COOKIES!

On December 15th the ladies of the church held their annual cookie exchange here at the home of the Pond family. We always have fun and end up with lots of yummy goodies to enjoy throughout the holidays.

This year we were blessed to have our Pastor Counterman's mother in town for the event, and she graciously consented to share her heart with us that night. Her challenge to us was to slow down and remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. It is always so easy to get caught up in everything that the world has added to Christmas, but it's vital that we don't lose sight of God's gift to us and what the birth of Jesus really means.

Our pastor's wife, Liesl, and her mother-in-law, Jo Ellen.

Jo Ellen challenging hearts.

After the devotion and snacks, some of the ladies participated in a little craft project that we had planned for the evening. We made a photo calendar for the new year. It was a fun project and I think everyone enjoyed it...at least I hope they did.

The finished product

All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening. It was warm inside in spite of the freezing (literally) cold outside. The food was wonderful, the devotion challenging, and the fellowship was oh so sweet!