My holidays- UPDATED

Here are some odds and ends of Christmas for the Hendersons.

We spent Christmas with my guardian-parents and family December 10th. What a time! Little kids everywhere! And another on the way. We had a great time of games and laughter. And of course, food (and fattening food). I got the Maxwell Bible- which I love. It was wonderful to see Tim, Dan and Leanne- and spouses and kids. Reminiscing and joking made the weekend memorable.

Our church Christmas program was the 18th. Josh directed it. One little angel was wailing and gnashing teeth prior but he calmed down for the actual play. Another little angel sang "Happy Birthday, Jesus" while her little angel sister tried to assist on the piano. We had a "live" baby Jesus who "no crying he made." Then, of course, a smattering of teens (and some parents who helped the little ones). Everyone did very well with their lines and cues. Our church is so blessed to have these youth and kids.

And we gave our last respects for Grandpa Black. He was such a stalwart of Christian faith. This was by far one of the most beautiful funerals I have been too. Grandma Black is doing well considering the loss. We will all miss him dearly.

The parsonage Christmas morning was quite an affair. The exchange of movies (I got "The Passion..." "The Village" and a couple of PS2 games [hey, I am still a kid at heart with no time to play though]), books (I also received Maxwell's 21 Irrifutable Laws of Leadership and The Apostle Paul by Chuck Swindol) and computer oriented things made for a festive morning. We didn't cancel church- I even got a phone call asking if we were having service- so I was blessed to give a message on the Incarnation (really!).

The Overley Christmas was filled with lots of noise with bigger grandkids everywhere which makes for tons of activity. I got to carve the turkey (my yearly job) and my father-in-law got in trouble snitching pieces. We had a great time updating jobs, solving economic issues and looking at new engagement rings (2 girls are engaged now- Charity [mine] and Elizabeth [Joe & Denise's]).

Charity left yesterday to spend a few days with her future in-laws in Houghton Lake. Josh heads out tomorrow for Grand Rapids and the Wesleyan Youth convention (Logos 05). So Naomi and I get a day or so to breath. Andrew and Charity will be to our place Thursday.

Tomorrow night we will have the Henderson Christmas at my sister's (Alice and Mark). She is always a great host with a big dog (Sherman). I don't get along with big dogs too well but they claim that he's a big baby (with a big bark AND big teeth, I might add). The coffee will be great (Mark's sister owns a coffee chain in Lansing) and so will the reminiscing. It is always good to get with my Dad and siblings.

UPDATE: We had a great time at Alice and Mark's. And yes, their dog Sherman itimidated me again. He is a big baby- with a big bark and big teeth, I might add. Cathy couldn't be there- truck driving to New Jersey. Jason and his wife Joyce, their daughter Rian and new baby son, Zander arrived with Dad. We had a great time of exchange. We got a new clock from Cathy and I have a new sweater. (I preached in it this last Sunday night.) Dad is looking good (just a little bit older). And the ham Alice baked was fabulous! I ate way too much and left no room for pie. Shucks! Maybe I'll do better next year.

And then New Year's Eve. We haven't finalized our plans just yet. But it looks like the wife and I will be on our own. The kids have their own plans already in the works.

UPDATE: The kids did have their own plans- no problem. Naomi and I went up to Jim and Alisha Grays for games, football on t.v. and munchies. Whoever made the chocolate covered peanuts and raisins had better have a good excuse when they face the Lord someday. They were so good it had to be sinful! We rang in the New Year and headed to the door ten minutes later. I guess we are just getting too old to be out late.

Well, I trust that everyone else's holidays are as blessed as mine.

May Jesus' light shine.

Happy Christ-hana-rama-kwan-mas! [I just want to politically correct.]

Grandpa Black

Yesterday, Grandpa Black passed away. What a shocker to most of us. He seemed to be in fairly good health for being in his eighty's. Grandma is going to sorely miss him as will the rest of us.

My memories of him is of a man of God. Someone who loved me and made me feel special in spite of me being the "outsider." There was never any question in my mind of his acceptance and love for me.

I appreciated his easy-going manner in which he lived. He never seemed to get rattled about anything.

But more than anything, I am grateful for the Christian heritage that I am able to tap into. Their faith was who they were. They lived and breathed the life of Christ in their home and marriage.

He will be missed. But one day we will meet again.

The Next Sermon

I watched an NFL program once and the coach commented that as they were walking off the field after a game he always would look to his assistant and ask who they played next. Win or lose- that didn't matter. What mattered was the next game.

And in many ways I feel the same as I walk off the field after a day of ministry with my congregation. How the sermon went- for better or worse- doesn't matter any more. What now matters is the next sermon. Sure, there are times the sermon is a home run but that does not help the next at-bat. Yes, there are the occasional "stinkers" that I want to forward to the circular file next to my desk. But what I come back to is the next sermon.

And so here I am on the day after. The day after the big day of the week. As pastors we live, breath and work for this day. There is no other day like Sunday as we distribute the bread and wine of the Word and Christ. People arrive from a hurting week, frustrating relatives and the like. What we offer them is the truth of Christ and the bread that satisfies.

Here I am, contemplating the next message the day after the last message. How it went yesterday is not very important anymore. What is important is the next sermon. And that now becomes my focus this week.

As I immerse myself into the Scriptures, the Commentaries and into prayer, the trust is in a God who- for whatever reasons I am not sure- has chosen me to do His work. And so I allow the message to permeate my heart, my mind and my life.

So that next Sunday as I step into Monday I will look ahead to the next message.

Bummer! and other thoughts.

(Here I am still awake after a LONG day of prep for next Sunday, a couple-three meetings and a little bit too much caffeine.)

My long beloved Kentucky Wildcats bit the dust earlier! Ugh! They are developing yet and we have all seen what Tubby Smith does with the less talent than he has now. Go Big Blue!

Advent is around the corner and so I am striving to settle a few items into place. I've searched scriptures and sources; need to check up on the candles (I think we're ready); finalized titles and need to send these to Glenda for the bulletin and to my song leader.

This Thursday is our Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Optimist Club is coming quickly. Anyone is welcomed to this event. Last year we had around 200 show up.

Of course, Charity is having a rough week at Bethany Bible College. She is having to miss our American thanksgiving (along with probably half the student body). However, Naomi and I did go over in October for the Canadian thanksgiving holiday and had dinner with her and Andrew Thompson (fiance). She will do fine, but we will miss her!!