Stressed? - December 2009 Newsletter

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Snowflakes, Snowmen, Candy Canes.......

Snowflakes, Snowmen, Candy canes, Christmas trees and Gingerbread boys.

M.m.m. ?

You're right! They are cookies!

Today two ladies from our church came and we made cookies and decorated them. Last night I had mixed up the batter and refrigerated it overnight. This morning I made the frosting. When the ladies came, we rolled out the dough, and made the cut-outs, baked the cookies and began the tedious, yet fun chore of decorating the cookies.
What fun we had! We sang Christmas songs along with a CD, we laughed, prayed for a sick church member, had lunch and even sampled a gingerbread man and a candy cane each - without the frosting.

This year our church is giving out a "Christmas Bag" to each child of the church. So this week-end, after the services, each child will be called to the front and given a bag.

You know, when I was a kid, my church always gave each child a gift, and I've never forgotten that. In our last years of Pastoral Ministry, we started that at our church. What delight in the eyes of the children, to think that their church cared enough to give each child a special bag. One year, the church refused to allocate the funds for this, but still I baked gingerbread boys, my dear friend made popcorn balls and another church donated bags to the children of our church. This was "kinda" humiliating for the members of our church to think that another church in the community had cared about our children when our own members did not, but I guess it was a good lesson for them and the children were blessed.

With the advent of the famous "Dollar Store," it's quite easy to delight the children with a minimal outlay of money. What I recall is that my heart was always drawn to my church because they cared.

Are there children in your church who could use a Christmas Bag from you? It's not too late to do it! And you will be blessed when you see the reactions . Let us know if you do it, and how the children responded.

God Bless you and may you have a BLESSED Christmas and Love-filled New Year!

Ron and Nancy

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Countdown to Christmas

Lately I have been going into stores or to a Doctor's Appointment, and seem to be frequently asked, "Are you ready for Christmas?" Am I? I wonder.

Let's see: I have gifts for everyone, except Christopher, but I will get him a gift certificate to a restaurant. He can get a few good meals with that, and single guys ought to like that. Joshua - well he and Bobby are concerns!
Oh yea, Bobby will be starting school (college) soon and perhaps a good backpack would be nice for him. Not sure about Joshus, but I'll check with his Mom.

I have bought all the cookie ingredients I need for the gingerbread boys for the church children, and I have almost all I need, except the fresh food, for the Christmas Eve Family gathering. I have the canned goods put aside for the Christmas basket at church, I have those three pairs of pajamas for the children of the needy family, but I do have wrapping to do yet. And the house needs cleaning after all the baking coming up.

So am I ready for Christmas? Well, in my heart (which is the most important place) I am definately ready for the celebration of the greatest gift ever. The thought that He, a member of the Godhead, was willing to take the form of a baby, live within a young woman for nine months and be born like you and I (well, sort of - a manger is not exactly a clean and sterile birthing room) and carry the issues from the woman who mothered Him and the father who raised Him and then be the sacrifice to insure our salvation - WOW! That REALLY calls for an internal celebration in the hearts of ALL mankind!

You may not have all the gifts beautifully wrapped, the house neat and tidy or the cookies baked, but if you have pondered in your heart the real "Reason for the Season", then you are ready to celebrate with more than fruitcake and tea; you are ready to give your heart to the babe in the manger, to the Sacrificial Lamb, to the King of Kings and Lord or Lords - and that's what really matters!

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Those Less Fortunate

Turkey or Tofurkey, Dressing, Mashed potatoes, butternut squash, (British favorite) -turnips, green bean casserole, sweet potaotes, cranberry sauce or relish, Homemade rolls, Apple, Pumpkin, Tripleberry or Custard Pie. And if you are as blessed as us, Donna's homemade yummy fudge! What a feast!

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. it was our privelege to deliver a "Thanksgiving Basket" to a needy family from our church. I couldn't believe what the ladies of the church had bought for that basket! Over the years, I have delivered many a basket, but never one like this. Fresh fruit and vegetables and more than enough fixins' for a dinner fit for a King!

The people who received it were more than shocked! The lady of the house told me that after we left she burst into tears - tears of unbelief and tears of joy!

I remember once in my much younger days when I was still working at a Nursing home as a nurse, I brought home an elderly man who had no family and fed him Thanksgiving Dinner around our family table. Now that was thrilling!

If you've never done something like that, you ought to try it - even if just once. It turned out to be a blessing to our entire family!

With Christmas coming on, consider doing something for those who are less fortunate in worldly goods - the poor, the unemployed, the hungry, the lonely.

We would love to hear your experiences - either from this Thanksgiving or from past Christmas holidays - experiences when you went beyond yourself to bless others. Write them to us in a paragraph, so that we can publish some in our January Newsletter. Send them to nancy@LRInstitute.org.

May God give you inspiring ideas that will be a blessing to others!

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Thanksgiving and Affirmation

I know, it's been a while since a new blog was posted. Call me old and weary and pre-occupied with getting our new room finished ASAP! Well, it's done.

So what do I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season? Among our many blessings are each other, our children, grandchildren and great-granddaughter, our friends, our home, our ministry and most importantly a God who is ever-present to comfort, protect, guide and supply our needs.

Thatt's one thing we don't do enough of - we don't praise God for His blessings and thank each other for the ways that love and caring are shown to us. Every day should be Thanksgiving!

At one time, we pastored a church that had some of the congregation who resented affirmation for jobs well done and duties faithfully carried out. We would publicly honor a deacon or elder or treasurer for faithfulness and excellence and would be called down by some for doing so. But we chose then and still choose to affirm and encourage one another as the Bible tells us we should.

Has someone blessed your life? Did they call at just the right time to encourage you? Did they invite you for tea just when you were down and needed a friendly pick-me-up? Did they perform a job well as your employee? Have you noticed a child doing a kind deed or carefully performing a task? Tell them so. Encourage and affirm Lift others up. In so doing, not only will the other person be uplifted, but so will you!

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