Christmas '07

Posted by Timothy

This year we were blessed to have our dear friends over for Christmas.
Some of you know them...

...that's right, the Claytons!

We were blessed to first meet them up in NH at our church. And in the 9 following years we have only become more grateful for such dear friends.
Dinner consisted of Lamb, Potatoes, Cranberry Orange Relish.

Desert consisted mainly of a Scrumptious Apple Pie graciously made by Mrs. Clayton for the occasion. Mmmm... if you knew how good a cook she is you'd be licking your lips.
We trust you had as blessed a Christmas as we did this year.

18 year Christmas Tradition

Posted by Timothy

Our Family tradition, for 18 years.
We have gone around the neighborhood handing out plates of our home made Baklava.

This year Arianne made it...

Then it was wrapped up on plates by the women.

And the endeavor was concluded by the trek around the neighborhood by all.
We always look forward to this as a time to meet our neighbors.
In modern society with every one off doing their own things all day, or seldom venturing from their houses because of the new ability to work from home, it has often been the way we first meet our neighbors!

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Posted by Timothy

On Sunday evening, December 16, nearly our whole church gathered together for our annual celebration of the advent of Christ through the reading of select passages of Scripture.
This year, instead of the usual reading of Luke, select passages from Genesis to Revelation were picked out, tracing the Scarlet Thread of Redemption.
The passages selected were: Genesis 3, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 53, Luke 2, Colossians 1, and Revelation 22.
Among the people selected to read these passages were:

Dana Merrill, grinning all the time, you just can't see it,

and Steve Breagy, an elder of our church and appropriately more serious.

Also we were blessed to have a traveling, home schooled, family perform two pieces from Handel's Messiah.

All together it was a refreshing time, very different from the modern Santa Claus, and Reindeer corruption of Christmas.

Christmas is coming, the duck? is getting fat

Posted by Gabrielle

I'm sure you've heard of the children's Christmas song: Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please to put a penny in the old man's hat. Well, this morning as we were setting out for a brisk walk around our circle we espied a funny sight:

Our neighbors two houses down keep ducks in their backyard. On the house right next to us we saw three of their ducks perched on the roof eating out of the gutter. They hardly seemed to mind us when we stopped to take pictures. We were surprised that, not being wild ducks, they were still able to fly that high.
Christmas is coming and the ducks are getting fat! I wonder if they are being fattened for Christmas dinner! Yummmm!!!!

Annual Family Portraits

Posted by Timothy

December = Family portrait.
Every year it happens.
Well, ok, it's not quite that bad.
It actually went quite well this year!

We drove about 5 min. to a neighboring farm, and after 10 min. and 15 pictures, we got several good portraits.

Well, here's the voted best family picture.

Do you think every one looks relieved after the picture taking's over? hmmm . . . . .

Second London Baptist Confession Study

Posted by Gabrielle

On Sunday evenings we attend a study of the Second London Baptist Confession held at the home of our friends, the Damings and led by two of our elders.
Last Sunday night (12/9) we studied point 2 of chapter seven, below:

Chapter 7: Of God's Covenant

2.__Moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace, wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.

After the elders, who are leading, read aloud the point we are studying that evening, people are selected at random to read aloud relevant verses. Some that were read with this point are:

Genesis 2: 17; Ezekiel 36: 26-27; Galatians 3: 18-22; Romans 3: 20-21 and John 3: 16.

Below are some notes that I took on the bold phrases in the text. They were phrases that we specially focused on.

' The curse of the law is death. When Adam sinned in the garden he brought all mankind under the curse, both physically and spiritually. Essentially, after that there was no hope for his posterity if Jesus had not come to make a way.

The covenant of grace was a one sided covenant, God covenanting with the other members of the Trinity- essentially himself. Basically, in a covenant the two or more parties covenanting agree to it and carry out their part. But we (man) cannot covenant with God. If we did and were able to fulfill our part that would make us equal with God which is the heart of Arminianism.

God freely offers salvation to everyone but only His elect will repent. He gives us the faith 'making us willing and able to believe.' 'John 6: 44- "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

Over all, we have enjoyed and look forward to many more Sunday evenings studying God's Holy Word and the Confession which our forefathers put together as a testimony to their and our faith.

NCFIC Conference

Posted by Timothy

On November 30-December 1, the Uniting Church and Family conference was held in Wake Forest, NC, about 10 min. from where we live. My father and I were 2 out of around 700 attendees. We met in a local church graciously lent for the occasion, and there we heard several well known speakers including: Scott Brown,

Voddie Baucham,

and Paul Renfro (an elder at Mr. Baucham's church).

One of the topics presented was: "Equipping Men to be Family Leaders." Paul Renfro started that session out with a paradox: There were these two lines of men waiting out side a building; there was a long line of men in front of a door with a sign over it: Men Who Are Not the Leaders of Their Families. The other line consisting of one man was in front of another door with a sign over it: Men Who Are the Leaders of Their Families. A man from the long line walked over to the man in the other line and asked: "What's your secret, how do you lead your family?" The reply was: "I don't know, I'm just standing here because my wife told me to."
Sad but true, this is modern America!
Another topic was: "Fathers and Sons in the Old Testament," by Dr. Andy Davis. He told a true story of a certain man who spent a day fishing with his son. His son, later looking back, wrote in his diary: "went fishing with my father, the best day of my life." The man later wrote: "went fishing with my son, day wasted."
Sad but true, this too is modern America!
The tribulations caused by Fathers not taking the lead in their families are great. On Sunday, December 2, Mr. Brown took his text from Romans 5:3-11.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
God makes it very clear to us in vs. 3-4. There is hope!