Christmas parties

We're right in the middle of Christmas party season.

Saturday we hosted our first of 4 cookie baking parties. We had our largest group ever in 3 years of doing them. We had me, my wife & 3 kids, plus my in-laws. Also participating in the cookie baking were 12 children and 4 parents from 8 different families, all from our neighborhood. We're expecting similar numbers for our 2nd cookie baking party this afternoon. While it was hard to talk in depth with anyone in the midst of all the scrambling around, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Relationships were begun and/or expanded because of this activity.

To each family we gave away the CD "Noel No Hell" that our church produced for last Christmas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6owIah2zbAQ

Last night my wife & I attended the annual Christmas party of the art ministry that I help with. We had 70+ people in attendance. It was a great combination of food, music & time to chat with different people. A friend named Charles brought 4 friends with him whom I got to talk with. I met the daughter & boyfriend of a member of our leadership team. I also got to meet 2 guys from the U.S. on vacation in Paris & who contacted me through a common friend from Wheaton. They ended up inviting & bringing a guy (Jamaican/American/Hungarian mix) whom they met on the street & was just in Paris for the day.

For Christmas supper, it looks like our guest list is growing as well.

As I look a Jesus' life in the Gospels, I see that He attended parties. The Pharisees criticized Him for being with sinners & tax collectors. Yet Jesus went to these places.

I love getting to rub shoulders in Paris with a plethora of different people this Christmas season. May Jesus also be present here through how we welcome them, talk with them & act around them.