Pastor’s Notes 12-11-11

We are only two weeks from Christmas. I was thinking earlier about how much work and effort we put into our Christmas celebration. The food, the holiday parties, the decorations, the special church activities, shopping for the perfect gift and so on. With all the festivities and activities the stress and pressures tend to mount. In addition the experts say that Christmas is one of the worst times of the year for depression.

I don’t know about you, but one of my goals for Christmas 2011 is to live in a “stress free zone.” I will let you know in a couple of weeks how I did. But I want to enjoy the Christmas celebration as we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I don’t know if it is possible to live in our world stress free, but we need to find ways to minimize the stress. So what if you don’t get to make your favorite cookie recipe for Christmas or if someone doesn’t like your gift, or if you don’t like the gift you receive? After all, we have already received the greatest gift ever given, God’s gift of love found in Jesus and the gift of salvation made possible through our faith in Him!

Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings!

Pastor Bob