Wonderful Winter Wonderland To Close 2015
As 2015 is coming to a close, we are settling in pretty good! The weather has been fairly “mild” the last week or so. Well, mild to this area. It was 47 today, which broke the previous record of 43 set in 1977! NOTICE: that temp is on the + side of zero!!! We pulled out the shorts and flip flops and headed up to the lake…on the snowmobile! But never fear, this was just a teaser! The temps will be dropping back to “normal” later this week. I am afraid old man winter is just catching his breath!
Christmas week was pretty busy. Everyone was getting their last minute preparations made. Christmas Eve the church held it’s annual candlelight service. It was a very sweet, beautiful service. Many from the community attended, with several families sharing the
the lighting of the Advent Candles, as we sang many of the Christmas carols. I had the opportunity to share a short devotion, “The Good News of Christmas”, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) What great joy the good news brings…to ALL PEOPLE! It is not enough for Christ to have been born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. What really counts is Christ being born in the human heart of each of us!” At the close of the service we all lit candles from the last Advent candle and sang “Silent Night”. It was a very beautiful time. After the service there was refreshments and fellowship, plus a special treat for the kids.
Each year the kids get to try their luck at breaking a pinata! It did not take long for the reindeer to be busted and the candy scramble to begin!
Christmas Day we woke up to a WHITE CHRISTMAS! Well, it has been white since we arrived. In fact, it has been knee deep in white since October! This Christmas was very different for Christie and I. It was the first Christmas that we did not have our kids at our house. It was unusual to say the least! BUT, not all was lost! I went to the cooler and removed the 25 pound turkey that had been brining since Thursday morning! Did my magic to get it ready for the oven, and the smell of Christmas dinner began to fill the place. If only our kids had “smell-o-vision” they could have enjoyed the smell they have been accustom to when getting up on Christmas morning. By noon everything was ready: turkey, cornbread DRESSING (not stuffing) and gravy, sweet potatoes (yuk), rice and broccoli casserole, devil eggs (called stuffed eggs up here), fruit salad….and what this meal could be without…the famous CRANBERRY MOLD! Yea, the kids may be in bush Alaska, but the food is still southern! I know that you want a to go plate!
This Sunday we will be starting off the new year with a praise and worship service. We are very exciting about this service. It will be something new, but the praise team came up with the idea. We will have time during the service for people to share praise reports, thanksgivings, and testimonies. As always in every service, we will take time to pray. This has been one of my favorite parts of the services here. We take time to let people share praise reports and prayer requests, then we all pray for them. God has been doing some amazing things among us.
As the Christmas season comes to an end, many of us are looking at decorations that must come down. For many, that will be a major project – be sure to wrap all the lights up neatly to avoid the tangled light mess next year. I would like to make a suggestion. Last year I built a small manger for Christmas. My intention was to leave it out all year. It was a visible reminder to us every day that Christmas is 365 days a year! Maybe this year leave one Christmas item out all year…as a reminder that Christ was not just born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago,but is born in our hearts!
Christie and I want to thank all of you for you faithful support. We are grateful for your prayers and financial gifts. We love you all. We are excited about 2016, so check the website often to follow what is going on up here in Alaska, American’s Last Frontier!
P.S. Our special friends came by the house to visit…Lucy and her calf!
