Monday, December 25, 2006
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About Me
- Allen
- Mitchell, Indiana, United States
- I love my family, and I enjoy what I do. I am in my 18th year with the Mitchell Church of Christ. I am an endurance athlete. The parallels between endurance athletics and ministry are remarkable. They are mutually beneficial.
The Holy Trinity
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10 comments:
Hello everyone. We had a wonderful Christmas with our family yesterday. It's the first time in our whole married lives we have not traveled to Jasonville either on Christmas or Christmas eve to be with my side of the family and it was a little different. However, my sister Greta called me last night and wished us a Merry Christmas while the kids were there and she talked to Jason on the phone. I called my sister Charlotte after everyone left and wished her a Merry Christmas. I cooked for two days straight but there was a little time to rest in between. We ate at the table set with Christmas dishes, not the throw away kind and real silverware. Before we ate we gathered in the living room around the nativity scene with an angel candle lit in front of it and Brent lead a beautiful heart felt prayer. The new baby was our special gift this year and I got to hold him up next to the tree in the living room to look at the lights and he was fascinated. Maddy, Tracy and I worked in the kitchen before the rest arrived listening to Jimmy Buffett and The Tractors Christmas tapes (goofy) and sang and danced around the kitchen. The new puppy was in the middle of everything and Bear is trying to adjust but it's hard to teach an old dog who is very spoiled to share and be tolerant of a fiesty puppy. I spent most of Saturday afternoon and evening making photo albums for each of the boys of them growing up together and the theme was 'Brotherly Love' and I think they enjoyed them. Lots of good memories stirred in the making of the albums. We hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with each of your families and for those of you who didn't have family to be with this year I pray that God blessed you in other ways at this beautiful time of the year.
Have a great rest of the week. I love you all. Sherron
Thanks, Sherron, for a wonderful post, a beautiful picture of family.
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I am more off this week than on, but here are some things for you to think about. I would love to see your thoughts.
What do you consider the highlights of 2006?
What do hope our church family will be/do in 2007?
One last Kierkegaard quote (I know, I said that before) that seems relevant to approaching a new year:
It is a dangerous business to arrive in eternity with possibilities that you have prevented from becoming actualities. Possibility is a hint from God. A person must follow it. The possibility for the highest is in every soul; you must follow it. If God does not want it, then let him hinder it. You must not hinder it yourself. Trusting in God, I have ventured, but I have failed – there is peace and rest and God’s confidence in that. I have not ventured – it is an utterly unhappy thought, a torment for all eternity.
Now that the holidays are over, I just wanted to say that I am thankful for my church family and looking forward to this coming year. Not to sound like a complainer but I thought Allen's sermon on Christmas eve was very weak! I think when you have that many people there who normally don't come to church the message should have been something to think about except stories about geese. Sorry Allen I still love you man!
Highlights for me this year is the mommy's group, we have formed some real friendships not just the you feel good, I feel good type but deep personal friendships. Of course, I would also like to say our toy sale. I was just overwhelmed with the genorosity of our church with donations. Thanks to all who helped us mommies out! Also, thankful for Jamie Young she is a good role model for me and the words she speaks sometimes are hard for me to hear but so needed. I hope that our church meets the budget this year so the needed things or wanted things can be accomplished. Also, that we will have more volunteers than teaching positions. I am dreaming BIG! Joni
I agree with Joni that the “Mommies Group” really did some great ministry this year. In many ways they are a model of what we hope to see happen more and more: a group of people with a like faith, sharing the same interests, figuring out a way to live for the sake of others. Well done! One of the great blessings of being a part of this church family is the empowering leadership. There is no one who will hold you back from serving the Lord, and, as much as possible, the leadership makes available the resources of the church. SO dream big, share your dream, and then work to make your/our/God’s dreams come true!
Oh, and I love the entire Young family. They really are good examples of how to live faithfully and joyfully. We are blessed with many such individuals and families. Hallelujah.
I rather like the geese illustration, but even if the sermon stunk for some, at least I looked really sharp in my suit and tie. Right? Right??
We thought it was the best Christmas service we have ever had. I appreciated the end with the enphasis on an invitation to come to the Lord. I thought that every part of it was really good and felt nothing but joy when we left. Everyone is different and we all look at things from a different perspective. I feel so blessed to be at Mitchell and so proud to be a part of it in our small way. Looking forward to a new year and all the neat things that are happening. Can't wait to start digging in the dirt with everyone and planting seeds and flowers. So glad there are some kids interested. Looking forward to the quilting class and appreciate Rhona sharing her expertise. There is a whole world of things to learn and do that are positive and uplifting that can brighten the lives of others and so many talented members in so many ways at Mitchell. The sky is the limit as long as it is to bring glory to God and bring us closer together as His children for the sake of others. God bless you all today. Sherron
Thanks, Sherron. The gardening club and the quilting class are examples of other good groups that are forming. These and other similar groups have unlimited potential for creating small pockets of community and for reaching out to others.
Ephesians 3:20,21 says:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Amen indeed.
For years, I have always seen Christmas as a negative holiday for me but this year, I took the bad and made it into something positive, even when a situation did turn wrong, we saw something good come from it. On our way to Pittsburgh, to meet family and friends the truck broke down. Instead of getting mad, we allowed God to bring two wonderful men along to help us in our broking down situation. Not once did we see the breakdown as a downfall for our cancelled trip but we saw it as God saying, this trip was not meant for you this day. Even though we did not spend our Christmas with family and friends, we did spend them with family and friends from our church. I would like to thank Jay and Jamie for opening up their home and blessing us with a Christmas that I will never forget. Christmas this year meant a lot to me because there was Peace, Joy, Love, and compassion. Nothing negative, but all positive. Hope all had a bless Christmas as I did and a Happy New Year to all and to all a Happy New Year.
Thanks for that neat post, Gino!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!
Gino,
Jay and I are very happy that you had a nice Holiday. We are also happy that you are coming to church with Anette. Christmas is a very special time of year for our family and we love to share it with family, friends and even sometimes strangers that become good friends. Thanks again for sharing Christmas with us and welcome to the MCOC. Jamie
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