January 5 – “Redemption”

Always great to see old Seasiders come back for a visit on a Sunday morning.  Ned and Nancy Roehrig were in town for a medical checkup and worshipped with us.  They joined several new families as well, who said they really enjoyed the Seaside experience.  A few of them even asked for directions to the Thursday Bible study at our house.  Now we’ll look forward to seeing them back very soon.

With some help from Kiara, Dana, and Robert we got all the Christmas decorations taken down and put away.  Then we attacked the remnants of the garage sale that were still laid out in the fellowship area.  Robert and a friend of his helped us out with that task.  Now all that is left is taking it to the Women’s Crisis Shelter or Salvation Army.  Once that’s done Chris and I plan to start on my office to wade through the debris that has accumulated in there.  Oh, and we still have to install the final two handle bars out at the playground.  Never a dull moment in the varied life of a pastor. 

All that and we were still home in time to watch some Dallas Cowboys football.  That fourth quarter miracle comeback wasn’t as unbelievable as the one by University of Houston, but you gotta hand it to them.  They pulled it out.  My favorite part was the sequence involving the rookie defensive end.  He recovered a fumble that would have iced the game, but then he tried to run with it and fumbled himself, giving the opponents not just the ball, but a first down as well.  That had to be heartbreaking for the poor kid.  But then on fourth down he made quite a move to get a sack on the quarterback.  Redemption number one.  On the way down he caused a fumble.  Redemption number two.  And then he recovered the fumble, and just stayed put this time.  Icing on the cake.  Goat to hero.  I love it when the youngsters come through like that.

Romans 3:22-24 says, “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Father, thank you that your redemption only took one death … yours.  Can’t top that one.  Amen.