If you have something nice to say, by all means Say It!

If you're having trouble viewing the pics in this email, please click here.

Lily loves books!  This book is "What is Christmas?" and shares that explains how Christmas is all about Jesus!

Today we celebrated our second Christmas with Lily.  Yes, it's early.  But we're headed home tomorrow to spend some time with family for the holidays, and we wanted to have a celebration with just our little 3.  Last summer I heard a pastor articulate an idea we've been trying to cultivate in our home for the last year, albeit slowly.  Growing up, we were always taught "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."  However, the positive articulation of that is also true, though never stated.  "If you have something nice to say, by all means SAY IT!"  Since Lily was born, I've thought a lot about what would happen if the Lord were to take me home suddenly.  What would she have of me?  I've thought the same for my wife, and the answer is, only what I leave them.   So, for Christmas I wrote them both letters, cards that contain my memories from this year and verbal expressions of my love for them.  May I encourage you to do the same for those who are closest to you?  Whether it's been a difficult year, as ours has, or a pleasant one, take time to write down how much you love them, and tell them why.  Tell them what they do that makes you proud, and share a memory or two from this year that illustrates it.  The letter can be as long as you like.  I promise they'll read it!  Letters are a simple, almost outdated form of communication in the age of email, texts, and tweets.  But physical letters can be preserved in a way email cannot.  The feel of holding a card or letter written to you with words of love will never be replaced by a typed message read on a cell phone, kindle, or ipad.  And perhaps most importantly, they can survive long after you're gone.  This year, please don't take it for granted that those you love know it.  If you've got something nice to say, by all means say it, spit it out, write it down!  

The cedar chest.

Lily is too small to read her Christmas cards from her mother and I this year.  So for Christmas, we got her a small cedar hope chest that we hope will preserve these letters until she's old enough to appreciate them.  Until then, we intend to be faithful to write them each year. 


Meredith and I would like to wish you all the merriest of Christ-centered Christmases, and thank you for all of your love and support.  We'll be driving to Wendell tomorrow to visit family for the holidays, and we appreciate your prayers as we drive.  I'll be preaching New Year's Day at Central Baptist in Wendell, NC.  I appreciate your prayers as I prepare to preach.  We're very much looking forward to seeing many of you in the next week or two! 

Merry Christmas,

Daniel, Meredith, and Lily 

Lily likes to "help".  She's figured out the stool lets her reach more things.  Not good ;)

We made treats for our neighbors for Christmas.  I made my first ever batch of peanut brittle.

Peanut butter kiss cookies are great!

If you're having trouble viewing the pics in this email, please click here.

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

It's been an exceptionally wonderful and busy two weeks here in TN.  Our December food distribution went very smoothly, and we praise the Lord for that.

Children waiting with their parents for the truck to arrive.

We had a good crowd on a very chilly December morning.

Last weekend we were blessed to be able to participate in the Christmas Store at First Baptist Greeneville.  For that event many of our friends at Central Baptist Church in Wendell and Calvary Bible Church in Williamston, NC collected diapers, peanut butter, and toilet paper.  Our friends Graham and Jean Dean pulled a trailer load of items for the Christmas Store and our Storehouse over the mountains from NC last Friday.  I forgot my camera when we were unloading, but it was a lot of stuff!  We're so thankful to everyone that donated items to help with the ministry here.  You're a blessing to us and the people of East Tennessee. 

Graham and Jean Dean brought a trailer load of items for our ministry over from NC, and they were a tremendous encouragement to stay with us!

The Christmas Store was awesome.  We got to serve about 90 families, providing them with toys, food, and some other of life's necessities.  We also sat down with each family before they left and shared the gospel with them.  The Lord was gracious to allow us to see a number of men and women place their faith in Christ, which is what it's all about.  I had the privilege of counseling a sweet lady who had never heard the gospel clearly presented.  She came to the Christmas Store because the other programs in town wouldn't help her because her daughter is 37 years old.  But you see, her daughter is mentally handicapped, and functions on the level of a 5 year old.  We were able to be a blessing to her and her whole family, and when we came to the counseling room, I sat down and explained that the love of Christ compels us to love others, because He first loved us.  I shared the gospel with her as clearly as I could, and when I asked her if she had ever repented of her sins and given her life to Christ, she said she had not, but wanted to.  I led her through a simple prayer of confession and faith, and she added her own ending for emphasis!  We'll be following up with her in the weeks to come, and encouraging her to join our fellowship of believers!  Please be praying for her and the other men and women who made professions of faith last Saturday.  Follow-up is crucial, and our prayer is that the decisions that were made were genuine and not simply emotional.

Associate pastor Joey Tillery praying for the Lord's blessing on the day.

All set up!  The wrapping tables are ready!

Guests were provided with hygiene products, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and some food items.

Deanna and Darlene get ready to greet guests.

A family receives the gifts for their children.

A family picking out socks and underwear.

A volunteer wrap the gifts beautifully.

 

Graham and Jean manned the food table!

Families selecting hygiene products.

Wrapping more gifts!

And more gifts!  The wrappers were the busiest volunteers!

 

Another family selecting their gifts.

A wagon full of gifts for a family of 6.

The church set up an "angel tree", and one a large gift (~$25) was purchased for each child by someone in the congregation.  The parent was also able to choose 2 approx. $5-$10 gifts for each child.

We were blessed to have the Deans serve with us.  They fit right in and made themselves at home!

This week Charlie and I will be doing our 2012 strategic planning, and we appreciate your prayers as we map our where we believe the Lord is leading us next year.

On Thursday, I have a couple of meetings with key local leaders to talk about pastor training.  Please be in prayer for those meetings as we seek to find a way to labor together!

thanks you for all your prayers and support.  I leave you with a few more gratuitous Lily pics.  :)

At the Christmas Store, Lily attempted to take off with one of the wagons.

Caught!

Doesn't matter.  I'm going anyway!

Camera?

Lily loves to play with shoes.

I don't remember what I was feeding her, but she wasn't thrilled.

When we get to the end of a meal, Lily leans over the side of her chair and announces "All done!  All done!", which is an appropriate way to end this blog post.