Today is a special day in our family. It is Tommy and Liz's fourteenth anniversary. I remember their courtship and wedding as if it were yesterday. They married on a sunny December afternoon at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Natchez, MS, one of several buildings in town on the National Register of Historic Places. The church was beautiful with its simple, but traditional Christmas decorations. Tourists were abundant both inside the church before the ceremony and in horse drawn carriages riding past waving at the wedding party. The bride was beautiful in white and the bridesmaids outstanding in their Christmas red velvet dresses. Liz was and is the wife for whom we prayed--a perfect complement to our son. We were so happy that day to welcome her into our family, but even more so today as we have gotten to know her better and to love her more. It seems like yesterday, but when I see them with their five children I know it's been much longer. The joy of December 18 fourteen years ago has been multiplied many times over.

Yesterday morning we got the bad news that the heating element in our heating unit was cracked and the gas needed to be turned off immediately. Fortunately, the temperature reached fifty and it got a little higher today. Warmer temperatures along with gas logs in the den have kept us warm the past two days. Tomorrow we get a new unit--not exactly what we wanted for Christmas, but necessary.

This week has brought cards and letters from friends and family and I have learned of more folks out there in cyber space who read this blog. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. I'll write as long as someone reads. I hope you can spend this week before Christmas reflecting on God's graciousness. God always knows exactly what we need and has freely given. Thanks be to God all our gifts and most especially for His Christmas Gift to us!

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret