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“...who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ ...” Ephesians 1:3

Don’t you marvel every year at the beauty of winter? Often, a blanket of snow comes softly and covers all the imperfections beneath.Wondrously, every yard looks pristine and perfect—I always say that snow is the great equalizer.

That reminds us of the other, greater equalizer—the precious blood of Jesus.God says in Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white assnow.” However, there is a great difference between snow and the blood. Snowsimply covers imperfections, but the blood of Jesus removes our sins, as far as theeast is from the west. What a glorious promise and reality for believers! Once asin is confessed and forsaken, God will never again bring it before our faces. Andwhen we step into eternity, it will no longer be remembered, even in our ownminds. How wonderful is that?

Forgiveness is one of the sweetest words in the Christian language. May we bequick to receive His forgiveness and grace—it’s the very reason He gave His life.And may we be mindful to willingly extend forgiveness to others. We all fail anddisappoint each another on a regular basis—how we need to be eager to extendgrace to others.

As we step into this fresh new year, we are a forgiven people—blessed and re-deemed. May we celebrate that forgiveness daily as we walk along the way and face the challenges of life. I would suggest taking commun-ion as a perfect time to celebrate forgiveness. God declares that the hands that handle the bread and the cup are holy hands because oursins are forgiven. May we also handle the issues of life with purposed holiness,dealing quickly with sin and compromise.

Dear sisters, I pray that this coming year brings you closer than ever to the heartof God. He is here for you, as much of Him as you desire—exceedingly abun-dantly above all you could ask or think! Turn your eyes toward Him, talk with Himmore and more, develop a deep friendship with Him, and consider His Word eachday with much reverence.

We hope you will join us in our various Women of Calvary events this comingyear. Each event is designed to glorify God and encourage you as you walk withHim. We welcome you on Tuesday mornings or evenings to study His Word to-gether. A new semester is beginning in January and childcare is provided.

God has poured His blessings on every one of us. They come because He isgood and He sees us wrapped up in His beloved Son. The greatest mystery andour greatest hope in this life is that we are in Christ—a people chosen for Hispraise.

God bless us every one! Donna

IInnssiiddee TThhiiss IIssssuueeConnection Corner Page 2

A Heart of Wisdom Page 3

Walking Worthy Page 4

Walking Worthy Page 5

A Mother’s Heart Page 6

Devotion to God Page 7

Reaching Out Page 8

Heart of the Home Page 9

The Far {out} Side Page 10

God Bless Us Every One! by Donna GrahamIIssssuuee 1177

The Titus 2 TimesTTiittuuss 22::33--55

EEvveennttss && AAccttiivviittiieessLadies’ Bible Study

Tuesdays, 9:30 AM or 6:30 PMSee information on this page.

Sewing Seeds (Quilting Ministry) Thursdays, 9:30–11:30 AM, Room 17

For more information, check the weekly bulletin or call thechurch office at 597-1133.

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Connection Corner

You are invited to join the Women of Calvary Bible study classes which resume on Tuesday, January 10, morning andevening. The following studies are available:

Jonah by Priscilla Shirer (AM and PM): What do we do when God interrupts our lives? When Jonah was willing to allowGod to interrupt his life, the result was revival in an entire city. Priscilla shares the truth of Jonah’s story in dynamic weeklyteachings and homework designed to apply God’s Word to our own life situations.

Precepts—Hebrews Part 2 (AM only): Ever wondered how the New Testament connects to the Old? This fascinating studyof Hebrews 5–13 explains relationships between the two covenants, the earthly and heavenly tabernacles, and the sacrifices ofanimals and the Son of Man. See how Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets and became our great High Priest. (This studyis three semesters long and will last through April 2013.)

Precepts—1 John (PM only): How do you know if you’re really born again? What does it mean to be holyKto love God?Find answers to these and other questions as you take a look back at the fundamentals of Christian belief.

Authentic Intimacy (PM only): In Authentic Intimacy we will study both God's design for sexual intimacy in marriage and thepainful realities of our fallenness. We will seek God's view of who we are as wives and how the Lord calls us to pursue inti-macy. This study is about more than sex in marriage; it is about our Redeemer who has come to restore all that the enemy hasstolen and twisted. (Authentic Intimacy is offered only on Tuesday evenings as a pilot study taught by Juli Slattery and LindaDillow and class space is limited.)

Please register by January 4. Late registrants will be charged a late fee.

If you’ve been wishing you had a way to reachout and serve others with the love of Christ, hereare some opportunities to check out.

His Hands His Feet(a helps ministry by women for women) To those who are alone or need encourage-ment, a short visit, a ride to an appointment,or other help. For more information, contactDiane Hanyok at hanyokfam@comcast.net

Rocky Mountain Meals(formerly Food for Thought)Providing meals for those in need due to cir-cumstances such as hospitalization, a death inthe family, or a prolonged illness. All informa-tion and requests are handled online. Deliv-ered meals can be homemade or store bought.For more information, contact Jen Yoder:jen.yoder@hotmail.com

Bible Studies Resume in January

What inexpressible charm seems to en-circle some Christians, simply becausethey carry upon their pure countenanceand gentle spirit the imprint of the cross!

Streams in the Desertby Mrs. Charles Cowen

SSeerrvviinngg iinn LLoovvee

Undoubtedly, my two favorite divine subjects are heaven and grace. Heaven is where I belong and grace is where I live now, here onearth, under God’s magnificent counsel. Grace is all about love, the love of God and my responsibility to love others.

What if there is someone in your life who is unlovable? As I turn my eyes away from some-one’s sin, am I giving grace or abusing grace? I must admit to you today that I am conflicted.When someone is involved in hurting another person, either physically or emotionally, I feelless able to befriend that person, less able to give grace to them. They have stepped over theline of sin by hurting another human being. As others around me accept the abusive personinto their homes and socialize with her, I grow weary of the call for grace. Should I still social-ize with this reprobate or drop her like a hot potato? After all, I Corinthians 5:13 says to“expel the wicked man from among you.” However, who isn’t wicked? Thus, I will have toexpel all of you from my life, including myself! Oh, bother.

I guess this scenario is what causes me to realize that grace gives us freedom to choose, yet responsibility to seek God’s will for eachsituation in our lives. What is God saying to me in this case? God knows all that goes on in the world at all times. He will direct me to actin accordance with His magnificent will in every situation. That’s what I believe living by grace is all about—waiting on a daily basis forHis direction in my life. I can’t control what others will do with their lives, but I can seek guidance from the Lord to determine my ownreaction to others. I can speak the truth in love. Forgiving unconditionally, the way Jesus has forgiven me, is one key to moving forward.Loving a person while not loving their open sin isn’t easy when this wickedness repulses me. To God all sin is repulsive, and yet, He hasdivine love for all of us sinners, regardless of our iniquity. Now that’s grace.

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Gals, if you are acquainted with a woman who is living a promiscuouslifestyle, please kindly let her know—maybe by means of an anonymousnote or a loving face-to-face conversation—it’s just not worth it! We’veheard the world tell us to be self-seeking: If you want it, get it; if it feelsgood, do it; as long as you use a condom, no problem; a woman has thefreedom to do whatever she wants with her body, and the list goes on.

This isn’t anything new, by the way. In possibly the earliest writings afterChrist’s crucifixion, James 3:15 says, “This wisdom does not descend fromabove, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.” Unfortunately, the consequencesof now following that path can bring heartache and brokenness, as well asphysical and mental devastation, years down the road of life.

Not only in the book of James but also in the balance of the New Testa-ment, the Word of God gives all His wisdom and guidance. Here are just afew examples:

Romans 13:13 “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry anddrunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not in strife and envy.”

2 Corinthians 12:21 Paul is so concerned about the lifestyle of these Chris-tians, he writes “...and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before andhave not repented of uncleanness, fornication, and licentiousness whichthey have practiced.”

Ephesians 5:3 “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, letit not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints.”

1 Peter 4:3 “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing thewill of the Gentiles—when we walked in licentiousness, lusts...”

Our Creator knows us inside and out, and He tells us to “Flee sexual im-morality. Every sin that a man (or woman) does is outside his (her) body,

but he (she) who commits sexual immorality sins against his (her) ownbody.” (1 Corinthians 6:18) In verse 15 of the same chapter, the question isasked “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”

When something is of great value to us, we will take extensive measuresto protect it. We will handle it with a gentle touch, have a special place tokeep it, perhaps even under lock and key. We’ll ensure that it’s dusted orcleaned, and we won’t just pass it off to any person who happens along. Ifwe’re not careful with our treasure, it could get lost, stolen, or damaged.Even if it’s just handled excessively, it can become worn out. If we don’tcare for and protect such a valuable item, we will not be able to enjoy it ifit’s been damaged, or we may not have it at all.

Sexual purity is of the utmost value. Be assured, the ways of the worldjust aren’t worth the cost. However, the ways of the Lord are of immeasur-able worth!

It’s Just Not Worth It by Ann Onymous

Abuse of Grace? by Jan Hogan

What shall we say then? Arewe to continue in sin that

grace may abound? By nomeans! How can we whodied to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:1–2 NIV

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What are the things in your life today that you will one daylook back upon fondly and maybe even miss?

What times, activities, and events in your past do you remem-ber as sweet memories? Sure, there are those really great mo-ments—graduation, marriage, the birth of a child, getting amuch-desired job, exciting vacations, and more. But stop andthink: If you do a brief mental recap of your life, what reallystands out?

Often I find myself longing for times from the past. In ret-rospect, they seem so sweet, so peaceful, so wonderful. Butsometimes those weren’t the best of times while I was experienc-ing them. I think we can all look back with rose-colored glassesinto our history. But what if you flip that perspective around?What if you look at your life today and consider the things, thepeople, and the activities that might even drive you crazy rightnow, but one day, may be that for which you long?

It started in the Garden—the woman longed for the onething she wasn’t allowed. It didn’t matter that everything elsewas within her grasp—she was convinced that what she hadwasn’t enough. She needed something else. Some things don’tchange much, do they? How often do we long for high schoolto end so we can go to college or move on into the workworld? Then we want to graduate or get that promotion or adifferent job. Soon, it’s the lack of a husband. Or maybe chil-dren. Once we have those, we can’t wait until our children areout of diapers. Then in school. Then out of school.

But each step of the way, isn’t there something a little sadabout what you no longer have? The carefree days of schoolgive way to the nine-to-five grind at a job that isn’t as fulfillingas you thought. The amazing husband God brought you doesn’thold the door for you all the time and he leaves his dirty sockson the floor. The child out of diapers doesn’t want to snugglein your lap anymore. The one headed off to school each dayleaves a void in the home. The teenager isn’t interested in hug-

ging or talking to you. Suddenly you find yourself wishing backthose good old days. Too often, we spend our time wishing ourtime away. But for what? Even if we’re looking for somethingdifficult to be gone, it might be that once it’s passed, we’ll seehow much the time meant to us, how close we were to theLord, and how we grew as a family.

Monday rolls around and we can’t wait for Friday. Thursdayarrives and we wonder what happened to our week. It neverends.

Unless our perspective changes.

What if we could learn to live—fully alive and engaged—em-bracing each moment of the day? What if we see each day as abeautiful gift to unwrap from our loving Heavenly Father?What if we stop wishing for another day, another time, anotheranything? Granted, we are to look forward to the return ofChrist. But beyond that, I think we need to stop all this wish-ing our lives away.

Perhaps I’m feeling a little reminiscent because my oldest sonrecently turned 18. My youngest turned 16 earlier this year. I’llbe 50 next year. I remember when people used to tell me howfast my kids would grow up, how quickly time would fly past.But when I had two in diapers, I couldn’t even begin to imaginethat reality. They had no idea what they were talking about.They weren’t juggling two little ones, a full-time job, a hus-band, and a home. What did they know?

Turns out they knew a lot!

I want to look at my life today knowing I have no promise oftomorrow, nor to even make it to sleep in my bed tonight, orfinish typing this, for that matter. What will I look back uponwith sweet memories from these days? Rather than wait to ap-preciate them later, why not immerse myself in them with grat-itude here and now?

Today’s Memories by Dianne Godwin

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Convenient Life by Melissa LindellI really think that sometimes I have the slowest wit of anyone I

know. I am serious. I am usually the last to get jokes. I can never comeup with anything witty to say on the fly, and sometimes things are outof my mouth before I’ve had a chance to process them—meaning I saysome pretty hilariously dumb things. My husband and I seem to havea lot of those to laugh about recently.

But one area where I have especially noticed this is in the modernconveniences I enjoy in my life—and what happens when they are nolonger available to me! Last year, our garage door opener broke. Ithappened as I was getting ready to leave for the day, and when Ifound it would not go up, I nearly panicked. How on earth was I goingto go anywhere with my car trapped in the garage? My husband wason a business trip and couldn’t advise me! How was I going to get any-where or pick up my kids from school? I quickly Googled a garagedoor repair man. Oh thank goodness, he could be here within a fewhours. And when he did get here, the first thing he did was…manuallyraise up the garage door. Um, oh right. It actually is possible to oper-ate a garage door even if the electric opener is malfunctioning.

I wish I could say after that I was cured of such brain lapses when itcame to my illogical reliance on modern conveniences. But sadly,there’s more.

About a month ago, my electric toothbrush’s battery light beganflashing. I knew it was time to charge it, but for whatever reason, Ikept putting it off. So one night as I began to brush my teeth, the bat-tery died and vibrations stopped. Don’t judge me, but for a very splitsecond my mind DID ask the question, “Now, how am I going tobrush my teeth?” Okay, luckily my smarts kicked in about a secondlater, and I realized that I could still…drumroll, please…move thebrush back and forth across my teeth.

Okay, just one more. Last week our microwave broke. And that firstmorning, I did actually wonder how I was going to warm up leftoverswithout it. Of course, it slowly dawned on me that I still have a stoveand an oven, both perfectly capable of warming things (and probablyhealthier, too).

Anyone out there ever done something like this, too? Tell me, so Idon’t feel as alone!

But all this has got me thinking. In each of these cases, I needed togo back to the basics. (After all, I think I remember a time before myfamily had a microwave!) I wonder what other things in my life Imight be dependent on, that really shouldn’t be a big deal to elimi-nate? Modern conveniences are funny examples, but is there anythingdeeper in my life where I should go back to the basics more often thanI do?

How about being with my loved ones? Can we just be together andtalk and interact, without additional glitzy entertainment like movies,video games, and great food? Can I just sit down with nothing but myBible to enjoy time with the Lord, seeking Him, talking to Him, hav-ing fellowship with Him? Or am I reliant on additional tools, studies,books? When I go to worship the Lord in song, am I able to worshipwhether or not it’s my style? Trust me, I am a huge fan of movies, en-tertainment, yummy food at gatherings, devotional books, and ourrockin’ worship band at church! But I find that when I come to rely onthose things for my basic soul needs, I am not satisified—and then amunable to still my heart, be at peace, and enjoy the simple things inlife. True satisfaction comes only from God and wholly from God—nothing else.

I speak out of experience on most everything I mentioned above.One example is that my ability to worship the Lord with song used tobe very dependent on the style of those leading. I seemed to focus onlyon what I didn’t like. I am so thankful that the Lord has freed me fromthat and given me the ability to worship Him, no matter what, when,or where.

So next time I find myself in a situation of going back to the basics—whether funny or meaningful—I will be thankful I have the opportu-nity to quiet my heart and soul, and just sit still for awhile. Remem-ber, as our sister Corrie ten Boom said, “You never know that Jesus isall you need until He’s all you have.”

A colleague and I were discussing how it’d been quitesome time since we’d had such a lovely Colorado fall.The warm weather, nice breezes, beautiful blue sky, andall the amazing colors on the trees all the way into No-vember made for such a wonderful season this year.

Fall is a time when farmers reap the benefits of thecrops they have sown for the year. It is a time to gathertheir harvest that is the result of their sowing good seedin good soil and nurturing over time what has beenplanted. I was reminded by the Lord that what we sowand how we plant is important and determines what ourharvest will be, what we will reap. And then He took meto a verse that I hadn’t read in a long time, and franklyforgot about. It says, “And let us not grow weary while

doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do notlose heart.” Galatians 6:9

This is one of the wonderful promises from God that isours as daughters of our faithful Father. This promise tobelievers encourages us to stay faithful even when weare spiritually, physically, and emotionally worn out bythis thing called life. It calls us to NOT GIVE UP. Whatwe have sown, which is hopefully good, is the harvestwe will reap. We are all in different seasons of life rightnow and the winds of change are blowing, but our confi-dence and comfort are in the fact that Jesus remainssteadfast and His Word will not return void (see Isaiah55:11). Are you ready for your harvest?

Reaping Your Harvest by Michelle Leggett

AA MMootthheerr’’ss HHeeaarrtt

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We recently got a kitten, and my biggest fear was that he wouldnot use his litter box, but have accidents all over the house (we'vehad kittens before so we know the dangers!). Happily, he tookright to the box. However, every morning while I'm engaging inthe unpleasant task of scooping it out, Durango chooses just thatmoment to use the box, making the chore even harder! So I say tohim, "Durango, I'm glad you use your box, but you sure do havelousy timing!"

Lousy timing...that phrase coming out of my own mouth gaveme pause, because I realized how often I have had lousy timingwith my kids and with my husband. For example, correcting kids isa good thing. It's one way that they learn. But often I chose to cor-rect them during a heated moment: when they’ve spilled their foodall over the floor, have embarrassed me in public, or were upsetover something that only their young hearts and minds under-stood. A child's ability to learn heart lessons about behavior duringa time of conflict or high emotion is ZERO in my opinion.Here's something to remember: the louder and more emotive wetalk, the less our kids hear! Yet, in those times when I acted morewisely, and corrected and taught my kids after the incident and

when everyone was calm, their hearts were open to my instruction.They learned lessons that would help them be motivated from theinside, as opposed to merely externally and not from the heart. Itwas a time when we could talk about the whys of behavior, andtherefore, when they could embrace convictions of their own.

It's the same principle with a spouse or other close relationship.Timing is everything when it comes to effective communicationthat leads to heartfelt changes. I'm an impulsive person by nature,but that doesn't excuse those times when I have a poor sense oftiming.

Proverbs 15:28 says, "The heart of the righteous ponders how toanswer..."

The word ponder is defined in my dictionary as "to weigh in themind; to reflect upon." Pondering brings about words that arespoken at the right time.

Avoid lousy timing. Cats don't know much about timing (savemaybe in catching mice and bugs), but God has given us humansthe ability to ponder and to use good timing to help our kids learnlessons of the heart that will stay with them for life.

Bad Timing by Bev Linder

Recently, I sat down and had a heart-to-heart talk with my daughter. "Honey," I said, "You're not dating any boys yet, but some day soonyou are going to be interested in boys. And boys are going to be interested in YOU. I want you to start thinking and have some ideas beforeyou start meeting guys. Think about what your priorities are, who you would want to hang around with for a really long time, how you want tobe treated—what kind of man and life you want to look at every day when you wake up.

You may not marry the first guy you date, but you will marry a guy you date. So make dating important to you, not just something you tripthrough, even while you're young. If a fellow comes into your circle at school or church, have your list ready and in the back of your mind. It'seasy for him to say anything he wants. However, here are some things you will be able to see very quickly when you hang out with him.

• Does he love the Lord? (Every Christian mother's first and foremost question, true?) Is his relationship with Jesus important to him? Doeshe go to church just because YOU are there, or does he come to grow in the Lord? If he does everything else right but his heart isn't toward theLord, it will end up breaking YOUR heart.

• Does he treat you as though you are smart and beautiful and wanted? Does he treat you that way only when other people are around to see,or even when no one is there to hear it? He does not have to be a perfect Prince Charming all day, every day, but is he kind to you the majorityof the time?

• How does he treat others? Is he nice and well mannered toward other people most of the time?Does he anger easily—does he act out quickly and then apologize to others a lot? Do you want to re-ceive apologies often or to be treated kindly often? Watch, especially, how he treats his mother.She has been the main woman in his life for many years. If you marry him, YOU will be the mainwoman in his life. He will probably treat you much like he treats her.

• Is he motivated to do well? Does he give effort toward his schooling and work? Is his attitudepositive, or does he complain about having to be responsible? How does he spend his time? Hedoesn't have to have straight As or have a million-dollar job, but you want someone who does hisbest and isn't afraid of work. Truth is, life is full of work!

• Finally, please know that it's okay to leave a dating situation with a guy who is not fitting the bill.If he is not nice to you or others, or you have a big disagreement on things that are important toyou, it's all right to say, "I'm getting out of this." It's so much easier to look for these things andidentify them while you are friends or dating. Once you are married, your lives are intertwined.

Moms, it's never too early to begin equipping our daughters to be able to identify priorities forthemselves. They should know what is important and necessary for their own behavior and for thepeople that they allow into their hearts. Some day, some guy is going to think she is wonderful—give her the framework to help her decide if she wants to spend her life with him!

A Mother’s Advice by Jennie Graham

DDeevvoottiioonn ttoo GGoodd

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A person viewing the sky on a dark, cloudless night away from city lightssees about 2,500 stars visible to the naked eye from any location on earth.This number is a tiny fraction of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy which

is estimated to have from 200billion to 400 billion stars.Now consider one of thenewest studies in astronomythat suggests scientists havepreviously underestimated thenumber of stars in the observ-able universe. The new studycalculates that there are 300sextillion stars or three times as

many as scientists previously thought. That is a 3 followed by 23 zeros, or3 trillion times 100 billion—a number that is very nearly unimaginable.

On October 31, 2011, the world’s population officially reached the 7 bil-lion mark. To put this into context, in 1800 there were 1 billion people onearth. By 1927, the number of people had reached 2 billion; in 1959 therewere 3 billion; by 1974, 4 billion; by 1987, 5 billion; and by 1999 there were6 billion people on the planet. There are 50 trillion cells in the averagehuman body. Multiply 50 trillion cells by 6 billion people and the sum is300 sextillion. This is a very odd coincidence when trying to grasp thenewly estimated number of stars in the observable universe. Consideringhow many stars God has made and named in the universe even beyondwhat we can observe and study, the number of people on earth is a reallysmall number.

All of this interesting trivia leads to the conclusion that the more tech-nology man has at hand to explore, observe, and discover, the more incred-ible God’s glory and power are as proclaimed by His wonderful, amazing,big (really big!) creation.

It is possible and very likely that one small individual can feel a little lostand insignificant standing among seven billion people on earth in a uni-

verse with 300 sextillion stars. Yet, God makes a special point of telling usHe sees each individual growing from just two tiny cells and being knit to-gether in our mother’s womb. He knows each one from before time,choosing each individual for His special purpose. He destines each one torelate to Him face to face through His Son Jesus who died for each individ-ual’s sin. God is personal. All creation cries “Holy!” but God’s power andlove are laser focused on each and every heart. God is the heavenly andholy Father, Creator of a vast universe who knows every person intimatelyand calls them by name, wooing each heart to Himself by His kindness.

Despite the wonder of the night sky, God turns His back on that whichproclaims His glory to rejoice and sing over each repentant soul. Neverfeel insignificant or lost to God, but rather feel special and loved by Himwho so treasures you that He gave His only Son so that He could knowyou for all eternity.

Read and study the following:

Isaiah 43:1 (substitute the name of Israel with yours) and Isaiah 49:15–16In whom do you place your trust and why?

Psalm 8:1–4 and Isaiah 41:13In what way does God specifically care for you, and what is your response?

Psalm 86:8–10 and Isaiah 45:22–23To whom do all nations belong, and to whom does God answer personallyand lovingly?

Psalm 113 and Psalm 121In what ways do you see the greatness of God in the small things He doesfor you?

Psalm 147:4–6 and Isaiah 40:25–26Take every opportunity to look into the night sky. Never forget that Godhas named every star and that His creation goes beyond what you can ob-serve, and not one is missing. His power and majesty are fully capable oftaking care of each soul on earth.

Each One by Cathy Herzberg

The first snow of the season is softly falling outside my office window asI write this. Although it certainly looks like winter right now, those of uswho have been in Colorado for awhile know that winter isn’t really hereyet. We know because the snow is collecting on branches still holding ontogolden aspen leaves. And we know because the weather forecasters prom-ise the return of seventy-degree temperatures by next week. But the snowsends a message of what’s to come. It tells us we are now between sea-sons—and reminds us to stop and celebrate the beauty in the between.

Earlier today I went out to take photos of snow on flower boxes stillbursting with petunias in full bloom and pumpkins donning snowy hatsrather than jack-o-lantern faces. What pleasure we take in such unexpecteddisplays of beauty!

A Facebook friend posted about the “brilliant play of the morning sunagainst the red-gold maple leaves on our tree.” He said it was as dazzling asit was fleeting and dubbed it one of those “you must be present to win”events of life. I had a similar experience early one morning. The sunriseturned the mountain near our house a brilliant pink, but I turned to waterone pot, turned back around, and there wasn’t a trace of pink left. It was aperfectly beautiful moment between night and day that I was blessed to see.

If only we could see the beauty in all the other betweens in our lives. Awriter friend of mine is between jobs and anxious to get on with her ca-

reer. Meanwhile, her blogentries have been poignantand deep, rich with encour-agement for her readers asshe learns to appreciate thebeauty in the between,waiting on the Lord to or-chestrate her next move.

Henry Blackaby, writingin his classic book Experi-encing God, speaks to thepurpose of the between. “As you seek to know and obey God’s will,” hewrites, “you must wait to proceed until you clearly understand what Godwants you to do and how He wants you to do it.”

We can feel stuck when we find ourselves between a clear calling fromGod and the full disclosure of what His plans entail. But there’s purpose inactively, prayerfully waiting—beauty in the between. May we always haveeyes to see it.

Nancy Parker Brummett is an author and freelance writer in ColoradoSprings. You can Like her author page on Facebook or learn more about herlife and work at www.nancyparkerbrummett.com.

First Snow by Nancy Parker Brummett

RReeaacchhiinngg OOuutt

I remember one night three years ago as I cried out to God from my barred bedroom window, “Lord, I miss You. I miss the splendor of Your majesty.I miss Your creation; the majestic mountains, the fresh air, the beautifully detailed flowers, the deer and birds. God I miss the stars. I feel so far from Youbecause I cannot see You.”

I had recently moved from a cute, cozy mountain home nestled in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Col-orado to a large, bustling city in Mexico where I now share walls with my neighbors, and curtains (and bars)are a necessity. I longed for my old life of comfort, ease, and the familiar. I was face to face with two cul-tures I didn’t know and people with whom I could hardly communicate. I felt rejection, loneliness, and dis-couragement. As the tears left my eyes, God gently spoke to me, “Heather, My creation is all around you.The earth and the things of it are hay and stubble, and one day this earth will be destroyed. Look around, Ihave made man in My own image. Heather, love My people; they are My creation.”

Love people? People aren’t beautiful like the flowers. People aren’t innocent like the deer and birds. Peopleare self-centered and sinful, like me. Could I see and feel God through loving others?

For the past three years our family has been living in Chihuahua City, working with indigenous Tarahumara familiesthrough a program we’ve named LightShine. In this program, a Tarahumara ghetto in the city is adopted by a church inthe U.S. This allows each child in the program to receive nutritional meals, Bible classes, reading and social-emotionalclasses, and other skills-based teaching. But just as importantly, it allows children, moms, and dads to be immersed inGod’s love through a full-time missionary team and through the love of their sponsors in the U.S. LightShine began in asingle Tarahumara ghetto, and then expanded into a second ghetto about a year ago that has been adopted by our churchbody at RMC. Through the Tarahumara, God is teaching me, little by little, how to live the most excellent way as we readabout in I Corinthians 13.

The most excellent way refers to love. Of all the gifts and functions of the body of Christ, to love is above them all. Thegreatest commandment speaks of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as our-selves. God is love. If we love God and abide with him, He is in us. What better tool can we have than Love Himself liv-ing in us?

I am slowly beginning to understand the depth of this simple yet difficult taskGod has given me, to love His people.

Now, I sometimes look out my bedroom window and still long for the thingsof my past. But my heart never stays there too long because I begin to thinkabout Marcela, the Tarahumara mother whose smile is as big as Texas, or littleBryan, whose toes peek out of his shoes, Krystal who used to eat under thetable like an animal, or young Angel who has declared his commitment to be-coming a preacher! Showing love to others is a privilege. Sharing God is a joy.

God is giving me eyes like His. I am beginning to love His creation againthrough His people. Every day I experience the splendor of His majesty throughthe uniqueness of each of His people, I hear Him in the songs they sing, and Ican see the numerous blessings like stars that He has given each one of us. Nowwhen I see His creation, I see Him.

Dear sisters in the body of Christ, live in the most excellent way—live in love. See His creation—His people—and marvel at His glory.

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Loving God’s Creation by Heather Nickerson

The Nickerson Family

HHeeaarrtt ooff tthhee HHoommee

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Directions:1. Prepare pancake batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, bakingpowder, and salt. Whisk in milk, oil, and egg, just until batter is moistened;a few small lumps are fine. (You can also use your own pancake recipe.)

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Scoop thefilling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remainsuper-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and cream cheese untilmelted. Whisk together until smooth. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanillaextract; set aside.

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray.Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your bag-gie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pan-cake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with athin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutesmore. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven untilready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pan-cake.

Tips:*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flipthem until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with awide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and fillingdripping all over the place!*It's best if you pour the batter onto your skillet, wait a minute or so andthen swirl the cinnamon onto the batter. That'll give it a chance to set a lit-tle before you add the swirl.*If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the mi-crowave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, itshouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. Ifit's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once youmicrowave it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for awhile until it thick-ens slightly.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Yield: 4-6 servingsPrep Time: 25 minCook Time: 10 min

An absolutely decadent morning treat!

Ingredients:PANCAKES: 1 cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup milk1 Tablespoon canola oil 1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:1/2 cup butter, melted3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE (opt):4 Tablespoons butter2 ounces cream cheese3/4 cup powdered sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

When people arrive at your home, whether family orfriends, stop what you are doing to greet them with en-thusiasm. Listen for your husband to return home eachday and make his arrival an event. Problems can waituntil later—make his homecoming warm and pleasant.

When people leave your home, walk them to thedoor or driveway. Wish them well on their journey orwith their day. These simple acts convey the fact thatpeople are important to you.

Manners Matter

CCoommmmaass SSaavvee LLiivveessLLeett’’ss eeaatt GGrraannddppaa!!

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LLeett’’ss eeaatt,, GGrraannddppaa!!

A friendly reminder from your newsletter editors.

TThhee FFaarr {{oouutt}} SSiiddee

Some people might call it a dream, some a nightmare. All I knowis that when I woke up, I was gasping for air and really hungry forSwedish meatballs. And I don’t even like meatballsK

In this dream/nightmare of mine, our church had been taken overbyKthe über-cool and ever-trendy Scandinavian superstore IKEA.

And they’d made a few changes in the process.

1. First off, they’d changed our name to the IKEA HändelserKapell, the IKEA Events Chapel.

2. At the grand opening, traffic backed up for miles in every direc-tion, even with the special overpass that took drivers straight fromthe interstate to the parking lot.

3. To really kick things off, the grand opening was scheduled forBlack Friday. Forget the ”C” and ”E” Christians. ”BF” was the newChristmas service, followed closely by ”DAC-BAE” (Day afterChristmas-Bright and Early).

4. Hoards of people camped out by the entrance days before theopening. Tents, tailgate parties, and porta-potties were scatteredthroughout the parking lot.

5. The number of ushers had quadrupled. They were everywherenow, and were easily identifiable by their neon orange vests. Theydoubled as parking attendants, cleaned up after the tailgate parties,and moved porta-potties around, depending on which way the windwas blowing that day. They were a tight-knit, orange force of na-ture; the true rock stars of the church.

6. Once inside, congregants were treated to IKEA’s "one-way" traf-fic flow, leading them along "the long, natural way" designed to en-courage them to see the church in its entirety before finding theirdestination. While the showrooms were quite impressive, somepeople complained of “lost in a corn maze on a 102 degree day”trauma. Others grew weary and simply collapsed.

7. The hearty ones who did make it into the sanctuary were quicklyput to work, self-assembling their own seating. The showrooms hadgiven them great vision for this task, but the weekly building projecttook up so much of the service time that the church switched from“verse-by-verse teaching” to simply, “verse.”

8. Not everyone was thrilled with that change, or with their really,really, REALLY low self-assembled chairs. This proved disastrousfor the less-than-nimble folks who couldn’t quickly spring to theirfeet from 13” off the floor. The pastor’s call to “please stand” rangout as a mocking jeer over the sanctuary, “Still procrastinatingabout scheduling that knee replacement surgery? Who’s sorrynow?” and, “You say it’s the fortieth week of your pregnancy? Manup!”

9. The ushers roamed constantly, assisting those stuck in their lowchairs or lacking basic carpentry skills. Prayer groups formed allover the sanctuary, women and men crying out loudly andunashamedly.

10. Over the bedlam of the weeping and power tools, there waswhimpering, howling and gnashing of teeth, because now (Thanks,IKEA!) people were free to bring their pets into the sanctuary.

11. Ushers in orange vests cleaned up after these pets. The petsalso wore orange vests.

12. Pets and their people darted about, searching for a place toput their self-assembled seats. This led to church territorial splitsunlike anything seen since the days of Abraham and Lot, and we allknow how THAT ended upK

13. The dogs helped mark these territories. Ushers in orange vestscleaned up.

14. When the service ended, everyone was ready to go home andkick off their tool belts and leashes, but navigating towards an exitwas akin to the Israelites wandering for 40 years in the wilderness.People wandered and circled, hot and saw-dusty, for the good por-tion of an hour saying things like, “Didn’t we just pass thatusher/pastor/poodle a few moments ago?”

15. There was no finding a bathroom for man or beast in a reason-able amount of time.

16. Ushers in orange vests cleaned up.

17. Ushers turned in their orange vests.

18. Then things really got crazy.

Yikeskea by Lisa Dorman

This newsletter is a publication of the Women’s Ministry at Rocky Mountain Calvary.Through it, we seek to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are interested in writingfor or assisting with the printing of this newsletter, please contact our office at 719-597-1133 or visit our website at www.rmcalvary.org.

All scripture is New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.