God’s great love has been evident to me this past week. We were blessed to have a house filled with nieces and nephews from Vancouver, whom we haven’t much of these past nine years while in Oklahoma. I was blessed to be able to laugh and play with them. We were busy with jumping on the trampoline, which one of the nephews told me, “You are a professional jumper because you don’t fall down!”, wrestling on the couch, playing the Wii, and exploring the beach. I loved seeing their smiles and giving them hugs.

     We all received a wonderful gift of seeing and hearing our church. children sing about the birth of our Lord and Savior during our Christmas Sunday Worship last week. It was a blessing to see all the families who gathered together that morning. We finished our Christmas weekend in Newport. I am always humbled by the beauty and power of God as displayed in the crashing ocean waves. It was a blessing to be in a warm home with family with the constant view and sound of the ocean roar. God is mighty and in control of all creation. I am at peace knowing that God is in control of my life. The gifts keep coming and coming. The Lord is faithful.

     As the year is ending and another is beginning I am thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness. I am prayerful for many in our church family who are in need of healing: Jean, Clifford, Sue, Laurie, Laura, Mike, and Linda. Let us end and begin this year with praise, “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 117).

Bryan Johnston