Friends

On the first evening of my Christmas break I went out with a group of friends for dinner. We had a fun time together laughing and talking. I thank the Lord for Christian fellowhsip. It truly is a blessing to have friends. I am grateful for the way the Lord has blessed me this year with new friends. The Lord promices to take care of your every need. How Great is Our God!

Idols

Close your eyes, what do you see? Darkness everywhere! Now think of many parts of this world where people live in spiritual darkness. Thousands who don't know the way to Christ. People praying to Mary, doing rosaries, or going to church once in a while, all in attempt to find God.
This Christmas I felt a bit of this spiritual darkness. I visited Cebu, one of the 7000 Islands of the Philippines. It was here as I walked the busy streets before Christmas that I witnessed some real spiritual darkness. Thousands of people pray and touch a statue they call “Jesus Christ”, (but it is actually small doll that looks like boy). It was these people that made me think of the millions of others around the world who worship idols on a daily basis. Often a church the pastor reminds Filipino Christians to destroy their former idols and worship the living God. I visited on temple in Cebu were I once again witnessed Filipinos coming to ask God for answers using stones and sticks. I thought about how wonderful it is that we have access to the thorn of God anytime, and without any stones or sticks…all because of the Cross!

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God…”
Exodus 20:4-5

Gifts

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

What gift do you have to give this Christmas? This is the season full of giving and getting. To often we get wrapped up in the giving and we forget what we can give. God gave us the greatest gift many years ago. He gave us His son. Not only did he give us his son on earth, but he gave us the ultimate gift by dying for us. No gift on earth compares to that. God is not asking us to compare our gifts, but asking us to give what we have. We each have our own role to play in God’s plan and each individual is important.
Gift giving comes with a cost. What a precious, priceless gift God gave us. When we really think about what it cost Jesus- the magnitude of His sacrifice-and the depths of His love for us-we can’t help but respond in awe and wonder. Our hearts can overflow with gratitude. Let us, with the poet, Christina Rossetti ask;
What can I give Him this Christmas?

"What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him?
Give my heart."

May you have a Joyous Christmas as you celebrate the best gift ever given!

Time

I have not written for so long and now time has quickly passed. Where do I begin? God's Constant Faithfulness has been the theme of my year so far! What a powerful and faithful God we serve. This Sunday at church I heard the wonderful news that God is working in the Philippines. Lives are being touched by his love. At church a Christmas tree Choir, sang and the gospel was presented. Over 100 people made professions of faith. Praise the Lord! These professions of faith made me think of the early church in Acts and how many were coming to the Lord. WOw!It brings great joy to my hear to hear how Go dis working here. My prayer is for my own Nation. That we as believers will shine our becan of love, touching others lives and pointing them to the Savior. I pray that during this Christmas season, others will see our love and come to know Christ through us.

At chaple this week in elementry school, we sang a song called, "With Him and In Him"
With him and in him, and through him
I can do all things, I can do all things
with him and in him and through him...
I can do all things through Christ the Lord.
It may not seem like we can do much, but through Christ's strength we can share His love with others.

Thanksgiving

God asks us to be thankful in all situations! In a country such as the Philippines surrounded by so much poverty and injustice, it hard to be thankful. However, as a missionary here, I am so thankful for many things. I am grateful that I have met some wonderful friends who care for me. I was invited to two different Thanksgiving dinners in November. I was so touched by this gesture of love. I was also able to help host a Thanksgivig dinner for Filipino Bible study. It was so much fun. Here is a small representation of our group. It was a great joy to serve them!