Don't worry; the news reported that all landed safely, Santa just had a closer shave then normal!
So, its that wonderful time of the year. I love Christmas.
However, as I sit and write my Christmas blog entry I can't help thinking about friends and family afar.
Its not the easiest of Christmas' this year.
I want to remember my uncle Peter, cousins Gary and Michelle. Sadly for the family, we have recently lost my Auntie Maureen. To my uncle and family, please know that we feel deeply for you as you remember your wife and mother at this time.
Next to this I remember my Dad and his lovely wife Pat who I've grown very attached too over the years. Pat, sadly has been told that she has a cancerous tumor. This caner has been diagnosed as terminal; needless to say, such news has really knocked us all.
All this has come about so very quickly; Louise and I feel so desperately for both Pat and my dad. We want you guys to know that we love you and are lifting you both up in prayer.
Christmas can be so hard when we think about those we know and love who are suffering. Being away from large parts of my family is hard enough but to face up to such news just makes everything so much harder.
I can say that I'm not only feeling sadness at this time. I'm feeling very thankful to God for this past year that He has blessed me with.
Its a year that has seemed to have flown by but one that has been filled with great times.
I was able to fly back to the UK for a month earlier in the year where I saw loads of my family and friends; Louise and I had such a great time. It was just amazing to be able to enjoy fun times with those I love and care for so much.
But that's not all, my mum, now in her retirement, boarded a plane and spent seven weeks here in South Africa. When she rocked up in Port Elizabeth airport I was just so happy.
It was great to have her here and to be able to show her our beautiful home.
We managed to do so many fun things with her but the highlight remains a day that mum and I had all to ourselves, a day when we both road elephants; yes we both had a ride of a lifetime on the back of one of the most amazing animals God has created.
It was hard to have to say goodbye to my mum but my pain was soon replaced with a pain of a different kind. I was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack!!
Thankfully it was only a nasty stomach ulcer, but it was a massive scare to say the least.
I want to say that my new family here looked after me so well and I'm so thankful to God that I haven't only been blessed with a loving wife but also with a loving mother, father and gran-in-law (YOU GUYS ROCK).
Not all distractions are nice eh? Mum will be coming out to South Africa again, I hope for a less hard time when she has to leave!
What else can I share, well their is the exciting news about being called by my church. They have called me to be a student pastor.
This has opened the door up for be to be able to apply to the Baptist Union of South Africa to join their ministers list.
I had hoped to have had an interview by now but was told that I first had to do a module on Baptist Principles and History. I have done this and in doing so had to write the first exam I've written in some twenty five years! I passed though, YAY!!
Now, in the new year, I hope to be able to get on with having the interviews and finally get on the list.
You know, God knows what He is doing and both Louise and I continue to wait for His will to be done. In the mean time, we continue to learn, I continue to work through my studies and hope that one day soon, we will have even more opportunities to serve Him.
Christmas is often a time when people rush around trying to get that final gift. Its not quite like that here in Jeffrey's Bay. Life here tends to be a bit more chilled-out, Christmas is a little less driven by retail sales figures.
While I think about retail; we've seen some massive changes in our quite little seaside town.
We have our own shopping mall (yes, I too like shopping and spending, though these days we tend to do more window shopping!).
It is great for our town; the shopping mall is just on the fringe of Jeffrey's which means the town of Jeffrey's has still been able to keep hold of that small town feeling.
Louise and I are really enjoying the mall (we even have a McDonalds!); one of the things we enjoyed in the UK was being able to walk around places like Sutton together and having a nice cup of coffee somewhere. Such trips out have been missed by us both, but no more.
Ok, I'm conscience that this one entry is getting a little big. I've shared some of my highlights from the year, I think I will close now.
I want to close by saying a massive Merry Christmas to all who read my blog, to my friends and family both near and far; I love you all.
I can't finish without mentioning the most important part of Christmas for me; JESUS.
I recently preached a sermon at our evening service on celebrations. In my message I spoke about three different types of celebration:
1. The celebration in heaven that occurred when Jesus was born into our world.
2. The celebration of Communion.
3. The celebration that takes place in heaven when a sinner repents and turns to God.
We all love to celebrate don't we, particularly at Christmas time?
I love to celebrate and I love every part of the Christmas celebration.
But what I love most about Christmas is Jesus.
Lets celebrate this Christmas wherever we may be.
Lets celebrate Jesus coming into our world.
Lets celebrate the wonderful gift of life Jesus' death has made possible for us.
Lets celebrate the new life each and every person who enters into a relationship with God through Jesus has.
Lets celebrate and lift our praise and Joy to God who makes Christmas possible.
Happy Christmas to you all.
