A Different Kind of New Year
Waiting, in hope, for someone else to arrive.
Read the Whole Article at https://mbird.com/holidays/advent/a-different-kind-of-new-years/
If you were to ask me what my least favorite holiday is — and trust me, I am a children’s minister and mother of three, this is not the weirdest question I’ve been asked this week— I would most likely reply New Year’s (both Eve and Day, to be specific). Part of it feels overly celebratory for a simple turn of a calendar page. Some of it is that I am expected to stay up past ten p.m. and not be grumpy. A large part of it is that somehow, with the flip of the page and the tick of the clock, I am supposed to be a newer, fresher, better version of myself at midnight. Expecting anything of me after midnight is ridiculous.
I am supposed to have more energy and interest in self-improvement. Things are supposed to get better not worse. This year will be different because this is the year, after forty others just like it, that I will finally have more self-control. I will have learned from all of my previous mistakes, errors, failures, flops and non-wins. Nothing will be left as it was. This year, I will have it all together.
Christmas Eve Photos at Grace
Photos of Silent Night. Christmas Eve
Thanks For the Great Christmas Season.
![[Christmas Day] Light - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1703003343952-DV7AF450J1MW0C0ZEHLO/Christmas+Dayb.jpg)
[Christmas Day] Light - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Born from the womb of darkness, God dared to paint the nascent universe with light. Centuries later, that celestial brushstroke moves in the wonder of Christmas where every dark place shines the light of God With Us
Born from the womb of darkness, God dared to paint the nascent universe with light. Centuries later, that celestial brushstroke moves in the wonder of Christmas where every dark place shines the light of God With Us
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Backwards Beautiful - Kingdom Way - Matthew 28](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1745552165848-WAAACA58WKWYMWY08VZZ/KW+25a.jpg)
![[Christmas Eve] Silent Night - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1702994628436-5ZVDL2N79BWX4PYNGQZJ/Christmas+Eve.jpg)
[Christmas Eve] Silent Night - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Amidst the unending clamor, Emmanuel orchestrates a silent night.
Christmas Eve Candlelight 4&7pm
Amidst the unending clamor, Emmanuel orchestrates a silent night.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Amazed - Kingdom Way - Mark 16](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1746065673689-DFOUX7U71BCXL4N2XOAH/RW+1a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Christmas Gift - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1702655387205-XBLAMTNCDXPIJ59923GR/Weekly3a.jpg)
[Sunday] Christmas Gift - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Giving Christmas gifts to children is so much fun. Seeing the joy on their face as they jump up in surprise, walking all around showing and telling everyone about the great gift. The Christmas Gift really brings us to the heart of the season.
Giving Christmas gifts to children is so much fun. Seeing the joy on their face as they jump up in surprise, walking all around showing and telling everyone about the great gift. The Christmas Gift really brings us to the heart of the season.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK: EMMANUEL: JOY IN THE MIDST - Christmas Gift
When was the last time you had joy giving a gift?
Read John 5:1-9. What gift does Jesus bring to the man by the pool?
Read Luke 2:8-20. What gift does Jesus bring the shepherds?
What gift does Jesus give to all of us?
Worship With Us.
Sundays
8:30 & 10:15AM
Live Stream 10:15AM
What Had happened at Grace this week.
The Holy Mess of a Christmas Tree
I don’t love that there’s all this mess, but that feels like an important part of the process.
Read the Whole article at The Holy Mess of a Christmas Tree - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
I really don’t like messy things, and I have been a “neat freak” since I was a child. In college, Sunday night I’d vacuum and dust and sweep my dorm room, my roommate would laugh as I adamantly cleaned, determined not to start our week messy. I’m a perpetual tidier and dislike having too much stuff on my counters. I love to vacuum and sweep, and feel chaotic if a space is too messy. But there’s one mess that I insist on bringing into my home, year after year, and that is a beloved Christmas tree.
I come from a family that has two real Christmas trees, because twinkle lights and the smell of pine are important and why not bring them into as many rooms as possible? So small wonder I’m like this. In all my years in DC my roommates knew I was going to walk to the local market and begin my bartering for a tree, and then would give them a call to help haul it home. Being car-less in DC leads to creativity and relying on helpful friends who will help you carry a tree. So three years of hauling a monstrosity of a tree into our monstrosity of a house. Then two more years of a short, squat little tree taking up prime real estate in our living room, but there was a boyfriend (now my husband) with a truck to help haul the trees.
Now in a long distance marriage for the next few months, I thought about if I even should get a tree this year. I was always determined to make sure we had a tree in the past, but I had the excuse of roommates and that multiple people would get to enjoy it. “My family has two trees, I’ll see a tree when I’m home, do I really need to get one for myself? It’s just me, is it worth the trouble of doing this by myself?”
Yes, it was, I drove myself in the red truck, paid for the long, skinny, and last tree at Whole Foods, in the back of the truck it went, hauled up stairs, and after some wrestling with the tree stand it stood up on its own. ……………………………..
Read the Whole article at The Holy Mess of a Christmas Tree - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
Planetarium Star of Wonder Photos
Christmas Planetarium Photos
Big Thanks to all at the Planetarium for the excellent time.
Christmas Variety Photos
See photos and Videos of the Christmas Variety
Debate with Corrected Audio
![[Wednesday] Christmas Variety - Mid-week Advent](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/0c448f5e-cfdc-45f7-8284-170ed05a8833/WeeklyWed2a.jpg)
[Wednesday] Christmas Variety - Mid-week Advent
Join us for a whimsical Wednesday evening at "Christmas Variety," where holiday cheer takes center stage! Engage in a lively debate on Christmas tree decorating, test your musical prowess with a festive round of "Name that Tune" featuring jingling bells, and share your talents or heartwarming stories with a spirited community. Get ready to harmonize and sing along to timeless Christmas classics like "Up on the Housetop" in this merry celebration of joy and creativity!
6:30PM Wednesday Dec 13th
5:30PM Potluck Dinner
Here is the Christmas Debate with attempted Corrected Audio
Join us for a whimsical Wednesday evening at "Christmas Variety," where holiday cheer takes center stage! Engage in a lively debate on Christmas tree decorating, test your musical prowess with a festive round of "Name that Tune" featuring jingling bells, and share your talents or heartwarming stories with a spirited community. Get ready to harmonize and sing along to timeless Christmas classics like "Up on the Housetop" in this merry celebration of joy and creativity!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Oh Christmas Tree - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1702055250957-T56RE3G46BDEUIMPNOD6/Weekly2a.jpg)
[Sunday] Oh Christmas Tree - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. He is there when the new little family almost splits up. He is even Emmanuel when the dreams of wonderful Christmas trees come crashing down.
Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. He is there when the new little family almost splits up. He is even Emmanuel when the dreams of wonderful Christmas trees come crashing down.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK: EMMANUEL: JOY IN THE MIDST - Oh Christmas Tree
Describe a time when a Christmas celebration didn’t quite go as planned.
Read Matthew 1:18-25. How does Joseph’s life not quite go as planned? How does God work anyway?
Read Matthew 9: 9-13. Why did Jesus eat with Matthew’s friends? Why did the Pharisees complain about it?
Think of some shortcomings in your life? What does it mean that Emmanuel comes even for those times?
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Star of Wonder. IRSC Planetarium, Dec 10th 23'
An astronomer’s search for the mystery of the Nativity Star, a Hallstrom Planetarium tradition since 1993.
Event Starts at 3pm, No Entry after 3pm
Doors Open 2:30PM
Craker Barrell Fort Perice I95 Dinner after at. 2550 Peters Rd, Fort Pierce, FL 34945
Tickets are sold out, but some more may become available
Join us For a fun Christmas event!
An astronomer’s search for the mystery of the Nativity Star, a Hallstrom Planetarium tradition since 1993.
December 10th, Sunday
Event Starts at 3pm, Doors open at 2:30am
Tickets are 5 Dollars, Only 70 Tickets Available - Only 5 Left as of 11/17
Dinner After Cracker Barrel in Fort Peirce.
Childcare will be made available
Matthew Christmas Bible Study
The Christmas Story from the Gospel of Matthew
Judges chapters 17-19
When Perfection Isn't Enough
A Flawless Record Won’t Cut It (In Football and Life)
Read the whole article at When Perfection Isn't Enough - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
By now, I am sure you’ve seen it. It went viral almost immediately. Sunday, December 3rd, 2023, the Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles were left out of the College Football Playoff (CFP). The video of the team’s reaction while watching the results found its way to screens all over the nation in a matter of minutes. See for yourself here.
Dejected. Shocked. Deflated. Angry. Frustrated. Speechless. Rage. Mistreated.
Why? Well, FSU had just won the Championship for their conference (ACC) the night before. They had completed a perfect season, winning 13 games and losing none. The week prior, they found themselves ranked number 4 in the CFP rankings. Win the ACC Championship, it was assumed, and you’re one of the 4 teams playing for a National Championship.
Wrong.
Leap-frogging the Seminoles into the coveted top 4 were two one loss teams: Alabama and Texas. The perfect, undefeated team moved to number 5. FSU would be on the outside looking in. No Natty for the ‘Noles……………
Read the whole article at When Perfection Isn't Enough - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
![[Wednesday] Christmas Characters - Mid-week Advent + Photos](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1701792749706-LV4A3D728C6YXWLPLQ8G/WeeklyWed1a.jpg)
[Wednesday] Christmas Characters - Mid-week Advent + Photos
Dive into a festive extravaganza at our Wednesday Advent event! Encounter Christmas Characters from Krampus to St. Nick, and journey through time with Old Testament prophets, Mary, and Joseph. Explore global holiday traditions, sing classic carols, and don your Christmas sweater (AC turned down for coziness). It's a magical celebration blending past and present—join us for a joyous, unforgettable Wednesday Night!
6:30PM Wednesday Dec 6th
5:30PM Potluck Dinner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx1t3VlZplI
Step into a festive wonderland at our upcoming Wednesday Advent event! Join us for an enchanting evening filled with Christmas characters spanning from the mischievous Krampus to the beloved St. Nick, and journey through time with Old Testament prophets, Mary, and Joseph. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of global holiday traditions, and delight in the joy of singing classic Christmas carols. As a special touch, don your coziest Christmas sweater—don't worry, we'll turn down the AC to keep the holiday spirit alive! It's a magical celebration that brings together the best of Christmas past and present, promising a memorable and heartwarming experience for all.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Christmas Letter - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1701314177166-SXRQGYD4V8NNW1TPO3RC/Weekly1a.jpg)
[Sunday] Christmas Letter - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Ahh the Classic Christmas Letter, where we divulge all the braggadocious details of our year but leave out certain difficult parts of struggle. What details would Zecheriah include in a letter? Helping the Temple? Going mute because of unbelief? Childlessness? But Emmanuel comes into his and our midst bringing songs of joy.
Ahh the Classic Christmas Letter, where we divulge all the braggadocious details of our year but leave out certain difficult parts of struggle. What details would Zecheriah include in a letter? Helping the Temple? Going mute because of unbelief? Childlessness? But Emmanuel comes into his and our midst bringing songs of joy.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK: Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
If you were writing a Christmas card about your life over the past year, what details would you include?
Read Luke 1:5-25, 57-80. Why do you think Zecheriah doesn’t believe the angel? What happens to him? How does Elizabeth respond to the news? What does she say about God? What does Zecheriah realize in v.57-69?
Read Luke 7: 11-16. What was the woman’s problem? How does God visit her?
How might you encourage someone this advent season that Jesus has come to be with them?
New Song this Week!
Listen to our recording and the artist rendition.
Also Check every week, to listen to the songs of the week.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Mark's account unveils a resurrection marked by amazement, revealing God's presence in unexpected bursts of glory. Mark 16