The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Those Gift Grabbing and Gift Exchanging Folks” (Christmas 2019)

According to the Sensormatic Solution list released this year, the top three busiest days of shopping are Black Friday, November 29th; the last Saturday before Christmas, December 21st; and….are you ready for this? The third busiest day of the shopping season is December 26th, the day after Christmas. Must be that among all those gifts frantically purchased, wrapped and presented, a good number of them just might be exchanged .

Here’s a gift that will never be exchanged. The Apostle Paul said, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). His gift of the perfect Redeemer is the most precious and amazing gift ever given.  Keep focused on His gift this year.

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“Father’s Day is one of the hardest for me,” Carol said to her friend. “My father walked out on us when I was only six. I thought I must somehow be to blame for all this. He left us for another woman, and I must confess that every Father’s Day I struggle because I so wish I would have had a dad who loved us enough to stay,” she told Sally, her friend. “Oh Carol, I am so sorry for the hurt you are feeling.” A few minutes later Sally was able to direct her to the truth of Psalm 27:10, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” This idea of “taking me up” is literally the thought of “My Heavenly Father will gather me to Himself and hold me forever.” On this Father’s Day it is a good time to reflect upon the excellence of your Heavenly Father. What a great Father He is indeed! www.michaelpeck.org

So Lou was talking with several of the men at church as he said, “Yeah! I won ‘The Meanest Father in All the World’ award this week. My daughter said, ‘But Dad, everyone is going to it,’ and I calmly replied, ‘First of all, not everyone is going because you won’t be there. Second, if everyone was jumping off a bridge, I hope you wouldn’t do it just because everyone else was, and third, you are my daughter. I am not responsible for your friends. I am responsible for you. Because I love you, the answer is no!’ She looked at me and said, ‘You are the meanest father in all the world.’ I hope that someday she knows that I wear that badge with honor!” Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
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How do you spell “F-A-T-H-E-R”?
F stands for faithful. Dad can be counted on and fully trusted in his ways.
A stands for adoration. I love to hear him tell the Lord of his love for him when he prays.
T stands for tenderness. His hands may be really rough, but oh so tender is his heart.
H stands for honor. He has kept his vows to Mom right from the very start.
E stands for eternity. Dad knows his children are the only possession lasting forever.
R stands for redemption. From his relationship to Christ, nothing can ever sever.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad. May these characteristics be sweetly evident in your life today!
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“Hearken unto thy father that begat thee” (Proverbs 23:22). Your dad and mom gave life to you. One of the best Father’s Day gifts might be to listen to what he says. Do you “hearken” or listen with the intention of paying attention?
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