Saturday, December 15, 2012

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 
WINTER WONDERLAND!  Yes, Lord, I see Your artistic flourishes all over the landscape ~ like the icing on the cake is your snow on the earth.  You swirl it and twirl it … sometimes you let it free-fall and stay where it may.  Always, it is done in great taste, and when the rays of sunshine burst through cold skies, it’s like a switch that turns on a million dancing, sparkling diamond lights!  The once-dead earth seems resurrected to life, and there is no Christmas display anywhere in any mall or any park that can compare with the glistening array of beauty that You have created with just one word from Your lips:  BE!  You declare it – and it is done!  You say “be” – and it IS!  You are Master of this season that surrounded Your birth one cold winter’s night so long ago!  It’s so very astounding that You came from the splendor of Your Heavenly Wonderland to this earth dead in sin.  The very Gift of Your presence in the manger in that stable ignited the skies in a blaze of Glory that led the shepherds and the townsfolk right to You!  Hope for this world and all people was resurrected at this Baby’s arrival.  God had great plans for His only Son, including giving Him again in an entirely different way to this world when the time would come.  Whips would someday swirl and twirl ~ flailing and landing cutting blows to the body of His Son.  The Father could see that day long before it would arrive, and in this moment of seeing His Son as a Babe nestled in the hay, He chose not to gaze into the future for long.  For that day would come soon enough.  His heart was content in knowing that His plan was the only way; it would bring glorious life to all of us down through the ages at the very moment that each of us would choose to say “yes” to His Son.  The Father heaved a deep sigh, the Holy Spirit hovered ever near, and that precious little Son nestled in His mother’s arms as His earthly father stood protectively next to her.  It was all as it should be.  All was well!  The birth plan was fulfilled as God had spoken it to be.  Satan’s attempts to keep the Baby from coming were thwarted.  Oh sure, he would try again, and again.  But for these moments in time, the world seem to be dancing in worship as voices were raised in praise … angelic voices, human voices, and even contented sounds from the animals in the stall – what a chorus of welcome to Jesus at His birth!  Now it’s OUR turn.  What does our wonderland look like?  I know mine is ever-changing – through each spiritual season.  And I choose to trust at each turn.  If I didn’t, I’d get swallowed up in the blizzard of life as circumstances swirl and twirl around me.  I choose to praise Him in the wilderness as well as the wonderland.  That’s the only way I make it out of the wilderness!  No matter what season it is, I choose to look for those million dancing, sparkling diamond lights!  Often they come to me in gifts of family love and joy … of strength and health for the new day … of peace in every situation I find myself in … of provision for our needs and sometimes for a few wants … of connections with dear friends, old and new … of shelter and warmth and clothing … of opportunities to give of ourselves and share … of God-appointments to minister the love of Christ to strangers … of quiet times to learn, to worship, to praise … of those growing times that stretch us almost beyond our limits … and of every Christmas season to once more celebrate the Christ-Child and the reason that He came – to give us life here and now ~ and into eternity, forever with Him in that Heavenly Wonderland.  A million reasons and more … to CELEBRATE!  God, can we make snow-angels in Heaven?! 
 
 
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
 
A SPECIAL WELCOME to little Macy, who joined us for the first time this past Sunday!  May God be ever close to you, Macy!
SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES to Laura on the 18th; to Andrew on the 21st; and to our son, Dustin, on the 21st!  You are loved!
 
MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES/SATURDAY BIBLE STUDIES will resume after the first of the year; stay in the Word this Christmas Season!!!  Choose to share the gift of your time and love with someone less fortunate and lonely!
 SUN, DEC 16:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Part 4 of “Our Amazing Emmanuel!”  Invite a friend to come with you!
SUN, DEC 16:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE Children’s Church with Verla and Kelly … the Christmas Story is alive and exciting!
SUN, DEC 23:  10:00 A.M. – CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION / “Our Amazing Emmanuel” – Part 5!  Come and celebrate our Lord’s birth in this joyous time of praise and worship filled with singing and scriptures.
SUN, DEC 23:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE Children’s Church will be sharing a special song with the congregation for Christmas!
 
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Shirley, Julia, Max, Tina, Johnny & Cherry, Hazel, several unspoken needs, our nation and our world, Lundstroms and Seykoras, our church ministries and outreach, our youth and our children! 
 REMEMBER , , , “God must have said, ‘I know what I’ll do, I’ll send my love right down there where they are.  And I’ll send it as a tiny baby, so they’ll have to touch it, and they’ll have to hold it close.’”  ~ Gloria Gaither
 
 
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
 
 
Pastor Doug and Debbie                                                  
 

 

 

 

 

 

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