Happy New Year

This afternoon, I am heading out to a youth retreat in Clay Center. I won't be back till Monday, so I wish you all a Happy New Year. This time, I will get it done early instead of late like I did for Christmas.

Merry Christmas

It's a little late, but I can still wish you all a Merry Christmas. On Sunday, Ed led our Sunday school class. I like it when he or Andrew leads! They don't use the curriculum that is provided; they make up the lesson from scratch. Cindy just uses the book. Oh well. It was a welcome change. Anyway, Ed used the reference of Revelation 12. I have never thought of teaching a Christmas story from Revelation. It was interesting. I wish Ed would do a sermon series on Revelation; it would be extremely fun to listen to.

Grandma is doing better. She walked 100 ft today, I think.

Grandma

My Grandma had complete knee replacement on Tuesday. That night, when the nurses got her up to walk she fainted. They were unable to hold her up and she fell and bent her knee all the way. On Wednesday, she fainted at least four times. I haven't heard about today; Dad, Jacque, Martha, and Lydia went down today to visit. Please pray that she has a fast recovery.

God for us

I always used to think that this was wrong in a way. I thought that it implied that God needed our help or something. However, David in the Psalms tells us that the Lord is on our side. We need God on ourside; without Him we can do nothing. We cannot be on His side; He has to come to us. The Lord is on our side!

The Lord bless and keep you,
Tim

Cold

It's pretty cold out. In fact it is exactly 2 degrees with a wind chill of -9. I broke out my coveralls today; I also got some rubber insulated boots. That will make chores a lot warmer.

The water pipes in the finishing building broke. As soon as I got home from geometry, I went out and spent the morning helping Dad. Not only did the pipes need thawing, but the ice knocked loose some gunk which clogged hoses and nipples. It was a big mess.

I might go call some deer tomorrow. We will see what the temperature does.

Study God's Creation

Study God's Creation -- written by Eric Scoby

Sometime after Jesus was born, three wise men showed up in Jerusalem. They were asking where the King of the Jews had been born. Now Herod was not happy with their question because he thought that he should be king. The three astronomers had seen a star that was new. They knew this was a special event. They followed the star to worship the Messiah. God revealed to these diligent men the birth of the Messiah. These three studiers were rewarded beyond comparison. We can follow their example.
Studying God's creation is important. When we study creation we are studying what God has done for us. The Psalmist writes, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Creation points us to God just like it did for the three wise men. Think about this for a minute: If the three wise men had not payed attention to this new star, they would never have been led to the place where Jesus was. However we know that God was working everything out for the good. Speculating on this does show us the importance of studying creation. Study and learn.
Studying God's creation is rewarding. These three wise men knew the importance of studying creation; because they so diligently studied, they were rewarded very handsomely. They were allowed to see the Messiah and worship Him. What other reward could you wish for here on earth? We can also assume because of their faith they were received into Heaven. Studying creation can lead to the most handsome of rewards.
Studying God's creation honors God. When the wise men arrived to where Jesus was, they worshipped Him. They honored Him by bowing down and giving gifts of fold, frankincense, and myrrh. In those days, these were gifts for kings. They were acknowledging Him to be King of their lives, hearts, and souls. These men also honored God by paying attention to signs from God; they were rewarded for their faith. We also have a commission to honor God.
As you can see, learning is a fundamental part of our lives in Christ. Don't brush past knowledge; it is important. Love God and live to serve Him. Learn all you can about what He has done because learning is important, rewarding, and it honors God.