Wednesday, December 6, 2006

We have been pretty busy these last several weeks getting ready for "The Promise" at our church. We have had one weekend of 3 performances and are scheduled to do 4 performances this weekend.

As this year comes to an end, I can look back and see tremendous trials and tremendous growth in our lives for 2006. We have been through the hardest year of our lives, and yet I can honestly say that through it, we have felt God's hand upon us as never before. We have been blessed this year in many ways.

We have had the privilege of living these last four years in the house that my mom and dad built 14 years ago. My mom loved Christmas time and loved people. One of their goals in building this house was to make it a home for people to gather and fellowship. So, for 3 years, they had a Christmas party each year when they invited their friends and family to drop in and say" hello" and get a bite to eat and fellowship. They were floating parties in which you could come and stay 5 minutes or 2 hours, whichever suited you. She would have the house fully decorated; her Christmas tree was her specialty as she had spent 15 years developing it with special ornaments. Everything that adorned her tree had a spiritual reference relating to Jesus Christ. She oftentimes would share the gospel while sharing what each item on her tree symbolized. It was a great occasion for my mom, and she loved doing it. The last Christmas party my parents were able to have was 10 years ago this year. She wasn't able to have one her last Christmas here because she was too sick with cancer.

We have decided that in memory of my mom and also because of what this year has been for us, that we would like to have "A Celebration of God's Goodness" with a floating Christmas party, just like the ones my mom and dad gave. We are going to decorate it the way my parents decorated it and have "her" tree (of course, my dad did most of the work). We will have all kinds of good eats to share with you.

We would like to invite every one of you to stop in and stay for 5 minutes or 2 hours and fellowship with us. Many of you forward these updates on and on; this invitation is endless. If you regularly receive our updates, then you are invited whether we have ever met or not. We would love to meet you. If you know of someone who doesn't get the email updates, but prays for us and cares for us, then please let them know they, too, are invited. We would be very honored if everyone of you would drop in and say "hi."

For those of you across the miles and out of reach, let me say, "Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers over these last twelve months. Thank you for taking the time to read my updates and care for us. Feel free to drop us a note if we can't see you face to face and fellowship with you. My prayer is that you have drawn closer to God in 2006 and that you are treasuring each day that God gives you."

We have been cared for, given to, prayed for, and loved on this year by very many people. This is our way of saying, "THANK YOU!" and of celebrating all that God has done for us this year.

God has been good to us, and He has blessed us.

We have set Saturday, December 16th as the time to have this fellowship. To accommodate busy Christmas schedules, we would like to open this celebration at 4:30 in the afternoon for those who do not like to drive at night or have other plans in the evening, and we plan to keep it open until around 7:30 p.m. If you want to come and can't come until 7:30 p.m., please, still come by. We want to hug you and give you our personal thanks for your prayers, thoughts, concerns, encouragement, and gifts to us this year.

Our phone number is 828-294-2384 if you need our address or you can always email us at rdeam@hotmail.com

Looking forward to seeing you:
"A Celebration of God's Goodness"
Saturday, December 16, 2006 4:30pm - 7:30pm floating Christmas party

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.

Exodus 23:25So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Psalm 41:3 The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Donna Meadows