Just 4 Days Until Christmas

    So what is it like at your house in the days right before Christmas? The Christmas frenzy is officially here. Life in the church is really busy at Christmas:  programs, plays, music, dinners are part of the usual Christmas routine. The weather has brought lots of challenges with the cold temperatures. Last Monday 5 below in Boone.  Wednesday morning a water pipe burst under the pavement in the parking lot. The gas company came to help because we thought the leak was where they had previously worked. No such luck, and while they were digging to help us find the leak, the gas company broke the gas line that feeds the church and the parsonage. So for awhile, we were without water and heat. The good news, our trustees were able to make the repair in time for church on Sunday. So I am learning, keep extra water on hand all the time, and keep candles and plan B not too far out of reach because the weather can bring unexpected challenges. Living here sometimes is like camping inside a house.  Life in Boone NC 101, the school is in session. I am learning my way and the church folks have been great to help.
    Last week, our church helps with a mission for needy children called Santa's Toy Box. A mission project that serves the needy children of our community and has been going for about 25 years in our community. I have heard it mentioned lots of times since I arrived in July, but on Friday I got to go participate in the giving.  A real treat to have a hands on project to help the less fortunate here at Christmas.  A huge warehouse here in Boone was our site to hand out the presents. Due to the weather, all the families we were helping had to be called because the roads were too bad and two other times for pick up had to be rescheduled. So thanks to the volunteers who made a ton of phone calls to the families we were helping. Santa's Toy Box helped with Christmas for 900 children. What a great mission!! I found this mission is a huge community effort with folks from all over the community that support the mission with financial gifts and with their labor, and others with gifts of toys. What a delight it was to help the parents come in to pick out gifts. I invited lots of people to church at Deerfield UMC. As I worked I noticed about 8 other folks from Deerfield who were also helping folks do their shopping. Some work year round to collect funds, assemble toys, and work out in the warehouse where there is no heat to get the toys organized. These are the real troopers who work behind the scenes all year. Thanks to all the helpers from Santa's Toy Box, to remind us that giving, sacrificing, and serving are all at the heart of what makes Christmas great. Praise be to God for the opportunity to serve and really feel like as a church we joined with others to make a difference in the lives of children in our community. What a true Christmas blessing! May the peace of celebrating the birth of Christ fill your heart and your home with joy and love this Christmas. Join us on December 23 at 6:30pm for Candlelight communion and special music, the reading of the Christmas story, here at Deerfield UMC. We would love to see you here for Christmas.

Snow hasn't shut down Deerfield UMC

     The last two Sundays, we have been open for worship, even in the snow. Today, driving in Boone has been a huge challenge. We are on the front side of a blizzard. At least from what I could see from my front window. I didn't try to get on the road yet. There is a drift in the front yard of the parsonage about 4 feet deep with snow already, and they are calling for more snow for 3 more days. What has amazed me in the new culture here in Boone is that life does not stop when it snows! People still come to church! I am so proud of them for that.  They say people get here to get to the ski slopes and to the malls, so we ought to be able to get to church. I have to agree with them. We have had our Christmas contata the first Sunday in December and then yesterday we had the children's christmas program during our regular worship service. Lots of people at both of these services and lots of snow and cold weather. So, it was a true blessing to be able to celebrate Christmas with our church family rather than having to postpone and reschedule these events.
    You never know where God is going to break into worship and really surprise you with a sneak attack of the Holy Spirit. During the children's play during worship, we had a real baby to play the part of baby Jesus. We also had a real little girl to play Mary. What made the scene so beautiful was watching Mary, who is in the first grade, play with baby Jesus by hiding her eyes and uncovering them quickly. Time and time again she did this to keep the baby from crying. The church was filled with laughter. It was so beautiful. God broke in! That is our prayer from Deerfield UMC to you as you prepare your heart and your home for Christmas, that God will break in and give you a holy surprise as you make room to celebrate the birth of his Son, our Savior Jesus Christ our Lord.
P. S. If I were to write a letter to Santa this year, it would go something like this:
Dear Santa, please bring a John Deere for Christmas. Evelyn