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: 10:30 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!
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
