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Wednesday, December 25

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Poinsettias on our sanctuary window sills.

Worship included songs, prayer, and a message by Dustin Martin. He focused on the wise men, then asked for testimonies from the audience of a gift we think of as our best or most impactful gift. There were several who shared – mostly about childhood memories.

My testimony: When I think about the gifts I received as a child, I remember getting a doll – maybe about the age of five. I dreamed of being a mother, even when I was very young and loved taking care of her.

Sometime later I remember gathering her and all the other dolls and stuffed animals in the house and lining them up on our living room couch and teaching them about Jesus. (Did that predict that I would someday enjoy teaching and speaking?)

I think my parents knew me better than I knew myself.

I was probably a young teenager when my parents gave me a compact typewriter with a carrying case. I loved this gift and was always typing something. Little did I know that I would one day enjoy spending a lot of my life in an office.

I also remember getting a camera when I was about 16. This began my my love for capturing life events in photos.

Following the worship service, everyone was invited to the fellowship hall to enjoy Moravian Sugar Cake and hot chocolate or coffee.

It was still warm. Oh, yum!

Brenda Copenhaver was the baker of these delicious goodies. She, her husband Ron (one of our ministers), and their family made sure we had plenty.

Many from the audience took advantage of this time of fellowship – regular church members and visitors.

We enjoy this yearly tradition of Moravian Sugar Cake (sometimes lunch), following the Christmas morning worship celebration.