Trinity Lutheran Church

I have to admit, if I am honest with myself, that sometimes I have grave concern for the human race. Now, it isn’t like, “These kids these days are just so rotten” or “the United States is just going to pot and we have to go back to such-and-such a time.” Many of the issues we have in this world are issues that have been around for centuries and just keep coming back around.

But there are days when I am concerned and my soul and heart feel heavy. Days where all I see and hear hate being spouted towards others, days when it seems like all people want to do is tear down the other, or the neighbor, or even members of their own family. There are days when it seems no one is willing to listen to anything someone has to say, even if it is just to understand their point of view. And there are days when the quest to be “right” and to “win” seems to trumpet compassion, fairness, justice, and love.

However, then there are two days like the two days I had this week that restore my faith in humanity, faith that reminds me that love and compassion and generosity are not gone, days when I am astounded by the capacity of people to care for someone else, even a complete stranger. Days that remind me that God is still active and present in the world.

The first of those days was the Coaches vs. Cancer event on Thursday night around the JV & Varsity Girls Basketball games between Boyceville & Glenwood City. I was honored to be the announcer for the event and just amazed at all the items that were donated and the people who came out. As someone who has lost both parents to cancer and watched many friends battle it, every cent is so important. But even more important is letting those who struggle with it that they are not alone, that there are people supporting them, even complete strangers. Over $6,000 was raised in one night and the event was very well done. Though my voice was basically gone when I got home, my heart was full of hope and pride for what was accomplished by our two communities.

The second of these days was today (I’m writing this on the 7^th) as I got to participate in my first Polar Plunge. Last year I told Todd Ebensperger that I would love to be part of his plunge team for this year and so I joined up. I must admit that I was nervous about jumping, most especially being a fat man trying to get out of cold water. But when I went down to the event, I loved the positivity and all the great energy. I loved the sense of common purpose. I loved the big hug I got from one of the church’s Special Olympics participants, Brian Frieberg, both before and after the plunge. I loved our costumes as our team, Kayden’s Krusader’s (named for Todd & Teana Ebensperger’s son Kayden) were going as super heroes (I was Batman. Of course). I loved that I saw people of all ages there and loved that some of our congregation members were there to cheer us on.

I have to admit my adrenaline was pumping before we jumped and that, though cold, the initial plunge wasn’t too bad at all. It was a rush, especially as we sprinted back to get out of the wet clothes. But just hear the crowd cheering, to see Kayden and Susie and Brian in the audience, the people we were jumping for, just made it really, really fun and cool. Over $30,000 was raised and I know more is coming in and our team did our part, raising over $3,000, with $700 of that coming from many of you in donations to me.

The best part was seeing the smiles not only on the crowd, but on the participants. Of course, they were freezing, but they were also so jacked and full of spirit. It reminded me again of what can happen when people come together.

And that is the thing. We so often only see the negative in the world, live by fear and not hope. We only see the worst in the other or what bad might happen in a situation, instead of the possibilities and good things that might come. Events like Coaches vs. Cancer and the Polar Plunge remind us of the best of ourselves. They also remind me as a disciple of Jesus Christ that though I have days of despair, I also believe in a God of hope and a Savior who loves all.

May we live by hope, love, and compassion instead of fear, hate, and despair. For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!” Amen

As I watched the end of the Green Bay-Seattle NFC Championship game and the unbelievable way it ended, a question came into my brain that has popped up before a couple of times. The question is this, “What is worse: getting blown out or losing at the last second?”

I am someone who has experienced both many times as the majority of sports watching has been following losing teams. I remember sitting there in 2003 watching the National League Championship Series, thinking that my Cubs were going to go to the World Series being three outs away and watching it all collapse. I’ve seen numerous blowouts and decisive losses, like the 2006 Super Bowl with the Bears. I’ve watched my hockey team blow three goal leads in the third period to lose and get blown out by seven, which takes real work in hockey. I’ve experienced losing in every which way you can imagine.

So there is my verdict and it is based solely on emotional anguish. I would rather get blown out ANY DAY than lose in the last second. Let me tell you why. Sometimes you just aren’t good enough. You just aren’t and if you get blown out, especially in a playoff game, as the blowout happens, then I think to myself, “Hey, at least we got here. I’m going to be thankful for that and toast my team for a good season.” I remember when the Cubs beat the Giants in 2002 to go to the MLB playoffs. They played Atlanta next and they had no chance. None. And they got destroyed. But as I watched the games, I was just thankful they got there. No stress. No crying. No wailing. No anguish.

But when you get beat at the last second, holy cow is there anguish. What really makes it worse is the feeling that you were the better team or that you had it and just slipped out of your grasp. I’ve heard from a ton of Packer fans who keep talking how they were the better team last Sunday yet still lost. It is just the worst. And to make it all more destructive, you keep playing the game over and over and over in your mind. If this had happened, then we would have happened. If this hadn’t occurred, victory would be ours.

I think back to two very different Packer Bears game over the past year. The first was the last game of last season on December 29^th, 2013. The Packers were the better team but the Bears were leading and had a chance to sweep the Packers for the first time in a long time. We all know what happened. On fourth down with 48 seconds left, the Bears idiot safety decided to jump a route instead of covering Randall Cobb, who caught the winning touchdown. All I could think of was “why” and “what if” and that game bothered me for days. Weeks even. It was anguish. I especially loved reliving it last spring when the play was played over and over and over prior to the Men’s Choir concert. Thanks Kevin Bird. J

This year, the Packers blew the Bears out of the water. Destroyed them. No anguish. We weren’t a good team and the Packers were better. The games came and went and there was no dwelling, no replaying plays in my head over and over, no avoidance of sports radio, newspapers, or sports websites. Life went on fairly easily.

I know that many of you would rather have it the other way, would rather at least have a chance in a game, even if it ends up tearing your heart out like the bad guy in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” But for me, the question “What if?” is the worst question ever because there is no explanation and really, no relief. It just hangs there, forever, and haunts like a ghost.

Of course, in the end, it is just a game. There are so many other important things to worry about that cause us pain and anguish and so many other things that cause us joy and happiness. It is just a game. Right? Right?

May God be with you this week and always.

No matter where I go, you know what sports teams I follow by my car. On the side windows I have stickers for the Cubs, Bears, and Wild. Heck, you can even see my interests with Star Wars, Disney, and Jimmy Buffett stickers on there too. You don’t know how often I’ve gotten a honk or a wave because of the stickers on my car, and some of them weren’t even friendly!

But how do people know we are part of God’s team as disciples of Jesus Christ? Is it through a sticker on the car or a cross necklace around or neck or a bracelet around our wrist? Frankly, if I didn’t have the stickers on my car, no one would know my sports team allegiances unless I was wearing a shirt. They wouldn’t know unless they talked with me or heard me rooting during a game. Otherwise they would not have a clue.

How do people know you are a member of God’s team? How do people know that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ? Can they tell by your actions, your words, the way you conduct yourselves in the world? Sometimes people might not know at all, or if they do know and you make a big mistake, they could hold it against you. “I can’t believe that person says they are a Christian” is something you might hear.

The hope is that we live out our faith in a way in which others can see the love of God through us, not only in our actions but also in the way that we forgive, love, and accept others. Hopefully people will see us not as perfect but as flawed people who have been redeemed and saved by Jesus and extend compassion, not judgment, to others just as Christ has extended compassion to us.

But in the end, the only ones who need to be reminded that we are disciples of Jesus Christ is us. We need to remember that, in baptism, we are children of God. We need to remember every time we get up in the morning, every time we go to work, or to school, or to a community event, or even to the grocery store, we go as a loved and redeemed child of God who is washed in the grace, mercy, and love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because we often forget we who we are, who we belong to, who loves us unconditionally and promises to be with us always. We often forget what team we play for and who is rooting for us, who is lifting us up when we are low, and who rejoices with us when we win in life. For our greatest supporter is our Savior Jesus Christ, who dies for us, defeats sin and death for us, and rises from the grave to give us new life both in this world and the next.

You don’t need a sticker to know who you play for. You have the cross of Christ on your forehead. You root for, play for, and are supported by God’s team as a disciple of Jesus Christ. May you live life in a way that your faith inspires others and may you never forget who you belong too.

My Mom rarely asked me a theological question but I will always remember the first question she ever asked me.  It wasn’t on atonement theory or justification or transubstantiation or on the theology of glory or the theology of the cross.  It wasn’t even on sanctification or on the ontological nature of God (see how many big words I can use!).  Nope.  The first question she ever asked me was this: “Do you think dogs go to heaven?”

At the time, our dog Shiner had just passed away and my Mom called to tell me in tears.  She was in pain and hurting and my response, without hesitation, was “Yes.” I didn’t have any theological or scriptural evidence for that answer. But I still believe that answer is correct today, no matter what theology or anyone else says.

I thought of that on Friday as Amy and I said goodbye to our first dog, Henry.  Henry was eight years old and we drove all the way up to Finlayson, MN, to get him on a May afternoon at a farm when he just two months old.  I was the one who actually picked him out as Amy couldn’t decide between Henry and his brother.  We went to get him without a single supply: no collar, leash, dog bowl, toys, or food.  We stopped at a tiny Wal-Mart on the way back to get some of those things and one of those toys still survives to this day.  Amy held him all the way in the back seat of the car and a bond was formed that won’t ever be broken, in life or in death.

Henry was a good dog who loved freely and had the ability to charm everyone.  It seemed that everyone liked and loved Henry, from members of our family to the vets who cared for him to dedicated cat-people and even other dogs.  When we got our youngest dog Kapono, it was so that I might have a dog as Henry was clearly Amy’s dog.  Instead, Kapono became Henry’s dog and would follow him everywhere he went.

Henry loved many things, most especially Amy’s lap. But when he wasn’t on Amy’s lap, he loved to play with racket balls and until Kapono destroyed them all, his fuzzy toys.  He loved to be outside, to explore the yard, chew on sticks,  or lay on or under the hammock as Amy laid in it.  He loved walks and sitting on the porch with Amy, hardly ever getting off her lap.  He loved bananas and would almost try to take them out of my hand, even though he knew I would give him a small piece at the end of the banana.  He loved lettuce and popcorn and licking out a bottle of beer after it had been drunk.  About the only thing he didn’t like were baths, people on bicycles, and wearing the Santa suit we put on him every year at Christmas.

Henry had a great ability to know what you needed.  If you were sad, he knew just how to come up and give you comfort.  He loved to play when you were happy and knew just how to snuggle in when you were tired and needed a nap.  He loved people and often barked at them, not as a warning but as an invitation to come and pet him.  Henry had more tricks that I can list for getting you awake in the morning so that he could be fed and always knew the sound of my car or Amy’s car and would rush to the door to great us when we got home.

Henry always had health problems from the moment he was born.  He had multiple kidney stones that got stuck in his urethra that caused him to have two surgeries and because of this was on special food his whole life and had check-ups every three months or more.  He had Cushing’s disease, though never showed any symptoms’, and as we found out just before he passed, he had cancer, most likely of the liver.  Yet he was always happy, always good with the vet, and even on Thursday, as he was hooked up to an IV here at the house, had a smile of brightness despite his obvious sickness.

There is a part of my rational brain that wonders why I’m using 900 words to talk about a dog.  But my heart says that Henry (or any of the other dogs I have had in my life) was more than just a dog.  They are a member of my family, a member the gives and receives love, a member who brings comfort and joy, who is there for you in good times and bad, just like many human members of families.

All I know is this: every night when I would come up to bed, Henry would cuddle up to my chest for a few minutes before finding his normal spot either next to mine or Amy’s legs.  And every time I would feel, through that short cuddle, the love of God and the blessings of life, even in the midst of tragedy.  When my mind was full of anxiety or worry, that cuddle would calm and soothe me.  When the day had been good and bright, it would remind me to give thanks.  When I was filled with sadness and grief, it would bring me comfort.  If that is not a gift from God, I don’t know what is.  For God uses many ways and things to show us His love and I know Henry was one of those things, at least to me.

The next time my Mom asked me theological questions was as she approached the end of her life.  In the midst of our conversation about heaven, salvation, faith, and more, she again wondered if she would not only see her loved ones in heaven, but would she meet the pets she had loved in her life.  Again, I told her that she would and I knew that brought her comfort.

Thank you, Lord, for a great dog in Henry and for the love that he shared with Amy and myself and the love that we got to share with him.  And I’ll look for him when my time comes, to cuddle again in the splendor of heaven.

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:5-7

At the end of each 8^th grade confirmation class, I ask the students, “Who will pray for us today?”  Most of the time, they just look at each other in silence.  Sometimes someone might volunteer someone else.  Rarely does anyone jump up to volunteer.  Again, a majority of the time they sit and stare at each other, waiting for someone else to step up and do it.  They know we will not end class until someone volunteers.  Though there is a need, they all think someone else will do it, even if they feel moved to do it themselves.

In the reading from Isaiah above, we hear that we are called to be a servant, to be a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind and to bring out the prisoners.  In other words, we are called to serve.  It is in the very nature of what God, through the suffering servant Jesus Christ, has done for us.  Because we have been made righteous through Christ, we have been made to serve.

So often, though we feel a call to serve, to proclaim Christ crucified and risen, to work for the neighbor and the poor, we stop.  We wait.  We wait for SOMEONE ELSE to answer the call.  That wait is often caused by our own selfishness.  “Oh, someone else will take care of it.”  It is like seeing a dirty dish in a sink and instead of washing it, we just leave it there.  Even more so, when it DOESN’T get clean, we complain about it or wonder why someone hasn’t done it.

That is our struggle.  Not that we are called to serve, but that we actually ANSWER that call.  Instead of looking around like my confirmation students, wondering who is going to pray, we should jump up and answer that call.  After all, God HAS called us.  This is the same god who created us, who has saved us, and who promises to be with us always.  So what do we have to fear?  What stops us?  A sense of inadequacy?  Of wondering if it is our place?

The Lord has called you to be a light to the nations.  The Lord has called you to open the eyes of the blind.  The Lord has called you to set the prisoners free.  The Lord has called YOU.  Today.  Yesterday.  And everyday.

Answer that call.  Serve the Lord.  Love the neighbor.  Proclaim the Good News.  Be a light to the nations.  Thanks be to God!  Amen

Christmastime is often a time of traditions.  Every family has their own special tradition or traditions, whether it is a specific day, time, or way to decorate the house or Christmas tree, to baking cookies or other holiday treats, or activities and events that are attended every year.  In my family, we always went into downtown Chicago right near Christmas to shop, look at lights and other sights, and go to a show and a nice meal.  Still to this day, when I come home to IL after Christmas, we go into the city for a day, keeping that particular tradition alive.

Traditions are important things because they become touchstones in people’s lives and often they connect us to not only our present, but our past, and often will continue into the future.  For me, going downtown started with my grandparents and then continued with my parents and even though they are all gone now, when my sisters and I go into Chicago, I can feel and remember the years prior with those who are no longer with us.  We continue traditions to remember others, connect with each other, and pass on a part of who we are to the next generation when they experience the tradition for the first time.

Of course, the church is a place steeped in tradition.  From singing “Silent Night” in candlelight to certain activities and events, the church lives in tradition that connects us with the saints that have gone before us.  One of those traditions continues this week (and, actually, in an hour or so from me writing this) with lefse making.  Not being Norwegian, over my 12 years here at Trinity I have really enjoyed this tradition, and it is not just for the taste of the lefse!  I enjoy the fellowship of it, of seeing men and women (and sometimes children) together, teaching each other, conversing with each other, serving the Lord together.  The laughter that comes, the friendships that are made, the love that is shared, is what really makes these two days fun and special.  Even better, the group loves nothing more to welcome a new person in and become part of this Trinity tradition.

Of course, this week is full of other traditions as well, with the Silent Auction on Saturday, the Live Nativity late Saturday afternoon, and all the other activities in town this weekend.  I hope you will stop in and support our youth, buy some wonderful lefse and baked goods, and come by the Live Nativity to remember the true meaning of this season.

But most of all, I hope that you give thanks for your Christmas traditions and recognize that the Lord has blessed those traditions that connect us as family, friends, and children of God.  Never take them for granted and at the same time, never be afraid to start a new tradition either!  I got an idea for a new one: give the pastor bacon for Christmas!

May God bless you this day and always!

Give thanks in all circumstances . . .” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

For many people, Thanksgiving is about tradition. Your tradition might be to hunt in the morning and then get together for dinner in the evening. Maybe your tradition is going to Grandma’s house or Mom’s house. You might have the tradition of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade or heading out late Thanksgiving night to get to Black Friday shopping early. You could have a tradition of playing cards or heading outside for a game of football. It might just be watching football and taking a nap (one of my traditions, actually). Again, for so many of you, beyond just the turkey and the trimmings, Thanksgiving traditions are paramount and super important.

But for some people, including myself, Thanksgiving this year will be different and traditions will be changed, altered, or not happening at all. I remember the first time we had Thanksgiving after my Dad died or the first time we didn’t go to Grandma Schmika’s. I remember my last Thanksgiving in IL and with my family, 2001, or the very first Thanksgiving I had without any family at all, while I was on internship in 2000. This year will be the first Thanksgiving since we were married where Amy and I won’t be spending it with any other family members, as her family is in Florida and mine is in Michigan. We will be on our own, which will be new and different and strange.

For many, things will be different this year. Often traditions will change because of death. Suddenly, a grandparent or parent isn’t there at the table or out in the hunting shack or in the car on the way to the mall. Maybe it is a child or an aunt or uncle that is missing. Maybe someone has gotten married and so Thanksgiving is spent at a different place or in a different way. Other circumstances also may be causing traditions to be different or changed. And, of course, there are people whose Thanksgiving is still another day where they struggle to feed themselves or their children or just find a warm place to stay for a night.

Having traditions is a big part of Thanksgiving, but sometimes we make those traditions into the only part of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not about the traditions, it is about giving thanks, even in circumstances that have changed and even on a day when Thanksgiving isn’t a day of happiness but sadness or struggle. We gather on Thanksgiving to give thanks to God for the gift of life and salvation through Jesus Christ. We celebrate Thanksgiving to give thanks to God for giving us strength to handle the difficult times of life and for the times of joy, peace and rest. We remember to give thanks not only for the stuff we see, but the people whom we have loved and been loved by in our life, whether they are next to us at the dinner table, a thousand miles away, or in the peace of God’s glory.

When Amy and I sit down at our table at noon (pausing the Bears game) for our first ever Thanksgiving dinner on our own, I will give thanks for her family gathered in Florida and mine in Michigan. I’ll give thanks for my parents and her mom in heaven. I’ll give thanks for our dogs and for the chance to be together, even if it is a little different this year. I’ll remember all those I know who will feel a void and sadness on Thanksgiving Day. And I’ll especially give thanks that in the ups and downs of the year, God has walked with me and kept me afloat when it felt like I might drown and laughed with me in the most joyous of moments. I will give thanks that Christ died for my sins and will one day bring me to everlasting life. And I will give thanks for Amy’s stuffing, the best I ever had. I don’t even have to share it with as many others this year!

Whether you will be celebrating Thanksgiving as you always have or you will be in a new reality with new traditions, I hope that you will pause and give thanks to God, no matter what. And, I hope you will remember that everything you see and have in this earth, including life itself, is a gift from the God who has created you, loved you, saved you, and will be with you always till the end of the age. For that we can say, every day and always, “Thanks be to God!”

As I write this, the first snow of the season is falling outside and it looks like a big storm.  Already on Facebook and in the days prior to this storm, the complaining about the snow began.  Complaining about the cold, the need to shovel, how early it is, everything.  And I can frankly see all those points.  I might even agree with all those points!  However, something interesting occurred as I was shoveling this morning (the first of many in the coming 24 hours and throughout the winter).  A thought popped into my head (I know, always dangerous).  The thought was this: it is beautiful.

   Just that thought.  It kind of surprised me, that thought.  And it bore another thought: in everything that we think is bad or awful, there just might be something good located there too.  The snow is a pain, no doubt, but there is beauty in it too.  There are kids rejoicing because they got off school today.  There is the joy that comes with making snowmen or skiing or having a snowball fight.  There are often beauty and positive things that can often be found in almost everything.

   Look at the beat down the Packers gave my Bears last night.  It might have been the worst football performance I have seen my team play in the history of my lifetime.  Yet, while that was going on, I was able to write my sermon for Sunday, put away laundry, get some reading done, AND, due to Mason Crosby, able to win my fantasy football game this week.  So even in the midst of that destruction, good things came from it.

   The world would love us to look at our own lives and our experiences in a “negative” first light.  To always see the bad instead of the good.  But our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls us to look at the good in the world, to look at the beauty and the light in the midst of the difficult and darkness.  Because Christ has set us free from all things, we can see the blessings even in the midst of the sorrow, the hope in the midst of despair, the good in the midst of the bad; to see the beauty in the midst of the storm.

   As children of God, saved and redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can look at the world, and our own lives, with the eyes of Christ, eyes that see hope, love, beauty, and most of all, God, in all things.   It may be snowing, and that may be really annoying, but it is also beautiful.  And for that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”  Amen.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.”  Psalm 34:8

   There is no doubt that I like food.  On Sunday, I had a wonderful day of eating (despite the diet.  It is all about working out and portion control for PB).  I came home from church and Amy had a wonderful bacon sandwich ready for me on a croissant for lunch  Hmmm, bacon.  Then, for supper, she made this wonderful pork thai peanut noodle dish that is just scrumptious.  PB’s stomach was happy. Plus, in between, I took a drool inducing nap.  It was a good Sunday afternoon.

   There is nothing like tasty food, like a great meal, whether it is in a good restaurant or a family favorite cooked at home.  There is a feeling you get, a warmth that just covers your heart and soul, a feeling of satisfaction, of contentment, of happiness.  But even the greatest meal (even one with bacon) does not come close to what it feels like to know that you are loved and saved by God in Jesus Christ.

   As satisfying as a good meal is, knowing that I can take refuge in my Lord, knowing that the Lord is good, knowing that God showers me with mercy, blessing, and forgiveness, gives my soul a contentment, a warmth, a satisfaction that not even the best meal (even a meal at Famous Dave’s) can give me.  Of course, I get the opportunity to have the greatest meal of all on a regular basis, the meal of Christ’s body and blood at Holy Communion.  Through the bread and wine, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation, things that fill our heart and soul more than a full stomach ever good.

   Sometimes we forget that the Lord is good.  Sometimes we forget that we have refuge in him, that we have a safe place to rest and strengthen when life gets hard and difficult.  Even more so, we sometimes forget that everything we have in this life, including amazing meals and morsels of delicious food, come from the God who has created us, saved us, and sustains us in this life through the Holy Spirit.

   “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.”  Taste the delicious goodness of God and know that in Him you always have refuge and hope.  For that we can say, “Thanks be to God!”

   This past Saturday was my second Homeless Simulation and it was wonderful to invite and involve the youth of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Glenwood City to do it with us.  Next year we will be going there for the simulation.  We had 31 youth and adults and it was a very different experience than last year’s simulation in many ways.  One, the kids stayed up a lot more instead of hunkering down in their boxes.  Two, we had more guests or friends of people that came.  Three, less adults than the year before as well.  And four, I got a lot less sleep than the prior year.

   Now that I have done this twice, I have found the hardest thing about the simulation isn’t the cold or even the hunger.  It is not being able to be comfortable.  I was plenty tired enough to go to sleep and yet I couldn’t get comfortable.  I tried all sorts of things and I had even gotten a pillow with my scenario (each participant gets a back with a profile, a card, and a poker chip.  The card and the poker chip can win you extra food, a blanket, or a pillow.  We use it as a way to illustrate the uneven distribution of resources).  No matter what I did, I just couldn’t find a position or way of laying down that would help me get some shut-eye.  Many of the kids said the hardest thing for them was also not being able to get comfortable either.

    The other interesting thing about this year’s group compared to last year’s was the lack of thought in building their shelters.  We don’t give them much instruction hoping that they will learn by trial and error.  Most of the participants didn’t think about the wind or even the position of their shelter in relation to the natural wind break that was the church building.  Even more so, once they got in there they expected to be warm immediately when it takes patience and time to allow body heat to build up in the shelter.  Because of this, many abandoned their shelters early OR the shelter collapsed at the first gust of wind.  Hence, a ton of kids around the fire pit and fire barrel throughout the night.

    Lastly, I want to thank you for your generosity.  So many of you came through with cardboard at the last minute that it really helped us have enough for them to build shelters where we otherwise might not have had enough.  I want to thank all those that stopped to give a dollar or two on their way into church to our “begging” homeless and your free-will donation at the end of the service to go homeless prevention.  Thank you for supporting this event and the way it gives a different experience to our youth so that they might appreciate not only what they have, but to open their hearts and have compassion on those who aren’t as well off.