December Minister's Letter

Dear all,

December, the last month of the year takes its name from the Latin for the number ten. This is because it was once the tenth month of the year. It is, of course, the month of Advent, culminating in Christmas Day on the 25th. In the United States, it is also National Egg Nog Month and National Fruit Cake Month!
Christmas is a time where we frantically try to prepare for Christmas Day. Have all the presents been bought? Do you enough food? Where will you spend Christmas day? Who have you invited? Sometimes you may even think of the birth of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the World and how unbelievable it is that God’s plan of reconciliation began with the birth of a human: a human who would not begin their ministry for 30 years and, even then, it only lasted 3 years. It is important to think about what Christ means to us especially as we come to a new year. 

I found this article from Sydney J. Harris, which may interest or inspire you.
How to tell a winner from a loser

1. A winner says, “Let’s find out”; a loser says, “Nobody knows.”
   
2. When a winner makes a mistake they say, “I was wrong”; when a loser makes a mistake they say, “It wasn't my fault.”
   
3. A winner goes through a problem; a loser goes around it and never get passed it.
   
4. A winner makes commitments; a loser makes promises.
   
5. A winner says I am good but not as good as I ought to be; a loser says I am not as bad as a lot of other people.
   
6. A winner tries to learn from others; a loser tries to tear down those who are superior to them
   
7. A winner says there ought to be a better way to do it; a loser says that’s the way it has always been done 
   

So, I encourage us when we go into the new year to decide if we are going to be winners or losers. Winners speak kindly to themselves, losers will beat themselves up. So, as a church, we move confidently forward into the new year knowing that with Christ on our side we are winners. It is up to us in our behaviour to show exactly what that means. May you know the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ and use those blessings. May you have a peaceful 2021. 

Blessings,
Martin

Fun Fact: There are 93 women who speak in the Bible, 49 of whom are named. They speak a total of 14,056 words or about 1.1% of the Bible. There are a total of 188 named women in the Bible. ​

Image Source: The Scottish Sun