Traffic, long lines, congested malls.....aaahhhh, the Christmas Season is here.

FAITH:
Jeremiah 27:1--29:32

Jeremiah responded to the false prophets. One false prophet, Hananiah, said that the "yoke" of Babylon would be broken in two years.

After seventy years the people would seek for God and would find him (29:10-14). Daniel wrote of the fulfillment of this premise seventy years later (Daniel 9).

As I write this I'm at 35,000 feet. It's 5:45 p.m., Saturday. It should be 4:15. The airliner was an hour and a half late.......

It all started with the delay. "Mechanical trouble," they said. "Inexcusable," responded a couple of passengers. Frankly, I'd rather they fix it before we leave than decide to do something about it en route. But we don't like to wait. Delays are irritation. Aggravating. Nerve-jangling. With impatient predictability we are consistently, and I might add obnoxiously, demanding. We want what we want when we want it. Not a one of us finds a delay easy to accept.....

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.....

And what else? The first three are the necessary style along with the buttons and zipper of the garment. The rest give it color and beauty.

...patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control....(Galatians 5:22-23)

The ability to accept delay. Or disappointment. To smile back at setbacks and respond with a pleasant, understanding spirit. To cool it while others around you curse it. For a change I refused to be hassled by today's delay. I asked God to keep me calm and cheerful, relaxed and refreshed. Know what? He did. He really did! No pills. No ooze. No hocus-pocus. Just relaxing in the power of Jesus. by Chuck Swindoll

Applying it: Are you impatient with your present situation in life? Are you wanting to move on to graduate, get married, get promoted, or get a new house? Remember, God calls you to be content and compliant. Ask him to help you accept his perfect timing for the changes you desire.
Exploring it: Patience in Circumstances--Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 33:2; Acts 1:4; Romans 12:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; Hebrews 10:36; James 1:2-4; 5:5-11.

FRIENDS:
Father, sometimes it seems like we go one step forward and three steps back when it comes to just accepting things and letting go of all the angst of things not going fast and smoothly. You never promised that this world would be gridlock free and easy. But you promised to give us peace if we just ask for it. And all of us can look ahead to the peaceful city that's set on a hill, to the lights that call us to eternity. And we take hope. In Jesus' name. Amen

10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
1. Still wearing flip flops in December
2. Friends that call and say "do you want to....."
3. Leftovers
4. Farmer's Market here at the building
5. Having something to look forward to the next day
6. A neighbor that knocks and says, "I haven't seen you,
have you been all right?"
7. The sun beating through the car window while waiting at a light.
8. Plans for the holidays
9. Kids who call and ask me to join them in their festivities.
10. Elastic waist pants.


FOOD:
Planning a brunch over the holidays? Nice way to entertain friends with much less fuss that dinner. Here is a great Breakfast Casserole to make that even a little easier.
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded


DIRECTIONS

1. Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat
until evenly brown; drain.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and
milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat
evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce
temperature to 325 degrees . Bake for an additional
30 minutes, or until set.

Change it up and make it for more people and even easier to put together by using:
3 bags Marie Callendar's Cheese & Garlic Croutons
20 eggs
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 cups of milk
2 teaspoons mustard powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons
of salt
1 pound each of Monterrey Jack and Mild Cheddar Cheese
Put shredded cheese on the top of it in the last 15 minutes of baking.


FUN:
Thanks Tender Mercies for this cute joke to share.

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it
seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.
Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the
back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message,
"Genesis 3:10."
Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of
laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."