National Heights Baptist 2012 Advent Guide

Community Advent Guide National Heights Baptist Church

“When Grace Came Down . . .”

December 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A message from Pastor Barrett

Week One December 03 December 04 December 05 December 06 December 07 December 08

Noelle Owen Jeff Strong Leeann Davenport Sharon Stephens Lanette Davenport Marc Bramblett

December 10 December 11 December 12 December 13 December 14 December 15

Vicky Johnson Randy Clayton Barrett Owen Jerry Bramblett Virginia Anthony Erin Worley

December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22

Larry Price Betsy Phifer Melinda Kimbro Doris Swan Connie King James Allen

December 24 December 25

Hugh Waddy Jason Phifer

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

A Message from Pastor Barrett “When Grace Came Down” is one of the central messages of the Bible as well as our Advent mantra this year. To me this phrase signifies our anticipation and participation in the Advent season. It reminds us that God’s redeeming, breaking-through, and appearing in our everyday-ness. And here lies the purpose of Advent: Creating space to remember and celebrate God’s in-breaking in our world!

So to help our faith seek this understanding, the members of National Heights Baptist have compiled a devotional guide including thoughts, poems, and stories about God’s grace to help in our communal experience of Advent. But keep in mind, this guide is simply that – a guide. You still have to put in the time, prayer, and reflective energy to get out what so many have worked to put in to this effort.

Along with daily devotions, National Heights Baptist is providing intentional fellowship and worship experiences throughout December. You are more than welcome to join us as we live and move, show and exhibit, pray and play as a community of grace.

My prayer, this Advent season, is for you to realize and to appreciate the importance of embracing the fact that, “Grace Came Down.”

Rev. J. Barrett Owen Pastor

Week One Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.�

-Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

*Artwork by children at NHBC

December 3 GRACE IS . . . EXTRAORDINARY 1 Peter 5:10 Noelle Owen “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.”(NRSV)

In the small, everyday moments of life, God appears to show us grace; humanity gives grace to each other in the rarest of moments. These small moments cut through the pain, bitterness, and monotony of life to make the ordinary extraordinary – the gentleman holding the door, the cashier who forgets you are a few pennies short, the friend who shows up with a meal on a busy week, and the stranger who stops to listen.

When I was in college, I remember going to purchase a soda one Wednesday night on the way to church. I was rushed, aloof, balancing inner-city youth ministry with full-time college. I ran into the store, trying to avoid eye contact – this wasn’t a good part of town. As I reached to pay for my soda, I realized I had left my money in the car. Embarrassed at the growing line behind me, I apologized and prepared to leave empty-handed. Then, a gentleman stepped up behind me, precisely the type of man whose gaze I avoided only moments earlier, and laid a pile of change on the counter to pay for my drink. I apologized and asked him to wait while I dug change out of my car, but as soon as I turned around, he was gone, expected no gratitude or repayment for his kind gesture. I was humbled and ashamed, -- only moments before, I had dismissed him as a man not like me, and then he showed me grace, paying for my drink when I had not so much as cracked a smile for him.

When I think of grace, I see memories like this one – in the midst of our ordinary, we are thrown off by the extraordinary when we least expect and least deserve, God shows up.

Reflect What does “Grace” mean to you? When has someone “graced” you? When have you offered someone else grace?

December 4 GRACE IS . . . WORTH USING Luke 2:40 Jeff Strong “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (NRSV) The definition of grace is, “The state of kindness and favor; or unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification; or a virtue coming from God; or a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace.”

It seems to me that if grace is the unmerited favor that sanctifies, then we ought to think about it and talk about it more. Most of us say grace prior to nourishing our bodies. But is that enough? I am certain there are numerous times the word grace is utilized; however, I just don’t hear it enough. How often do you use the word grace in your daily life? I’m not sure I use it very often during conversations with others. I do, however, hear it used at Sunday church service. I probably do not think about it or use the word grace enough. Do you?

So, in my own words, I have written a short poem about grace (especially the grace we receive during this holiday season) and I hope you enjoy the read. But mostly, I hope it inspires you to think about how often you use the word “grace.”

Jesus Christ my savior so dear…

You died for my sins, you live within me, Open my eyes, so I can see, To live like you, I will not fear, Because, deep in my soul…“Grace Grows Here” To follow Christ’s footsteps, it must be clear, I must lead from the front, not the rear, Speak of the gospel and spread great cheer, Deep in my soul, “Grace Grows Here” The power God gives, to do his will, Blessings from above, peaceful and still, The gift of salvation, through the rise and fall, Grace was given, not to one, but all.

Reflect What does “Grace” mean to you? How often do you use the word in your daily life?

December 5 GRACE IS . . . FAMILY John 1:14-17 Leeann Davenport “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (NRSV)

Reflect Is there a person in your life that graces you? Does anyone see you as a gift of grace?

Shouldn’t they?

December 6 GRACE IS . . . FOUND IN OTHERS Acts 20:24 Sharon Stephens “But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.” (NRSV)

The year – 1999. Our son Joshua just graduated from high school and wanted to go to Germany for a senior trip, so we planned a family trip. On the third day, we just finished a ride up the Rhine River and decided to drive to a nearby church to take a look. We walked around the grounds when our son yelled out to his sister, “Hey Jessica!” He proceeded to throw a stick at her (not sure why he did this). The stick hit her square in the mouth. I looked up and she was crying with blood coming out of her mouth. I rushed up the stairs to see her lower three incisors have been knocked loose. They’re only hanging in by ligaments.

I’m a dental hygienist, so to see this happen to my daughter is a nightmare for me, as I know all that can go wrong with this situation. I start running around to the street and start yelling the only German phrase I know, “Sprechen sie Englisch?” It means, “Do you speak English?” I see a couple in the distance and the man responds that he does indeed speak English. I ask where the closest hospital is located. He says to follow him and his wife in their car. We get in our rental and follow. I noticed the back of their car had the Christian fish symbol attached.

This was the first time we had seen this symbol since we had arrived in Germany. It felt like God was saying to me, “Relax . . . it's going to be okay. I've got everything under control.”

We get to the hospital. They take an x-ray of her skull and tell us that we need to go see a dentist. The couple that led us to the hospital had stayed with us and volunteered to let us follow them to the dental office. Forty-five minutes later we arrive at the office. The dentist takes a panoramic x-ray which determines there’s a small crack in her mandible. He doesn’t want to work on her due to this small fracture. We now have to go see a surgeon. We go to another hospital in a town that is about an hour away. It’s starting to get dark outside and the amazing couple, that had only met us a few hours before, insisted on driving there again.

These amazing people stayed with us for over five hours! They were true examples of God's grace being poured down on us. They could have dropped us off at the first hospital, thinking everything was going to be okay and left. Instead, they showed true Christian charity by giving up their entire Sunday to help strangers from another country.

Jessica's teeth are still doing good. She has a permanent scar on her chin. I think this is God's reminder of the amazing grace he showered on us during this scary time. Ten years later Jessica met a guy that has a matching scar on his chin. They are now happily married!

Reflect When have strangers helped you see God’s grace? When were you that stranger?

December 7 GRACE IS . . . UNDESERVING Romans 4:16-18 Lanette Davenport “For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’(NRSV)

I can't have children of my own. I spent the better half of my adult life praying to God for a child. My niece Leeann was not living in a safe place for her, so my brother sent her to live with me.

I look at this situation as God sending me the child I had been praying for. It has changed both of our lives. Leeann now has a safe place to live with people who love her and are prepared to care for her. God’s grace was shown to be by giving me the chance to raise a child that I had been praying for as well as giving me a reason to live.

I do not think of Leeann as my niece; but rather, I think of her as my daughter. This is grace to me: God giving me what I don’t deserve.

Reflect What gift has God given you that helps to define who you are as a person? Reflect on the power and majesty this person or situation has on your life. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for this person or situation in your life.

December 8 GRACE IS . . . PAYING IT FORWARD Romans 11:5-6 Marc Bramblett “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” (NRSV)

In 1952 my sister Ann and I left Texas to settle with our Father in his ancestral home in Gwinnett County, GA. I secured employment in a dead-end job in Atlanta.

The choir from Truett-McConnell Junior College performed at the First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville. When President Joe Miller learned I had been a ministerial student at Baylor University he urged me to come to TMC. I told him that was not possible financially.

The next week at work Dr. Miller invited me to lunch. He offered me a two-year scholarship covering everything but books. I immediately accepted his offer. That scholarship turned my life around. Dr. Miller informed me that the scholarship was provided by Mr. Billy Green, a member of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, TX – my hometown. The church is located about four blocks from where I once lived in downtown Dallas.

I benefited from the generosity of Mr. & Mrs. Green. Jerry and I made a trip to Dallas to thank the Greens for their gift. My call to ministry was saved by Dr. Miller reconsidering his initial negative impression of me. I worked hard to see that the Greens received a good report card each quarter and to justify Dr. Miller’s confidence in me. To be so blessed by a gift from 900 miles away that brought Jerry and me together is not mere coincidence but the experience of GRACE.

Reflect What person helped you get to where you are today? How are you helping others reach their potential? What role should the church play in this endeavor?

December 9

Week Two “Sometimes grace is a ribbon of mountain air that gets in through the cracks.” – Anne Lamott

*Artwork by children at NHBC

December 10 GRACE IS . . . A CHURCH FAMILY 1 Corinthians 15:10 Vicky Johnson “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (NRSV) On September 23rd, 2010 my life changed forever. My husband, Johnny, of 63 years and 7 months died after a very long and painful illness. He had his first stroke at age 55 in 1974 and the second one in 1977 which caused too much damage for him to recover completely. He ended up having six strokes with the last one occurring in June 2004. In 1992, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent 28 radiation treatments which put the cancer in remission. We learned the cancer had returned in June 2004 while he was hospitalized with the last stroke. Despite intensive chemotherapy treatment, the cancer spread over the next six years until his death in 2010. I was completely devastated and lost. I prayed daily to God for guidance and comfort. I had been the main caretaker when anyone was sick or hospitalized in my extended family since an early age, and when I became an adult and married that care extended to my husband’s family too.

I was good at caring for those who needed my help and it helped me more than it helped them. During the 33 years that I cared for my husband, I also cared for my step-father, my mother and my husband’s sister that had come to live with us as my husband was her only living family member left and she had Alzheimer Disease. These relatives all passed away two years before we moved to Fayetteville. We moved at the insistence of our son and daughter so they could help me care for their father. My own health was beginning to deteriorate from the stress of caring for so many family members for such a lengthy time.

It was at this time that I felt led to become very active at National Heights and the more I became involved, it became clear to me that my purpose on this earth was to serve God first and then serve His people next.

God has blessed me; and while I still have health issues, I also have two sisters that are very seriously ill and we know they won’t get better due to their ages and health problems. I return to my hometown as often as I possibly can to see them and offer comfort and guidance to their families. Through God’s Grace, I am able to keep serving my God, my family and my church.

Reflect What has been the hardest obstacle to overcome in your life? How have you seen God’s Grace in the midst of it? How has the church helped you during it?

December 11 GRACE IS . . . A GIFT 2 Corinthians 1:12 Randy Clayton “Indeed, this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world with f rankness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God— and all the more towards you.” (NRSV) Early childhood gift giving grew from the notion that more is more. The more gifts, the more exciting and fulfilling the Christmas was. Childhood matured into teen and young adult, and the gifts became fewer, yet more meaningful. We worked toward identifying that one most desired gift and started earlier in the calendar year to guarantee its delivery. Then we realized that giving that most treasured gift, keepsake, or desire was more challenging, yet more rewarding. So, a memorable, most desired “shotgun” was delivered for my 10 year old Christmas.

This is the age when revelation and knowing the mystery of Santa and passing on the secrets to our desires. Our children know the same excitement. They get those midyear interrogations of their desired Christmas gift and communication to Santa. Even though we encourage their earning the “goodness sake” to assure them of the delivery, we offer to them our memories and future treasures of love, family, and friends.

As age secures our God desires, our family yearns for Christmas joy; time with family, special gatherings and meals, gift exchanges, home and church decorating. Christmas memories are in the making. Jesus is displayed as a babe in the manger, evergreens decorated and stocked with holiday wrapped gifts, and Grace is God’s gift to all; peace on earth, good will to all people.

As a child, my Christmas memories associated with the anticipation of gifts and the traditional Santa Claus. Now Christmas reminds me of God’s grace coming down as a gift for eternal life through Jesus Christ and practice giving to those who mean the most to us.

Reflect What Christmas memories do you cherish? How has this changed since you were young?

December 12 GRACE IS . . . WHEN GOD INTERVENES Proverbs 22:11 Barrett Owen “Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech will have the king as a friend.” (NRSV) I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was tired, kind of sick, and ready to be home.

We’d just finished high school basketball practice and I had gotten in my car and pulled to the end of the parking lot. I shuffled through radio stations before pulling out onto Kilgore Trace.

As I was looking down I started turning my wheel left slowly merging onto the road. I didn’t realize it at the time but I had turned too sharply and was rolling in the left lane. After finding my radio station I looked and laughed noticing I was in the wrong lane. I remember thinking, “What an idiot! Luckily nobody ever travels on this road.”

And as if it were God’s intention for me to make this mistake, a car flies by me in the right lane. My heart stops. I panic, pull the car over, and think how lucky I was to not be hurt or even worse.

I’ve never forgotten this story. I think about it from time to time when I pull out on to country roads. Was God involved in me not paying attention? What would have happened if I had been driving carefully and in the right lane? Would the car have hit me? Would I have died?

Grace, to me, is shown to us in those rare yet unforgettable moments when God shows up and intervenes in our lives. Grace is when the Divine breaks in to our world and protects, teaches, and guides us. You’ve heard me say it before, “Grace is getting that which we don’t deserve.”

I didn’t do anything to deserve being in the left lane that day – yet God still intervened. Mary and Joseph didn’t do anything worth being picked to be the parents of Jesus – yet God still intervened. We haven’t done anything to earn Jesus’ love – yet God still intervened and sent Jesus.

In those rare yet unforgettable moments, I’m sure you join in with me saying, “Thanks be to God.”

Reflect Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. What have you been given by God that you didn’t earn? How has it changed your life for the better?

December 13 GRACE IS . . . REMEMBERING THE ONES WE’VE LOST 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 Jerry Bramblett “Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (NRSV) Gwen was our firstborn. She was a critical care nurse and diabetes educator. She was also a ballroom dancer. At age 30 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought a valiant battle against it as it racked her body for nine years. Into those nine years she packed everything she could to live. She loved family, friends, music, travel and most of all Christmas. Her Santa hat resides on our piano and is used on Christmas Day by one of the “grands” as they deliver the presents at our family gathering.

Though her death was traumatic for us, her life graced ours for those years and her memory continues to bless to this day. When the family gathers we burn a candle in memory of Gwen and though many of the grandchildren don’t remember “Aunt Gwen,” they know that she blessed our lives with grace and love. And so, every summer we gather as a family to renew our family friendships for a week at the beach, which was another of her loves. We have learned death is a part of life, and God’s grace carries us through. The following is a poem written by Marc as a tribute to Gwen.

She is a figure of beauty and grace, / Whence comes such a gift of love? / Into the realm of time and space / Gwen came from God above.

A kiss of blessing upon a man and woman’s love, / Gwen grew and blossomed like a beautiful flower / To touch and help and comfort the sick / And bring the hope of healing power.

A woman possessed of intellect and heart / set a standard of excellence and achievement / Which is a source of consolation and pride / in our hour of bereavement.

You were all your parents hoped their daughter could be. / Like a beam of light your love streamed across our several lives.

Go to the source of life – to God above. / Carry with you much of a family’s heart and soul, / And our gratitude and thanks that we shared life’s struggle, / faith and love.

Reflect Who in your life is no longer with you? How does the memory of this person help you understand and experience God’s grace?

December 14 GRACE IS . . . FAMILY Philippians 4:6-7 Virginia Anthony “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.� (NRSV) It was the summer of 2003. Our normal "beach trip" had been delayed. I was long overdue for some solitude at the beach, for it had been a tough year. As most Moms can relate, solitude for me only meant that I would get 20, maybe 30 minutes alone, before some family member found me. But since the kids were now teenagers, I was guaranteed a little more free time in the morning because they liked to sleep late. I had been longing for some solitude for almost a year.

My father had passed away the previous August and since then, life had been filled with various new trials.

My father was a Christian and I knew he was in heaven, I had peace about that. He had been sick for several weeks preceding his death, so it was not unexpected. But I still missed him. The last day I saw him was a Sunday. I had left the hospital in Gadsden, Alabama around 7pm to drive back home. It had rained earlier that afternoon and the sky to the east, the direction I was headed, was dark and stormy. But then, up against that dark curtain, the most brilliant, vivid rainbow appeared. That rainbow lasted longer than any I had ever seen, I stared at it at least 40 minutes of my drive. When I saw it, I knew I had seen my father alive for the last time.

Even so, I had peace and found a lot of consolation in the beauty of God's rainbow. Two days later, on Tuesday afternoon, I got the call that he had passed away. Life had been complicated that year, and finally, here I was, sitting on the beach just after sunrise, the morning still damp from an early thunderstorm, ready for that long awaited talk with God. I just wanted time to pour out all the troubles that had "filled me to the brim" that year. I had not seen one glimpse of a rainbow since that last time I saw my Dad. I just wanted to know "why" trials just had to keep coming, one after the other, layer upon layer. Couldn't we just save some for later, you know, spread it out over a lifetime instead of all in one year? I was not angry with God, I just wanted time, and space, in my favorite place to talk to him. So right there, I began to thank God for all those troubles of the previous year.

I thanked God for every opportunity he gave me to draw closer to Him. I thanked God for all the people whom he had placed in my life that brought me closer to Him. I thanked God for our health and healing and for keeping my family safe throughout the previous year. I felt an enormous release from all that troubled me, and in that moment, as I looked out over the Gulf of Mexico, God painted a brilliant swath of color, right before my eyes across the storm clouds. I mean I actually saw it appear, like it was being painted on a canvas.

It was not a full rainbow, for it only showed up against the towering cumulus clouds of the lone thunderstorm, out over the water. For me it was a sign that God had brought me through, not that my troubles were over, but that I knew he was watching over me and was with me all along. I finally understood why they say, you cannot have the rainbow without the storm.

Reflect What storm has God delivered you through? What signs of grace remind you of that deliverance?

December 15 GRACE IS . . . A GOOD SONG Ephesians 2:5-8 Erin Worley “Even when we were dead through our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—“ (NRSV) On a cold and dreary January morning almost 3 years ago, my husband to be and I were unemployed at the same time. Jonathan, our son, was still going to day care, so that we could keep his spot. The two days a week that he would go, I would go for a walk around the lake in Tyrone after I dropped him off at day care. As I was would walk around the lake, I would listen to my husband’s IPOD and talk to God about what is going on in my life.

On this particular day no one else was at the lake. The weather was calling for overcast skies all day. My heart was torn. I had been listening to the radio. They were asking people to call in and sponsor a child that lives in a third world country. I wanted for my family to sponsor a child, but I knew that financially we couldn’t afford it.

On this particular day I was praying for peace about not being able to sponsor a child. Then “Lifesong” by Casting Crowns came on and it started to snow. The weather channel had not predicted snow in the forecast that day. As the song and snow played on, I felt God. I felt God telling me that it was ok not to sponsor a child and that He understood. He knows that we wanted to help, but at that time, we just couldn’t. As quickly as the song ended, so did the snow. As it happened, I felt at peace with the fact that we couldn’t help.

Whenever I hear the Casting Crowns song come on the radio, I feel at peace to know that God is with me, and I am reminded of that day.

Reflect When has God answered a prayer by offering you peace? What did it look like?

Are you looking for God to answer another prayer for you today? What sign are you needing to see from God?

Week Three “I had done everything I knew how to do to draw as near to the heart of God as I could, only to find myself out of gas on a lonely road, filled with bitterness & self-pity.

To suppose that I had ended up in such a place by the grace of God required a significant leap of faith. If I could open my hands, then all that fell from them might flower on the way down.

If I could let myself fall, then I too might land in a fertile place.�

- Barbara Brown Taylor

December 17 GRACE IS . . . GOOD DOCTORS Colossians 1:6 Larry Price “Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.” (NRSV) I grew up in the western mountains of Virginia. The area is very rugged and most of the roads are not paved. Life was simple but hard for most of the residents of the area because of its remoteness. The summers are pleasant and beautiful but the winters are cold and long.

Homes are spread about the hills, hollows and valleys of the area. The area had no doctor or medical facility until just before World War II. Dr. Heinz Meyers was a Jewish Podiatrist for the German Army when Adolph Hitler came to power and began to purge all Jews from Germany.

Dr. Meyers and his family fled to America where he was assisted in relocation by the Lutheran Church. We had two Lutheran Churches in the Valley and two church-operated schools one for boys and one for girls. These schools provided education for local children, orphans, and other families who needed care from the surrounding areas. The Lutheran Church wanted to have medical care close by for the students and the community at large, so they offered to provide Dr. Meyer an office and opportunity to practice medicine. They provided him a traveling nurse to assist in his duties.

The nurse’s name was Sister Sophie Robinson. She and Dr. & Mrs. Meyers were in their midthirties when they accepted the assignment. Dr. Meyers was provided a small stipend and the office which had living quarters. Sister Sophie was provided a used Willy’s 4 wheel drive Jeep, a small parsonage, and a stipend of $100 per month.

This dynamic duo met the challenge of service head on providing medical care and counseling to all within a thirty mile radius of the office. I remember seeing Sister Sophie and Dr. Meyer drive the Jeep to the end of a country lane and walk to an individual in need a couple miles in snow up to their chest and temperatures hovering around 30 below zero with heavy wind.

They did this day in and day out for more than 40 years sharing the gifts of God with anyone in need. The Myers became Lutheran and approached their new faith with the same zeal. They gave what no other in the area had to give, the gift of healing. God only knows the number of babies they delivered, lives that were saved and changed for evermore; all in Grace and remembrance of Christ who gave all for each of us. I am one of those who live today for they were there when I needed them.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I came home on the bus one afternoon. I came down suddenly with intense pain in my stomach which mimicked appendicitis. My parents took me

to the see Dr. Meyers at the office which was about 4 miles from my home. He met us at the office an made a preliminary inspection and told my parents to rush me to the hospital in Abingdon, VA as fast as the car would go and tell them he would be there in a few minutes to discuss the situation. I arrived and the hospital physicians examined me again and began preparation for surgery. I was shaved, painted up like an Indian with sterilizing agents and laid out on the stainless steel operating table when Dr. Meyer arrived. That was the moment that Grace appeared because the hand of God guided his conversation with the four other doctors as I listened. He insisted this was not Appendicitis but rather an extremely rare intestinal infection.

He went on to state he had seen it once while serving in the German Army and made the mistake of operating and the patient did not survive. The other doctors were not convinced but he would not give ground to their demands for an exploratory surgical procedure. He pushed for an intense antibiotic regiment requiring a shot ever hour and packing my entire body from the neck down in 4 inch of ice. He won the argument and was rewarded with praise for being so stubborn when the cultures came back as the disease he had predicted.

This disease is so rare only 1 in 100 million people ever get it and God had placed him in the places to experience it twice. This grace saved my life after a 21 day stay in the hospital with the hourly injections and ice pack.

I sit here today telling you this because God grace cannot be measured, it can only be experienced.

Reflect Have you ever experienced grace like this? Have you ever had someone in your life help you in a way that went beyond your understanding? Do you believe God’s healing hand was involved throughout it?

December 18 GRACE IS . . . A GOOD MOTHER Titus 3:6-9 Betsy Phifer “This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (NRSV) When I was growing up, I had more responsibility on me than most children seem to have today. I grew up in the country. Some of my chores included helping the neighbors with farming (i.e. hay gathering, bringing in the cows to milk, harvesting vegetables, cabbage, potatoes, etc.). The economy wasn’t any better then as it is now, so my family depended on me to do work for money.

My mom took care of us herself while my father was on the road as a truck driver. It was my mom that made sure we were warm and clothed in the winter months. But she still needed help taking care of all of us. So my chores continued on at home too.

I was mom’s right hand when the smaller kids needed things. I helped wherever I could. I remember walking my siblings to and from school. On returning home, I’d spend the next few hours with mom, helping fix meals before she went to work and we were sent to the neighbor to babysit us. I even remember having to get my siblings ready for bed because mom would work through the night.

After growing up and raising my own children as a single mother, I’ve come to appreciate how hard my mother asked me to work. Throughout my adult life, I’ve had to step up and take control of our lives to try to make a better life for my family. I feel like I’ve done this well and I thank my mother for teaching me perseverance and hard work.

I came to Georgia with all intention of making a better life for my children. I unloaded semi trucks to feed my kids. My stepdad went with me to protect me. The work was hard but I was not afraid of hard work. I have always tried to make sure my children know and can find safety in loving and knowing Jesus. After searching and coming to join our new family at National Heights Baptist Church, I know grace is always within all of us each and every day.

What is the meaning of grace? I think it has something to do with the presence of God being all around us all the time and offering us strength for the journey. My mom has it. I have it.

Do you?

Reflect What have you had to persevere in life? How did God make provisions for you?

December 19 GRACE IS . . . A PREGNANCY Hebrews 4:16 Melinda Kimbro “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (NRSV) My “Gift of Life” is my Daughter!

Going through three miscarriages and being told by the doctors that it would be one chance in a thousand of getting pregnant and carrying full term; I stand here today saying it is by the grace of God that I am a mother. I went through a lot of pain, agony, and frustration during all three of those miscarriages. I remember never wanting to go to any family functions or being around other people’s babies. My whole world fell apart for a while and I didn’t want anything to do with anybody.

I used to wonder why God was punishing me. I used to think I did something wrong. I talked to my former pastor at that time and I remember him telling me that God still had plans for me; I would know them in time.

Five years later I got a great surprise. God’s plans for me were about to come true. My baby girl was born in September 1982. She's my only child and she means everything to me. Today my daughter is all grown up and has given me two beautiful grandchildren.

As I look back on my life and think of how God’s grace keeps showing up, I realize God holds us as a mother cradles her infant in her arms-closely, tenderly, securely, lovingly, and with grace.

Reflect When have you been angry with God? What caused this anger? How have you allowed yourself to heal from it?

December 20 GRACE IS . . . A LOVING GRANDMOTHER Hebrews 13:25 Doris Swan “God’s Grace will be with you.”

(NRSV) When I hear the words "God's grace," I think of my wonderful, gentle grandmother and all that she taught me growing up. She never seemed to change in appearance or attitude. In her calm and loving way she taught me how to cope with life by loving and worshipping God. She taught me that when things get out of my control to make sure and turn to God. She encouraged me to read about other religions so I would know and respect other people’s choices of worship. She had such a kind heart towards others and would give to anyone in need. She did not want me to ever use the word “can't.” It was not in her vocabulary. She preferred me to say, “I will try" instead. She also did not let us use slang. When I think of grace, I think of my wonderful grandmother and all she taught me.

Many things have happened to me throughout life where I have had to turn to my faith to pull me through. At the age of ten [during the polio scare] I was in a coma that lasted one and a half of normal childhood. Luckily, God's grace pulled me through. Since, I have battled cancer, been legally blind for a period of time, and have had several surgical operations. I have had a problem with my legs since childhood, I’ve worn a brace in the last few years and now I’m told I will end up in a wheelchair.

If I’m honest, there have been moments where I’ve thought, “I can no longer go on.” But in these moments I return to my grandmother’s teachings. I pray and pray and God’s grace reminds me to be happy that today I’m not in a wheelchair, I’m not wearing a brace on my legs, and though I have pain, I can deal with it.

I have much to be thankful for. The faith grandmother taught me has pulled me through. I have tried to instill this faith in my children. Anyone my grandmother saw with deep problems or afflictions she would say, “But for the grace of God there go I." My grandmother made me strong and I know my trials are not mine alone. Others suffer so much if not more than me.

God's grace and love us truly amazing.

Reflect Who in your family has shown you the grace of God? Who taught you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Who are you teaching and instilling these values in?

December 21 GRACE IS . . . A GOOD SAMARITAN 1 Peter 1:13 Connie King “Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.” (NRSV) As four-year olds go, she was more curious than most, and certainly, way more adventurous.

There was a whole day ahead, and Mimi was too busy cleaning away the breakfast dishes, and tidying the house to be bothered with going on a grand adventure. No matter—the four-year old would just go alone! Grandma Mimi would just be in the way; she'd just slow her down! It was time for a real adventure--out beyond the yard at home.

Quietly, she eased her small, slim body through a thin opening of the front door. She crossed her own front yard, and stepped into the street. “Now which way?!?” she thought. The left was just more old houses and big old trees, and no kids playing anywhere! The right--yes!

That was the way to noisy, busy streets, and maybe some other kids like her? She headed to the right, past the three yards that separated her house from that busy, exciting street! After looking in all directions, it seemed the best way to get to the sidewalk would be to turn left at the busy street, and move along its sidewalk, but she'd need to cross her own street to do this.

Carefully, she checked for moving cars, and finding none in sight, she ran fast before one came, and safely reached the other side. “Whew! That was wider than I expected!” she said.

Moving down the sidewalk, she soon found that the houses were closer together than they were on her street. The yards were smaller, and LIKE her street, there still were no other kids!

There WERE lots of pretty flowers, bird baths, and swinging benches in the yards, but not another little person like herself! Come to think of it, there weren't any big people either!

She kept going and going and going, and almost nothing changed until she spotted a dog in one yard. She moved to the street edge of the sidewalk as she approached the yard with the dog. She kept a careful eye on him as she eased along the sidewalk slowly now. "Youch! Here he comes!" She began to run away from the dog, when she heard a snap --the chain attached to his collar had yanked him back away from her just as he lunged for her foot!

"What happened to this adventure?” she began to wonder. “I've walked and walked, and I still haven't seen another street! Where are the new kids for me to play with?!?" But soon, she thought she heard car horns honking in the distance, so she hurried her steps in anticipation of a new street. Not more than a few minutes more walking, and sure enough!--there it was!-more cars than she'd ever seen!

This wasn't just any new street. This was the biggest, widest street she'd ever seen! But now what? This could be a big problem. At least there was another small street to her left BEFORE the big, big street. She could cross that one, no problem; and so she did. Now, here she was up on the curb with no way to get across that big, big street unless she got some help.

She tried to be quiet, and think what to do now, but she was getting pretty afraid! Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes, and began rolling down her cheeks, and if that weren't bad enough, her nose began to run!

As she wiped her eyes, a yellow car slowly pulled around the corner in front of her, and rolled down the car window near where she stood on the curb of the street. A strange man leaned toward the open window, and said to her "Little Girl! Are you lost? Can I help you find your way back home?"

She studied his face carefully. She was sure she did not know him! "I'm not sure! Can you just help me cross this big, big street right here instead?" "Sure!" he responded; "Just hop in the car and we'll get you there!" "I don't know you, but I'm afraid to go on by myself, so I guess it's okay," she decided.

The driver pulled the car close to the curb where she stood, stopped, and came around to open the car's front door for her. She climbed into the car, and as he pulled away from the curb, he said "Now, look at the houses as we go, and let me know if you recognize any of them as being near where you live. We will try to find your house."

Much later--almost as long as the time she'd spent walking, she saw a street that seemed like her street, and when the driver turned in the direction she thought her house would be, they soon came upon it! The driver pulled into the sloped driveway, and got out to help her out of her side of the car, but she was ahead of him, and ran around the car to her front door.

Before the strange man could knock, she turned the knob, and opened the front door, racing inside. "Mimi, Mimi!" she yelled, and coming to meet her was Grandma Mimi, with shock on her face, and tears of gratitude pooling in her eyes. "Jennifer! Where have you been?! I've called the neighbors, your mother at work, and I just got off the phone with the Police! I was worried sick--if only I' d known what you planned, I could have gone, too!"

How happy a misadventure when a child is safely restored to her loving family, safe and unharmed. (Thank you, God, for this ending, and sparing my sister's life.)

Reflect When did God’s grace safely restore you? How has this moment in your life impacted your understanding of God’s grace?

December 22 GRACE IS . . . ADOPTION 2 John 1:3 James Allen “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.”

(NRSV) Audrey and I never dreamed in a million years that, soon, our immediate family would expand from five to six people. As usual, we humans are experts on the small immediate things happening around us, but hardly ever see the big picture that God sees.

Three and a half years ago, our daughter-in-law became friends with a family who had adopted a child from China. Unknown to my wife and me, Valerie became very interested in the possibility of adopting a girl for her and Jim, due to her not being able to have any more children after Camden was born.

Of course, Audrey and I was very well satisfied with our current family that included one son, one daughter-in-law, and one grandson. However, Valerie was looking at the bigger picture.

She and God worked really hard through the process of adoption, raising money, and then convincing the family that this adoption was right and especially good for the child God had chosen for them.

After almost two years of patiently waiting, Jim and Valerie flew to China to adopt their new daughter, Imerie, who has become a very special delight in the eyes of all the family. Now after three years in the States, she has become a true blessing to our family. She is a special gift from God, a large measure of grace. Audrey and I thank God each day for Jim and Valerie's decision to accept the child he wanted them to have, even though she was born with a birth defect.

During this Christmas season I am reminded of another child who came to this earth to bring hope, peace, joy, love, and a large amount of grace. Like Imerie, Jesus was also given to us by God to love and have a personal relationship with. Thanks be to God for this marvelous gift!

Reflect What is the most unexpected gift God has ever graced you with? How has it impacted your life for the better? How has it changed your understanding and perspective of God?

Week Four “Dear God, I am so afraid to open my clenched fists!

Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to?

Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?

Please help me to gradually open my hands and to discover that I am not what I own, but what you want to give me.�

- Henri Nouwen

*Artwork by children at NHBC

December 24 GRACE IS . . . A CHANGE OF HEART 2 Peter 3:18 Hugh Waddy “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (NRSV)

The summer after I finished college, I was the organist at Ridgecrest Baptist Summer Assembly. I had applied to Juilliard School of Music in New York and was practicing and preparing to go to New York in the fall to study piano. At the end of the summer I came home from Ridgecrest and began to pack my foot locker for the train trip to New York. Mother was helping me. It was in the afternoon. We were in the yellow back bedroom which was all aglow with the September sun pouring through the windows. Then it happened—just like that.

In my heart I got a sensing. I spoke. “Mother, I’m not going to New York. I’m going to Louisville.” That was where the Southern Baptist Seminary and its School of Church Music was. My older brother had already been there a year. I changed my train ticket and went to Louisville. I arrived and called my brother to announce I was at the train station there in Louisville and ask if he could get someone to come pick me up. I stayed two years and got a Masters of Sacred Music in organ performance. My brother and I graduated together.

The grace of God changed my direction. In the words of the American poet Robert Frost, “The road not taken has made all the difference.”

Reflect When have you made a life-altering decision based on a calling from God? What would it look like if you did? How does this story relate to the Christmas story – especially the part about the Wise Men and the Shepherds?

December 25 GRACE IS . . . CHRISTMAST MORNING Mark 1.7-8 Jason Phifer and Landon Clayton

NHBC Advent Schedule 12/02 - Sunday School, Blue Christmas Service 12/05 - Regular Wednesday Activities 12/09 - Sunday School, Worship 12/12 - Regular Wednesday Activities and Church Conference 12/15 - Christmas Dinner @ 6pm and Christmas Concert by Hugh Waddy @ 7pm 12/16 - Sunday School, Worship, Choir Musical @ 6pm w/ Fellowship Dinner 12/19 - Night of Caroling – Meet at 5:30pm, no other Wednesday Activities 12/23 - Sunday School, Worship 12/24 - Christmas Eve Service @ 6pm

In Closing May the peace of Christ be with you and yours this day! May you know that God’s grace is all around you – every second, everyday! Merry Christmas!

- Pastor Barrett