My next to last post for the special music being sung at our Christmas Eve morning worship is a new one to me also. One of our ladies, Marge, will be singing this “older” song. I say “older” because it is sung by Watermark, a group which featured Nathan and Christy Nockels, who went on to be heavily involved in the Passion movement with Louie Giglio, some guy named Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and others.

Here is Light of the World by Watermark. This song is not to be confused with Tim Hughes’ song, Light of the World (you stepped down into darkness/opened my eyes let me see).

If there is ever a time in history when we need the True Light of the world it might be now. May you come to know the True Light and may His Word be a light unto your path.

We have recently been blessed with a family who brings a hunger and a joy to our church fellowship. They have attended off and on over the past 6 months or so but lately made a commitment to make OVCF their home. I’m glad they have and love seeing their smiles.

Mom (Heather) and daughter (Hannah) have come from a more traditional background. Mom knows the old hymns on a piano but loves our contemporary worship and learning the new songs. I look forward to the day she says she wants to play with our worship team. Hannah has sung in the school show choir and is now a freshman at Ivy Tech studying to be a paramedic. (Pray for her upcoming test). I asked her to sing for our Christmas Eve morning worship and she gladly agreed. I left the song choice up to her.

Hannah will be singing and Heather will be playing (and singing harmony) for this song. It is a new one to me, but I’m sure looking forward to them singing.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if this song was true all year long?

My posts over the next two weeks are songs which will be sung at our Christmas Eve morning worship. This one will be sung by Diana, the church’s Office Administrator. She thinks people are tired of hearing her sing it. I disagree.

One of the classic Christmas songs which has been around for quite a few years now and done multiple times is Mary, Did You Know? It is asking a simple question of Mary, the mother of Jesus. I suspect one we would ask ourselves as parents if it could be answered.

What if you had known things would turn out as they have. Would you do it all over again?

I, for one, do not believe Mary knew. Sure, she knew her Son was different. The conception was miraculous. The birth was ordinary (if you count having your baby in a stable ordinary). His life was different. His death was certainly excruciating for a mother to watch. But when she conceived and then gave birth, I don’t believe for a minute she was able to “see into the future” and know.

Anyway, as I said, there are many versions of this song. Mark Lowry was the writer of this song and he, himself, has sung it multiple times. But this one is different. For a further look, check out some of the other versions of this song. Here is another version I found I liked.

Found on the inside of a yogurt cup:

I have always been a dreamer. But truthfully, I have not always known what to do with those dreams. Growing up I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I had no clue about training, sports camps, hitting camps, and all the extras. Then I wanted to be a professional basketball player, but again my knowledge was limited. I didn’t know about year-round training, lifting weights, strengthening my body and amping up my ability. I realized some success in college and was even told I was scouted my Junior Year (if you can believe what my father was told), but I was nowhere near good enough.

Dreams require a price to be paid. Dreams require bigger dreaming. Dreams require big goals. I’m proud of both of my daughters. Have I told you about my grandson yet?  🙂 I’m excited to be a part of their dreams.  Next week, Saturday, November 4th, Tami, our oldest, will fly to Phoenix for a Revelation Wellness retreat. It serves as a wellness effort but also will allow her to be certified as a wellness consultant. Her health issues have made her sensitive to other peoples’ needs for good health.  I’m proud of her as she has saved her money, paid for this trip, and will soon fly to chart a whole new experience for herself. She is pursuing her dreams. I couldn’t be more proud of her for trying something out of her comfort zone and spreading her wings.

Think Big. Dream Big. Those are two good phrases which describe Tami’s venture. You go girl!  And while you are it, would you please say a prayer for her as she travels and while she is there? God has been gripping her heart with the simple truth of His Word as she has studied for this class. Pray she will continue to listen. Thanks.

I’d like to continue my travelogue for a post or two more. Eating is a staple of any vacation…unless you are on a dieting vacation where you watch all you eat. That was my kind. I watched it from my plate to my mouth. Besides Aunt Catfishes we also ate at Joe’s Crabshack.

We have heard a lot about Joe’s but have never eaten there. It was a long walk down the beach to Joe’s but well worth it. I had shrimp and fish and Jo had fish and chips. Interesting fact: I asked our waiter if they had any hurricane damage and he said, “No. The windows are hurricane windows and stood the test.”  That certainly can’t be said of all the buildings around there.

On Thursday we took the suggestion of one of the men from the church and visited Ponce Inlet. They have a famous lighthouse there, a beautifully build brick one as you can see.

The Ponce Inlet is named after Ponce de Leon, an early traveler and founder. The lighthouse had 203 steps and in the 85+ degree heat neither Jo nor I were willing to tackle walking the steps, especially with the $7 each price tag. So I settled for 3 souvenirs I brought back for Ryan, Diana, and myself. Here they are:

They are to remind us Jesus is the Light of the World and we shine His light for Him to be seen. The above picture on the right tells you a little bit about the lighthouse.

We were going to eat lunch at…are you ready for this name?…”Down the Hatch” but it was closed due to the hurricane damage it sustained. They catch the fish and bring it in and cook it right on the spot. I was sort of disappointed but that’s the way it is.

We weren’t the only ones who wanted to eat. As we walked away from Joe’s I saw these birds lined up along the top of the railing. I don’t know if they were looking for some unsuspecting person to play “bombs away” with or whether they were looking for food to scavenge. I told Jo they looked like they were getting ready to pounce.

And finally, don’t let them kid you they don’t have something for everyone. We were able to get Braden a t-shirt which said, “Legends are born in October.” Don’t have a picture of that one. But I do have a picture of one made just for me because they knew I was coming!

I know…sick. But had to have some fun along the way. Tomorrow will be my last travelogue journey. We had a tremendous week. I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride.