Our Family Christmas Party on December 6th was one of those YOU HAD TO BE THERE TO EXPERIENCE IT evenings. Lots of food and family stuff with the kids. We had a full house for our campus (Lynn Sapp said there were two parking spots left).
Kyle Cherryholmes opened God’s Word with us and for us on December 6th just days after the shootings in nearby San Bernadino. We all needed to hear what he shared because his message was GOD HAS A PLAN. God has a plan especially when the New York Daily News a few days ago published the headline declaring GOD CAN’T FIX THIS MESS.
The special Sundays of Advent began November 29 and continue through our Christmas Eve service. Each Sunday before Christmas day one of you families will share the theme of the week, share a Scripture portion and lead us in prayer. Don’t miss any of these Advent times with the final presentation being our Christmas Eve service. Hector and Margie Martinez shared on the first Sunday. Ed and Joyce Faranda shared on December 6th. And today we have another family sharing a special thought and prayer with us during our morning worship service.
The Daily Breads for December, January and February are available at the Information Center today.
Plan to come together on Christmas Eve for our Family Christmas Eve service. It will start at 5:30 and be about one hour. If you or your family would like to share a Scripture or poem or song during our family gathering, speak with me.
Put Ed & Joyce Faranda’s Christmas yard light display (Gena also contributes) on your LET’S GO SEE SOME CHRISTMAS LIGHTS list. The lights are co-ordinated with music and a message that you hear on your FM car radio. They live at 5203 Ashworth Street in Lakewood. If you can’t drive to see the dancing lights, then go to www.dancingwithlights.com and get a glimpse of what they are doing. The music includes songs that you will never hear at Starbucks because they proclaim the Savior’s birth plus a reading of the Luke 2 account and also a lighting of the Advent candles. Saturday evening, December 19 from 7pm to 9:30pm the Farandas are having what you might call an OPEN HOUSE for their light display (Everyone welcome. Bring a dessert to share if possible).
Our Todd family is celebrating Christmas a little early with people all over the map later in the month. Claudia and I are out of the area today.
Tim Ramos is preaching the message for today, December 13 from Psalm 34. His title is "Desperate Times Don't Always Call for Desperate Measures."
Plan your New Years Gatherings with some of your church family.
MERRY CHRISTMAS it’s still worth saying),
Pastor Richard