ungaro fever

God's Kingdom at Christmas 

        Here I am writing my very first OVCC newsletter article!  Val and I are really thankful to be here at OVCC and to be settling into Muskegon and our new house.  It is amazing how many new things are happening in our lives at one time.  We are just trying to hang on for the ride and hope the dust settles soon!

There has been progress though.  We have been painting walls in our house (believe me, we needed to do that!) and doing all sorts of small jobs with the help of my Mom and Dad, who live in N. Muskegon.  Toilets have been fixed, a clothing washer has been purchased and hooked up, inspections have been completed, boxes have (mostly) been unpacked and the kids seem to be settling in nicely.  They do miss their friends back home, but we hope it will not take long for them to make new friends at church and around our neighborhood. 

I’m also gradually settling in at the church.  Nancy Cramblet and Debbie Randall both helped so much to get the office cleaned out and they painted it a warm color for me!  It is still a work in progress to have it furnished the way that is best for me, but it is getting better all the time. 

Settling into the job is a more difficult task, but it seems to be going well.  Mainly, I am just still in the process of getting to know who everybody is and what they are all about.  I am already impressed by the many thoughtful and encouraging people in the congregation. 

Well, the Advent Season is upon us and for this we can be thankful.  It is a time of the year when we are called upon to remember some of the very most important truths of life.  We remember that God promised his coming Messiah through the mouths of his prophets of old.  He knew that we needed a Savior to bring light to a dark world.  He knew that we could not save ourselves from our darkness.  He knew just what kind of a Savior we needed, and he sent him to us.  The amazing thing is that this powerful, glorious and majestic Savior entered this world of ours as a tiny baby boy.  Not only was he a mighty Savior, but he was a humble Savior.  How could a tiny baby boy save anybody?  How could such a “weak” person do anything to save the world?  Well, that reminds us that God’s wisdom is much different than ours often is.  We think we know how things should happen, how to get results.  But God has a different plan.  He conquers the world and our hearts, not through brutal force, but through humility and gentleness and love.  This tiny baby boy has invaded our world with his love and truth, and we can all be thankful to God that he has! 

Be sure to pause often this season to thank God for sending his Son into our world to bring hope and light and joy and peace for sinners.  Without Christ having come into our world we would be utterly hopeless.  With Christ having come into the world we have true hope…the future hope of glory! 

I (along with Val and the kids) look forward to celebrating this Advent and Christmas season with you all, our new family.

Worshipping Christ together,

Pastor Tom