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This has been a great Christmas but Dottie, my Dad's Toy Fox Terrier, and I are both ready for it to be over. She can't wait to get the Santa suit off and have the house to herself, I can't wait to get back on my diet and bike!
Kathy and I have invited the church over on New Year's Day, between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. for Black Eyed Peas, Corn Bread, and Prayer! Can't think of a better way to start 2008 than fellowship and prayer with the wonderful people of Harvest.
We'll be starting a new small group on Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m. on January 10th here at Harvest. Regaining Balance by Randy Sawyer is a great way to start the new year. This 91 day journey will lead us back into the Word of God and help focus our prayer and praise.
We have copies of the devotional guide available at Harvest if you haven't picked one up yet.
One of our members at Harvest shared this story with me this past week and I thought it was worth passing along...
My Dad had an old beat up hammer hanging in his garage that was in pretty bad shape, nails were driven in the end to keep the head from flying off. I got him a new shiny hammer for Christmas. I remember when he opened the package, he was so happy, looked at me with his big smile. Several months later I noticed the same old hammer was hanging in the garage, Dad wasn't home so I asked Mom what happened to the new hammer. Didn't he like it? I asked. Mom said no quite the contrary, he loved it, and took me into their bedroom and opened his sock drawer. There it was nestled in with his socks.
She said it means so much to him that you love him and gave it to him that he keeps it there. He thinks of you when he gets out a pair of socks and sees the hammer.
Thinking about this and giving during this Christmas, it's not about the gift, it's about loving. The Lord loved us so much that he gave us the gift of Jesus for Christmas so that we could be saved. This is what Christmas is all about, not the man in the red suit.
We had a blast Christmas Caroling on Thursday night. There were 49 (49ers, hmmmm) who braved the chilling winds to deliver the message of Christmas in song to our neighbors. I think that's the most we've ever had participate in our caroling adventure. Before you get upset about the guy wearing the Dallas Cowboy jacket in these pictures please understand that we just love people as they are and let God change their hearts. We've been praying for this guy for long time now.
It may seem like nobody appreciates what you do, but never forget it only 'seems' that way.
Our students have done very well this first semester at ACCA, in fact the overwhelming majority of our students are right on track or ahead of the game as we prepare to dismiss for Christmas break.
I received an email from one of our parents this past week that made my day!
"I thought that you all should know that Jamaal was so so proud of his grade. This made me feel that we have teachers and other staff that care about the kids. You, and all the other staff are doing a GREAT JOB! with Jamaal. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK. (Also, thanks for no homework last night, we needed that.) Thanks again Debbie
Kudos! To our ACCA staff and to Debbie for seeing what God is doing at ACCA and taking the time to give honor where honor is due!
I read a great poem tonight by Maya Angelou. One line reads...
"Every Woman Should Know...That her childhood may not have been perfect...But it's over".
That is such a simple yet profound line. As a pastor, I run across people all the time that are hung up on their past. Some just hold on to past hurts and allow these to continue to cause them pain. Some set out to get even with those who let them down while growing up, but only succeed in making a mess of their own lives. Others simply blame their mistakes on anyone and anything they can.
One of my favorite scripture verses is Ephesians 4:26. My version, "Be Angry, Be Christlike, Get Over It, Move On". Too many people get stuck on the 'Be Angry' part. These people are miserable and tend to make everyone around them miserable. If you are angry about your past, get over it. Move on! It's over. Don't let your past mess up your today. Don't let your today be something you regret tomorrow.
We'll be Christmas Caroling this Thursday night at 6:30 and would love for any and all to join us. You can follow along in the warmth of your car or jump on the Hayride we have set up.
Financial Peace University is coming to Harvest in January in a BIG WAY! We've added a second class to our schedule. You now have a choice. Sunday evening at 4:30 p.m. or Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
Check out Financial Peace University and then sign up for one of our classes. It will be one of the greatest investments you have ever made!
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Cliff Donoho on a "Real" bike!
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