Christmas Blessings

We had a different message Sunday as our pastor presented his acrostic for CHRISTMAS.  I thought it provided a good focus for the Sunday preceding Christmas.  He described God as; Creator (Col. 1:18-20), Hope (Rom. 15:13; Phil 1:6), Returning (1 Cor. 15), Infinite (Ps. 147:1,6), Savior (Lk. 2:8-11) and Trustworthy (Jn. 3:16, 3:5).  He pointed out Christ is the most important part of Christmas and for the MAS he reminded us that Material gifts Always Spoil.  A tremendous contrast to Christ!  Obviously expanded upon each point.

I will be flying to Indiana on Christmas day to celebrate with the entire family (20 of us) at the lake house.  I had not planned to make the trip due to my respiratory problem when exposed to cold weather, but have been encouraged by the family and my pulmonologist who is sending extra meds which he assures me will take me through the four days that I will be staying there.  With all of the gatherings here in the village and with parties with church friends, my schedule has been full since before Thanksgiving.  So full in fact, that I have not found time to get Christmas greetings out.  That task will have to wait until after I return.

It is most interesting living on the lake here.  The staff has installed colored lights around the lake which add to the beauty of the fountain with its changing colored lights.  The alligator and turtles have been sunning themselves quite often and today I saw a first!  We have a pair of what folks call Egyptian Geese that are beautiful.  Suddenly there was only one around and I was fearful that our alligator caught one.  Then we noticed the mother high up in an osprey nest.  Today she appeared with six little goslings in tow.  We are hoping that they do not fall prey to the alligator or the huge turtles that are in the lake.

Have a blessed Christmas remembering that “This is how God showed His love among us:  He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him,”

Love to all,

Chuck 

Ecclesiastes 12 Days

These past weeks have been a whirlwind of activities for me with all of the opportunities for fellowship and holiday parties.  Friday evening I hosted 15 people at my house to welcome a friend moving into the village to a home across the street from me.  It was a bit crowded serving that many here, but it was doable and everyone seemed to have a good time from the hugs and generous responses I received as the party broke up over four hours later.  On Sunday I had a couple over for lunch after church to help use up some of the leftovers.  In the evening I attended a Christmas musical program and entertained several friends for dessert afterwards.

I completed the book of Ecclesiastes this past week and have enjoyed reflecting upon many of the thoughts that have stuck in my mind.  I can certainly relate to the final chapter (12) when he moves his focus from youth to when we “grow old.”  The verses that start “Remember when…” used to be a laughing matter but now have become more a reality.  I don’t think we can be reminded enough to; “remember our Creator now, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken”

Thinking of those difficult years, do join me in praying for Mary in Charlotte recovering from hip surgery and confronted with her transplant kidney from years back not functioning properly and possibly going into rejection mode.  For Ron here, who having had seven stints previously along with open-heart surgery is hospitalized with heart problems, and Stuart in Charlotte having additional “upsets” from the chemo program that he is on.  Also do pray for Rachel in Charlotte that is going through many tests to attempt to determine what the nasty physical problems are that she is experiencing.  So many friends are facing mighty difficult times, along with their families.  Some of us are experiencing those Ecclesiastes 12 days.  Thanks for praying!

I will be flying to Indiana to spend a few days at Christmas with my family.  All of my family members are planning to get together at the lake house, so my daughter say; “Dad you have to come!”  My doctor has armed me with extra medication which hopefully will keep me breathing in spite of the cold that is not kind to my lungs.  Hopefully the weather may break a bit then to make it easier.

Love to you all,

Chuck

Everything from Him

I trust that each of you enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.  I had a delightful time with friends in North Carolina but I did indulge in too much good food.  Being an Italian family, they do not let you go hungry…and I just could not avoid sampling every item in every course.  Okay, I admit that I more that sampled some items.  My challenge now is to drop those extra pounds that accumulated.  By extending my planned stay a day at each end, I avoided much frustration with heavy traffic and accidents along the way that extend travel time.

I continue to enjoy working my way through the book of Ecclesiastes.  Thinking back over the chapters, I recall numerous pursuits that are noted as worthless or chasing the wind:  Pursuing wisdom, our work, possessions, status, companionship, fame, money, a long life, food, and just plain desires.  Quickly reading those chapters could be quite depressing if we miss the main point.  The author reminds us that; “…these pleasures are from the hand of God.  For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?  God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy to those who please him.”  (3:24-26)  I found myself thinking back over my life and recognizing times when I tried it alone and the results turned out to be less than perfect, while on the other hand when following his lead produced success, often way beyond my fondest expectations.  I need to keep that front and center in my future pursuits!  Both by allowing him to lead and also giving him thanks for what he produces in and through me!

Have a blessed day and week!

Chuck