Christmas Memories

Christmas is my favorite Christian holiday. I enjoy the music. I could listen to Christmas music all year long. I enjoy the food. I help make candy, prepare the ham, and make the filling for the pecan pie, (Joyce makes the crust). I enjoy preaching through the Christmas story. I enjoy having the family together for worship and fun.

Christmas at the Cowin house has gone through many changes throughout the years. My favorite memories involve the children. These days Christmas revolves around the Grandchildren. It is not just about the presents. In fact, there is so much more to the whole event that opening the presents almost seems anti-climactic. 

When the kids were small Christmas Eve was always a late night. We started with a Christmas Eve service at the Church followed by supper. We tried to get the kids in bed early. They were always cooperative; since they knew the sooner they went to bed the sooner Christmas morning would arrive. Then, Joyce and I would stay up late wrapping presents and sometimes putting them together before we wrapped them.

When Christmas morning arrived we had given the kids strict instruction not to wake us but wait until the alarm went off. We found out later that they would gather in one room and watch the clock until they heard our alarm. Then they would all come running in together and pile on our bed. We made them wait in our room until everything was ready and we called them in to the living room.

Some things never change. Before we opened presents we always read the Christmas Story from the Bible. Then we take turns opening each present so we can all appreciate the blessings of the day.

Some years we tried to be creative. One of my favorites was the year we wrapped the presents early but left all the names off the packages. None of them knew which package was whose until we started opening them. They soon realized that each one had their own wrapping paper. That’s how we could tell them apart. It was fun and we made good memories. We always wanted to make good memories for our children.

Remembering that year has made me think about an important lesson. We also are wrapped in our own unique “wrapping paper.” We are all special to God and He sees us all as individuals. He knows us all by name. He wants us to spend eternity with Him. That is why we have Christmas. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” (John 3:16).

Bro. Robin & Joyce Cowin

 

Sunday Nights

Sunday nights at church have gone through many changes throughout the years. When I was a youth we had a full Sunday night that included Training Union and Worship Service. Training Union was changed to Discipleship Training, but the program remained essentially the same. The lessons were more topical and included giving out parts to the different members of the class.

I often volunteered to be the one handing out the parts. That way I got to pick the one I wanted, usually the shortest one. Later the teacher gave me the responsibility of planning the Bible game. That sounded like fun. I soon learned that planning a game around the topic of the lesson involved studying the lesson more than just doing a part. However, it was still fun and I came to enjoy it. I think the teacher knew something about God working in my life even before I did.

I learned years later that dividing the lesson into parts was the training aspect of Discipleship Training. It did not seem like much at the time. But, we were learning how to present a lesson in front of the class. This training would prepare us to teach a class of our own someday. Many of us went on to teach as adults in one of the many church programs that included Sunday School. Class participation is still an important part of learning to teach. That is what being a disciple is all about.

Paul told his disciple, Timothy, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim. 2:2). Learning to follow Jesus should include learning to teach the things you learn.

The church should grow by multiplication as well as addition. We add to the church when we lead people to Jesus through evangelism. We multiply the church when we disciple people until they are able to disciple others.

Our Sunday nights include fellowship, with game and movie nights, fellowship, food, Youth home group, Bible Drill, and Bible Studies for women and men. Come together to learn and grow in Christ. See what God will do when you truly become a disciple.

Bro. Robin