There were a couple of highlights for me for Christmas 2009:

1)  The Christmas series “Giving Great Gifts” was very rewarding.  To pardon the pun, it was a gift to me to see people making changes in their lives and being inspired by the series.  God gave us all some great gifts, and allows us to share them others!  You can hear the series at Pineview Community Church’s website or from iTunes.

2)  Krista played a very tough set of music for our Christmas Eve service.  She worked her butt off and really nailed it.  It was really difficult and she did a stellar job.  On a similar but completely unrelated note, it was really quite inspiring to see all those candles held high with the lights off.

3)  A thirst for God.  These past few weeks of asking the question “What gift can I give to someone in light of what God has given to me?” has really made me reflect on what God has given us.  Immanuel, God with us!  He wanted me to know Him like He knows me and so Jesus was born.  What a gift.

Ok, well that’s more than a couple of things.  I can do that, it’s our blog!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My pal Kevin Baker (** SHAMELESS PLUG** – His CD makes an awesome Christmas gift!!!  Go buy it today at http://www.CDBaby.com) was recently musing (which is what artists do) and came up with the following thoughts:

Something that makes you go….hmmmmmmmmmm (Today at 9:08am)

As I drove into work today….God spoke something very clear to me….

Something that I need to write into a sermon message actually…but it goes something like this….

It’s all based out of my wants and needs and things that I’m personally going through or going through with my family….when I say things like… “why God is our life the way it is…why aren’t things going the way I think they should be going…blah blah blah…I could go on…..etc.”

When I was saying these words….I heard….”Come to me and pray about it”…..and I responded “I am”…”I do”….then I heard… “REALLY?…..because it all sounds like whining and complaining to me”

I stopped and thought about it for a moment….how often do we say that we’re “Praying about it”….but in reality we’re not….we’re just spouting, pouting, whining, complaining, living out of a heart of bitterness and frustration….etc……an

I talked about the best game all year when the Giants met the Patriots in the final game of the regular season.

BOY WAS I WRONG!!! GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-MEN!

Clearly, it was last night’s NFL match up between the NY Giants and NE Patriots. It was back and forth and (in my biased Giant’s fan opinion) if Eli doesn’t have a couple of key hiccups, the Giants end the 16-0 bid.

At any rate, the Patriots proved that if any team is going to beat them, they have to do it in the second half of the game. They are clearly the best coached team as they will counter whatever a team might surprise them with in the first half by beating them in the second half. If they run into a team that can overcome the Patriots mid game adjustments (cough Jacksonville cough), that team will end the Super Bowl dreams of New England.

Back to the Giants… they played a great game and have a lot to take into the playoffs. I like the Giants to beat Tampa Bay because Eli is clearly a better QB in nice weather, and the defense will be able to beat up on Jeff Garcia.

Go Giants!