Happy New Year!

O Time, how few thy value weigh,
How few will estimate a day!
Days, months, and years are rolling on,
The soul neglected -- and undone.

In painful cares, or empty joys,
Our life its precious hours destroys;
While death stands watching at our side,
Eager to stop the living tide.

Was it for this, ye mortal race,
Your Maker gave you here a place?
Was it for this his thoughts design'd
The frame of your immortal mind?

For nobler cares, for joys sublime,
He fashioned allt he sons of time;
Then let us every day give heed,
To God, ourselves, and time to yield.

Dona Milliken 10/23/38 -- 12/10/06

A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, in New Life Church in West Linn for Dona Marie Milliken, who went to be with her Lord on Dec. 10 at age 68.

Dona was married to George Milliken. She was active in the church years ago before she suffered so extensively from Huntington's disease. Her memorial service will be a celebration of the gospel and of her life.

Christmas at New Life Church Riverfalls

Christmas Eve was a delightful Sunday. . . as long as you weren't Mary, Joseph or an Angel. Here are some of the highlights:

Read Your Bible in 2007

Here is collection of Bible Reading Plans. Not only there are a number of plans, you can pace yourself so you can be successful. If you'd like you can read the Bible in many translations and/or languages! You can also have your selection emailed to you as a reminder or to read right on your computer.

Here is yet another plan that lets you read from a different part of the Bible each day and finish in a year.

New Year's Resolution -- Learn a Language!

There Were Shepherds In The Fields. . .

I hope you had a blessed Christmas. Here are a couple of my sources for my message Sunday.

The Truth About Shepherds
And there were in the same country … a bunch of dirty, thieving nomads.
by Wynne S. Gillis

Shepherds in Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-20)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

Atlas Tours Photos

The Herodium

Angel's Song

Shepherds, rejoice; lift up your eyes
And send your fears away;
News from the region of the skies,
Salvation's born today.

Jesus, the God, whom angels fear,
Comes down to dwell with you;
Today he makes his entrance here,
But not as monarchs do.

No gold, nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal shining things;
A manger for his cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.

Go, shepherds, where the infant lies,
And see his humble throne;
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go, shepherds, kiss the Son.

Thus Gabriel sang -- and straight around
the heav'nly armies throng;
They tune their harps to lofty sound,
And thus conclude the song:

Glory to God, who reigns above,
Let peace surround the earth;
Mortals shall know their Marker's love
At their Redeemer's birth.

The Meaning of Christmas

John Piper gives some ideas about how to talk about the meaning of Christmas.

New Year's Eve Prayer Time

The Lord has done great things for us this year. Let's spend some time at the end of the year thanking him for his provision and protection. And, let's not neglect to ask Him for His blessing on 2007.

Join us at New Life Church Riverfalls, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., on New Year's Eve, December 31st, for a time of corporate prayer. If you have a party to go to, they'll wait for you. If you need a party to go to, come and find one at the prayer event.

Christmas Bird

Does Census Rhyme with Miscellaneous?

The U.S. Census Bureau learns some pretty random things about us when they take a census. Here are some interesting factoids about Americans.

Christmas Fellowship

Last Weekend several families in our church hosted Home Fellowship Dinners. The picture to the left is at Rick and Margret Ohmies home. Rick said, "everyone enjoyed meeting new friends, good food, and fun conversations."

Fellowship Dinners happen about once a quarter at New Life Church. Be sure to keep a close eye on the bulletin for the next one this spring. You won't want to miss out on the fun!

Caution:

"You can't bluff an old theologian." -- Linus Van Pelt

Congratulations!

Matt Z. got his MBA Saturday. Congratulations!

Our expectations are high now!

A Prayer for Today

THE DIVINE WILL

O Lord,

I hang on thee;
I see, believe, live,
when thy will, not mine, is done;

I can plead nothing in myself
in regard of any worthiness and grace,
in regard of thy providence and promises,
but only thy good pleasure.

If thy mercy make me poor and vile,
blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs
are preparations for future mercies;

Help me to honour thee by believing before I feel,
for great is the sin if I make feeling a cause of faith.

Show me what sins hide thee from me
and eclipse thy love;

Help me to humble myself for past evils,
to be resolved to walk with more care,

For if I do not walk holily before thee,
how can I be assured of my salvation?

It is the meek and humble
who are shown thy covenant,
know thy will,
are pardoned and healed,
who by faith depend and rest upon grace,
who are sanctified and quickened,
who evidence thy love.

Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give what thou hast promised;

Strengthen me to pray with the conviction
that whatever I receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;

Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise
from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.

So shall I wait thy will,
pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.

The Divine Will, p.9, The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, Arthur Bennett, editor. ©The Banner of Truth Trust 1975, 2002

Make A Difference!

We need help with the final touches in our Nursery Renovation. The work is mostly done. The room must be cleaned and the furniture moved back in. And. . . Christmas is coming. Would you please consider finding an hour or two to come help on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.? You can make a big difference with a little effort. Thank you.

Thou Shalt Not Neglect The Bible!

Why do students need to study the Bible even though they don't believe? Here is my attempt to answer that question that was published today in the Oregonian.

Free Firewood!

A 100 foot hemlock toppled and landed smack dab in the middle of our beloved ex camper. It is no longer rectangular in shape, but has more of a airy squished trapezoidal look to it now. Frankly I am impress with the campers ability to hold up as well as it did given the tree fell from above off the hillside, and nailed it at its most powerful point of the fall, KA BAM! Dianne said she not only heard the tree come down, but felt it from across the street from our house. Me, I slept through it and woke up the next day with a new project. Oh well, you gotta love the great and beautiful Northwest. Never a dull moment, eh.

Would you post this pic and let people know if they want some hemlock firewood we have about two cords of it on top of our camper. I will be cutting it into 32 inch logs starting thrusday and should be done by Easter. :) Our number is 697-4876 and they can drive their rigs right up to the area to load.

Dave Froode

The Birth of Christ

Hark what mean those holy voices,
Sweetly sounding through the skies
Lo! th' angelic host rejoices,
Heav'nly hallelujahs rise.

Listen to the wondrous story,
Which they chant in hymns of joy;
"Glory, in the highest, glory!
Glory be to God most high!

"Peace on earth, good will from heav'n,
Reaching far as man is found;
Souls redeem'd, and sins forgiven,
Loud our golden harps shall sound.

"Christ is born, the great Anointed,
Heav'n and earth his praises sing!
O receive whom God appointed
For your Prophet, Priest and King!

"Hasten, mortals, to adore him,
Learn his name, and taste his joy
Till in heav'n ye sing before him,
Glory be to God most high!"

A Slow News Day

You know it's a slow day when. . .

Do You Spam God?

In this technology article in Christian Computing Magazine, Steve Hewitt asks an interesting question.

Project Angel Tree

Help is still needed to deliver gifts for Project Angel Tree gifts! Gifts will be ready next Sunday, December 17^th, and may be delivered anytime that week, December 17-24^th. Please contact Darcey Philpot at 503.656.7830 if you can help.

Christmas Choir @ New Life Church Riverfalls

If you'd like to sing in a choir on Christmas Eve Sunday morning, please be at these practices: Saturday, 12/16, @ 10:30 a.m. and Thursday, 12/22, @ 7:00p.m. or contact Marcia Reavely.

Christmas Services @ New Life Church

Children's Choir @ New Life Church Riverfalls

Any children interested in singing in the morning services on Christmas Eve at New Life Church Riverfalls please come to practice at the church, 10:00 a.m. the next three Saturdays. Contact Marcia Reavely with questions.

Singing in Church

This video of John Daker, originally aired in 1991 on a local cable access channel. It has reminded some people of my singing in church. Taylor has begged me to post ever since we first saw it. Maybe you'll want to sing along.

Attention Parents

If you're a parent of a middle school or high school student here at New Life Church, you are invited to a combined parent meeting next Wednesday, December 13th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Riverfalls campus (across the street from WLHS). Please take this opportunity to learn more about the youth ministry here at NLC and offer input that will allow us to partner more effectively in the development of your student.

Hope to see you there!

Eileen Ingham

A memorial service for Eileen (DiCenzo) Ingham (12/14/20 -- 12/2/06) will be held Thursday, December 7th, at 4:00 p.m. at New Life Church Riverfalls. Eileen had an interesting and full life. Many people still recall her active prayer list and I have been a grateful member of that list. She has not been an active part of the church for a while because she suffered with Alzheimers Disease for several years.

Bible Phrases in English

Did you know that these common English Phrases are from the Bible?

Reasons New Life Church Doesn't Have A Readerboard!

At Crummy Church Signs Dot Com they list hundreds of, well, crummy church signs. A short look at the site makes me soooooooo glad we don't have a sign that we need to continually fill with messages -- many, many bad ideas here!

What REALLY Happened on the High School Fall Retreat

You may have wondered where many of the high school students went the weekend before Thanksgiving and heard they were on a fall retreat. But what REALLY happened that weekend? The retreat was held at Trout Creek Bible Camp in beautiful Corbett, OR, and the weather could not have been better. The group had reign of the entire camp and enjoyed many adventurous activities like a "go" on the giant swing, scaling rock walls, and a death-defying jaunt down the zip line. Great indoor activities included basketball, carpet ball, pool, ping pong, air hockey, etc.

The group also came together for some wacky, intense, and meaningful times. Among the wacky were a dress-up music video performance by each of the four small groups and also a talent show which included some serious talent, crazy costumes, and a lot of laughs. Among the intense were a camp-wide scavenger hunt and a late night version of capture the flag, guys versus girls (that game ended in a draw with both sexes very equally matched in speed, cunning, and covertness). Finally, there were several meaningful times in God's word and in praise that have changed the face of the group. The effects of spending the weekend together for spiritual transformation has created a bond that more consciously looks out for those in the group.

Thanks for your prayers and continue to pray that the NLC high school group (Ignite Youth Ministries) ignites in high school students a genuine love for God and others that reaches out to a lost world through a changed life.

The Mover

O Supreme Moving Cause,

May I always be subordinate to thee,
be dependent upon thee,
be found in the path where thou dost walk,
and where thy Spirit moves,
take heed of estangement of thee,
of becoming insensible to thy love.

Thou dost not move men like stones,
but dost endue them with life,
not to enable them to move without thee,
but in submission to thee, the first mover.

O Lord, I am astonished at the difference between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness,
between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit.

Who made me to differ, but thee?
for I was no more ready to receive Christ then were others;

I could not have begun to love hee hadst thou not first loved me,
or been willing unless thou hadst first made me so.

O that such a crown whould fit the head of such a sinner!
such high advancement be for an unfruitful person!
such joys for so vile a rebel!

Infinite wisdom cast the design of salvation into the mould of purchase and freedom;

Let the wrath deserved be written on the door of hell,
But the free gift of grace on the gate of heaven.

I know that my sufferings are the result of my sinning,
but in heaven both shall cease;

Grant me to attain this haven and be done with sailing,
and may the gales of they mercy blow me safely into harbour,

Let thy love draw me nearer to thyself,
wean me from sin, mortify me to this world,
and make me ready for my departure hence.

Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this stormy sea.


-- The Valley of Vision

December Missionaries of the Month

Skip and Ruth Sorensen -- Uganda:

Primary Ministry Focus
Training pastors and church workers to establish and strengthen churches.

The People
Primarily the Bakiga and Banyankole tribal groups of Western Uganda, which together comprise one of the largest language groups in Uganda. Hard-working farmers and cattle raisers, they are warm, hospitable people who are hungry for spiritual understanding and open to the gospel.

Major Challenges
The difficulty of working with diverse language groups in a wide geographical area.

Prayer Focus
• Pray that the pastors and church leaders will mature spiritually and acquire skills to disciple the church members.
• Pray for the hearts of the believers here to be strengthened and drawn closer to God.
• Continue to pray for Stan as he’s away from home at boarding school in Kenya.

Audrey Sorensen -- Rwanda:

Primary Ministry Focus
Audrey is in Rwanda serving with WorldVenture ministering to children (mostly between ages of 5 and 16).

The People
The people in Rwanda have no or little knowledge of the Bible and cannot afford to buy a Bible of their own. The cost of a Bible there can feed a family for 3 weeks!

Prayer Focus
She just arrived this fall for a four year term. She is very excited to begin ministry and would appreciate your prayers.
• Getting connected with the locals
• Learning the language
• Endurance