I hope you had wonderful times of worship, rest, family time, gift giving and receiving during the Christmas season. Our family experienced some of all of those and other things as well. This being the first Christmas I can remember without my brother, I experienced a new and fresh grief. I also had time to reflect on wonderful memories and think about special gifts I have received from my brother, who was a good, creative gift giver. 

During the Christmas season this year I kept thinking about gifts I have received and given through the years. Also as a believer I thought about receiving the greatest gift ever given, by the greatest gift giver and that gift was Jesus. This thought was reinforced by something I read in, Come, Let Us Adore Him: An Advent Reading Plan by Paul David Tripp. Here is part of that devotion. 

In his infinite wisdom God knew that the only thing that could rescue us from ourselves and repair the horrendous damage that sin had done to the world was not a thing at all. It was a person, his Son, the Lord Jesus.

God’s response to our rebellion was to give us himself. He is the great redeeming, transforming gift. He is the rescue. He is the forgiveness. He is the restoration. He is life, hope, peace, and security. There is no salvation apart from him. There is no deliverance from the presence and power of sin apart from him. There is no restored relationship with God apart from him. There is no new heaven and new earth apart from him. There is no end to sickness and suffering apart from him. There is no defeat of death apart from him. There simply is no such thing as redeeming grace and all that it means apart from the willingness of God to give us himself in the person of the Messiah Jesus.

This Christmas I received several meaningful gifts, one is pictured front and back above, another was a cross with John 11:25 on it and one cannot be photographed. The meaningfulness behind these gifts I will attempt to explain. First, the hand holding onto the cross, which was one of the last things that I know of that was carved by my brother. My sister-in-love added Psalms 63:8 and gave it to me. The second is the cross with John 11:25 that was given to our family by my parents. That verse is particularly meaningful after this past year and we praise God that we will live, even after we die.

The last gift was a result of Brandon’s listening ears and Evan, my nephew’s amazing talent. Right after Bobby passed our family was together and we put our arms around each other in a circle and cried out to God. When we finished praying I noticed a circle of tears on the floor and said someone should write a song about times like these. That is where Brandon and Evan come in. Brandon asked Evan to write a song about the circle of tears to give to our family for Christmas this year and it turned out amazing.  If you would like to listen to this song click the arrow below you can hear and enjoy this gift along with me. Praying that you will have a blessed and spirit filled 2019.

• • • • • • Praise for the quality time we spent with our families in TX and MS over the Christmas break.  We’re thankful Rachel was able to take off from work and travel with us.

          • Praise for the strong response to our year-end giving request! THANK YOU!

          • Pray for us as we continue working on our monthly financial support goal.  We want to move forward in a position of strength so we can focus on ministry.

          • Pray for Brandon as he begins to think about college visits and plans for the future. 

          • Pray for me as I continue to learn my new role as an event planner.

Put one of these on your calendar and join us this spring at a Weekend to Remember, use our group code thebarbers to save $100. 

Weekend to Remember Getaways

• • • Montgomery - Renaissance Hotel - February 15 - 17

    • Overland Park - Marriott - February 22 - 24

    • Tulsa - Renaissance Hotel- February 22 - 24

More events and information at familylife.com/events.