Dear Westview Family and Friends,

Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la laaa laaaa… You know we must practice care at this time of year. The season of Advent is an amazing time. We look forward to the day our Lord and Savior was born that first Christmas over 2000 years ago. Today though we sometimes lose the specialness of that miraculous birth. Today it seems to simply be a busy time. We have increased traffic, stores are more crowded, cantatas, parties, shopping, decorating, wrapping, baking, cooking, special services, socializing and etcetera.

Stop the Christmas parade! I want to get off. We must practice care not to get lost in the busyness of the season. We need to slow down, take a breath, and look for the ways in which God is working in the world. People are coming together and helping their neighbors. People seem to be smiling more. The Spirit of God in Three Persons is alive and well in our midst. We simply need to slow down enough to notice. This time of year also brings about promises of change in the form of New Year’s resolutions. I hope all of you resolve to grow in Christ and to live in peace. May God bless us each and every one.

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Tom