THE HEIGHTENER

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you." -James 4:10

VIEWPOINT

Those of you who love to find just the right present for the people you love share something in common with God’s nature. He too is a gift-giver. He loves to give gifts to his children.

He gave Adam his Eve.

He gave Noah a boat.

He gave toothless 100-year-old Abraham a tiny tot.

He gave Moses an all-expense paid vacation in the Wilderness.

He gave David a kingdom and Solomon wisdom.

Jonah got a submarine ride.

The other prophets got a promise. Isaiah shares the promise with these words: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).

Most of us have had some darkness in our lives. Maybe you are living in the land of darkness now: bills are piling up or maybe your marriage is a bit rocky or you’re worried about your children.

And you don’t know if you can find the perfect presents for your wish list – something that will bring light to your world. Money might help, but you know there’s something deeper causing your problems.

God knows what you need. He saw the darkness in Isaiah’s time and He sees your darkness too. He knows just the right thing to give you.

The present that God chose to give you is His presence. His son. When God selected the perfect present for you, He did not have to wait in any long lines. He had no worries about the lasting value of His selection. He was not concerned that it might become outdated.

No, He knew this present was perfect. He wrapped it up in an unusual package and gave it to you. Out of a storehouse more immense than anything the North Pole could offer, He selected one gift. That gift is His presence with us through His son.

By the way, you can give the same thing God gave. Give the one thing your loved ones need the most: His presence in you. That would be a wonderful Christmas present! When His presence fills your life, you will be able to offer a gift of grace to those around you. You can fill the lives of your loved ones with His presence in you. You can bring joy to their world. You can exhibit holiness for their confusion. You can bring light to their darkness.

The world celebrates the birth of Christ on an arbitrary date – December 25. But Christmas can happen anytime and anywhere when Jesus is born anew in a believer’s heart. Trust that the gift God gave you is the gift you most need.

----------------------

During this holiday season, we would like to send our warmest love to all of our family at Cedar Grove. May God richly bless you during this special time of the year. We thank you for your love, encouragement, friendship and support, and we look forward to the future together. With love, Ross and Paula; Chris, Melanie, Allie and Avery

Christmas and the Lord’s Day

Christmas 2005 has come and gone. This year the holiday fell on the Lord’s Day. I was amazed as to how many churches cancelled worship services on Sunday morning. For most of the world, this is a religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. One would think this would be a time that church buildings all over the world would be filled to capacity heralding the moment that God became flesh and lived among us. Religious holiday or not, it is a time that we, as Christians, are to assemble and worship our Lord.

Unfortunately, the world was too worried about other things. Things such as rising early in the morning to rush to the Christmas tree to see what was left for them. It was a time for opening all of the presents that “Santa” had left the night before. Giggles, smiles, and hugs were freely passed around. This went on for some time and then, the dreaded cleanup. Garbage bags were stuffed with discarded paper and ribbons, enough to fill the cans outside twice over.

Then it was time for a meal with the family. We have so little of that special time these days. Later it was traveling to relatives’ homes to see the bounty they had collected. Gifts were taken to everyone we could think of. Did we miss anyone? I don’t think so. Apparently we did a pretty good job this year. We checked the list twice. Everyone seemed happy! Well, almost everyone. I have to believe that our Savior was looking down, eyes brimming over. Almost everyone was remembered, but He was forgotten. He was waiting for us at the morning worship hour. He had planned to bless us beyond our expectations. He was waiting to share in the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper with us, but what He saw were closed up buildings or half-filled pews. Where were the ones He had so richly blessed that morning as they arose from their sleep? Our cups were running over! I know that we spent wonderful time with our families, but I am afraid that on Sunday morning Jesus spent time with very few in His family.

Father, help me to remember the words that Jesus left us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

—Ron Bradshaw

There will be a Cookie Decorating Party for children ages birth to 3 years at the home of Mason Minichowski on Monday, December 18 from 4:00-5:30. Older siblings welcome. Call Sharon for details and also to RSVP at 678) 423-0491.

Please help us help others this holiday season. This is a good opportunity to teach our children about giving and the pleasure that comes from it. Suggested items for our food drive are divided among Bible classes:

Congratulations to Bryan and Ryan Thornton on the birth of their daughter. Mary Paul was born on Friday, December 8 and weighed 9 lb. 10 oz. Also congratulations to Melody Koppe on the birth of another granddaughter.

The Men’s retreat will be at Bald Rock Lodge at Cheaha Mountain State Park in Alabama. Plans are to leave on January 12 and return on the 14^th. So far there are 38 commitments. Don’t be left behind! Sign the list on the bulletin to attend.

There will be a change in our schedule of services during the holiday season. There will be no 5 p.m. assembly on December 24 and on December 31.

This is the last issue of the Heightener that we will be publishing this year. Thank you for supporting our efforts in communication. We’ll resume on January 2, 2007.

THOSE TO SERVE - DECEMBER 17, 2006
Welcome	Ross Anderson
Song Leader	Greg Cannon
Opening Prayer	Keith Bearden
Lord's Table	*Dick Massey
	*Jim O'Brien
	Brandon Marlow
	Merritt Eagling
Scripture Reading	Danny Hamby
	Ephesians 1:3, 4
Closing Prayer	Ed Kelly
Welcome -PM	Ross Anderson
Song Leader	Greg Cannon
Opening Prayer	Armando Banuelos
Scripture Reading	Romeo Brinkley
	2 Samuel 22:2-4
Closing Prayer	Trent Burnett
Communion Preparation	Willie Mae Warren
Nursery Attendant	Paula Anderson & Heather Thompson

Bible School	91
Worship AM	139
Worship PM	61
Wednesday Bible Study	60
Contribution	$ 2,883.71