thanked us for looking out for him and asked us to please continue visiting him.
Your prayers are working, Ginellen was feeling well enough to make it to Grace's Christmas Eve service. She still has a long road in front of her, but each day gets a little better. Please continue your healing prayers.
One of our long time friends, John Sauls will have a birthday this coming week, December 31st. Happy Birthday John!
It has become a tradition for our Monday Grace men's Bible group, to read the birth of Jesus. We read from Luke and Matthew, reading from Isaiah this year. Tuesday evening we read from Exodus. A thought came to me as we were reading Tuesday evening about Moses. Evidently Pastor Juan had the same thought, shepherds.
We all know, God choose shepherds to announce to the world. He could have chosen kings or priests or rulers, but He chose the least of them to show them what had happen, shepherds. In Exodus chapter 3, the passage starts off by Moses tending the flock of his father-in-law. Not only was he tending sheep, Moses decided to take the flock as far away from people as he could get!
Well we know the rest of the story, God found Moses and convinced Moses, he was going to lead God's people out of slavery. God did not chose a king, or a priest, or a ruler to lead His people, He chose a shepherd.
God is good about finding just the right person to do His task. God wants folks with lvoing hearts, that can humble themselves and allow His Spirit to flow through them. Just like you!
Moses tried to get out of his job, like we do. He was not a very good talker, he did have the education, he did not have the courage, all good excuses, but nothing God can't take on. In verse 11, Moses said to God, who am I to do this task? verse 12, God said to Moses, I will be with you.
As we come into a new year, we will be faced with challenges, but also many glorious opportunities God will put before us. How will we respond? We can make all sorts of excuses, deny it happened, don't listen, but we won't receive the blessings of God if we do. Yes, it will be uncomfortable at first. It will seem overwhelming at times, but remember as God told Moses, I will be with you! Amen!
As celebrate the end of another year and the coming of a new year, may we all follow the path Moses took, allowing God to lead as we follow! Peace and Joy to all!
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