To Love and To Serve

It is the end of December, right before Christmas. Perhaps like me you are finishing your Christmas shopping, or putting up some last-minute Christmas decorations. Maybe you are planning your travel for the holidays and getting ready to head out of state. Per chance, did you survive the lines at Kroger, or did you just order delivery or pickup? No matter what you are doing, you are probably preparing in some way for Christmas Day. We go through these things every year, and all of us are hoping we get to experience a nice Christmas with our family and friends. After that we will head into the new year, no doubt with some resolutions, many of which we might even have made before. The cycle continues into a new year, 2024.

As I go through the motions I sometimes wonder if things have become just a repeat year after year of the same things I’ve done before. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the same things, but Christmas does not give me the same wide-eyed wonder and awe that it did when I was a kid, counting down the minutes until Christmas morning. Now obviously as a kid, I’m sure I was excited by possible toys under the tree, but I think as well that there was still a newness to Christmas that is no longer present some four decades later. I also don’t think that this just applies to Christmas. There are many things in life that can just become habit and perhaps lose the excitement that they once possessed. How do we truly look for the new in life, rather than just repeating the same?

When we look at Christ’s ministry, we see many allusions to and talk of newness. We become new ourselves as we die to the old through baptism and are reborn into a new life in Christ, sharing in his resurrection and life eternal. Paul writes extensively in his letters about the newness that is to be obtained through Christ. Christ also talks about the constant emergence of the Kingdom of God coming into the world. How, as disciples, do we look for the new in the world instead of just doing the same old thing? I don’t think this is a question that is asked enough. If one is doing well, who wants things to be new, to change? I do think, however, if we take the time to look at the world around us, and really look, the Holy Spirit does inspire us to see not only the new possibilities in the world, but to be agents of bringing forth these Kingdom visions into the world. As we celebrate the New Year, let us also celebrate our calling to make things new, to have the courage to do so, and be part of the body of Christ working to create a new and blessed world for us all.

Peace, Blessings, and Happy New Year!
Pastor Brian

In January I performed two funerals for church members whom I had known since my first days at Beaver Church. This is in addition to the many funerals that I performed last year for church members and friends. It is fair to say that everyone in the church has experienced a great deal of loss recently and this has been a significant difficulty. I’m thinking of this as we are going into February, when we will all be bombarded by advertising geared towards love and loved ones for Valentine’s Day. For many this will serve as a reminder that those whom we love are no longer with us, a reminder of our grief. In times like this I turn to scripture for support, and one passage I try to remember is John 16:22 “So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” This is spoken by Jesus to the disciples when he is telling them that he will be returning to the Father. He knows that he will be leaving them and he is giving them guidance on how to handle the grief they will inevitably experience.

As Christians we believe that death is not the end. We believe that those whom we have lost will be reunited with us at some point in the future. Thus, we have pain now, but in the future we will rejoice again. This does give us hope for the future, but it does not necessarily help us with the grief that we face today. In thinking more about this, I’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes we can actually focus too much on getting rid of grief, as if it was a bad thing that we should not experience. In reality, grief in itself is not bad: it is difficult, it can be painful, but it is the result of truly loving someone. Without love there would never be grief. If we did not love someone dearly, we would not deeply miss them after their passing.

If we look at Christ and his life, we see that he was indeed human and divine, and experienced the full range of human experience including grief and loss. Even Christ wept for those whom he lost. I’ve heard it said that grief is love that has no place to go. In this case, we see that grief is a sign of our love for others, love that will never cease, even if that person is no longer with us. If love for others is eternal, perhaps that is a sign that those whom we love will also be with us always, even if it is in a form we will not fully see until a future time. So, as we come to Valentine’s Day, we will inevitably have joy and grief, but both of these come from love, God’s most wonderful and eternal gift to us all.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

February was a challenging month for me, and I know it was for many church members as well. I started off the month with my grandmother in the hospital, then I got Covid and unknowingly gave it to several church members. With all of the Covid going around, we had to cancel in-person services for the very Sunday I had hoped to get some congregational photographs for a new advertising campaign. In addition to the dozen or so members with Covid, we also had several surgeries in the congregation, successful thankfully, and a longawaited surgery that had to be postponed. I also had some unexpected church issues to deal with, a roof that needed to be repaired at my wife’s store, and we all had some tornados to deal with at the very end of the month, just for good measure. Thank God February was only 29 days, and I certainly hope that March is better. I won’t say it has to be, because I learned my lesson on that in 2020.

Even though February has been difficult, there were certainly some good things as well. Our game night was a lot of fun, even if I did spread Covid during it. We did have successful surgeries, as mentioned before, and we even had a leap year baby get to celebrate her 20th birthday. Maybe in 2028 she can finally go for a beer with her husband. Life is like that, we always have a combination of good and bad, sometimes more good, and sometimes more bad. As humans, we do tend to focus on the bad it seems. I mean, just look at the news every night— if you just watched that you would probably think nothing good ever happened. That said, sometimes there are things that are truly terrible, a hard health diagnosis, death and loss, war and famine. No amount of spin can put a silver lining on these issues.

When I had to cancel the in-person service on February 18th, I was feeling pretty down and anxious. I was worried about the other church members with Covid, and just worried about things in general. Ironically, or maybe not, I preached a sermon on trusting in God. My wife likes to tease me on occasion when I do or say certain things that seem to be contrary to what I’ve just preached about. She will say to me, “Did you listen to the sermon you just preached?” Spouses and those who support us are good in this way, as we often need people to remind us of what we already know, but seem to have forgotten in the moment. When all is said or done, no matter the challenges this month has held, I am reminded that I need to trust in God. I certainly am not in control of the world, the church, or even my own life. I need to trust that in God there is a better future, even if that future is one where I meet God face to face and leave my burdens behind. I hope March is a better month for you, and for me. I am looking forward to Easter, as it is my favorite Sunday of the year. No matter what that month brings or the month after that, remember that you and I belong to Christ, we are God’s precious children, and nothing will ever change that.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

Our Easter service was a wonderful experience this year. It always is, but for me it was very refreshing in the midst of recent difficulties that I and others have experienced. We had many familiar faces and some new ones as well. I messed up the Call to Worship, but other than that everything seemed to go well, and even my mistake garnered a good laugh from the congregation. It was terrifically cute to watch the kids hunt for Easter eggs, and we even had the Easter Bunny present to join them. The breakfast was delicious and filling, and the bell choir did a fantastic job with their anthem. Of course, the main blessing was having the opportunity to come together as a congregation to remember and celebrate the gift of Christ’s resurrection.

All of the aspects of the service were delightful, but one that stood out was the children’s moment. I was asking the kids for examples of where they see the living Christ in the world, and towards the end, one of the children said that she saw Christ in Ms. Jeannette. Well, kids say the darndest things, don’t they. Yes, one of the ways we see Christ is in others, especially those who share the gospel with us, and share in a life in Christ. Paul in fact speaks about how the body of Christ in the world is the church assembled. All of us have our place and part in that body. Not only does such scripture inform us that we should respect others as part of that body, but it also reminds us that each one of us is called to be examples and expressions of the Good News.

Easter Sunday has come and gone for this year, but the season of Easter is still upon us. In fact, it will be Easter until May 19th when we celebrate Pentecost. We therefore have many weeks to celebrate the Resurrection and the salvation we gain from it. Easter season is also a good time to try and focus on those actions and habits which best express the love of Christ and show that we are part of Christ’s body. Perhaps that can be done through volunteer work, or helping neighbors in need; perhaps we can be quicker with a kind word, and more reserved with criticism. Regardless of which way you work to express the Body of Christ in your life, know that your work has value and is important. All of us together can be the living Christ through our lives and help usher in God’s kingdom.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

As many of you know my grandmother passed away earlier this year. When Amelia and I got married, we had 6 grandparents between us, and we felt so lucky to have that blessing. Even just 5 years ago we still had 5 grandparents. But these last 5 years have been difficult, losing 4 of our grandparents in those years and now just having one left, my grandfather who is 101. This, of course, inevitably happens as we grow older. We lose our grandparents, and eventually our parents, but this is the natural order of things. As Amelia and I shift into the part of our life where one generation is almost gone, it has caused us to reflect on some things. We think about the memories, but also the lessons and the strengths of these people in our lives and how they acted as examples for us. Things have perhaps changed, but grandma still did it best when she did it the way it used to be done.

There are also the physical things that are passed down from generation to generation, like silverware or jewelry, or a dining room table. We do cherish these objects for the memories they invoke and the history they have seen. However, more important than the physical is often the values and lessons that have been taught to us. As stated before, times have changed but it does not mean that they have changed for the better. Handwritten letters, fresh baked cake from scratch, and, heck, just being polite and considerate are things I can remember from my grandparents that should not be discarded in the new age before us. How do we continue these traditions? The answer, of course, is to pass them to the next generation. When the generation before you is gone, it is now your turn to pass on traditions and to be that well of knowledge.

This was true as well during the time just after Christ. After the Resurrection, and after the Accession, it was now the job of the Disciples to spread the Good News of Christ. This is why things were eventually written down in text, and why churches were formed where lessons and tradition can be passed from one generation to the next. It is still the case today. We come to church and bring the next generation to church so that they can learn about the faith and the practices involved in following Christ. If we fail to do this, than we risk these lessons not being passed on. Something as simple as the Lord’s Prayer is usually learned from instruction followed by practice. This is true as well for most of our aspects of faith. I know sometimes we do not see the reason for coming to church or participating in worship in person or online, but we do this for more than just ourselves. We do this for the next generation. Just as my grandparents lived their lives so that I might become the person I am today, those of us that are mature in the faith must pass this along to those who are learning. It is perhaps one of the most important things we can do as Christians. Living in Christ means living for more than yourself, and this is perhaps the ultimate lesson that needs to be retained and passed on in the face of a world that seeks to dismiss it. If we lose that, then we indeed have lost the faith. Help us instead to keep it alive and well in this generation and for the next.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

As I write this, I am getting ready to go on vacation to Myrtle Beach, God willing. Of course, I am doing the thing that I normally do and finishing all of the last-minute items I need to do. There are church things to finish like getting bulletins done, writing this Pastor’s Peace, and getting the sanctuary ready for this Sunday. I even have had to do things for my wife’s store like fixing electronics and making beard oil; it’s a long story. Then there is packing still left to do, but at least I’ve done the laundry. Needless to say, these last few days I have had a frantic energy about me, and I pray that once I actually do get to go on vacation, I can finally relax. With my luck it will probably take half my vacation time just to calm down. I was joking with my wife that I need a pre-vacation before vacation just so I have time to get everything done.

As busy as I am, I still have to be very thankful, as many people don’t have the ability to take vacation or even think about it. However, no matter your profession and income, all of us struggle with the busyness of life. This is made even more pronounced thanks to technology that can notify us in an instant of new tasks to be done and things to worry about every hour of the day and anywhere on the planet. Gone are the days of being peacefully out of contact once you stepped outside your home. These changes to our life are not innocuous. Studies have shown wide spread addiction to phones and social media, as well as an often increase in depression and anxiety correlating to consumption of social media and other online resources. As a child in school, I will never forget the fire safety tip: stop, drop, and roll. I feel like in general these days another safety tip for mental health might be stop, just stop. We clergy are not immune to such things either. I talked to a fellow pastor recently and found out that he takes vacation days, but never has Sundays off if he can help it. My response was, “You know even God took a break.”

God did take a break, and not only that, God told us that we should, too. The Sabbath is not only a holy day, but a mandated day of rest. This is why I take a nap after church every Sunday, just making sure to follow God’s instruction. All jokes aside, our culture of continuous work and consumption is not a healthy one. This is something that God foresaw about humanity. Even in Eden humans needed more and more, unable to be content with the paradise around them. At what point do we say enough is enough? Hopefully before we have exhausted ourselves to death, both physically and spiritually. My prayer for myself as I finish writing this is that I do indeed take time to rest and see the beauty of this paradise that is creation. My prayer for you is that you too can take some time as well to make sacred and honor God’s commandment of rest.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

As I think about my life recently, my mind wanders to thoughts of my grandfather. I had the joy of taking him to lunch recently at one of my favorite restaurants. Even though he is 101 and now needs oxygen, he did pretty well. He polished off a salad, shrimp cocktail, half a ribeye steak, and a piece of cheesecake to boot. I think that when you are 101, calories don’t count anymore. Being that he is now receiving hospice care, I don’t know how many more lunches I will have with him, but most importantly, I pray that he has peace, comfort, and a bit of joy during each of his days left. Being that he was born in 1923, I think of all of the things that he has seen in his life. He told me stories that day of his time as a movie projectionist and that the first movies that had sound were actually synced with a record player until sound was finally imprinted on the film itself years later. Of course, now we have thousands of movies available to us with the touch of a button wherever we might want to watch them. How times have changed.

Even in my life, not half as long as my grandfather’s, things have changed quite a bit. When I was born, the most powerful computer on the planet weighed 5.5 tons, had a speed of 80 MHz, and used 115kW of power to produce it, the same power as what 50 homes use at any given point in time. Now, the phone in my pocket has a speed that is about 40 times faster and uses .004% of the energy to produce it. As I think of things such as Artificial Intelligence, I feel that it will be something that in the end is even more of a change than the printing press, or the internet. Hopefully humanity will use this technology for good, but we don’t always have such a good track record with new discoveries. Who knows what the future will be like, but whatever it is, it will be different from today.

Even in Christ’s time things were very different from when Jews first began to worship God some 1,000 to 2,000 years earlier. In such earlier times the Roman Empire did not exist nor did the biblical texts that Jews called the Torah. The faith of Jewish people had to adapt and change to the changing times, just as our Christian faith has had to change today. However, there are some things that were present even when the very first followers of God walked the earth, and one of them is the love of God. God loved us then, as God does now, and that has not changed one bit. Christ was God incarnate, an expression of God’s love on earth. Christ shared that love and asked us as his disciples to share God’s love as well. So often we invest so much time and energy in things that will change and be obsolete before we know it. Does it not make more sense then to invest in the eternal? Any energy that we expend to share God’s love will never be wasted, and will never be obsolete. May we take comfort in this, and as the years go by, may we always remember the words of Paul in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”


Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

It is time again for our annual garage sale taking place August 15th – 17th. I remember some dozen or so years ago when we had the first garage sale at the church that I was present for. It had been several years since the church held one and to everyone’s joy it was a huge success. At that garage sale I even bought my beloved Jimmy Buffett boxed set that I think either Lori Wieland or Eric Tobias donated, which turned me into the Buffett fan that I am. I also distinctly remember us talking about having another one the following year. There were those that were concerned, thinking that we would need at least a few years in-between before we could gather enough donations from members. We decided to try it the next year anyway and, well, apparently, we have quite the stash of stuff to give away because we have managed to have enough stuff each year since. Several church members have even told me they look forward to the garage sale and the opportunity to clean stuff out of their house. Thus, I consider it a fundraiser and a ministry.

One question to ask, however, is why do we have that much stuff to begin with? There are things that happen naturally such as loved ones passing away, or couples deciding to downsize after their children move out, but that does not completely explain it. Right now, there exists over 2 billion square feet of self-storage in the United States, which works out to around 7 square feet for every person in the country. That is a lot of storage for stuff. This has been steadily increasing for the last number of decades and doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down. With all this stuff we have, we should be happier— right? I think most of us would confess that the happiness of stuff is short lived, and perhaps in the end might even take away from our life more than it adds. You see, stuff never fills our souls, and often leaves us wanting for more. So, what will truly leave us fulfilled? One answer can be found in John chapter 6, where Jesus speaks of the bread that will never leave us hungry, the Bread of God, the Bread of Life in Christ.

The bread given by God is not a physical bread, but a nourishment of relationship between us and God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is the nourishment of healthy relationships shared between all of us as the Body of Christ. So often we hunger in life for things no food could ever feed, and we will only find relief through love, God’s love. As it has been said, the most important things in life are not things, and Christ makes this abundantly clear. Now I would not suggest that all material items are bad and we should get rid of everything and buy nothing. Certainly, buying things that are useful at a garage sale, for instance, saves us money and keeps things from going to the landfill. However, we should be careful not to value the things of life too much. They might have some utility, but they will never replace that which is gained through Christ and the fellowship we share together. Not even my Jimmy Buffett boxed set.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

The annual garage sale is over, praise the Lord! Well, it is mostly over. We still have some cleanup to do and the garage sale continues on with Jeannette listing some of the more valuable items on eBay for the church. Overall, the fundraiser was a great success for the church, raising over $4,500 in the process. We also helped people to clean out their houses, and many of our items went to good homes where people will use them. In the end we helped the church, each other, people outside the church, and the environment. I would say it was a win-win all around. Of course, we do often associate the garage sale with the physical things we sell or donate, and we do need things to sell for a garage sale to happen. However, the garage sale and almost every activity we do at the church is really about something else, and that is community. It was all the people that came together to help that made the garage sale possible. Yes, some people do more or less of something in the church, but together all of us work to uphold the ministry of this congregation in all of its forms. Without the people of the church, the church would cease to be a church.

If you look at the ministry of Jesus it is very much focused on community. Jesus is not a profit on a mountaintop who simply gives proclamations while never interacting with people. No, the ministry of Jesus is all about the people. Jesus' first acts involve going near and far to share the Good News with everyone, and he forms a group of people to be his Disciples and help with this ministry both before and after the Resurrection. Jesus breaks bread with so many people. He interacts with foreigners and people who were deemed unclean. He even takes time for children, declaring them important and worthy of his time. No matter who you were, Jesus was willing to reach out to you and bring you into the embrace of God’s love. His greatest teachings were given to groups of people at events such as the feeding of the multitudes or the Last Supper. Yes, Jesus alone was the Son of God, but everyone was God’s child, and the ministry of Jesus was comprised of interactions with all of us.

As we think about our lives and the importance of them. Let us try to focus not so much on ourselves and our importance. I heard an author say recently that no one is truly unique. Everything we say or think has likely been said or thought by someone else. It is rather the interactions we have with others that are unique. It is the gathering of people that creates a system that is special to that time and place, such as a church congregation. Everything we do of value happens because of each other. Even my ministry only succeeds because of others in the congregation. It is tempting in our individualized society to focus only on the self, and certainly individuals have achieved wonderful things in their lives. However, every achievement, even something like an Olympic medal, is accomplished in part because of the help and support of others. Let us remember this, and take joy in it, for we are never alone, God is always with us, and if we are willing to look for it, God has placed others in our lives to fill them with blessings.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

September has been a difficult month. I lost my grandfather, who was my last grandparent, and this loss was not only a person, but a generation. If I stand back and look at things, I know that I am fortunate to have still had grandparents in my mid 40s, and my grandfather lived a good life to the ripe old age of 101 and a half. Even though analytically my mind can understand this, loss is still hard. I also begin to think of my own age and the ages of other family members. The time we have in this life at least is finite, and the older I get the faster it seems to be going. This is nothing new, I’m sure for many of you, and something you understand all too well. Death is the one thing all of us have in common, whether we acknowledge it or not.

These ideas of mortality were certainly on the minds of the followers of Jesus. Although the wealthiest classes had life expectancies into the 60s or 70s, common people could expect to live only into their 30s or 40s for a host of different reasons. Child mortality rates were high and death was something that people, even children, would have witnessed on a regular basis. This was even in times of peace. You can understand how the promise of life eternal would seem to be amazing to those that heard it. People were always asking the disciples what was the life after next? When would people rise again? When would Christ come back and mark the beginning of a new age? To be honest, the disciples, including Paul, didn’t have an exact answer. Like many of Christ’s teachings, there were no exact instructions or a precise roadmap. This is part of what faith is about: We must hold onto those things that we know to be true; we must hold onto Christ’s teachings and have them lead us even if we don’t know the exact location.

Following our faith, while only dimly seeing where we are going, can be a difficult thing. We often like to know exactly where we are going and what we are doing; this gives us a sense of control. People will always yearn for an exact spiritual formula to follow such as A+B will always give me C, but again we are not in control. Instead, we must release this false sense of control and have faith in and trust in God. People ask me sometimes what the life after this one will be like, and my answer is that I have no idea, but I trust that God will be there and that I will be with God, and for me that is enough. My grandfather’s very last words to me were “I’ll be ok.” Even though he passed several days later, I feel those words are still true. He is indeed ok with the Lord, in whatever form that might be. My time will eventually come as well, and although I am sure I will miss many people, my faith tells me that I will be ok too.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

I have heard that the tv stations are all buying new equipment this year. That’s at least what someone told me happens every four years during a presidential election season. I’m not sure if it is true or not, but with all of the political ads we are forced to watch, I might believe it. Certainly, none of us enjoy all the ads, the yard signs, the Facebook posts, emails, text messages, and all other ways politicians try to get our attention and our vote. The joke’s on them, however, because I already voted early, so their media dollars are wasted on me. Sometimes these political expressions are about specific policies or ideas for a better future, but more often than not they are derogatory in nature and paint the opposition as extreme. What is more troubling are people that take these things as truth and begin to see their fellow Americans as the enemy, rather than neighbors with a different opinion.

Sometime in early November we will likely know the outcome of the elections, and although many issues will likely cause less controversy, the issue of who will be the next President, will leave large swaths of people feeling disappointed, and perhaps even scared or angry. We should remember, however, that our voting systems do work well in the United States, and that multiple investigations in different states, by Republican and Democratic officials, have shown that any illegal or irregular voting issues are miniscule at best, often less than 10 or 20 votes per state. This means that your vote does count, and you should go out and vote. It also means that we should respect the outcome, whatever it is, and if we don’t like it, work towards a different outcome in the next election.

I say all of this because there is real concern of violence regarding this year’s election, as there was after the election in 2020. Nothing could be worse for our country or our communities, and such things only embolden those that wish to do this country harm. I say this as a citizen, but also as a pastor. I think it is pretty clear that wishing harm for someone with a different political view is not what Jesus would want us to do. In fact, Jesus clearly wants us to work together and spread God’s love and the fact that we have been given the gift of salvation through God’s grace. I don’t see much of God’s love in political ads. Paul spent much of his ministry working to resolve issues between groups that couldn’t agree with each other in their churches, much to his disappointment. I hope and pray that certainly in Beaver Church, but more importantly in our community and nation, we can work together to lift up love and compassion over hatred and violence. Please remember what we are all called to do as Christ’s disciples, and remember the most important two commandments, to love God and to love each other.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

I am still thinking of our cookie walk event that we had in November. It was a success on many levels, as a fundraiser for the church, as a way to have new people visit the church, and especially as a way to eat delicious cookies. There is yet another way it was successful as well; it was a way to come together as a church. The final count of cookies before we opened showed that there were over 100 different batches of cookies made by so many wonderful people. Someone joked that “it takes a village”, a reference to the African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child”. This is indeed a true statement, and it takes a village to do so many things well in this world, such as caring for children, the elderly, and each other. Everything that Beaver Church does well, is done by people coming together to do something bigger than they could do by themselves.

Even Christ, the Son of God, chose not to go it alone in his ministry. Certainly, Christ was capable of doing anything he wanted, and yet he chose to call disciples together to help in his ministry. Even though the disciples didn’t always get it right, they were valuable and part of Christ’s plan. After he died, was raised, and ascended, he knew that others who were close to him, would need to continue his ministry and share the Good News. The disciples in continuing his ministry, then went out and gathered other groups of people in churches to help spread the Gospel. From its very beginning, Christianity was a group activity. Even the existence of God is not one of solitude, as God exists as three in one through the Trinity. It sometimes is tempting to try and do everything in your life by yourself, believe me I know, but as they say a task shared is a task halved.

As we come into the holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other religious holidays such as Hanukkah, let us remind ourselves that all of these events are about community. This is, of course, why these holidays are sometimes hard, as we miss those who are no longer with us. Even though such grief is the difficulty of having caring relationships, there is still joy to be had in those we have in our lives now, and new people we might even meet in the future. No one in this church is ever truly alone, even though it might seem that way at times. You have not only God’s love but the love of this village we call Beaver UCC. May we all remember this in the next month, and in the months after, and if you happen to be eating one of those delicious “cookie walk” cookies as you are reading this, remember someone in this church made that just for you, with love. It takes a village indeed.

Peace, Blessings, and Merry Christmas!