Old Year Challenges, New Year For Opportunities

Here on the eve of a new year it is good to reflect on the past year. It has had it's challenges. Tina's surgery, both girls starting new schools, Hope's new dog-Annie, Tina's job ending, balancing finances, I started a new job. But then there are the good things, our new church community, Hope's new dog-Annie, new friends, our small group, learning to play disc golf, discovering new things to see and do. With this coming year I know there will be more challenges and more good things-I look forward to both. God has provided and is still providing in all these situations.
Before Christmas, I sent an email to a friend and former coworker in California. I learned through her "out of office" reply that she would be out until this week. Yesterday, I received a reply and it was great to hear from her. I needed a few forms that were used there and she faithfully attached them to her message. The best part was that she also forwarded my message to other coworkers. I received email messages from her and other coworkers throughout the day. It was great to see messages arrive from friends I had not heard from since moving from California. Almost like letters from home (even though this is our home now). Add these to the good thing list. A great ending to this year. I did make a call to Peggy (another former co-worker) when I got home to catch up with her as well. In my conversation with her I learned that my friend Sam had stopped by and had moved back to California. She will be sending me his contact information. I look forward to catching up with him as well.

Advent Conspiracy

We were introduced to the Advent Conspiracy during last year's Christmas season. Their video presentations really make you rethink Christmas. Here is one from Rick McKinley from Imago Dei in Portland, Oregon. It was presented this morning at Crossings. Please post your thoughts.

-Norm

Joy To The World.........

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. John 1:14 (The Message)

Merry Christmas!

Norm, Tina, Hope and Grace

Our Community Is On The Move........

Since May 2008 we have been a part of Crossings, a faith community in Knoxville. We are currently meeting as a community at Downtown West theater in west Knoxville on Sunday mornings, but that is all about to change! We will soon be moving to The Square Room at 4 Market Square (4MS) in Downtown Knoxville. Our first meeting there will be on January 11 with two services. Cafe4 officially opened for business on Monday morning and The Square Room hosted it's first concert on Saturday evening.

WATE aired a report about the Open House of Cafe4 and the Square Room this past Friday evening. It was very cool!

Our family (along with 1,000 other people) had the opportunity to attend.

Have a look....