Immanuel,
The day is fast approaching when we meet with family and friends around our Christmas trees to open our presents. For some, this is the beauty and power, even the reason for the season. Forgive us, we pray, when we succumb to the temptations of the world. May this be the time when we celebrate Jesus’ birth by sharing Your love with those around us. May this be a season of rejoicing as we honor You by following the example of Jesus, caring for the “least of these”. O God, we seek to lives worthy of the title, Christian. May the gifts we give at Christmas be appropriate and meaningful. This we pray in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
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Please forgive the lateness of this epistle. It has been a busy morning.
Joan Ingmire had a heart cath procedure this morning at St. Mary’s hospital. We are awaiting the results.
Judi Heller is also at St. Mary’s for an out-patient procedure today.
Joan Petersen will likely be dismissed from St. Mary’s on Monday. Mae Clark will be dismissed today.
Dick Castle had successful eye surgery in OKC at the Dean McGee Eye Institute on Monday. He is recuperating at home. He will go back in January for the same surgery on his other eye.
Please pray for these and others of among our family and friends who are sick, hospitalized or recovering at home from recent hospital stays.
Thanks to the generosity of some members and the work of James Phillips and John Wheeler, we now have a third monitor in the Chapel which will allow worship leaders, preachers and the R & R band to see what is displayed on the screens. It is a wonderful enhancement.
I finally have received word about the dates for continuing my tests at Baylor. Carolyn and I will drive to Dallas the afternoon of Sunday, December 26th. I will have tests all day on Monday the 27th. On Tuesday the 28th I will see the oncologist and return to Enid that afternoon. I will return to Dallas on January 4th to actually begin the drug trial and then on January 18th for a follow-up. After that it will be a monthly trip with additional tests every three months. Thank you for your continued prayers. I will keep you posted.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
Advent Devotion for Today. Please read Matthew 1:18-25
This story is one of the greatest stories, I think, that can be read in the Bible because it deals with trust and faith. In this generation we try not to trust to easily because so many people are dishonest. It’s hard to be sure if people are telling the truth. It’s also hard to have faith in things. Sometimes it’s even hard to have faith in yourself. To get the big picture I want to simplify the story a bit.
A man named Joseph has a fiancé named Mary. They love each other. Sadly Joseph finds out that Mary is with child. Well obviously this did not please Joseph. He is upset and decides to get a divorce. Before Joseph does this he decides to lay down for an afternoon snooze. He dreams of an angel, but this angel isn’t just a person in a costume. This angel is for real. It is an angel of the Lord. The angel speaks to Joseph.
He says that Joseph should not be afraid to wed Mary because she is carrying the son of God that shall be named Jesus because he will forgive all of our sins. When Joseph woke up from his dream he did what the angel said.
It took an extreme amount of courage for Joseph to follow through and take Mary as his wife. I mean, Joseph wasn’t sure if his dream was real or just a figment of imagination. He also faced ridicule for his decision to keep Mary. Back then that was not the righteous thing to do. Still, Joseph kept his head held high.
He knew that God had a plan for him, and Joseph would stick to that plan, even if it meant being a bit confused. I can just imagine Joseph praying to God and saying, “Look God, I’m not sure what I should be doing right now but I’m just going to give everything to you. I know you’ll take care of me.”
Sometimes it’s hard for us to see what God has in store for us. We forget to trust him and we forget to have faith. God knows what he’s doing. Sometimes he keeps us guessing but in the end he’ll lead us down the right road. It’s like a song I heard a while back I think the chorus goes:
'Cause I don't know how the story ends
But I'll be alright 'cause You wrote it
I don't know where the highway bends
But I'm doing just fine
'Cause You're in control
Even when I don't know
Where my life's gonna go
You're keeping me guessing
God is with us all the time. He knows where we’re going and he’s got a plan. Just remember this Christmas season to keep faith in God and keep trusting God. We know he’ll lead us down the right road.
Ivy Dyson
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