Hosanna Cyberline - December 14, 2007

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” (from Psalm 146)

• Here is the link to This Week at Hosanna for December 16: http://www.welcometohosanna.com/weekly_news.pdf
• Here is the link to the December Hotline: http://www.welcometohosanna.com/monthly_news.pdf
• Note: the Deadline for submitting items for the January Hotline is December 15.
• This year, the gospel lessons are mostly from Matthew. You are invited to read a chapter per week. Here is a link to chapter 2 on BibleGateway.com: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%202&version=31
• This is the dramatic account of the coming of the Magi and the paranoid Jewish ruler, Herod, who seeks to eliminate a potential rival. But Herod was seriously ill at the time and died soon after.
• Here is link to a National Geographic article, with photo, about the recent discovery of Herod’s tomb at the Herodion, a hilltop fortress not far from Bethlehem. It only took 2000 years to find it! http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070508-herod-photos.html
• Here’s a link to a U-tube video featuring stills from the movie “Nativity Story” paired with “Joseph’s Song” by Michael Card. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BARVAg0gl6w Read Matthew 1:18-25 while listening to the music. It’s especially meaningful for us fathers and grandfathers.

This week…

• Rehearsals for the 4:30 PM Christmas Eve children’s service have begun... Sundays @ 9:30 AM in the children's choir room. All children grades pre-k through 6th grade are invited to sing! See you there!
• Hosanna’s next IHN rotation begins this Sunday, December 16—Sunday, December 23. Our guests will be staying at the InTown Suites, not at the church. Lunch ingredients are still needed, as is a driver for the truck. Contract Nickie Brooks.

Family Life notes from Amber Walker…

• Confirmation Christmas Party this Saturday, December 15 @ 3 PM at Main Event, 19441 I-45 North, Shenandoah, TX (near The Woodlands). Contact Theresa White for information.
• College Student Get-together—You have been missed! Please join Amber December 18 from 7-8 PM for coffee and conversation in Classroom 5. She wants to hear all about what you have been doing.

Other items...

• Let’s wing it! On Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, CREW will again be fixing batches of Tripp Smith’s Famous Buffalo Wings. Tell your taste-buds to get ready.
• The new 2008 Altar Flower sign up has been posted on the bulletin board in the north entrance area.

Line up of services on Christmas Eve, Monday December 24:

• 4:30 PM - Family Service of Holy Communion with Candlelight
• 7 PM - Festival Service of Holy Communion with Candlelight
• 9:30 PM - Christmas Eve Contemporary Service with Holy Communion and Candlelight

Two last minute prayers to add to the list in This Week as Hosanna:

• The latest (as of Thurs.) on Kathleen Schwertlich from Pastor Bill: At about 2:20 this afternoon the Drs. determined that Kathleen could go to a regular hospital room! Thank God! She's now in Dunn Building, D-908. Room phone number is: 713-790-6690. Her heart rate has been staying in a good range. She still has the trachea tube (no word on when that might come out). She's tired from the extra activity of walking, etc. Yet, even with the weariness of the length and rigor of her hospital stay, she continues to be grateful for so many things.
• Katherine King, mother of Bill King, passed away 12-10. The King’s are driving to Colorado. Pray not only for the King family, but for safe travel for Bill and Sue.

A Little Christmas Humor...

• If athletes get athlete's foot, astronauts get missile toe.
• A bird dog could be called a point setter.
• James Fenimore Cooper wrote about the life of Santa Claus in his novel The Deer Sleigher.
• A Christmas quiz:
• On December 24, Adam's wife was known as ________________. A: Christmas Eve
• In Charles Dickens's “A Christmas Carol,” Scrooge was visited by the ghost of ________________. A: Christmas Present.
• An opinion survey in Alaska is called a ____________. A: North Poll.
• What does Santa Claus do with his three gardens? A: Hoe, Hoe, Hoe.
• What Christmas message is conveyed by these letters?: ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. A: Noel, Noel (no “L” in each alphabet)
• When the salt and the pepper say "Hi!" to each other, they are passing on __________. A: seasons' greetings.
• A quiet medieval armor-wearer is a _______________. A: silent knight.
• A cat walking on the desert is bound to get _____________. A: sandy claws.
• What do Spanish sheep says when they wish each other a Merry Christmas? _______________. A: Fleece Navidad!

Bye until next week,
Dale Bargmann, Hosanna Communications