Christmas 2018

75º with heavy overcast and winds 15 to 20 mph from the south here in La Feria, TX at 3:00 pm Wednesday as I start this.  Click on photos to enlarge.

After church Sunday we, along with Butch Giesking, Darlene
Winslow, the Bakers and the Nehers, went to Bar Be Cutie
Smokehouse in Weslaco, TX for lunch.

Menu

We helped with the Christmas Eve program at the Recreation Hall Monday evening.  I did a reading (below) and Phyllis helped with the people getting their costumes on for the scene at the left.

Program ended with Candles lit by each person.

Cookies, Coffee & Punch followed, with fellowship.

Harold and Darlene visiting

Plenty of cookies.

Our lights as I came home.

1

The "serving crew" huddling before lunch near the
kitchen door..

Tuesday, Christmas Day, Phyllis worked some during the morning helping at the kitchen and setting up tables.  I picked up Betty Schneider's dish of food to take to the hall, as she is getting quite tottery, though she had no trouble getting herself to the hall on her rented golf cart.  She forgot her cane so I went back to her place and got that.  We both helped several elderly people with their plates as they went through the food line.

Rev & Mrs. Baker on the left, from Oklahoma City, with
Phyllis behind them.  Harold on the right.

Harold & LaRhoda Neher from Hiawatha, KS

Reverend Baker

Everyone brought a dish to share.

Phyllis welcoming the people

Phyllis awarded Merv & Ruth Stoufer the first place
award of $100 of February lot rent for best lighted Christmas lights at their RV.

Lots of a variety of good food brought by everyone to add to the turkey, ham,  mashed potatoes and gravy furnished by the Park Owners.   After some useful resting in the afternoon we played Cribbage with Darlene Winslow from West Branch, MI.

Have to add this photo of our friend Bill Oberholzer supervisinig
his wife as she washes a neighbor's trailer.

Here is copy of my reading for Christmas Eve:  

Parable for Today

   There is an old poem which relates the story of a violin, which is being sold along with many articles at a public sale.  One after another the articles are sold until at last the auctioneer came to the rustic violin.

   “What am I bid?” he started as he lifted the broken piece of retired music maker up for the people to see.

   “25¢” --- “50¢”, cried a man, as the auction went on.  The room fell silent as the people just gazed at the ancient piece, not knowing whether to bid on it or to let it go for 50¢.  Out of the crowd there came an elderly gent who took up the violin, gazed at the bow, tightened the strings, and then began to play.  The music, beginning as sweet as the song of a bird, rested on the people assembled like the fresh breath of air that fills a room.  They stood, awed by the music, the old man, and the rustic violin.  They stood awed by the beautiful sound that came from the two as they became one in music.  Finally, the music stopped.

   Was there a dry eye in the place?  No, there was not.

   Finally, after a time of silence, the auctioneer raised his hushed voice to break the quiet.  “What am I bid for this creation?”

   $500.  No, $1,500,” and more as the crowd became excited over the change in the violin. 

 Finally, the auctioneer completed the sale, “Going once, going twice, gone to the man who bid $15,000.”

   The violin was perfected by the touch of the master’s hand!

    My friend, what if you were that violin?  What if the world thought you a piece of junk!  What if you were the worthless!  The whole message of Christmas is that in Jesus Christ, you can be touched by the Master’s Hand.  This Christmas, why don’t you let the Holy Spirit of God fill your life with light and music and love and peace and…..

   So, then the whole world will know your worth, because you were touched by the Master’s Hand.

Later, Lynn