Recently I discovered a fun little series of books which poke good natured fun at the huge onslaught in our culture of self-help books. These books are called ELF help books and they are chocked full of good advice in small, easy to consume, snippets. One of my favorites in the elf help series is a book called, ³Christmas Therapy² and I wanted to take this space to share a few of the gems that this little book has in it: 

Christmas is Godıs feast for the senses! Observe its shimmering sights, inhale its aromatic smells, hear its resonating sounds, savor its delectable tastes, feel its enticing textures. 

Simplify your celebration. Big is not always best. Expensive is not always valuable. Time-consuming is not always lasting. 

Relinquish superhuman efforts to produce Christmas-card-perfect holiday celebrations. Christmas is about God becoming human ­ not humans becoming god. 

Spend time with children. Relish their delight; experience their wide-eyed expectation. If disappointment, pain or cynicism has crushed your own expectation, give it new life. 

If this Christmas season is not all it was in former years, remember that in Godıs time all the joy and wonder of the past are present in this moment too. Happiness once experienced is yours forever. 

Please join us in worship this holiday season. I will be sharing stories of Christmas love and, on Christmas Eve I have my traditional very special gift in store for every worshiper! Also we will observe our tradition of having what I call a blue Christmas observance on Sunday, December 23 at 8 a.m. when we will make luminary candles together in memory of those who have passed away but whom we want to honor with the lights that we will dedicate at this service and then burn to light our path and our hearts on the church grounds on Christmas Eve. 

Merry Christmas and God Bless you. 
Love, Pastor Scott. 

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