Linda and I left Findlay the Friday before Christmas just ahead of the nor’easter that blanketed the east coast with incredible depths of snow. Carlisle (where we went) got ten inches, but Philadelphia and New York City where our daughters live received a record breaking two feet. Needless to say, Sunday services were canceled everywhere and the snow covered the ground for the next week creating a winter wonderland and giving us a white Christmas. Despite the obvious hassles, it really was quite beautiful, especially when the sky cleared and a nearly full moon illuminated the landscape at night. Such quiet beauty brought to my mind the Scripture promise from Isaiah 1:18 that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Is that not the essence of the Christmas message?

By the Monday before Christmas, the Penn-DOT cleared the roads and the last mad rush before the holiday went into high gear. I stayed home and decorated the house. Christmas Eve day the kids arrived and we shared our traditional dinner with my mother who escaped the church home for an evening out. Afterwards we all went to our Plainfield church for their candle lighting service. The place was packed! Because of the weather, plans for the all family get together on Christmas day were postponed until Saturday; so, our immediate family enjoyed a very leisurely holiday at home. It was nice, very nice! We always start the day with a brunch before exchanging gifts. This year we spent the afternoon and evening playing games (Not me—I took a nap and read.) and eating far too many cookies.

Christmas breakfast: (L-R) Beth, Tim, Linda, Dan, Chrissie, Carrie

The Sunday following we attended our Carlisle church and enjoyed the choir cantata that had been scheduled for the week before.

The Carlisle Church Bethel

That afternoon Linda and I led the worship service at the Church of God Home where my mother resides. Linda sang a special Christmas song and I preached a message from Luke and Matthew.

I focused on the divine details that played into the event of Christ’s birth which, unknown to even to the principle characters, fulfilled prophecy or foreshadowed coming events. Knowing that God always takes care of the details (past, present and future) should be quite encouraging to mortal, fallible mankind like us.

Nativity at the Church Home

When we do not understand the circumstances of life, we need to remember that God is in control and working His will for our good purpose. This eternal truth pervades all aspects of the Christmas story.

This past week included and will include rounds of visitation with family and friends. We took time to go to Philly to spend time with Carrie and Chrissie and came back to Carlisle via Baltimore where we stopped to see our niece’s family. Thursday evening we hosted our annual New Year’s Eve party which gives an opportunity to fellowship with the friends who helped us move into our farmhouse back in 1991. My, how the years roll by! I find it hard to realize that we start the second decade of the third millennium with the arrival of 2010. Next week it will be back to the office and the events of the past two weeks will begin to fade into memory. Still, I think the joy of a white Christmas and a white New Year’s Eve (snow returned on December 31st and dropped five inches re-whitening everything) will remain for some time.

A blessed New Year to all!
Pastor Ed