BITTERSWEET. That’s how it felt to say “good-bye” to our youngest son and his wife and their two little boys last week when they headed home after a few precious days with us during the Christmas season! Just having family in our home again was so wonderful! Seeing their faces, hearing their voices, looking around – and there they are, doing whatever happened to be going on at the moment. It just felt good! Our hearts were filled with their smiles and laughter, with the fun and excitement that little ones bring, with the time spent talking and sharing with our young adult children, forcing ourselves out the door to go to work and leaving them here – then coming home to a yummy prepared dinner on the table as we walked in the door! What a gift it was to celebrate our son’s birthday with him here with us ~ the first time in several years. How grateful we were to be able to do some miraculous last-minute Christmas shopping with them, since we also were able to celebrate Jesus’ birthday and enjoy some family Christmas gifts early. Our son read the account of that first Christmas from Luke chapter 2 with his four year old son nestled in close. God’s presence and family love filled the room, and we drank in the sights and sounds of this precious time, capturing it on the camera of our hearts, as well as the digital one! We worshipped together and it was great having them join our church family for the Christmas luncheon. From the first glimpse of Dustin and Becky and Isaiah and Miles at their 1:30 a.m. arrival – to our little grandsons’ excited shouts when we would enter the door after work – to our lingering hugs as we kissed them “bye” as they were leaving … how we thanked God for this special gift: of family, of love, of time together, of making new treasured memories! Yes, saying “good-bye” was truly bittersweet. Bittersweet, because we didn’t want their visit to end; we’d love to keep them close forever. And bittersweet, because we know as they go, that they are where God wants them; they are where God is choosing to use them right now. And knowing that, it makes everything alright. We swallow hard, blink back the tears, and with an emptiness already in our hearts, we wave as long as we can see them. May God go with you, dear family! BITTERSWEET. That’s how it feels to bid farewell to 2009. Threads of God’s faithfulness and threads of deep struggles run connectedly through the days and weeks and months of this year. So much has happened; we could write a book! (Maybe some day, we will!) We began our New Year’s Day 2009 – “at work”. If we needed to sum up the reality of this year in two words … those would be the words that tell the story of where we are most of our waking hours: “at work”. Yet, in spite of the LONG hours, we are tremendously thankful to God for providing all of these jobs for our survival in the midst of this economic downturn that has plagued our nation this year. Our story could be so much different. In these last few days of 2009, though, we want to share the story of the beautiful thread that runs through our bittersweet farewell to this year. Our hearts have been filled with the smiles of God as He showered us with His divine favor time and time again. We’ve been able to laugh through our tears in the face of shortfalls and deadlines as we experienced miracle after miracle. We’ve been gifted with supernatural strength and health and joy in the midst of circumstances that could have taken us down. But, you see, our God is an AWESOME God! Our God is a FAITHFUL God! And so, our hearts have been filled … to overflowing as God’s mercies have been new every morning! (Lamentations 3:22-23) Our hearts have nearly burst at times over the joys that all of us at Elevation North have experienced throughout this year! We’ve walked through the blessings and the challenges together. We’ve opened our hearts and lives to the many people that have come through the doors for the first time, and God has enlarged our boundaries! We’ve stood in the gap for each other – for every kind of need that has come into our lives. We’ve stood on God’s Word, we’ve claimed His promises, and we’ve experienced answers and miracles, in the Name of Jesus and through His shed blood on Calvary. Now as we stand on the threshold of this new year of 2010 … we know that God is taking us to a new level, a higher plateau of growth, spiritually, and otherwise. We stand with glee, like our little grandsons, watching at the doorway for the first glimpse of what God has in store for us as His church! We ask for more God-assignments and God-appointments … that we might continue to touch others here and around the world … with the amazing love of Jesus! Yes, bittersweet the farewells ~ but joyous the welcomes! And so … we welcome the arrival of 2010 … God’s gift of time and opportunity to us!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- WHAT AN INCREDIBLE BIRTHDAY/WORSHIP CELEBRATION we had as we honored Jesus with our post-Christmas Eve service on Sunday morning (due to the weather cancellation)! It was one of our most precious Christmas services ever in all of our years of ministry! And then how awesome it was to partake of Jesus’ birthday cake (the Bethlehem cake) that the Rogers family provided for us, complete with stable (made from cinnamon sticks) and each of the characters & animals (made from white chocolate)! Thank you for helping make our Christmas fellowship so memorable!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- WHAT AN INCREDIBLE BIRTHDAY/WORSHIP CELEBRATION we had as we honored Jesus with our post-Christmas Eve service on Sunday morning (due to the weather cancellation)! It was one of our most precious Christmas services ever in all of our years of ministry! And then how awesome it was to partake of Jesus’ birthday cake (the Bethlehem cake) that the Rogers family provided for us, complete with stable (made from cinnamon sticks) and each of the characters & animals (made from white chocolate)! Thank you for helping make our Christmas fellowship so memorable!
- LOOKING AHEAD . . .
- JANUARY 1st: HAPPY NEW YEAR’S DAY to everyone! We pray that each of you will be BLESSED in every facet of your life all year long, as you seek His face and follow His ways! Take time to make realistic resolutions that you know you can keep, with God’s help!
- SUNDAY, JANUARY 3RD:
- 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE – We are kicking off 2010 with a new series of messages that God has laid on our hearts as we look to the new year and what we believe God is asking us to step into! Come with a willing heart to be committed to what God has for us, and let’s stand with each other as we make ourselves fully available to God for HIS Kingdom purposes! Bring your passion and excitement as we worship and praise and pray with all our hearts!
- 6:00-7:30 P.M. – YOUTH – RE: FUEL session for all junior and senior high kids! Plan to meet at Pastor Doug’s and Debbie’s home and bring your appetite for fun, learning, and snacks! Bring someone with you, too!
- SUNDAY, JANUARY 17TH: ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING (following worship) to recap where God has taken us this past year, and to envision where He wants to take us in this new year! Reports will be available, and your participation is encouraged!
- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
- Anyone who says that God is dead, has not experienced the God we serve! Just this week even, we have seen first-hand miracles that are astounding! Our faith is only increased day by day to believe with you for the miracles you need, whether it be for physical, spiritual, financial, emotional, relationship, or family. Our God is SO able, we need only to speak His Name and believe and claim His Word, His promises, His gifts! They are, after all, for us, His children! Remember to pray for your church family and for our military and our nation!
- THIS WEEK . . . Remember that “each dawn holds a new hope for a new plan, making the start of each day the start of a new life.” ~ Gina Blair
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
