Coming to the Still Waters

  Sometimes you need to do kid things with kids and it is extra special when they are your grandchildren.  I'm in a snow fort made by a couple of them, a great Sunday afternoon activity next to the sledding luge that was constructed by Daddy and Grandma.  A week with this part of the family was such a blessing to Stephanie and I.  Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Christmas Day, and Sunday gathering together allowed us some great worship time. Here is each in their forts... We are continuing our deep dive of the true Christmas story, a study in looking at the first coming of Christ as our sent and anointed of God Savior to the world.  Mary rises up to see her cousin Elizabeth just as the angel Gabriel had said to do and she found everything just as he had said.  Elizabeth and Mary's greetings brought a kick from John the Baptist in the womb of his mother.  With a kick, he who is John the Baptist in the womb, announced as the messenger to the Messiah t...

  A great vantage point for this shot of our family have some snow fun.  More is on its way this week!  Good timing for a visit from Illinois.  It was Christmas Eve and the evening was filled with an annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.  It is always amazing who you might see at this service.  We had more than ever in this mountain chapel with about 60 and that was with about 18 of our regulars not here.  We utilized 3 videos from The Biggest Story to tell the story with a before, during, and after segment.   Sunday we continued on with the events of the first coming of Christ.  Last week was the angel Gabriel giving doubting Zechariah the news about the messenger before the coming Messiah, John.  This week was the angel Gabriel giving willing Mary the news about the never before virgin birth of the long awaited Deliverer.  Both asked " how " but with very different outcomes.  One was to be mute for the next 9 months ...

  We are on a path through the events of the 1st coming of Christ.  Many times when I am doing this with a congregation it is blazing a new trail for some people who have not dived deep into each element and individual associated with the coming of Jesus.  This continues to open my eyes each time I have the opportunity to walk down this path given to us in God's word.  The connection of the Old Testament to the New Testament melts together at Christmas time. Along with the Messiah being in the line of David to be the King of a forever kingdom is the fact that the Messiah would have a messenger before Him who would point to Him as the anointed and sent One from God.  We know this to be John the Baptist who said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." (John 1:29)  Jesus also points out that John the Baptist is the Elijah type forerunner spoken of by God through the prophet Malachi.  This part of the telling of the events of Jesus...

  The aspens of Colorado continue to put on a display in every season.  Even with no leaves, they decorate the landscape.  May we do the same in the different seasons of our lives for the glory of God.   Stephanie has always been such a big part of the ministries wherever we have been.  We have always been a team when it comes to where we can serve in the local church.  Stephanie and the ladies of SCC put on the annual Ladies' Christmas Brunch and it saw 50 ladies from 5 area churches and the community come in to hear her share the true message of Christmas and the gospel.  I am so thankful for her in my life. Our passages showed us what the Jewish people knew about the coming Messiah.  I think it is a classic example of we hear and retain what we want to hear and retain.  We can do the same as they did when wanting to focus on one aspect of Jesus more than another.  They were looking for a victorious Messiah when all the of Scriptu...

  The snow has come to 8400 feet and I feel like I am back in Gaylord, MI when moving snow was just a part of life for at least 5 months or until the Great Lakes froze over.  I am thankful for the snowblower provided and the ability to work a shovel all these years.  I love the outdoors so I get the benefit also of being refreshed by being in it. I wanted to share this article called "The Unknown Pastor" by Darryl Dash.  I could relate to many parts of it.  The emphasis is so much on the big and being known but the reality is that much of what happens is in the small and the unknown.  A 2 minute read that is really good.   https://www.dashhouse.com/the-unknown-pastor/ Advent and Christmas bring us back to very familiar material in the Bible.  I am going back 3 years to my time at Weymouth Community Church when I first looked at the Apostle Paul looking back at the event of Jesus 1st coming and then the next Sunday looking forward to the even...