Monthly Archives: December 2013

December 31, 2013 · 13:42

talk about a last minute appeal!!!

Talk about last minute!!!

Help us reach our financial goal for 2013! Every donation, whether $5, $50, or $500 matters!

Today is the last day to donate for our 2013 fund drive. You can donate online at our website: www.ceokids.org/giving

Donations sent via the post office MUST have a postmark of December 31st to count toward your 2013 deduction. Even if the date on the check is December 31st, if the postmark is in January of 2014 we must date the donation in 2014 not 2013. This is to be in keeping with IRS requirements. 

If you cannot mail today, you can donate online until 11:59PM on the 31st or December and have it count for 2013. Click “DONATE” above on the right.

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Filed under end of year wrap up

December 31, 2013 · 00:01

the last day of 2013

Today is the last day of 2013.

Folks will look back at 2013 and forward to 2014.

My suggestion is to look back looking for those people and events for which we can be thankful for and forward in ways we may serve.

At the end of the year we are all hearing from non profits who are hope for an end of year boost in donations. We are too. If you would like to support our mission in 2013, you can do so online at http://www.ceokids.org

Looking forward to an awesome 2014!

Happy New Year!!!

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Filed under end of year wrap up

Image

Pix of 2013

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December 29, 2013 · 15:25
December 28, 2013 · 13:40

Post-Christmas

Just got home from the Foley-Luper-Penno Christmas, this year at the Penno’s. As we were driving home from mid morning through pretty heavy traffic, I was thinking as I always do about the post Christmas feeling.

For me Advent is an awesome season because it is a time of anticipation of the holiday of Jesus incarnation. It is wonderful to think deeply about the Incarnation itself especially as we consider the helplessness of the baby Jesus. This was especially clear to me this year with a little William present. I was amazed as I was considering the helplessness of our 3 month old and realizing that God became a human, a baby… in a helpless condition.

Indeed this is what humility means, to lower oneself to serve another. In this case Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth to serve us through his birth death and resurrection.

To me the holiday seems to be over but the truth of Jesus’ work for us never ends.

I’m thinking about how we should truly celebrate Christmas by humbling ourselves and serving someone else.

Merry Christmas indeed.

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Filed under culture, definitions, experience, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

December 24, 2013 · 12:00

The Christmas Story: 2 lesson with a carol

Now that Lessons and Carols are over for this year, I’ve prepared a another kind of lesson with a carol.

Twenty years ago (back in ’93) a colleague came into faculty devotions (at RVCS) with a boom box and a Bible. He pushed play and began reading the Christmas Story. I immediately borrowed the tape (it was 20 years ago) and proceed to read the Christmas Story to the tunes of “Silent Night” by Mannheim Steamroller every class for the next two years. A tradition was born. In 1995 at Christmas I was in the ‘ville and for 14 years at Covenant I read the Christmas Story each year in what I called Christmas Chapel (the last chapel before Christmas). About 2008, I began reading this at Covenant’s Live Nativity. Every once and a while an alumnus tells me how much they enjoyed that tradition. Sweet Anna wants me to read it at Christmas. So, I decided to record it and post it in hopes that it would point someone to the real point of Christmas… the story of Jesus birth.

Here’s to, what I hope is, your enjoyment and encouragement to remember the Incarnation.

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Filed under being a disciple, experience

December 24, 2013 · 07:00

Lessons and Carols from King’s College

If I had a bucket list this would in the top five, to be in Cambridge, England to experience the Lesson’s and Carols in King’s COllege Chapel in person.

But, even if I have not and may never be there in person (do I really want to wait in THIS QUEUE?), I will be listening live via radio at 10am Eastern this morning.

If you would like to “join me” click here to get the info about this worship experience of Scripture and music. I’ll be listening HERE

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Filed under being a disciple, experience