Isn’t it amazing how pets become part of the family?  Bo has been a part of our family for a little over 10 years, I have even written about him in a couple of blogs.  We got Bo as part of the kids 1st Arkansas Christmas in 1997.  

We are adjusting to daily routine without Bo.  Monday night after letting him out to “go potty” before going to bed he wandered down on to the highway and was hit by a vehicle and killed.  He had begun to occasionally venture down to the ditch but never late at night.

He was a fun little fellow with a load of personality.  I have often wondered who owned who, if he was our dog or we were his people.  I guess a little of both.  But he got what he wanted when he wanted it.  Even though he couldn’t speak we had no problem understanding what he was saying.

He was greatly loved and enjoyed by our family and many of you who have visited or hung out at our house.  We are going to miss him.  

My wife, Debbie, and I make a pretty good home remodeling team. We make a good team regardless of what it is. We work well together. Anyone who knows us knows that we do a lot of remodeling at our house and we do the bulk of the work ourselves. Occasionally we have someone come in and help us but for the most part we do the work ourselves.

Last weekend we put down a hardwood floor in our bedroom. It was the last room of carpet in the house. Hallelujah! I spread the adhesive (I have the blisters to prove it!) and she helped me lay the 3” boards one row at a time. As we reached the end wall, she measured, marked and cut the last piece before laying it in line. She loves working on the chop saw or any power tool for the matter. Scares me a bit! She also does a great job working with ceramic floor tile. We’ve done it all.

When we paint, I roll and she cuts in. I hate to cut in and she hates to roll. So it works out really well. She does a better job at cutting in than I do and I do a better job at rolling than she does. It is just good cooperation to get the job done.

The believer has been given gifts. If you are saved God has equipped you to do a job, something specific for the kingdom. Romans 12:3-7 gives us a visual example of working together in the body of Christ. We are not all the same part of the body nor do we all do the same job or function in the body. But together, each exercising his or her gift, make up one functioning, efficient and effective body, the body of Christ to continue the ministry objectives Jesus left us.

I think sometimes we get the ministry objectives of the church all mixed up. If we are not careful we can easily begin to think it is all about what I want or expect from the church experience, all about how the church runs, smells and feels when we attend. The church is the local organized group of believers to go out and do the great commission. We enjoy gathering as the body each week to worship and celebrate what God has done and is doing in our lives, to be encouraged and to get our marching orders but if the church is to continue Jesus' ministry then I think we need to look at and know what Jesus' ministry was. Have you noticed how many times the Bible speaks about Jesus attending church? Not many. It rarely mentions Him going to the temple but rather Him meeting needs and ministering to people, calling people to repentance and faith, and healing the sick. The church is the body of Christ to continue these ministries.

What part are you? Are you exercising your role or function in the church? I often wonder if everyone in our church knows what their spiritual gift is and if they are exercising that gift. The church is not a place for spectators but a place for people to participate and get involved in kingdom work. How much more effective would our church be in reaching lost people and equipping saints (Eph. 4:11) for ministry if everyone rolled up their sleeves and got busy exercising…exercising their spiritual gift, that is.

If you are sitting and watching church every week let me encourage you to get off the bench, quit watching and get to involved. God will bless you and the church because of it!

It is another one for the books.  Just as quickly as it comes, it is gone.  You look forward to it’s coming, you decorate the house, plan gatherings and turn around twice and it is time to take down the decorations and put them away until next year!  

I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and friends.  I know for some it was a bittersweet time as it was the first Christmas without a loved one.  I think of several who have had memorial services for family members in 2007.  I also thought about those who had loved ones away serving our country.  I thought about and prayed for you all.

It was a different celebration for the Hurts as well.  This was the first Christmas we did not meet with Deb’s family on Christmas Eve at her mom’s house.  As many know, her mom is suffering from the final stages of Alzheimer’s.  We have for over 25 years celebrated Christmas with her family on Christmas Eve.  When the kids were small we would do the big dinner together and open gifts.  We would then leave late that night so we would be home for Christmas morning.  Since moving to Lavaca 10 years ago we have driven home on Christmas day and then we would have Christmas with the kids at home.

This year Debbie fixed a big dinner for Christmas Eve.  It was awesome…ham, turkey, dressing, the works!  Josh spent the night with us and we had Christmas together on Christmas morning.  It was such a sweet time.  We ended up watching videos of the kids early years all morning.  We have tapes of the kids when they were small on 4 different tape formats.  Many of those tapes we can’t watch because we don’t have players that will play them anymore.  Josh snuck those tapes out of the house and after purchasing a player from EBAY converted them to DVD’s.  He gave that to Deb and me as part of our Christmas.  So, after a few tears of excitement we popped those DVD’s in.  We watched, laughed and cried as we re-lived the memories of those early years.  How fun!  I will be glad to share some of the better video's with anyone who is interested!  :-)

We had a great time in Texas with my folks family.  We always have Christmas in Texas the weekend between Christmas and New Years.  They are a crazy bunch and it is always loud, wild and crazy when we get together.  We had much to be thankful for this year as Dad’s health continues to improve following his by-pass and valve replacement surgery.  We are truly blessed!

Most importantly it was a very reflective time for me.  God impressed upon me more this year than ever before how much He loves us by giving us Jesus as our redeemer.  He really did give His very best and all He had…He poured it out on us that first Christmas Day.  

My favorite song of the Christmas season was “You Came.”  The lyrics from Travis Cottrell, David Moffitt and Sue C. Smith say:

Before You came we were stranded in the dark,
Bearing wounded hearts without hope.
Before You came, we were drifting on the sea,
Desperate and in need, sinking low.
We cried for help ‘cause we could not save ourselves.

You heard, You saw, You knew, and You felt it all.
You wept when You watched us fall, and You could not stay a-way.
And You came.

And when You came, You were every hope fulfilled,
All that’s good revealed, love divine.
And when You came, You were fellowship restored.
You fed us with Your Word, Bread of Life.

When we were crushed underneath the weight of living,
You heard, You saw, You knew, and You felt it all.
You wept when You watched us fall, and You could not stay a-way.
And You came.

And I am overwhelmed, and I am overcome.
I am breathless in Your presence.
I am humbled by Your love.
And I am overwhelmed, and I am overcome.
I am breathless in Your presence.
I am humbled by Your love.

You heard, You saw, You knew, and You felt it all.
You wept when You watched us fall, and You could not stay a-way.
You could not stay away, You could not stay away.
And You came.

I am so glad He came.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.  Matthew 1:21