MISCELLANEOUS FROM TROY

I told you last time about the brother and sister who are so young, her name is Cara and she was kicked out of her home by her parents. No details yet but I know that sometimes teenagers can be from an alien planet, and you want to ask the aliens to bring back your child, but for a parent to kick their 16 year old daughter out onto the street is beyond my ability to comprehend. Her brother is Tyler and he is a run away.  Probably went with his sister. Pray for them as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind.  One of our board members told me of some parents who loaded their teenager up in the car, drove downtown Denver (16th Street Mall), told them to get out and don't bother coming home again. May God have mercy and give grace to the homeless children.
Yesterday I went to my grandson Gage's first birthday party. What a delight he is. Every so often he would see me in the crowd and give me a big grin and stare for just a moment extra.  He really loved the paper in the bags, and had to be shown that there was something else at the bottom of the bag.  At one point he was praising the Lord for birthday cake.  OK, so maybe I was reading something into his actions, but it sure seemed like that was what he was doing.  I'll post photos as soon as I can figure out how.
Last night I attended a worship service that was all Navajo, songs and dances. I was based on a thought that Daniel Smiley has had for over 20 years; how would the Navajo tell the Christmas Story if they had been exposed to it before Columbus came to America?  Since their story telling is in song and dance the program last night was his idea of how it would be told.  It was simply called The Christmas Dance.  It incorporated traditional Navajo dancers in their dance 'costumes' with spruce branches, drums, rattles, body painting, feathers, etc. I was told that this is a fairly new way of worship for Navajo Christians, in fact, Daniel said that if they attempted to do this portrayal on the rez (reservation) he would probably be strung up or even crucified.  Old traditions die hard, especially in the church.  When he talked of the Dance the love of the Lord just flowed out from him, and his humbleness before the Lord was moving.  I heard someone later ask about doing such things in the church.  What most Christians don't realize is how hard it was to get what are now 'normal' things into the church, for instance, Having a 'band' lead in worship in music was unheard of and would not have been allowed few short years ago; guitars were also not acceptable in church until late 50's and early 60's; pianos were not allowed in church a few generations ago.  So why should some Christians be shocked when Native Americans sing and dance before the Lord?  Didn't David? The message does not change, however, the method of delivery does.
Christmas was Jeanne's favorite time of the year.  She loved to decorate the house, in fact, we had 12 plastic tubs loaded with decorations, I know because I had to lug them up and down the stairs every year.  She had each tub numbered and the contents on 3x5cards so she could change the decorations each year.  She so loved Christmas and the birth of her Lord, and then she married a ol' Scrooge like me!  Go figure.
I truly want to wish you all a Merry and Blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  And guys, help with the decorations, ok??!!!
Jesus came so that we could have forgiveness of sin and life eternal with Him.  As He was born and died for you, so live for Him.
Troy
I ask the Lord to give those of you who are facing this Christmas without a certain loved one a special amount of His grace and love and strength.
Dueteronomy 15:11 and Matthew 25:35,36