Christmas Snow and Satellite Dishes

The music, lights, and traffic all point to the fact that Christmas is upon us ready or not. One reason I enjoy Christmas so much has to due with my mom and dad. They always made it fun. We were by no means rich growing up, but I always felt like were were. I guess the reason was because they taught me how to be content and grateful. I hope I never get over that life lesson regardless of how old I get.

Another reason I enjoy it so much is because Renee loves it. The gift buying, the cooking and baking, the decorating. She is like a kid when December rolls around. I don't share enough with people the impact she has on my life as she encourages me in ministry. It is true. a Pastor's wife can make or break him, and I thank God that He gave me Renee. She is a jewel. A keeper!

A third reason I love it is because of Drew and Stacy. Kid's make the season fun and loaded with expectation and anticipation. As God has blessed Drew and Ashley with Aiden, it is obvious that the joy he has brought to our lives is unexplainable. With Stacy and Kyle preparing for marriage in June, we realize that our lives as we know it are constantly changing.

The other night, the big Ohio State/Duke basketball game was coming on. I couldn't wait, and as the game approached the TV starting jumping and missing and I knew we had a dish issue. It had been snowing so I decided to go out and knock the snow off of the satellite. When I walked back in the picture was crystal clear.

I believe our lives can get that way around the holidays. We can have stuff accumulating in our lives that block us from the true meaning and blessing of Jesus. It can cloud our relationship with the Lord and frustrate us.

My prayer for you this Christmas is to ask the Lord to remove the snow(sin) in your life that is hindering your relationship with Him. He will cleanse you making you ready to hear from Him.

Renee and I wish all of our readers a wonderful Merry Christmas!
A Savior is born! Bro. Greg

Oh Little Town....

It really is. Today the message was on kindness in the series on the Fruit of the Spirit. People do seem to be kinder when it comes to this time of the year.

I love living and pastoring in a small town. Recently I read a book named in the title of this blog and was reminded of the blessing of living in a rural small community. During the holiday season, a small town comes to life. Camden becomes a Thomas - Kinkaide like water color represented by the lives of the wonderful families that live here. We are no exception, small towns can spread news like a speeding train, but the pros far outway the negatives.

Like a small town, a church is a family. Families may have a difference or two every now and then, but the Lord works us through those moments.

I am super proud of the mission heart our folks have developed. This season the Lord has blessed us to provide a Fourth Annual Thanksgiving Day free community meal. We will be having for the first time, a deacon and wives led, "Night To Remember" for our widows and widowers, an often overlooked group at this time of your. Kids and Adult Christmas programs. It is electric at church, buzzing with excitment. Caroling, Christmas Eve Candlelight, and the privilege to gather together and worship on Christmas Day.

In all of the doing, it is important to remember that Christ is the focus of the season, not our schedules or activities. May the ministry holiday schedule in our Oh Little Town... glorify Jesus!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Sunday night , we did an Old Fashion 5th Sunday Night Sing. Great crowd and great blessing. As I opened in prayer I thought I heard something, and then I heard it again. It was true! Someone was calling out my name, but they weren't saying, Brother Greg or Pastor. It was getting louder and louder. I could hear people snickering , trying to muffle it as I prayed on. It was a sound that was even sweeter to my ears. The voice and the tone began to sound quite familiar. it was coming from a special guest that I didn't know was there. It was coming from the lips of a nearly two year old blond headed boy seated toward the back with his family.

The word he was shouting out carries great weight and responsibility. It is a term that means someone is counting on you, and that regardless of circumstances, love still wins.

When I said Amen, I asked our folks to great each other and everyone go give my grandson Aiden a big welcome hug.

The word which he spoke over and over.............Papaw! I loved it! One of those moments you cherish. What a joy and a blessing to be part of a family that has such a loving church family.

COURAGEOUS will be Contagious

Well the excitement has built toward this week as Sherwood Pictures releases the much anticipated motion picture, COURAGEOUS. Having previewed it twice, I believe God is going to use this film maybe in a greater way than He has already shown with Fireproof. Every man who sees it will be challenged and convicted about our roles as fathers and husbands.

I am grateful for Michael Catt and the vision the Lord has given Sherwood Baptist Church to take the gospel to Hollywood. COURAGEOUS stands shoulder to should with the best the film industry has to offer in terms of quality, effects, acting, and overall production. As you will see, it touches every emotion we have.

The one thing that a movie like this one offers that others can't is the fact that we can't change ourselves, and that a personal relationship with Christ is the answer for your life.

We are looking forward to having most of the Theatre packed this Saturday at 10:15 A.M. for the first showing of the day. If you are not able to go with us, make sure you go see it. You will never be the same.

We pray God's blessing on the opening of COURAGEOUS the movie. Check it out!
www.courageousthemovie.com

911 Remembered

This Sunday, 9/11 is the tenth Anniversary of a day we will never forget. As special services are prepared to remember those who lost their lives and the families that were destroyed, our minds are still flooded with pictures of the ash covered people wandering helplessly on the streets of NYC as well as the heroic effort of the first responders and chaplains who gave tirelessly to help people in need.

As I saw the following announced on the news recently, it is hard to fathom the thinking of excluding those who represent the God we clung to and cried out to on that day and the God we still need every second of the day.

Richard Land writes from the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission,

"Perhaps you saw or heard it on the news, that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s decision not to include chaplains and religious leaders at the 10th anniversary of 9/11 commemoration service, despite his acclaimed support of religious freedom and tolerance:

It is interesting to contrast the 10th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers with the day of the attack. Chaplains and religious leaders were welcomed, and some were martyred, as they sought to minister their faith to the victims of the attack. On that day, political correctness didn’t matter. It was overwhelmed by the crushing reality of the tragedy of 9/11, and people turned, as they always do, to solace from the realm of the spiritual.

“I understand that first responders were also not invited to the 10th anniversary event, unless they happened to be relatives of victims. Once again, on the original 9/11 attack, first responders were not excluded. I suspect that if, God forbid, there is another attack of similar severity in New York, neither religious leaders nor first responders will be excluded, but welcomed at the scene."

Reading My Obituary

Wednesday I will attend the funeral of a boyhood friend, and ironically, a friend with the same name as mine. Only difference is that he was Greg O. Jackson and I am Greg F. Jackson. We used to have some fun with people mixing us up or confusing the conversation. The biggest mix up came when we both went to the same oral surgeon to have wisdom teeth taken out. I only had three and Greg O. went to his appointment before me and they only took three of his four teeth out. He had to go back. I was laying back in the chair and noticed my x ray had Greg O. on it. We caught it in a nick of time.
I wonder if anyone will see the obit and immediately think it is me who has passed. The difference in the second sentence of this blog is he was and I am. It was very eerie reading the obituary with my name on it. The good news is that Greg O. is not a was. He is at this moment in the presence of the Lord with a son and his dad. He is more alive than he has ever been.
Do you realize you are writing your obituary right now with your life. Make it count for Christ!

Back to the Beach!

One thing that I am grateful for is the memory of family vacations. The expectation and excitement was over the top as we prepared to go south, and many of those trips going over to Myrtle Beach.

Now as a Papaw, we are traveling with our family, and grandson. He has no clue what is in store, but one thing I pray for. That he will enjoy it as much as we did growing up. That he will enjoy it as much as his dad did when he was a little boy.

So as I prepare, here is the last checklist for Mamaw and Papaw:

Family

Bible

Money

50 spf Coppertone

Golf clubs

Beach tools

Money

Good Shades and Hat

Boat Load of Fun

GPS

Money!

Time with your family: Priceless!