Forras Family Newsletter

Pete and Tina Forras are doing a great job as missionaries in the Philippines. To learn more, please see their latest newsletter by clicking here. It includes new pictures from missions teams as well the summer hike I took them on while they were visiting. You can go to that link here: Mt. Pilchuck Climb.

Merry Christmas!

Hope you have a Merry Christmas! The Christmas Eve services at Eastside kept us busy yesterday -- but it was fun seeing so many people -- coming to worship on Christmas Eve. Last night we drove to Maple Valley to be with friends before coming home to make final preparations for today. Right now everyone is still asleep. After a day of opening gifts and having a nice dinner together, we will make the long drive to Southern Oregon. I look forward to a week off with family. Blessings to you!

Advent V:

Read: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Light: Light all of the Advent Candles and then the JESUS Candle
Read: The dictionary defines joy as: "The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. A source or cause of keen pleasure or delight." Tonight is Christmas Eve. What are we most thankful for and happy about? There are so many things to be excited and joyful about at Christmas, but the most important thing is being thankful, happy and excited about our savior Jesus. He is full of grace and truth and the gift of His life for us is so very important, we would have to ask ourselves the question; "Where would we be without Him?"
Share: Each one say something about Jesus for which they are particularly happy for.
Pray: Praise and thank the Lord for His goodness to you as individuals and families. Thank him for the privilege of celebrating His birthday together.

Powerless on Advent 4

Advent 4 -- The Lighting of the Shepherd's Candle

Sunday morning, December 17th, was our third morning without power at our home and at the church. With temperatures around 25 degrees, our wood stove seemed to do little to take the cold bite out of the air.

Our weekend services were done with the help of some generator - powered flood lights. The choir and the orchestra was replaced with a simple guitar and some percussion. The children all met together in one room. Attendance was down, but surprisingly, people's spirits were up.

It's a bit humbling when you see your technologically dependant lives quickly reduced to discomfort and distress following a storm or similar event. Maybe it is a tiny glimpse of the difficult life the shepherds would have know. They were outcasts. They spent their lives under the stars. They didn't know the luxuries of wealth. But they were the ones chosen by God to first hear of the Savior's birth. God moved them from the marginalized into the center frame of the greatest story the world has ever known. There they encountered their destiny, joy, hope and mind-boggling grace. These same things are available to us today-- maybe a power outage can help us look the right direction.

To see this week's advent guide visit www.eastsidechurch.org.

By the way, our power came back on last night and there was great rejoicing in our house!

Tragedy on Mt Hood

I have been riveted by the news updates coming from Portland regarding the plight of the three climbers who have been missing on the mountain since December 7th. As a recreational climber, these stories always capture my attention and my prayers.

I had mostly given up hope on them until today when there was amazing news that Kelley James turned on his cell phone around 11 p.m. on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, he is in a snow cave near the summit. The weather this week has been brutal and has frustrated search and rescue efforts. More harsh weather is on its way. These kind of weather patterns make it impossible for rescuers to get anywhere close to Kelley's location. The nearest break may come Saturday or Sunday.

I also came across this information as well:

"Searchers vowed to continue the search at least through the weekend. Family members are staying together in Hood River, praying often, crying regularly and even laughing on occasion, said Frank James. Tonight the Fellowship Bible Church, the James’ church in Dallas, is holding a prayer service for the climbers, their families and the rescuers. “Our faith is threefold,” said Frank James, who directs a Florida seminary. “We have faith in Kelly and Brian and Nikko; we have faith in the rescuers; and we have faith in God. And there is little doubt that our faith is being refined these days.”

Keep the climbers, their families and the rescuers in your prayers…

For the latest news updates visit www.oregonlive.com.

Monday, December 18th - Sad news for hopeful friends
A missing climber found dead in a snow cave on Mount Hood was identified as a Dallas man who had placed a distress call to relatives a little more than a week ago, a person close to the family said Monday.
Searchers found the cave Sunday near the spot located by cell phone signals traced from Kelly James, who made a four-minute call to his family Dec. 10 just below the summit, said Jessica Nunez, a spokeswoman for the climber's family.
On Monday, a recovery team was expected to retrieve the body, which remained on the mountain over night because darkness made it too dangerous to retrieve. The search for two other climbers also was to resume on the treacherous north side of Oregon's highest mountain.
The discovery of James' body brought a sad conclusion to a long week of anxious optimism in the search for three men on the 11,239-foot mountain.
Family members had relied on intense religious faith along with confidence that the extensive mountaineering experience of the trio would save them from a week of blizzard storms and single-digit temperatures that kept search teams and helicopters at bay.

Remember the rescuers and these families in your prayers as the chances of a rescue for the remaining two climbers seems extremely unlikely. MM

Week 3 - Catching up with Advent

Anyone else running a little behind on Christmas? This past Sunday we stopped by a tree lot on our way home from church. It was pouring down rain and we were in our "church clothes". It was Heidi, myself, and four teen-agers. We faced the challenge of choosing a tree that we all agreed upon. Democracy often presents its own weaknesses. This lot had hundreds of options to choose from...Well, we eventually found one, took it home, strung lights on it, and finished decorating it last night. Dawn Oas, our Senior High youth pastor, dropped by while were in the middle of this. We spent some time doing our "Advent Wreath" and working through the related discussion questions, prayer time, and attempting to sing together. It ended up being far from a stoic event -- there was lots of laughter, some expressed frustration (particularly in trying to coordinate our guitar playing/singing), tangent conversations and an overall REAL experience together. I don't think observers would have been impressed - there wasn't a great deal of order and concentrated focus. But, there was joy, laughter, some conflict, and some meaningful interaction -- in our book, these things constitute "quality family time."

The THIRD Week of Advent
The Angel's Candle
Joy in Heaven
Read: Jesus said; "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)
Light: The Prophecy Candle, the Bethlehem Candle and the Angel's Candle
Read: The night Christ was born, heaven rejoiced. An angel choir was dispatched from the courts of heaven to serenade the shepherds tending their sheep just outside Bethlehem. There was a party in heaven! The Son of God has been given to mankind as a redeemer! The scripture we just read reminds us that the party continues in heaven every time another man, woman, boy or girl receives the good news about Jesus into their life, repents of their sins and invites Jesus to be their savior.
Share: Each one tell briefly about when they first believed, repented and invited Jesus into their life.
Pray: Take time to thank Jesus for His love and your salvation... what a miracle!
Sing: "Joy To The World" (verse three)

Update from the Bags of Joy Team

From December 7-18, 20 members of Eastside will be delivering "Bags of Joy" (Christmas gifts with hygiene items, schools supplies and small gifts) to the 1300 pre-school students in the schools that have been started in the Manila slums through the UCPP. Please view this blog for current updates and photos. http://rachaeljus.spaces.live.com/.

Fun in the Snow

Here in Seattle we had our first snow last week. The schools were closed for three days.

Advent II - Bethlehem Candle

When Joy is Challenging

Consider how Joseph my have felt while in the Bethlehem stable as Mary went into labor...Sometimes God doesn't make sense to us...Max Lucado speculates about what Joseph may have prayed...

From One Father to Another

This isn’t the way I planned it, God. Not at all. My child being born in a stable? This isn’t the way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?

This isn’t at all what I imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.

That’s how I thought it would be…

But now…. Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars?

This doesn’t seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey….

Did I miss something? Did I, God?

When you sent the angel and spoke of the son being born—this isn’t what I pictured. I envisioned Jerusalem, the temple, the priests, and the people gathered to watch. A pageant perhaps. A parade…. I mean, this is the Messiah!

Or, if not born in Jerusalem, how about Nazareth? Wouldn’t Nazareth have been better? At least there I have my house and my business. Out here, what do I have? A weary mule, a stack of firewood, and a pot of warm water. This is not the way I wanted it to be!...Forgive me for asking but…is this how God enters the world? The coming of the angel, I’ve accepted. The questions people asked about the pregnancy, I can tolerate. The trip to Bethlehem, fine. But why a birth in a stable, God?

Any minute now Mary will give birth. Not to a child, but to the Messiah. Not to an infant, but to God. That’s what the angel said. That’s what Mary believes. And God, my God, that’s what I want to believe. But surely you can understand, it’s not easy. It seems so…so…so…bizarre.

I’m unaccustomed to such strangeness, God. I’m a carpenter. I make things fit. I square off the edges. I follow the plumb line. I measure twice before I cut once. Surprises are not the friend of a builder. I like to know the plan. I like to see the plan before I begin.

But this time I’m not the builder, am I? This time I’m a tool. A hammer in your grip. A chisel in your hands. This project is yours, not mine.

I guess it’s foolish of me to question you. Forgive my struggling. Trust doesn’t come easy to me, God. But you never said it would be easy, did you?...

One final thing, Father. The angel you sent? Any chance you could send another? If not an angel, maybe a person? I don’t know anyone around here and some company would be nice. Maybe the innkeeper or a traveler? Even a shepherd would do.

How can your life be a Bethlehem today? Who is the builder at this time?