Cathy’s Corner

I am so glad I got my tree up and house decorated the weekend before Thanksgiving, because the Monday after, I was on a plane to Virginia. I had been praying that I would be able to be with Kiersten when she was going through labor. Since they have no family with them, I wanted to be there for her and Jay. Kiersten wanted me there too. So when she found out she had

pre-eclampsia, I wanted more than ever to be with her.
On the Sunday after Thanksgiving I worked all day getting my tree decorated and all my decorations out. By 8pm I told Gary I thought I was ready. Monday morning at 10:00am Kiersten called and said she had been told to go to the hospital. They were going to induce. So I went home, got my bag and raced to the airport. (Thank you, Terrell Ann.) The earliest flight was 1:45pm. I would go to San Antonio, Nashville and Norfolk and get there at 10:00pm. I can tell you, I was brimming with tears thinking that I was not going to be there for my daughter. As I was getting on my plane at 1:30, Kiersten called and said they had told her to go home. She kept apologizing and wanted to know if I could get off the plane. I told her my suitcase was going to San Antonio and right then so was I and that I would decide when I got to San Antonio. I prayed the whole way and asked God to help me know what I was supposed to do. He gave me Isaiah 55:8-9 and I trusted Him that man’s plans were not His plans. When I landed I just felt like I was supposed to keep going and so I did. Kiersten felt bad. She said they did not know when the baby would come and if I came I would lose days off. I told her God would work it all out.
At 6:45pm, no sooner than I landed in Nashville and turned my phone on, did it ring. It was Kiersten. She said the hospital had called and they had reevaluated her tests and paperwork and wanted her to come back. Now I was only three hours away instead of nine. I was going to be there with her. I prayed and thanked God for His faithfulness and for knowing His ways and plans are so much better than ours. Had I turned around in Dallas and gone back home, when Kiersten called at 6:45pm, I would not have been able to catch another flight to Norfolk until the next day. I thanked God for His Spirit prompting me to continue to Norfolk earlier. Jay picked me up at 10:00pm and we drove to the hospital where Kiersten had already been admitted.
They actually did not begin the induction until 11:15pm and I was with Kiersten the entire time. I was able to calm her fears, to quote scripture when times were hardest and pray with her and Jay. I also prayed over Kiersten asking God to give her strength as she was in labor. It is an amazing thing to be able to play a part in a child coming into the world, whether it’s watching your own child or grandchild take his first breath or watching as someone places a child they have just given birth to into your arms or your children’s arms. I am so thankful for God allowing me to get there in time and to be a part of the miracle of the birth of Tex Major Trentacosta.
Then we remember that Jesus Christ came to us as a baby in just the same way, a miracle from God. What an awesome God we have. His blessings abound every day.

Have a great day in the Lord!

Cathy’s Corner

 

If you ask the man on the street what he thinks of the babe of Christmas, you’ll be surprised at the answers. Just look at the folks who were there when it happened.

The innkeeper was downright indifferent – a census had come to town, and he was busy ringing up the cash register. Consider the shepherds in the field – only after the band of angels bent over backward to explain the celestial fireworks were their fears finally put to rest.

The wise men were curious, poking here and there with questions until they found answers that satisfied. Then there were those who, like Mary and Joseph, worshiped the newborn King.

People haven’t changed much since Bible times … Are you, like the innkeeper, indifferent? Too busy? Are you still searching, looking for answers? Or maybe you’re frightened because the baby in the manger asks too much of you. Stop to think how you would have responded had you been the man on the streets of Bethlehem that night.

There are a thousand different ways to respond to the news that a Savior has been born … but the fact remains that until a child was born, this world was cloaked in utter darkness, abandoned, hopeless, and lost. But for unto us, a child is born, a Son is given! There is only one response: Worship and joyous praise!

                                                                                    Joni Eareckson Tada

 

Have you ever wondered what other people think about Christmas?  I’m not talking about those we know and that understand the true meaning of the season. I’m talking about people who don’t share our belief but still like to cash in on the holiday season. Like the innkeeper they just ring up all those sales and think about this as their busiest time of the year and hope they make a lot of profit. What about those who are afraid of what Christmas means and what it might cost them? They are so worried about what they may have to give up, they don’t want to consider what Jesus is really all about. Then we have the curious that want all of the answers ahead of time and may or may not believe. They just want all their questions answered - maybe even scientific answers to satisfy their curiosity.

I am so glad that someone took the time to teach me the true meaning of Christmas. I’m grateful that God loved us so much that He was willing to clothe Himself in swaddling clothes yet only to die a brutal death so that we could spend eternity with Him. No matter whether we are too busy, indifferent, afraid or just curious, the fact is Jesus was born in a manger one night and He gave hope to all. We can rejoice in His love for us and the hope we have in Him.

 

There is no better time to tell others the great news about Jesus than Christmas. Many people seem to be more receptive to spiritual things, while others are desperately searching for ways to overcome their pain and loneliness. Let’s approach the holiday season with prayerful attention to those we come in contact with who need a relationship with God, then carefully and thoughtfully share the message of Christmas with them.

 

Have a great day in the Lord!

 

 

Cathy’s Corner

 

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and you were able to spend time with family and friends. As I write this the plan in our house is to have Thanksgiving with three of our children and two spouses on Saturday. This year is the year they spend Thanksgiving Day with their in-laws. Our daughter Kiersten is just days away from having her first baby and so my bags are semi-packed and I am just waiting to hop a plane to go to Virginia.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so many things. God is so very good to us all of the time and He sent His Son for us that we can have eternal life with Him and that is what I am most thankful for.

 

He has blessed us this past year so very much. In April, on April Fools Day no less, we found out our daughter Kiersten and her husband Jay were expecting their first child and our first grandbaby. Tex will be here soon and I am excited about our first Christmas with him. In July we found out our daughter Cassandra and her husband Scott were expecting their first child and we were able to go and see the sonogram a couple of weeks ago and they are having grandson number two due in March. If that isn’t excitement enough; our son J and his wife Lindsay called last week and they are expecting their first child due in June. It is an exciting time around our house and while this Christmas will be lots of fun, next year with a six, a nine and a twelve month old to open presents and play with, it will be awesome. I love my family and I am thankful for the spouses He has blessed my children with. I am thankful for new grandbabies on the way and praying for healthy pregnancies, deliveries and babies.

 

God has also blessed our church in so many ways. Our economy has affected all of us in one way or the other. Many have lost jobs, have had their hours cut, or live with the threat of losing their job every day. God blessed this church because of it’s faithfulness to Him and allowed us to become debt free. Because of that where other churches are slashing budgets and lying off staff we are not experiencing as devastating affects as others. We are definitely trimming our budgets for the second year and we may be cutting out some of the things that we have done in the past but because of our debt freedom we hopefully can carry on without any loss of employees. So I am thankful for God’s provision for our church and praying for our faithfulness to him to continue.

 

God has blessed our preschool as well this year. We have more permanent teachers than we have ever had and so many of those are our faithful teachers that have been with us for years. I am grateful and thankful for the opportunity to serve with each and every one of you each week. I love seeing your smiles and watching you as you teach our preschoolers about Jesus. I am thankful for our Preschool Staff and for their dedication and commitment to excellence in laying a spiritual foundation for our children. Not only do I call these ladies co-workers but I also call them friend and I am thankful for that friendship.

 

Have a great day in the Lord