On our travels here around Boerne, Texas we made a visit to this little Methodist church. It sits on family owned property that has been in that family for 8 generations! It was very moving to be able to walk inside and see the culture, see the history and feel God's presence. There has always been something special about old churches -- I have traveled all over the world and going into the old churches has always been the highlight for me.
It also made me think of what the churches must have looked like in the past, when Jesus was born . . . what must it have been like then . . . riding horseback the other day brought those same thoughts to mind . . .
Was Christmas back then all about the shopping, all about the decorations, all about the sugary foods, all about having the latest and greatest . . .
Or was it about Jesus, the one who came and saved us all. Not the kind of saving that we think of; saving our child from being hurt . . .
How many of us have literally been facing death and had someone tap us on the shoulder and tell us that they will take our place and we can continue living? We might snicker at the idea, but think about that for a minute . . .
It is my hope that everyone is as touched by Jesus as was the person who called me first thing this morning. Vicky was so excited and so thrilled and so happy and feeling so blessed she could not contain herself. The joy in her voice, the joy that streamed down her face in the way of tears . . . her house is 99% complete and she just couldn't go another minute without calling to say thank you! It's that joy that should be the center of Christmas . . . that joy that fills us to overflowing . . . that joy that causes us to "need" to tell someone else about it! Vicky was filled with that joy and was filled with even more joy when I told her we would be doing a house blessing very soon!
Let's all think about a different kind of joy this season. Not everyone has lost their home in a storm this past year, not everyone has even lost a family member . . . but all of us should feel a sense of loss . . . the loss of our sins . . . the loss of our condemnation . . . the loss of our guilt and shame . . . the list could go on and on.
Let's all focus on the joy . . . the joy of forgiveness . . . the joy of sinlessness and the joy of having our name on our door in heaven.
I think of my Grandma who is spending her first Christmas in heaven . . .what an amazing Christmas!
Until next time . . . many thanks to Al and his wife, Judy, for dinner last night! What a Christmas blessing that was for us!
Be blessed and be Joyful!!!!!!!!!!! Susan and Monty
1 comment:
Monty & Susan:
Congratulations on being named RVer of the year! I had to respond to the article in Highways, as I was a Red Cross volunteer in San Leon after Ike hit them. I was on an ERV (emergency response vehicle) conducting feedings twice a day at a mom & pop mini-mart there. It was on a corner across the street from a tavern with a second floor open deck.
Bless you for your wonderful work!
Robert L. Stevenson
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