Snowfall and Footprints
Imagine you wake up early one morning to a fresh snowfall. Your yard and street are covered several inches deep—and it’s still coming down. If you crack open the door, the hush roars in your ears. Even in the glowering dim, you smile at how beautifully different everything looks. The smooth blanket stretches as far as you can see—the inviting landscape of an unexplored country.
At some point (perhaps after a few mugs of hot chocolate), you tug on boots and mittens and venture out. You’re the first one out—and so yours are the first footprints marking a path in this wild, enticingly blank, loveliness. With one step, that world changes—just because you there. You can merely walk about and make a trail, build a snowman, spread crumbs for birds, make snow angels or throw snowballs at the trunk an old oak tree. You make a mark just by stepping out the door. What sort of mark is up to you.
Stepping into a new year is a lot like that. Put the new calendar on the fridge and you’ll see three-hundred-sixty-five days stretch out before you—fresh and unbroken by your footprints because you haven’t lived them yet. There is a sense in which the year ahead is the inviting landscape of an unexplored country- a wild, enticingly blank loveliness.
What will you do with your 2009 days? What sort of path will you make—or leave for others to follow? Before you take a step, it’s important to remember that the Creator God-King who gave you every breath also designed a purpose for your days. “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.... You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Ps.139:13, 16, NLT) Your steps are part of a grand, eternal plan for all things in the heart of God who knows you best and loves you most.
Now, that doesn’t mean your days are the mere mindless ticks of a robot. It does mean that your days are much more than mere random steps of chance. There’s meaning in every step. Where is that path headed? God plans to “reconcile all things to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. “(Col. 1:20, NLT) In other words, God is putting the broken mess of our world back together and He is doing it with the good news of a Jesus who died for us and rose again.
So, your best shot at a great life in 2009 --the one with the most adventure, truth, peace, creativity, originality, wonder, impact, strength, meaning, love and laughter – is to follow and enjoy Jesus with every step, every day. Even if it all seems blank in front of you, walk in His direction and you’ll leave a mark—just by stepping out the door.
I love walking with you…
Pastor David
(join me for a conversation about “life at the intersection of grace and now” on my blog at www.ponderanew.wordpress.com)
Victory Faith Family Praying Together
On Wednesday, January 7, at 6:33 pm, we will have an all-church time of worship and prayer. This is for children, students and adults of all life stages. Please join us!
Chili Cook-Off & Variety/Talent Show will be February 15, at 6:00 pm. Shake away the winter doldrums with a warm evening of weirdness!! Get your individual, family or group presentation ready to share with us and/or make your best chili to share. Sign up in the foyer.
Discover Victory will be January 11, at 4:00 pm. If you have recently joined our faith family, are considering it or just have questions, join us for this interactive class led by Pastor David. Registration includes a light meal and child care for children birth-age 4. Please sign up in the lobby.
Our new web site has launched—and should quickly become a primary source of communication and information for our faith family. Check it out and bookmark www.vbclex.org.
Baby Announcements
Congratulations to Steven and Eden Case on the arrival of Ella Rae. She was born December 18, weighed 7.13lbs and was 19 inches long. She joins big brother Caedmon.
Lindy Morgan joyfully celebrates the birth of her granddaughter, Kaylee Jordan. She was born to Troy and Sarah Embers December 11. She weighed 7.6 lbs and was 20 inches long.
Mom's Together Playgroup & Parents' Night Out will resume meeting again in February.
Sunday, January 11: YLT, noon
Monday, January 19: Youth Work Day, 8:00 am to noon with lunch to follow
Wednesday, January 28: Centrifuge/Missionfuge registration deadline
The monthly Senior Adult covered dish dinner will be Thursday, January 8, at 6:00 pm.
Ladies Go To Lunch
Join us Friday, January 23, at 10:00 am, as we travel to Ale-8-One Bottling, in Winchester. Following the tour, we'll have lunch at Ryan's near Hamburg. Sign up in the foyer.
i-4 Discipleship classes begin Wednesday, January 14, 6:33 pm.
New College/Career Life Group beginning Sunday, January 11!
If you are between the ages of 18-28, single, and looking for a Life Group that is relevant to you, one is coming! Philip Jones will be teaching this class. Contact Philip (245-8571) or Jamie (273-8428) for more info.
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