NOVEMBER 2023

A house is not the same thing as a home. We understand that distinction. One of the things that makes a house a home is the “stuff” in the home. We want and love our stuff! Some of the “stuff” the Millers love is the Fall decorations Ms. Tammy sets out each year. I love the way she decorates the house for every season.

As we enter the Thanksgiving Season, let’s make a deliberate effort to acknowledge all of the blessings our great God has poured out on us. Everyday we wake up is a great day, because it’s a day we get to observe God’s greatness in His creation and experience His goodness in Christ. I believe the Psalmist was reflecting on the greatness and goodness of God as well when he penned these words: Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that Yah-weh is God. He made us, and we are His—His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanks-giving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations (Psalm 100).

I realize for many people the Holiday Season is a very difficult time. For those who have lost loved ones, the Holidays can bring intense feelings of loneliness. For those currently in difficult situations, the Holidays can bring sadness because life has dealt them a hard hand. For those who are sick, the Holidays can bring frus-tration because they cannot do the things they want to do. Regardless of our current situation, however, we can always find great hope, strength, and joy in our great, good God. If you are down, make a list of all the blessings God has given to you. Put at the beginning and ending of the list the following: “God has blessed me with forgiveness of my sin and restored me to a right relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.” Now, despite how long or short your list is, you can remove everything in between the first and last entry and still have enough to praise God for throughout all of eternity. Praise God for Jesus. My prayer for all of us this Holiday Season is that which the Apostle Paul prayed 2,000 years ago: I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

-Pastor Clint Miller