Guess what!

I hate keeping secrets! So now I can finally share the good news from our family.... Guess who will make an appearance around the Fourth of July....

Merry Christmas!

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Hmmmm.... How am I spending my $$ this Christmas?

I've never been a fan of all the "stuff" that goes along with Christmas. You can call me Scrooge or stingy or whatever; it's just not that important to me. Don't get me wrong.... I enjoy the sights, smells and sounds that go along with the holiday season. But I often am tempted by the sights/smells/sounds to forget what we are truly celebrating. The Advent Conspiracy is helping me this year to celebrate in a new, more meaningful and enjoyable way. ("The Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption.")

It's not about money; it's not about what I buy/get. With the current state of the economy and with most of my family in relatively small living quarters (with plenty of stuff already), we had decided to cut way back on Christmas presents. But really, this season is NOT about presents; it is about His Presence! This season is NOT about all we get; it is about giving! Please watch this two minute video....

Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church - Glasgow, Scotland

Dave and I support a young couple, Brian and Kellie Ingraham, who have started a church near the campus of the University of Glasgow. Although once having a rich spiritual tradition and history, today Scotland has relatively few vibrant, Bible-believing churches. However, we have been thrilled to watch God develop re:Hope into such a church.

Would you please take five minutes to watch a short video about this church and then pray for the people of Scotland.

Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church from Stephen Irwin on Vimeo.

Fight FOCA

Now that the presidential election is over and President-elect Obama is working on his transition, I don't want us all to forget the very important issue of protecting life in the womb. You know how I felt about this issue as it related to voting on November 4th. I don't feel any less strongly today.

Presidential candidate Obama made a clear promise that the first thing he would do as President Obama would be to sign into law "The Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA). This terrible piece of legislation would establish the right to abortion as a fundamental right--like the right to free speech--and would eliminate every state/federal restriction on abortion nationwide (and would also prevent enactment of similar protective measures in the future).

If this piece of legislation concerns you as it does me, I urge you to go to the Fight FOCA website and sign the Fight FOCA petition to be sent to key members of Congress and to President Obama upon the re-introduction of The Freedom of Choice Act.

**Updated** Go Dawgs!

What a disappointment!! Well, there's always next year.

Dave is still crying even though he refused to watch the overtime periods.

Today... a call for unity

The presidential election is over; the candidate I voted for graciously acknowledged defeat. Does this mean I'm discouraged? Does this mean I'm sad? Absolutely not! Although I'm a proud citizen of the United States of America, I know that my true eternal citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20-21) and that God is sovereign over all earthly leaders (Proverbs 21:1). I am praying that President Obama will look to God for wisdom as he governs our amazing nation. I am praying that God will change his heart and mind regarding abortion--life in the womb deserves protection. As Solomon prayed, so I hope President-elect Obama will pray: "Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?" (2 Chronicles 1:10)

I also am praying for unity among American believers as we move forward. Every four years, many churches feel the tension as believers see political arguments from different perspectives. While disagreement is often a healthy thing, disunity among believers is not. Our unity must be based upon God's Word, not political affiliations. As the apostle Paul wrote to the very diverse believers in Ephesus, "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:1-6)

This morning Erik's and Krista's pastor posted a wise call for unity and love among believers (Yes we must....). I hope you will take the time to read it. I especially appreciated his final paragraph: "We must realize that our calling is to live, right now in the present, in accordance with the priorities and ethics of our eternal King, and His coming kingdom. This will mean offering bold critique and resistance at some moments, and enthusiastic support at others, for various positions and reforms offered by both the left and the right. As we seek to embody this Kingdom, the walls that have divided us will fall down, because

we will care about life in the womb, and life on the streets;

we'll care about justice and mercy;

we'll care about loving our enemies and standing up for those who are unprotected.

We'll become artisans of genuine hope, spilling the colors of beauty, reconciliation, celebration, service, justice, peace, and compassion on the canvass of our communities. This, I'm convinced, is not only our calling in Christ, it's what our world desperately needs in these immensely challenging days. We must lay our weapons down and commit to being the presence of Jesus in the world. Yes. We must. "