Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

Good evening! The weather sure has been chilly the past few days. We had some sleet and snow last night. Then a cold, rainy day today. No matter what the weather may be like outside, we can rest easy knowing we have the warm, forgiving grace of Jesus Christ in our lives. His love for us burns like the flame from a candle. Never ceasing. We, as Christians, should be on fire for Him like He is for us.

I hope everyone has been doing well. Hopefully you have avoided the wonderful cold that has been going around lately. I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with its wonderful presence. Stuffy nose, coughing (lots of it), sinus pressure.......that "I just feel yucky" feeling. Everyone at work has had it or is coming down with it now. Get plenty of rest, drinks lots of fluids (cause your mouth gets really dry), and make sure you have soup, pudding or fruit cups on hand. There will be times when your throat just hurts and the only thing I have been able to soothe it with is pudding, fruit cups or ice cream. And I forgot sneezing.

Anyway, aside from the yucky cold, 2008 has been going fairly well thus far. Some bumps and bruises along the way...it wouldn't be life without them. I wanted to take a few minutes to remind you of some things that will be taking place over the next week or so.

The deadline for getting information to the church office for the February newsletter is tomorrow morning (18th) by 9am.

This Sunday (20th) will be Baptist Men's Day. The men usually have an all male choir and someone gives a testimony. It makes for a very memorable service. If you haven't participated in a Baptist Men's Day, make plans to be in attendance on Sunday. It's a treat you don't want to miss!

The youth will be hosting a spaghetti dinner next Sunday (27th) immediately following the morning worship hour.

Our youth will be venturing to a Youth Winter Weekend Retreat Feb. 1st-3rd. The deadline for signing up and turning in half the money was Jan. 9th.

The youth will also be heading to the Winter Jam Concert on Feb. 22nd. Lots of wonderful musicians/singers will be at this outing. If you or someone you know would like to be a part of this memorable experience, please see our Minister of Students for more information.

I believe that covers all I have for now. If I have neglected to mention something, please let me know. You can email me at nricha4903@hotmail.com.

Until next time, take care and God bless!

In Christian Love,

Tina :-)

P.S. Remember to provide a warm shelter and lots of water for your outdoor pets. Very cold temperatures can make being outside very unpleasant for them. You may find it beneficial to feed them twice a day in order for them to maintain a good body temperature to help keep them warm. Normal body temperature for pets is 101-102 degrees. Do not use the family thermometer to check your pets temperature. Not a very healthy thing to do. An economical digital thermometer can be purchased from Family Dollar, Wal-mart or even our local drug store, R & J.

Don't keep antifreeze out where pets can have access to it. It is very harmful to them and the results aren't often good.

And make sure there aren't any stray pets hiding underneath the hood of your car, truck, etc. Or even underneath your car by the tires. Pets try to find a warm place to stay during the night and often times it is underneath the hood of a car or truck. The end result is not a very pleasant one.

And don't forget to bring those outdoor plants inside to keep them from being damaged by the cold.

Just a few reminders to keep in mind in chilly weather! :-)

Off to a Good Start!

Hello and good Saturday evening to each of you reading this blog. I am happy to say that 2008 has started off on a good note. We all have many things to be thankful for. God has blessed us richly with food, shelter, family, friends, jobs, transportation......and the list goes on and on. I wanted to take a few minutes to remind you of some things taking place over the next week.

The deacons will be meeting tomorrow morning (1/6/08) at 8am. We will be observing the Lord's supper during the morning worship hour tomorrow. A wonderful way to start a new year reflecting on all that God has done for us and to review our relationships with our family and friends and most importantly with God.

Wednesday, Jan. 9th will kick off the monthly birthday celebration. If you or someone you know is celebrating a birthday this month, make sure you are in attendance (or bring the friend or family member with you) this Wednesday. A special birthday cake will be provided to honor those and their special day. Happy birthday to each of you celebrating a birthday this month. May God continue bless you on this birthday as well those birthdays yet to come!

There will be a Youth Committee Meeting tomorrow (see our Minister of Students for more information).

The children will be venturing out next Saturday (Jan. 12th) to see the "Veggietales: Pirates Who Don't do Anything" movie.

The first quarterly conference of 2008 will take place next Sunday, Jan. 13th during the morning worship hour.

January 4th marked the first Friday that the gym was open. If you or another young person would like to take part in the fun, remember to mark the date on your calendar. The gym will be open the first Friday of each month from 6-9pm.

My hope and prayer for each of you this new year is for God to meet each of your needs as only He can. He always has our best interests at heart. He is not a Father wanting to see His children suffer. We bring that on ourselves. May this year be one of good health, Christian love and peace.

Until next time, take care and God bless!

In Christian Love,

Tina :-)