The Christmas Cookie Temptation:

There I was, all alone in the church walking through the lobby when my eyes were attracted to a table.  Not just any table, but a table filled with all those homemade delicious cookies people had baked for the troops.  I walked over to push some of the filled bags that were on the floor back under the table so people would not step on them and now my mouth was beginning to salivate as I picked up the aroma of my favorite smell; chocolate chips.  There were literally hundreds upon hundreds of cookies and who would know if I just took one or two or even three chocolate chip cookies?  My stomach was growling, my mouth watering, my mind justifying why I could take one.  It was a full outright spiritual battle going on in front of the cookies and finally by the grace of god I told the devil to get away from me, that they are not for me, were not made for me, not mine to sample, and they belonged to some very important men and women who certainly would not be enjoying all the treats I will enjoy in the next week.  I walked away rejoicing; I had not fallen to the temptation of eating one cookie.  Oh, if only it was that easy.

Christmas is filled with temptations of eating too much, spending too much, and trying to do too much.  There is the temptation to lose our tempers, become envious of others, sometimes waddle in self-pity, and complain about everything.  But maybe the greatest temptation of Christmas is to forget why Jesus came in the first place; to save us from our sins and free us from our temptations.  The scripture tells us that "God is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond our endurance, but will provide a way out."  That way is Jesus Christ.  So with just a few days before Christmas to go,   don't get tempted to lose sight of what the excitement is all about:  God has come to dwell among us in Jesus Christ.

May you have a joyous Christmas and experience the deliverance this Christ child has come to bring.

Christmas Eve Service Schedule:
Come Join us as we celebrate the Birth of our Lord!

COME ENJOY THIS NIGHT OF LIGHT AND CELEBRATION.
Invite Someone to Celebrate Christmas Eve Service with You this Year
and Introduce them to Your Family of Faith.

2010 Offering Envelopes can now be found in the lobby. Please make sure that you pick yours up today.  Remember that using envelopes is one of the best ways we have of recording your contributions for tax deductions.  If you cannot find your name please contact the office so that a box can be set out for you.  Please do not use your envelopes before January 2010 as this is confusing for contribution recording and also, your 2010 envelope number may not be the same as 2009.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want To Miss

Thank You for Giving to the Lord!  Thank You for your Pledge to our Ministry Here at Trinity!  We are now up to $359,856.00 pledged towards our 2010 budget.  We will continue to collect Pledge cards throughout December.  You can place your card in the offering plate or mail them into the church office.  If you need a pledge card, they can be found in the narthex or at the end of the pews.  Through our pledges we are aware of the kinds of goals, plans, and dreams we can fulfill in the coming year.  Remember stewardship is not so much about money as it is about how we manage what God has blessed us with in life.

Looking Looking for a great Christmas present?  Send your father, husband, son, or brother on Trinity’s 3^rd Annual Men’s Retreat from February 26 – 28, 2010 at Black Rock Retreat Center in Quarryille, PA.  This is an exciting weekend of Bible teaching and great fun at a fantastic facility!  This is the perfect gift for any man!  The cost is $135 which includes five meals and motel style lodging.  Make your checks payable to Trinity and put “men’s retreat” in the memo line.  Either give your check directly to Ray, leave them for him in the Rec Center Ministries mail slot in the coat room mailboxes, or give to the church main office.  Merry Christmas!

Trinity Christian Institute - Beginning in February 2010, we are going to offer a series of classes to help people grow in their faith and understand God’s Word to us in Scripture.  Each class will be 8 weeks long.  Our aim is that people can take 3 classes each year for 3 years, and really enrich their faith and understanding.  Look for a brochure in the narthex today!

Auction for Missions - We are planning mission trips to Jamaica and Senegal in 2010.  On March 20, 2010 we will have an Auction to help fund these trips.  We are looking for good gently used items, theme gift baskets, services, and other creative and exciting items to auction off.  Your donated item or service will help us share the love of Christ with others.  If you have a question, please contact Debbie Hannigan, Jeni Beske, or Pastor Paul.

The next Baptism Sunday will be January 24, 2010.  If you would like to have your child baptized please contact Pastor Glenn or the office.  Parents - please remember that in order to have a child baptized you need to attend the Baptism Information Meeting which will be on Wednesday, January 13 in the nursery.

Coming in January!  The movie FIRE PROOF will be shown in our sanctuary on Sunday evening January 17^th starting at 6:45 p.m.  This movie, which originally was shown in movie theaters nationwide, is a great movie for couples.  Child care will be provided so come enjoy a FREE movie night out with someone and take advantage of the child care.

“In The Garden”
with Deb Alexander

“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches”  (From the song)

Over the span of 40 Christmases, we've had a variety of real and artificial trees AND some very interesting experiences.  With only a handful of precious, inexpensive ornaments (that still adorn our tree) a small artificial tree sufficed in our first apartment and for a few years in a rented house.  To us, it was beautiful and the bright-eyed look of our first baby confirmed it.

Thirty-five years ago when we built our first home (and moved in on December 23rd) we purchased a young, root balled evergreen that we could plant in our new yard come spring time.  We never imagined that bringing something surrounded by dirt would thaw in the warmth of the room and wake up dormant ants in the soil, but that's exactly what happened.  On Christmas morning, three small children crept downstairs to find ants, ants everywhere -- covering toys, the floor, and ornaments on the tree!  And did you ever try to find ant spray on December 25th?

Years later, wee still laugh about "our ant Christmas morning" but surprisingly it was not to be our last "insect Christmas."  A few years later, we bundled up our four children and took our annual day-after-Thanksgiving trek to a tree farm to select the perfect tree.  A few weeks later when we brought it home and put it up, no one noticed the papery wasps' nest near the trunk.  And you guessed it -- wasps buzzing all around the living room on Christmas morn.  Those weren't squeals of delight that awakened us that year.

Needless to say, we learned long ago to roll with the punches after surviving ants, bees, chicken pox, teenagers, college loans, weddings, and all that goes into raising an active family.  So this year, when you decorate your tree, count your blessings as you hang each ornament and enjoy a very Merry Christmas!