​It is truly a wonderful time of the year not just because of His birth, but because of His death and His resurrection. He gave us a gift of life through His death which gives the reason to rejoice and celebrate. That is the most wonderful thing ever!

​Thank you for the privilege of serving God with you. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

I think that it is the change of seasons that makes Indiana such a great place to live. We get the full experience of each season from the coldest of nights to the hottest of days, and the most pleasant and beautiful in between. Some years that we feel the extremes of 105* F, and some years, the frigid -40*F wind-chill. That is 145-degree range. We get it all and how lucky we are. If you only experienced the extremes, living would be unbearable. Have you heard of Death Valley or Siberia? We couldn’t do it, but it is the weather in between that makes life bearable even in Indiana. Though we can go from hot to cold and wet to dry in a day’s time, we still spend most days in decent and enjoyable weather. If it weren’t for the extremes in weather, maybe we wouldn’t enjoy and long for the good weather in between. There is reason in it, I think. As I am writing this, through the window I see the bluest of skies, the red and golden hues of the quickly changing leaves and a covering of frost covering the car. God said in Ecclesiastes1:1-3, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build…” Just as there is a time for everything,God has a reason for everything.

Our lives are affected by the weather of a different kind in our struggles, hardship, difficulties, temptations of sin. God has given us the power to endure this life as we wait for Christ’s return so that we can survive the lowest of valleys and rejoice at the highest of mountains and dwell at all points in between. It is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that we can find the strength of our faith to keep us longing for Heaven to come. God can transform us in each hardship and guide us through each difficult path. He is always there showing us the way to Him.

​I don’t think God causes the hardships, but I do think He uses them to keep us on the right path. If your path is rough, hold on and keep going. He is there. If your path is easy, give praise, but be cautious, it is in these times that we can forget how we got there and where we are going. Let God use the extremes of this life to prepare us for what remains ahead here and there!