Gratitudes and Celebrations

Dearly Beloved,

Blessings to each of you in this New Year! Part of my invitation for this New Year is to practice gratitude and celebration. 

And I have much to be thankful for! Thank you all so much for your cards, notes, gifts, prayers and the incredibly generous Love Gift! Again and again and again, I am amazed by your generosity. Thank you!

I also want to celebrate what a meaningful Advent and Christmas season it's been. Nikki and I were reflecting together on just how special it felt, how full of meaning, expectation and joy.

So some thank you's and celebrations:

  • Our Winter seasonal team: Heather Jackson, Allison Goerke, Alycia Pisano and Diane Biegert!
  • Everyone who helped hang greenery and stars (wasn't the sanctuary breathtaking Christmas Eve?).
  • Moving and soul-healing music all Advent season with great thanks to our Music Minister Nikki Glantz (you are truly incredible and such a blessing!):
  • Choir introits and anthems
  • Special music including:
  • Flute (Diane Biegert)
  • Violin (Mya Haux and Allison Goerke)
  • Cello (Mary Sandell)
  • Vocal solos & duets (Mary Sandell, Brian Schuetz, Allie Mason and Jenna Votaw, Ben Bickerstaff)
  • Organ & Piano duets (Jacki Jensen & Nikki Glantz)
  • Bell quartet (coming this Sunday from the Jackson family)
  • Paul's guitar accompaniment each week
  • Beautiful hymns and carols all season long!
  • Our delightful Walk-On Christmas Pageant.
  • Your gifts of over 1,000 pairs of socks for our unhoused neighbors.
  • Your generous Christmas Eve gifts to support unaccompanied and homeless youth here in Loveland. 
  • A Christmas morning pajama service that was fun and silly and time simply to be together!

 

I'm sure I'm missing something in there, but my goodness -- what a lot to celebrate! And so very much to be thankful for! 

This Sunday, Sara Gardner will share about what it's meant for her to go "home by another way" this past year. Heather, Troy, Parker and Jeremy will offer a bell quartet. AND we will have our new nursery worker. 

In this New Year, may you find much for which to be grateful! Much to celebrate! May you see the resilience, courage, hope, love and faith that brought you through! And may Christ's light shine for all of us,

In love and peace,
Thandiwe