Pastor’s Notes
December 2013
“What do you want for Christmas this year?”
When I was a child, I used to love that question. There was an opening of possibilities—new toys, sports stuff, walkie-talkies, and comic books. Whatever! The world was ripe for the taking! Okay, maybe I exaggerate just a bit. But the question was exciting. What do you want?
Fast forward a few years and I have realized how much my wants have changed. Amy and I have a wonderful family with two awesome boys. Our health is good and we have most of the material needs we could ever want or need. Now I dread the question, “what do you want for Christmas this year?” I’ve been so blessed that it begins to feel excessive.
A few years ago, I received from my family a goat. And some chickens. That might come as a surprise to you. I’m sure most of y’all know by now that I’m not, shall we say, “agriculturally gifted.” Simply put, I don’t know the first thing about raising animals. Fortunately for the goat and chickens, they never came near me. They were bought through WorldVision (http://donate.worldvision.org) and given to a family who needs them for milk, cheese and eggs. I still think it was a pretty neat gift, to know that others were able to benefit from someone blessing me.
If a gift like that is out of your range, or if you’d like to do something closer to home, there is a great local option: the Santo Angel Tree. This year it is located in the First National Bank of Santo lobby. It helps meet needs for folks locally. The Beta Club of Santo High School will also be providing turkeys or hams that will be included in food boxes that are being collected by Santo school students and personnel. It’s easy and fun to help meet needs right around us. It’s all done anonymously as well. Pick an angel off the tree and it contains information on the child, their request and other information that would be helpful in your meeting the need. It’s a wonderful way to make a meaningful difference in this special season.
Here’s another way: go to https://www.booster.com/tbhadopton and you can purchase a snazzy t-shirt for $20 showing your support for Texas Baptist Home for Children. Or you can give through the Web site. The incredible work done by this organization has changed countless children’s lives for the better during their 103-year history, as Amanda Colvin has shared with us recently. There are many other options to helping kids in our area as well—just ask me or Amanda and we will be glad to point you in the directions where you can help!
There will be much celebration over the next few weeks. But I would be remiss not to remind our church family of who we’re celebrating—Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, born into the world of a virgin. He came into this world in a humble, yet magnificent, way to show the power and work of God. His power and work in Jesus Christ is still be demonstrated by His people who know Jesus as savior and friend! As Jesus taught Nicodemus: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:16-21)
The light of the world is Jesus Christ. May His light shine brightly during this holiday season as we remember His arrival into the world—and the purpose for which He came!
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. May Jesus be praised!
Brother Jim
