December 2018 Newsletter Article - Be a blessing to someone today!!

Here is my December Newsletter article.  Hopefully, I'll be back later today or possibly tomorrow to add to the blog both the sermon from last Sunday and last night's Thursday night sermon.  It's been a bit of a hectic week and I'm running behind on posting Sunday's sermon.

Tomorrow morning I will be performing the funeral for Maxine Visner at the Church.  I'll thank all the women in advance for putting on the luncheon for the funeral.  It's always a great ministry and it's always appreciated greatly by the families.  Thank you all!

With that, I will close for now.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Pastor's Ponderings:

Well, Advent begins this Sunday!  And we will be lighting the candle of 'Hope' this week and then in the proceeding weeks, we'll light 'Peace', 'Joy', 'Love', and finally during the Christmas Eve Program we will light the 'Christ' candle.  This procession of candles are intended to prepare us in spirit for the coming of the Christ Child, but even more-so these candles are intended to prepare us spiritually for the second coming of Christ.

Just as Jesus came to this broken world with His message of hope, peace, joy, and love back so long ago... He will come again into this world.  Are we truly making preparations in our hearts, minds, and spirits for this magnificent day?  Recently, I've preached against the inclination to try and discern the date of the Second Coming of our Lord, but this stance against any attempt to plot out His arrival doesn't mean that we are not to make preparations.  Rather, it means that we cannot put off these preparations, we need to live each and every day with a spirit of hope, peace, joy, and love for our fellow man and for our Lord's Creations.  Reach out and be the blessing that someone needs in their lives today!

This last month we had as you hopefully all know, our “God's Portion Sale”, included in this Newsletter is a listing of all the local businesses that were kind enough to support this event.  Please take a few moments and call or write a card/letter to these kind souls and thank them for their support. Doing so not only helps us next year in doing our solicitations but it allows these business owners to receive the blessing of knowing that their contributions are not only appreciated but that they have blessed us by their giving.  Sometimes (often) the greatest blessing that you can give another is to acknowledge that that person (or business) is a blessing to you and to others.  In blessing, you will be blessed.

Also, thank you to everyone who helped out in both large and small ways in the operation and preparation for the “God's Portion Sale”, there are far too many involved to list everyone so THANK YOU each and all!  We should though thank Donna Westcott for running the Luncheon, it was GREAT Food!  I'll also point out that this year Leon & Judy purchased the 'Reserved Parking Spot' and Leon had a great time bidding... he must have had because I believe he paid a record amount for that spot!  Thank you, Leon & Judy, enjoy your parking spot!

Thank you also goes out to Brenda & Barb for preparing the turkey for the Annual Thanksgiving Dinner, as always this was a great event and the food was amazing!  Thank you to everyone who brought side-dishes, desserts, and salads!  There's really nothing like a Pot-Luck dinner in a small town church!  How can you go wrong!!  And I need to thank those that stuck around and helped decorate the Church for the Christmas and Advent season, it looks great!  Thank you all!

I'm not sure if you are all aware but Willy Scalf passed away on Thanksgiving morning.  Willy used to attend here at Woodlawn and his daughter Star came to Sunday School.  Star will be staying with the Best family here in Lake City, and I have invited Star and the Best family to come and visit us.  If you see them, please also extend an invitation and give them your blessing and love.  Please pray for Star, it's such a terrible thing to lose a parent especially during that all too difficult age of a middle-schooler.  Thank you for your prayers.

We've had some new visitors lately, please remember to welcome any new faces (and old ones too!) that you see, praise God for the blessing of visitors!  This is the perfect season to invite friends and family to come to church, even if you've invited them before, ask again... sometimes we have to knock at the door repeatedly before it's answered.

Revelation 3:20 New International Version (NIV)
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Be a blessing to someone today!  (Invite them to Church!)

In Christ,  Pastor Roy