Our celebration for the New Year carried on some of the old traditions, but with changes. As we’ve done for a number of years now, we invited a group of friends to our home for games and goodies on New Year’s Eve. Everybody brings some food item to share, and we supply the drinks and necessities (plates, cups, napkins, etc.). We also bring out the remaining holiday treats and sweets for our friends to finish for us. They, of course, bring theirs too, so not everything gets eaten. The hope is to carry no extra calorie temptations into the New Year. I build a fire in the front room for those who just want to sit and talk, but the other rooms are set up for various board and card games. Thus we all while away the final hours of the old year and await the arrival of the new. The TV comes on at 11:55 and we all share in the countdown. At the stroke of midnight the pyrotechnics and gun shots begin outside. Everybody shares “Happy New Year!” wishes while kisses and hugs are exchanged all round. |
2014 brought its portion of joys and sadness, but through it all God was faithful. The coming year holds who knows what, yet through it all God will be found faithful. On New Year’s Day our family gathered for the traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner, a custom of long standing in our household. The first days of 2015 involved entertaining one very special houseguest, our granddaughter Penny. At nearly twenty months she can run grandma and grandpa ragged, but who’s complaining? After she and her parents headed back to NYC I spent some time in my special chair in my special room ruminating on God’s blessings in the past year and thinking about the coming changes, known and unknown, in 2015. It’s a wonderful thing to know God’s love and that he holds you in his hands. |
The First Sunday of the year Linda and I decided to visit our home church, Shippensburg First. We wanted to meet their new pastor, Jim Rogers, and see old friends as well. Ah, to sit in that sanctuary and sing with an organ accompaniment brought back many memories. The choir anthem, “As the Deer Panteth for the Water” (Psalm 42:1), especially touched my spirit as it was the song sung on the occasion of my installation as Conference Minister over twenty years ago right in this very place. Pastor Jim brought an excellent message on prayer, based on Christ’s example in Gethsemane. It seemed to me a good admonition to start a new year. |
The next day, Monday, we traveled to Roaring Spring to meet with the CGGC ministerium in that area. The church facility was still decorated for Christmas so I took a few last shots of the season. Pastor Mark Halliday along with several ladies from the church provided us with some of the best donuts and a most excellent soup-and-sandwich luncheon. After some preliminaries Chuck Riley turned the meeting over to me and we spent the next ninety minutes talking about CGGC ministries USA and worldwide. I invited myself into the various churches represented to talk about “Hear the Call” and how people can take their next step with Jesus. After lunch Linda and I drove off into the flying snow. Actually it was only a few flurries. As we traveled home to Findlay we reminisced over our 2014 Christmas Season and thanked the Lord for his many blessings. So welcome 2015, and let the Lord be glorified in all. |
Ed
Soli Deo Gloria!