Christmas Eve 2010

Family Ornament 2010~Crafted by Catelyn

Christmas Emma
Miss 'G'
Sleep in heavenly peace...

Twas the night before Christmas

& all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even...Emma

Samuel...

or Ben

The Calm before the Storm

Momma Clause put out the gifts...love that woman!

Ben is still clutching his candle - he couldn't wait to light it but fell fast asleep right before we did it...maybe next year little buddy

Stellar Picture by Elizabeth - We make beautiful babies

**************************************

My wife had a great post on Christmas Eve.

This year was a bit of a rush job for me as I ended up having to work some major hours at the funeral home. That has been a fascinating experience & I'll have to post on that soon. Suffice it to say, the Snows staff are consummate professionals who really know how to help a family navigate the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

I got home at 5:30 Christmas Eve - just an hour & a half before the service. I had the whole thing planned & the Advent poem written. What I hadn't been able to do was to practice a couple of key songs. Zack has really improved in his piano skills in just a few months under his tutor - Roxie Adrian. He was able to get all the songs together & just nail them. He really put feeling into his playing.

I read pertinent scripture then read a section of poem that I wrote from those texts.

Zack, Dave, Andy, & Dad did all the prep work in the sanctuary as well as Joseph & James Creath & Paul Jr. They evicted the bats (we think, hope, & pray!) My Mom did a bang up job decorating the beautiful rustic sanctuary.

God just showed up & showed out. We had many new faces from the community there. What a blessing.

The children's bell choir did great on Silent night. All in all it was wonderful.

Some old friends were there as well as some new ones. It really is a new day for our Church & I am looking forward to what God is going to do for His glory through our Church. We had a time of precious candle lit silence with the instruction to listen to what God would say to you personally. I actually did 'hear from God' in that time. As I looked around that sanctuary it was as if God said, "These are your people - love them, lead them, for my name's sake". That thought really didn't come from me as I was thinking about the logistics for the closing song. God just kind of broke through my frantic thinking & 'spoke' to me. I felt a love for that congregation just flow over me. Oh that God would help me nurture that command & to lovingly lead my little flock to love Jesus more & live out the gospel every day.

Ode To Advent~2010

Ode To Advent~2010
Hear Ye the Word of Yahweh tonight
'His' story through the chosen line
A Savior Promised in dark days passed
Isaiah's word enfleshed in our time
To Ancient Ahaz~Judah's King
Did God give Salvation's sign
A virgin born Immanuel Son
A Rescuer for all time
Centuries passed on our side of time
for 400 years God went quiet
Religion flourished as souls fell away
God's favor? None could come nigh it.
Then history went into labor
in the fullness of time He was sent
He whom the universe could not contain
Was in the womb of a virgin content
The Christ, it was long ago fortold,
would be born in Bethlehem town
A census & national tax the Lord used
To send Joseph & Mary on down
While they were there in God's sovereign plan
She brought forth her first born, a son
Rag wrapped & in a rough manger laid
Was God's answer, Manacham, the One!
The shepherds on Bethlehem's hillside
Did the Angel glad tidings tell
Glory to God in the hightest
and Peace rang through the dell
They came with haste & what they found
forever transformed these men
Their voice they found & spread the news round
"God is with us once again!"
Young Mary cradled her Maker
And nursed Him at her breast
In wonder she gathered each memory
which would one day be put to the test
Was He just another poor babe
born long ago in a land far away?
Or was He the actual Son of Heaven
The Lamb of God born to be slain?
A babe came He into our sin sick world
A sinless life lived He until age thirty three
Then despised & rejected ~ yea, cured of God
He hung broken & bleeding for you & for me
This babe was born for one purpose alone
To live a life perfectly
Then to trade it all in for all of my sin
He's the Sacrifice Lamb you see.
There is but one question that still remains
What must I do for this gift to receive
Tis the grandest news of all my friend
For all you must do is believe!


~Paul J. Dziadul Sr., 2010~
Written for the Advent Eve Carols by Candlelight Service

Dedicated to the Memory of Jo Ann de Boer

Thanksgiving Weight Loss?

Emma's Elvis Hair

We had over 20 people over for our annual celebration of Thanksgiving. We have a tradition of going to Church from 10-11am on Thanksgiving morning. Often this is attended by my family & just a few others.

This year we had 43 show up & when it came to the testimony time - did they ever have a lot to share. It was one of the best Thanksgiving Day Services we ever had.

We brined the turkey's for 24 hours before smoking one & roasting the other. They turned out Fantastic!!! The highlights may have been the desserts. Beth made a pumpkin cheesecake with home made whipped cream. Amazing!

Probably the most amazing thing is that on Sunday morning I got on the scale & I lost 2 pounds over "Feast Week"!

I've been on the Zija Weight Management System since July. That 2 pounds was kind of a big deal as it puts me at 50 pounds lost without spending one day on a DIEt.

The Moringa Tree is an amazing creation that is chock full of vitamins & nutrients.

Ezekiel 47:12 describes a tree that sure seems to match what we know about Moringa: "... their leaves shall not wither & their fruit shall not fail, they will bear every month...and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

Moringa can be harvested every 2 weeks & it seems the healing properties seem to reside in the leaves & the nutritional properties can be found in the fruit.

Give the body what it needs & it will do what God created it to do...come to a place of balance.

You can even enjoy a FEAST yet still lose weight...amazing!

Great Day!

I went to the Georgia Baptist Bible Fellowship Meeting at Central Fellowship Baptist Church today. My friend Rodney Queen is the Pastor there & he asked me to speak. It was a joy & a privilege. I've been attending the meetings for going on 3 years now & the speakers are a cut above to be sure. Today I heard some great sermons from the Word of God. First I heard a great testimony sermon from Brother Paul Young who is from Brighton England. He has a ministry to the homeless there called "Off the Fence". What a salty brother who actually believes God & takes Him at his Word! Go figure. I was captivated by has strong British accent & his heart for God.

Brother Henry Van Wye is an older pastor who is an excellent preacher. This is the second time that I've had the privilege of hearing him preach. He spoke on Jonah 1:1-3 - "God always picks the right man for the job" One of his thoughts was that because God chose us for our particular work/ministry - then we must be the right man for that job. He also asserted that God has confidence in us & our calling. Our job is to have as much confidence in God that He has in us. Interesting & tremendously encouraging.

The last preacher tonight was a favorite of mine - Pastor Virgil Barnard. I don't know how old he is but he's got to be in his upper 80's. He preached on Psalm 22 - the prophetic psalm of the suffering messiah. When he got behind the pulpit he lost 50 years at least & came alive with the zeal & passion of a young evangelist. One statement that I found particularly stunning was the statement of Christ, "I Thirst". Pastor Barnard then said - "The one who made the rivers & streams cried out for thirst & was offered vinegar mixed with gall" He CREATED water & his request was denied by the men her created. What have we done?

Then brother Virgil said this, "The first Adam through his sin striped us all naked in shame but the last Adam (Christ) hung naked in shame that we might be clothed in His righteousness." What has He done?!

What a day of encouragement & affirmation. The Reformer's Unanimous ladies provided the special music & it was off the hook!

What an incredible day invested in God's house with God's men exalting God's son by preaching God's Word!

No Way!

The above is the summit viper classic climbing stand. I have to make a confession here - I've been lusting after this thing since before hunting season started. We've come on some lean times financially & I just couldn't see my way clear to buy it. I can usually talk myself into any selfish purchase but no dice this time.
One of the features I really like is the quick connect system that is very quiet as well as quick. The solid climbing brackets were also a great feature.
My hunting partner & mentor, Mr. Ken Goings, has been an off the hook blessing to me this past year. He manages a 1,000 hunting club in Crawford county. I hunted Turkey with him there this past spring. I lost my lease in Monroe county this past summer. Ken decided to give me a membership to his club which he paid for. We've had some amazing hunts there already this year. I harvested 2 does last Friday morning. I shot one at 8 a.m. & one at 9 a.m. Both were big does. Ken took an even bigger doe that evening & one two days later.
On opening day of bow season, Ken noticed that the cable on my climbing stand was cut nearly in two. He advised me not to use it. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't take his advice & I was pretty nervous.
Ken called me Monday to meet up with me so I could pick up the cooler with the last deer in it. We met at Dicks sporting goods in Macon. I put the cooler in my truck & Ken then sheepishly admitted that he had an ulterior motive. With that Goings grin he said, "I'm gonna get you an early Christmas present - the Summit Viper climbing stand." NO WAY!!!
I am the very proud new owner of the latest in quick & quiet climbing technology! I cannot wait to give it a test run soon.
God has sure blessed me with good friends like Ken. He meets not only my needs but my wants as well. Simply Amazing!

Vintage Ben

Ben is his own man...even though he's still a little boy. I took him hunting last Sunday evening. We sat for 3 hours in a cramped & rickety stand. He did great! At one point he heard some leaves rustling & said, "I hear a deer!" I figured it was an armidillo as they sound like an elephant coming through the woods. Sure enough it was. I watched Ben as he first spyed the armor plated pest. He 'wispered' - "look Daddy, a piggy!"

Gotta love that boy!

Recent Pics

Turns out Emma is the one baby of ours that doesn't like Daddy's harmonica playing! I tried fast, slow, happy - nothing doing - she listened for a few bars & cried. Everyone's a critic!
Lauging with Momma! Beth had her laughing out loud for the first time. Glad I was there to see & hear it

Ben cleaned up on High Ho Cherio! I'm thinking of taking that kid to Vegas!

So exciting to be in 36 pants again! Zija Weight Management System is the bomb! Check it out at www.drdz777.myzija.com

Laughing with Daddy...as long as he doesn't play the harmonica!

Gut Be Gone!!!

Random pics found on the camera. Anna's close up

Ben's first deer hunting trip. He did great!