No Black Friday around here. Staying away
from all the shopping establishments, the mad crowds, the crazy drivers, the
picked over merchandise, the disgruntled cashiers, all of it!
It's White Friday at our house. My dear, sweet wife has "White Christmas" and other classics playing on the stereo and four 500 pound boxes of Christmas decorations sit in the middle of the living room floor (OK, the boxes didn't weigh 500 pound each - but when you accumulate Christmas "stuff" for 46 years, those boxes are heavy!). By the time I get home from work today, it will look a lot like Christmas.
Yesterday, we had a great family gathering and our friend, Michele Colla joined us too. Sherri made arrangements to have her Mom celebrate with us, accompanied by her caregiver, Deb. Sherri calls days like these, “Happy Chaos.” The noise level reaches the sound of a jet taking off from the runway! But to see the grand kids having so much fun and playing so well together, well, you just don’t mind the noise. We had a feast with lots of good food and we finished up the day with the best pie this side of Camelback Mountain. It seems that Thanksgiving Day ends much too quickly.
Thursday is the day that I get most of my Sunday stuff done - write my sermon, prepare prayers, and so forth. So, I'll do that today on White Friday.
But it's not such a happy, White Friday for some folks. In the past two weeks we held Memorial Services for two men that God used to richly bless our church. We took time to pray for their hurting families. Our prayer is that, even in their grief, they are comforted by the words they confess in the Creed: "...the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting."
If there is anything that can turn a dark day into a White Friday, it surely is God's Holy Word. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. (John 11:25-26) Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:19) Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Holding onto God's promises helps us through all our dark days. If your White Friday is not so white or happy, turn to God's Word for the comfort and help you can use when your days are filled with darkness. Let the "Light of the World" shine His light of love on you.
It's White Friday at our house. My dear, sweet wife has "White Christmas" and other classics playing on the stereo and four 500 pound boxes of Christmas decorations sit in the middle of the living room floor (OK, the boxes didn't weigh 500 pound each - but when you accumulate Christmas "stuff" for 46 years, those boxes are heavy!). By the time I get home from work today, it will look a lot like Christmas.
Yesterday, we had a great family gathering and our friend, Michele Colla joined us too. Sherri made arrangements to have her Mom celebrate with us, accompanied by her caregiver, Deb. Sherri calls days like these, “Happy Chaos.” The noise level reaches the sound of a jet taking off from the runway! But to see the grand kids having so much fun and playing so well together, well, you just don’t mind the noise. We had a feast with lots of good food and we finished up the day with the best pie this side of Camelback Mountain. It seems that Thanksgiving Day ends much too quickly.
Thursday is the day that I get most of my Sunday stuff done - write my sermon, prepare prayers, and so forth. So, I'll do that today on White Friday.
But it's not such a happy, White Friday for some folks. In the past two weeks we held Memorial Services for two men that God used to richly bless our church. We took time to pray for their hurting families. Our prayer is that, even in their grief, they are comforted by the words they confess in the Creed: "...the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting."
If there is anything that can turn a dark day into a White Friday, it surely is God's Holy Word. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. (John 11:25-26) Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:19) Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Holding onto God's promises helps us through all our dark days. If your White Friday is not so white or happy, turn to God's Word for the comfort and help you can use when your days are filled with darkness. Let the "Light of the World" shine His light of love on you.
