Merry Christmas!

Christmas is only six days away. There are a lot of things I like about Christmas:

· I like to be reminded of the many details surrounding the birth of Jesus

· I like watching the girls' excitement

· I like listening to Christmas music

· I like Christmas movies (Christmas Shoes for perspective, The Nativity for memory and anything with Tim Allen in it for laughs)

· I like food

· I like football

· I like Christmas celebrations at church…..which is something we will be having this Sunday morning at New Life. We have an AWESOME day planned that you will not want to miss complete with festive decorations, musical surprises and a focus on Jesus. We will also have a dinner for everyone immediately following the service.

· I like the time for reflection and planning….which is something else that I plan to do over the next several weeks. Heading into the month of January, I am planning to take several weeks off from the pulpit to focus in on how we can best fulfill the mission and vision of New Life as we begin to put down roots in the downtown communities.

· I like snow – I like beaches as well, but Lake Jacomo just doesn’t cut it this time of year

· I like Christmas lights

· I like traditions (we have carried on the tradition of fonduing)

· I like how Sophie always tells me what my gift is (slippers)

· I like getting Christmas (brag) letters and pictures

· I like hearing all the different theories about our Christmas traditions (i.e. Santa Claus, candy canes, Christmas trees)

· I like you if you made it this far into my weekly letter :)

I close with one of my favorite Christmas poems:

Christmas Bells

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

And thus it ends for another week….Of peace on earth good-will to men (and women)!

Merry Christmas!