December Newsletter

Twas the night before Christmas (By Rev. Jon Prain)
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town
Not a sign of Baby Jesus was anywhere to be found.
The people were all busy with Christmas time chores -
Like decorating, and baking, and shopping in stores.
No one sang "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed".
Instead, they sang of Santa dressed-up in bright red.
Mama watched Martha Stewart
Papa drank beer from a tap.
As hour upon hour the presents they'd wrap.
Then what from the T.V. did they suddenly hear?
'Cept an ad - which told of a big sale down at Sears.
So away to the mall they all flew like a flash -
Buying some things on credit and others with cash!
And, as they made their way home from their trip to the mall,
Did they think about Jesus? Oh, no - not at all.
Their lives were so busy with their Christmas time things
They had no time to remember Christ Jesus, the King.
There were presents to wrap and cookies to bake.
How could they stop and remember the One who died for their sake?
To pray to the Savior - they had no time to stop.
Because they needed more time to "Shop til they dropped!"
On Wal-mart! On K-mart! On Target! On Penney's!
On Hallmark! On Zales! A quick lunch at Denny's!
From the big stores downtown to the stores at the mall
They would dash away, dash away, and visit them all!
And up on the roof, there arose such a clatter -
As grandpa hung icicle lights - using his brand new step ladder.
He hung lights that would flash. He hung lights that would twirl.
Yet, he never once prayed to Jesus - the Light of the World.
Christ's eyes - how they twinkle!
Christ's Spirit - how merry!
Christ's love - how enormous!
All of our burdens - He'll carry!
So instead of being busy, overworked, and uptight -
Let's put Christ back in Christmas - and enjoy some good nights!

Not Exactly What They Had Expected
Luke 2:11-12 (NKJV) "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

This Christmas, most of us will be giving and receiving many presents. Some may be just what we were hoping for, but some children and adults will undoubtedly be disappointed. Some will be surprised. Some surprises will be happy ones; people will receive that "perfect gift," even more meaningful than they had hoped. God Himself used unexpected people, places and events in the Nativity. God turned things upside down when He sent His Son into the world as our Savior.
The Jewish people were expecting a powerful political conqueror. God sent them a helpless Baby.
They likely expected the announcements of His entry in the world, to go first to "important" people, "VIP's." But God's angels announced Christ's birth to shepherds, who were on the lower rungs of society.
They expected a Messiah who would give THEM gifts -- prosperity, victories over their military enemies. Instead, God sent a Messiah who expects us to give Him our hearts, our very lives.
They didn't realize the Messiah would not favor many of the ones the world looks to as heros; in fact, He would bless the humble and the poor.
They expected worldly peace; God sent them a Prince of Peace, but the guaranteed peace was spiritual.
Jesus was not the Messiah / King / Savior they had hoped for. But He was more than they could have hoped for. His gifts last for eternity. No returns. No disappointments from Him. He will never let us down. Do you know Him as your Savior? Have you received salvation from Him, that best gift we will ever receive? If not, there's no better time then today. Simply acknowledge your sinfulness before Him and believe in your heart that He came to this earth to live a sinless life and pay the penalty on the cross for your sin. He was born that we might live - forever in eternity with Him.
Oh, and by the way, while Jesus' first coming was as a babe in the manger, Jesus is coming back a second time. And that will be in Righteous Power - as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - and He WILL bring that peace to the earth where the lion shall lay down with the lamb - and all nations and peoples will bow before Him.
May you have a blessed Christmas season, remembering all that God has done. Don't let all the commotion and clanging of all the busyness of the season keep you from standing in AWE of the Savior who was born in a lowly manger for YOU.
God's plan of salvation is nothing less then wondrous. And simple. Won't you receive His gift to you today? And share this Good News with others.



A season (a life) of giving by John Fischer
The holidays are here and gift giving once again moves to center stage. It’s easy to become cynical about this because of the over-commercialization of Christmas, but, as always, there is truth hidden in the bright lights, the colorful boxes, and the rush of shoppers bringing home their treasures.
Where did all this gift giving come from anyway if it didn’t come from God? No, God and Macy’s are not in cahoots; it’s just that God started it all. God in heaven gave us the most perfect gift for all seasons, his only Son, who brought light to the world and forgiveness of sins through his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. But it doesn’t stop there. His is a gift that keeps on giving. It keeps on giving because his life is born in all who believe, and his presence in the world is perpetuated by the spiritual gifts he gives all believers by which we reach out to those around us.
Think about it: A big, beautifully wrapped box arrives for each one of us from God himself – a personal gift with our name on it. Inside is a special gifting through which we can touch the people around us by way of the words we say and the things we do. It’s called our “spiritual gift” but it’s really a kind of gifting that enables us to do something for someone else. This puts a whole new slant on gifts, whatever the season.
I can remember Christmases growing up where I would arrange all my gifts neatly into a pile on my bed after all the presents were opened. It was always a smaller pile than I anticipated, but it was mine nonetheless. Christmas, in spite of the joy and excitement, was always a little bit of a disappointment because the gifts ran out. There was always the last gift – nothing more to open. My gifts stopped with what I could play with (until it broke) or what I could wear.
But God gives gifts that help us become givers as well. That’s a big difference. His gifts to us enable us to turn around and enrich others. Gifts like mercy, faith, encouragement, wisdom, knowledge, healing, and discernment flow out of the brightly colored packages we unwrap every day from our Father. These are not gifts we pile up on our bed and look at. These are gifts that perpetuate the life of Christ in us. And they keep on giving for the rest of our lives, or as long as we use them.
This season, if you are able, give a gift that will warm a heart, but don’t forget the gifts we have from our Father that keep on giving all year long, and be just as intentional about receiving and giving those as well. What do you have, and who can you give it to?


AFFLUENZA (Flu)
IT'S FLU SEASON again, only there’s a not-so-new strain that is out there that is more vicious than any germ...
Its Latin name is affluenza-gottabuyitis. The symptoms affect us all unless we are inoculated with the contentment serum that comes only from having something in our lives that is more valuable that all the things that money can buy. You might have affluenza if you get frustrated by all the stuff you have filling your life and yet you make frequent trips to those who sell more. You might have affluenza if you are too ill or frail to come and sit in a comfortable place of worship, but manage to negotiate the aisles at Wal-Mart. You might have affluenza if you are actually interested in some of the junk mail that you get, especially the weekly sales ads. You might have affluenza if you would lose at Bible quizzes, but know all the answers on The Price Is Right.
And finally, you might have affluenza if you actually know how many shopping days are left until Christmas. If you’ve got affluenza and want to get over it, here is the cure:
1) Take a dose of reality. Recognize that “I need” and “I want” are not the same. Realize how many people in the world live without the latest (you name it) and get along just fine.
2) Get a shot of compassion. Consider the last time you bought to please yourself and how your purchase brought joy for such a short time. Now think of how a gift to someone who is truly in need will bring you joy that lasts.
3) Don’t make any purchase without prayer. That includes giving God thanks for your daily bread and for the bounty that allows us to have many more things that make usc omfortable and that give us a pleasant way of life. While you pray, seek God’s will instead of just seeking to satisfy your own cravings (cf. James 4:13-5:7).
4) Get a booster shot of contentment. God is so good and He has blessed us in so many ways with so many things. Let us never take our eyes off the truly valuable things of God which are everlasting and replace greedy affluence with gracious thanks. (Roger Wright)
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (I Timothy 6:6-8). Bible reading for 11.22.06: Romans 11 - 13

In each sentence below, fill in the blank or blanks with an
expression commonly used at Christmastide. Answers repose at the end of this column.
1. On December 24, Adam's wife was known as _____ _____.

2. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Scrooge was visited by the ghost
of _____ _____.

3. An opinion survey in Alaska is called a _____ _____.

4. What does Santa Claus do with his three gardens? _____, _____, _____

5. What Christmas message is conveyed by these letters?:
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. _____, _____

6. When the salt and the pepper say "Hi!" to each other, they are passing
on _____ _____.

7. A holy man bereft of change could be called _____ _____.

8. When you cross a sheep with a cicada, you get a _____ _____.

9. A quiet medieval armor-wearer is a _____ _____.

10. A cat walking on the desert is bound to get _____ _____.

11. People who tell jokes on December 25 might be called _____ _____.

12. An airplane disaster in Israel is a _____.

13. Actor O'Connor and actress Channing are known on December 25 as
_____.
14. What do Spanish sheep says when they wish each other a Merry Christmas? __ _____.

Meretricious to all! And don't forget that There's No Plate Like Chrome for the Hollandaise.

***********************************************************************

Answers
1. Christmas Eve
2. Christmas Present
3. North Poll
4. Hoe, hoe, hoe.
5. Noel, Noel (no l, no l)
6. seasons' greetings.
7. St. Nickleless.
8. Bah! (or Baa!) Humbug!
9. silent knight
10. sandy claws
11. Christmas cards
12. cresh
13. Christmas Carols
14. Fleece Navidad!

ICE campaign "In Case of Emergency"
Many carry cell phones with names & numbers stored in its memory, but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our phone but wouldn't know who to call. This is "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign. All you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" (In Case Of Emergency).

Did You Know...
• The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQ’s is greater than the population of North America.
• In India, it’s the top 28%.
Translation: They have more honors kids than we have kids.
• China will soon become the number one English-speaking country in the world.
• If you took every single job in the US today and shipped it to China, it still would have a labor surplus.
• During the next 5 minutes, 60 babies will be born in the US.
• 244 babies will be born in China.
• 357 babies will be born in India.
• The US Dept. Of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10 to 14 jobs by the age of 38.
• The US Dept. Of Labor estimates 1 out of every 4 workers today is for a company for whom they have been employed for less than 5 years.
• More than 1 out of 2 are working for a company for whom they have worked less than 5 years.
• The education Secretary predicts the top 10 jobs that will be in demand in 2010 did not exist in 2004.
• We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t know even know are problems yet.
• Name this country...richest in the world, largest military, center of world business and finance, strongest education system, world center of innovation and invention, currency the world standard of value, highest standard of living.....England...in 1900.
• The US is 20th in the world in Internet usage (Luxemburg just passed us)
• Ninetendo invested $140 million in research and development in 2002 alone.
• The US Federal Government spent less than half as much on research and innovation in education.
• 1 out of every 8 couples married in the US last year met online.
• We are living in exponential times. There are over 2.7 billion searches on Google each month.
• There are about 540,00 words in the English language, about 5 times as many as during Shakespeare time.
• More than 3,000 new books are published daily.
• It is estimated that a week’s worth of NY Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th Century.
• The amount of new technological information is doubling every 2 years.
• For a student starting a 4 year technology or college degree, this means that half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third tear of study.
• It is predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010 by 2023, when first graders will be 23 years old and beginning their first career.