'Tis the Season

The holiday season is now in full swing. Thanksgiving has come and gone and next is Christmas. It has been a while since my last post. I know we are past Thanksgiving, but I wanted to take some time to mention a few things that I am thankful for.

1. My Savior: I am very thankful for Jesus Christ. This past year, He has become so real to me. It has been a long and stressful year. Without Him, I couldn't have made it. I am thankful for His sacrifice on my behalf.

2. My wife: I have the best wife in the world. She is just brilliant. She is always there for me and supports me in all that I do. I am so blessed to have her.

3. My home: I am very thankful for my new home. I never imagined that I would ever be blessed this much. It is my hope and prayer that it grow into a home that is pleasing to God.

4. My family: I have a very supportive family of which I am very thankful. I was very fortunate to have been raised in the family I was raised in. I am also thankful for my extended family on all sides.

5. My job: During a time when our country is reporting record high unemployment levels, I am very thankful to have a job.

6. My church: I am very thankful for Wynne Baptist Church. We have been blessed with a church that is biblically sound. Our pastor is one that loves God and is very wise beyond his years. Our church staff is the hardest working staff in the world!

These are just some of the things that come to my mind when I think of what I am thankful for. This list could go on and on. Mollie and I have been blessed far beyond what we deserve. I will be forever grateful for all of God's blessings.

This past weekend we had a Christmas Open House. We had so many people ask when we were going to do this that we finally decided to schedule it. There was a great turnout. I was really overwhelmed by the number of friends we have. Thank you to all who came out. I am sorry I didn't get to visit as much as I would have liked to.

Now that the Open House is over with, I can kind of breathe a little. Next week will be crazy. We have Christmas parties on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I am sure that by the end of next week, I will be completely wiped out, but bring it on. This is my favorite time of the year.

Please remember the true reason for Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season. I would encourage you to read Luke 2 when you get a chance. Can you imagine what it was like the night Christ was born? Imagine how Mary and Joseph felt as they experienced this. I wonder what the shepards thought when the sky was filled with angels proclaiming Christ's birth. I heard Pastor/Author Rick Warren say that his family actually has a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas. His family sings Christmas Carols and then they take turns telling what they are thankful for. They then have cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus. The youngest family member gets to blow out the candle on the cake. How cool is this? I would encourage you to start a new tradition this year.

Well, that is all for now. Before I quit, I want to leave you another blog to check out. It is the blog of my pastor, Matt Pearson. The web address is: www.mattwbc.blogspot.com.

Merry Christmas!