Have you met my wife?  She loves the Holidays and more specifically she loves Christmas trees and the ornaments
So we decided to purchase a tree on “Black Friday” this year… only because they wouldn’t sell us one the week prior :)  We went on an adventure and discovered a great deal of reasonably priced trees and a long the way one or two kinda I thought I would share.  








You see we have several (dozen) large boxes of Christmas stuff we have collected over the years.  These boxes migrate every year down from the attic and into my walk path until they are extricated and displayed on a tree.  The best part of the annual ritual is that my only part is to acquire the tree.  I love my part.  
Every year I am reminded of all the stuff we buy and sell and throw away and how all that stuff will fade and deteriorate with time.  But as Christians we have a gift that is forever.  One that changes lives and one that is always relative.  So as you decide between the purple, black, red or Patriotic tree to adorn with ornaments I hope you remember the why behind the holiday :)  
All trees aside, I hope the year you and your family shares the love of the birth of Christ in your circle of influence. 

As Americans, we are led by advertising down a narrow path that is quite disturbing. Ads feed on our desire to be better than everyone else, if only by purchasing their product!
For two dollars you can drink water that with two words make you think you are getting a better product and reaping the rewards of your purchase. Smart Water. 




The use of Smart in the title conjures up the desire in all of us to be smarter than everyone else. Trust me on this one little itty bitty thing - You cannot outsmart God!
In all seriousness, don’t we all wake up some days and think, "I can outsmart God… Besides, this is a really small thing and why would He bother????"
Really?  
I think this is what those really smart people that built the Tower of Babble were thinking as they decided to outsmart God.  Or maybe the Religious and Governmental officials that decided to kill that guy, Jesus of Nazareth….. That really worked out for them :)  
Plus the Water….. I think of Moses as he struck the rock… Moses tried to outsmart God and with anger He produced water.  Hmmm, and Moses ended up just watching as the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land.  
Now just to be clear, I don’t see God as an angry God but as a benevolent loving God…. until we try and outsmart Him.  In Romans Chapter Two we discover that if we choose to judge others by our personal "made up" rules then God will apply those same rules to our lives.  YIKES!  Also, in the New Testament we learn that the unforgivable sin is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  I’m not 100% sure what that means but I wonder how much it has to do with trying to outsmart God?  
 So for my original ponder - five minutes to a smarter you….. I think it takes a lot more than five minutes…. This is why at COTHA we push for Small Group membership and Ministry involvement in our membership covenant.  We want all of us together to get smarter and well, drink the water and just see where God would have us go, do and become.  (Basically, Smarter with God :) 

If you have kids in elementary school, I am sure they have come home with an, "I am thankful for..." writing prompt. If they are in preschool maybe a picture or a place mat that creatively demonstrates your child's thankfulness. The COTHA LiL' Kids will have a chance to draw or write a prayer to God about what they are thankful for this Sunday! 
I really love this time of year when we as a family and as a church are intentional to thank the Lord for our family, our home, our friends, our many blessings, and most of all for His love.
A phrase has been ringing in my heart this week: "the steadfast love of the Lord". 
You may have read, or sung Lamentations 3:22-26 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him."
On my thankful list this year is "the steadfast love of the Lord".
His love is steady and never wavers when I do. He is faithful when I am not. He is dependable to keep His promises when I am not. He is reliable when I slack. He is committed to transforming my heart and mind when I don't feel like it. He loyal, faithful, and true! 
He shows steadfast love to the thousands of those who love him and keep His commandments (Dt. 5:10)
God's covenant promise to David: My steadfast love will not depart from you. (2 Sam 7:15)
David trusting in that promise after an epic fail: Have mercy on me according to your steadfast love. (Ps 51:1)
The steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. (Ps 32:10)
And then there is of course there is the Psalmist's answer to the "I am thankful for...." writing prompt:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, his steadfast love endures forever; to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; and bought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love lasts forever; and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;  a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; he who give food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136
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 As many of you know, I own my own theatre company, Center Stage Academy. This weekend we performed Annie and it was incredible. We had 33 children in the show, 23 of which were orphans.  Wow, that is a lot of orphans on stage at one time. This was our youngest cast to date with children ages 5-11 and one high school student playing Miss Hannigan, which happened to be my oldest daughter Victoria. It always amazes me how young these kids are and how much they are capable of doing.


 I truly love working with kids. When I was a middle school teacher, my parents would always say, I can tell that you really love kids and that you love what you do. I have always been able to connect with kids of all ages.


 As the Ministry Pastor of COTHA kids I also connect with kids on a spiritual level. God has truly blessed my life with the privilege of working with so many wonderful children. I get to see these kids grow and mature into the people they will become. This is why I love my job. I get to touch their lives and enrich their spirits by planting seeds of love and goodness in all the kids I come in contact with. God is truly good.

by guest blogger Cindy Beyer
On November 16,  COTHA is hosting an amazing opportunity for women to fellowship and talk about their faith.  The mornig begins with The Steel Magnolias performing A Garden Gathering Bloom Where You Are!  After lunch several of the woman will lead a workshop on writing your faith story.  
Here is  another great story from COTHA member Cindy Beyer:
1.  What was your early spiritual background, and how did it affect you as you grew up---your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?
My family didn’t question that God exists or that Jesus is Lord, but my mother struggled with organized religion because of contradictory messages she heard growing up in the Assembly of God denomination and my father suffered a crisis of faith in his 30s (which I still don’t know much about), so we rarely attended church.
2.  What caused you to begin to consider following Christ?
When I went to church with my grandparents at their tiny Methodist church in my dad’s hometown of Glencoe, OK (pop. 250), I felt completely safe and at home. I wanted to know the same kind of faith my Grandma had.  She never preached and never, ever criticized anyone, but her lovingkindness was solid as a rock and irresistibly attractive to everyone around her. 
 3.  What realization did you come to that finally motivated you to receive Christ?
I grew up understanding that Jesus died for me, but not until my mother was dying did I feel any specific call from Him on my own life.  Then I had a dream.  In the dream, I was climbing up a series of steeper and steeper obstacles--from a gentle slope to steps, from steps to narrower, steeper stairs, from stairs to ladders, from ladders to rocks, from rocks to a nearly sheer cliff.  When I reached the top, I could see a living heart lying on an altar, beating strongly and regularly.  I heard a voice say, “You will live this life.”  I kew Who was speaking.  His voice filled the space; it was everywhere in and around me. His peace and presence was overwhelming to me--I had to tell everyone I met about this dream.
 4.  Specifically, how did you receive Christ? 
For a little while after my mom passed away, I searched for a way to live into the life God offered me in my dream.  I visited churches, looking for a place to connect with the God who had revealed Himself to me.  The very first time I attended a COTHA service at West Memorial Junior High, I felt the same utter sense of home that I had always felt with my Grandma at the tiny Glencoe church, and I have many, many times since that first Sunday recommitted my life and hopes to Christ.
 5.  How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?
The immediate change after I recommitted to Christ was that I no longer felt isolated and alone.  As a young mother with an infant and a toddler, whose husband traveled most of the time and who was without social support or family in the Houston area, I had been feeling extremely sad and lonely after my mom died.  Now I had a community and a Lord to belong to! I also found a place I could sing--and singing is almost as important to me as breathing!
6.  What other benefits have you experienced since becoming a Christian?
Walking with God has given me purpose and ministry.  I love doing theatre here at COTHA--it’s a way to plug in kids and adults who feel “different.” The biggest personal change I’ve experienced is freedom from nearly crippling fear and insecurity.  The very first Scripture I memorized and prayed daily after my recommitment was Philippians 4:4-7, and I can truly say that God has changed my life through these prayers.

This past week, I had the privilege of reconnecting with an old friend.  We met for lunch and well, two meals and three waiters later we closed frown the place.  It was a great time of reflection of life and the decision we made to get where we are.  At one point I asked, about his spiritual life and he had a very unique answer.  He prays a simple prayer every morning of every day……. 


God,
 Thank you for everything.
Amen 


So I asked a million questions and they all had the same answer.  God you have provided for me everything I could ever need, more than I deserve and more than I really want…. so Simply thank you for everything.  WOW….. I am humbled by this approach to a relationship with the creator.  
So my challenge for me, you and anyone you come in contact with.  What if we start a simple 30 day challenge to say this prayer every morning when we rise?  How would our world change if we believed and acted as if we were truly thankful for everything?  Send me a note with how things in your world have changed. 

by guest blogger Nelda de Hoyos
On November 16,  COTHA is hosting an amazing opportunity for women to fellowship and talk about their faith.  The mornig begins with The Steel Magnolias performing A Garden Gathering Bloom Where You Are!  After lunch several of the woman will lead a workshop on writing your faith story.  
Here is  another great story from COTHA member Nelda de Hoyos:
1.  What was your early spiritual background, and how did it affect you as you grew up---your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?
 I was raised in a church centered on Biblical truths, and I was taught the importance of being in regular attendance on Sunday AM, PM and Wednesdays. My family’s social life revolved around fun get-togethers with our church family and having personal family gatherings where we would celebrate an occasion, gather around a piano and sing hymns. Faith seemed to be a natural outpouring of everyone around me.
2.  What caused you to begin to consider following Christ?
My youth pastor was a passionate believer. His encouragement, his enthusiasm, and the Biblical knowledge that he instilled in me showed me the importance of having Christ in my life. The actions of my family and church family supported the belief that following Christ was a good thing.
3.  What realization did you come to that finally motivated you to receive Christ?
After much teaching about Jesus and how that he had died for my sins, I began to realize that I needed him as my Savior. I had a desire to be forgiven, to receive Him and to serve Him.
4.  Specifically, how did you receive Christ?
At a church service one night, the minister taught on our acceptance of Jesus, and at the end of the service, he gave an “altar call” for anyone who wanted to receive Christ. I remember being  afraid to walk down the aisle in front of so many people, but being determined that my fear would not stop me. That night, at nine years of age,  I gave a public confession of faith in Jesus and received Him as the one who redeemed me from my sins. I left the service that night excited about my new life!  These passionate desires remained with me through my high school years, and I considered attending a Bible college and becoming a missionary until I won a scholarship and decided to attend a secular university to become a teacher.
 5.  How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?
The Lord began to actively work in my life in ways that I can hardly comprehend. He placed a desire in my heart to adhere to his teachings in scripture, which I tried to do, but in my own strength.  After years of wandering according to my own desires, I finally found myself confronted with what so many young people encounter…the cultural teachings of humanism. Intellectually confused and discouraged by what I saw happening in many churches, I finally pushed my faith aside and labeled myself an agnostic.   Years went by, and I see in retrospect, that the Lord protected me in many ways. When I finally hit a rough spot in my life, He patiently and lovingly guided me back by placing the right people in my life at the right time. These people  were passionate about Jesus, which brought back old memories of my youth. They exuded the peace and love of Christ, and they taught me about the Holy Spirit. This was the puzzle piece that had been missing. I did not need to walk in my own strength, the Holy Spirit would strengthen me to do whatever the Lord purposed for me.  He gave me revelation knowledge to know him better and set me back on the path that I had always wanted to follow.
6.  What other benefits have you experienced since becoming a Christian?
Since understanding how He guides me in this life when I submit to Him, I have found that I have joy, peace, and strength when life is hard.  I have a ready access to comfort, protection, and love.  I also have excitement because as I ask him to use me, he responds in awesome ways. He makes life exciting! Life is incomplete without Christ. 

One of the themes in my life as a disciple could be entitled: "worry, fear and anxiety." From time to time I seem to have graduated from this struggle, only to find myself stuck in the middle of it once again. At times, things external from me lead me back to the same familiar place of trying to control things. Once I step in and attempt to do that, the ugly fruit of worry, anxiety and fear reappear. Sometimes it's not external but it is something inside of me. Once again, I return to that awful place of trying to control things. It never works but that doesn't seem to keep me from trying.
I was recently reflecting on this and where the root of my problem (and yours?) might be. Perhaps it's different for you but everytime I struggle with this, I sift through all the clutter and it comes down to something profound. As much as I try, I am not in control. Not in the least little bit. I can't control my kids, my wife, the church, the world or even myself. I am not in control. But God is.
I cannot speak for anyone else, but this is a lesson I have had to learn and relearn over the course of decades. There is good news though. I am beginning to see the root cause of the fear, worry and anxiety that I experience in a quicker way than I used to. Don't get me wrong. It doesn't happen overnight, but what used to take months and months now takes days.
Let me give you an exercise to do if you face the same thing. When I begin to feel that familiar unholy trinity well up in my heart, I do this: I ask myself if I can control whatever it is that I am trying to control. Can I determine the outcome? Can I manipulate the problem to work out the way I want it to? Lastly, I ask if God is in control. Does He love me? Does He promise that He will protect me? Doesn't He promise that He will prosper me, not bring me to ruin? Of course the answer to these questions is an emphatic YES!
On the other side of worry, anxiety and fear is a peace which passes all understanding. I thank God that He doesn't give up on me and is there in the midst of my trying to control things. I dream of a day when it won't take days for me to figure out but perhaps hours or minutes!!

Do you remember what it is like to wonder? I don't mean worrying like; "I wonder when I will have more time?" or "I wonder how I will ever pay off that bill?" or "I wonder when this stress will end?".  When last did you wonder? When did you let your imagination and creativity and childlike faith wonder?
I love asking small kids wondering questions! I'll ask: "I wonder why the trees are green?"; "I wonder why the sky is blue?"; "I wonder why the giraffe has such a long neck?"; "I wonder why stop signs red?"; "I wonder why Jesus loves me?"
I love the answers I get! I will share some with you: "The trees are green because the grass is green, silly Ms. Anna!"; "The sky is blue because the birds like it that way!"; "The sky is blue because it is not purple."; "The giraffe has a tall neck so he can reach his car keys!"; "The giraffe has a tall neck so he can eat leaves."; "Stop signs are red because they are not square."; " Jesus loves me because He lives here, in my stomach!"; "Jesus loves me because He does, Ms. Anna !" I love asking these wondering questions, they make me smile! These questions also remind me of the intricate way I am made and the amazing world around me everyday that I most often ignore as and adult! 
Of course -most of the time- I know at least the simple scientific answer or a logical reason to the questions I ask, but I never talk about these during the wonder game. I just listen to the kid's thinking and through their answers I get a glimpse of their worldview. After a couple of questions they can really be on a roll! ...And me, I am on a roll-that is on the floor with laughter! On the other hand, more often than not, I find myself amazed at the childlike faith and imagination that fills thier minds and hearts! I pray that childlike faith and imagination will remain in my heart and mind until my last breath!
COTHA LiL' Kids are learning about Worship this November. We are learning that we worship the one TRUE God! Now this is something to wonder about!  One true God...God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spririt..three in one and one in three!  In our 9:00 COTHA U Preschool class we observed an apple. An apple has three parts: the peel, the flesh, and the core. The peel protects the apple. The flesh provides nutrients and it is good to eat. The core contains the seeds to grow many, many more apples. The apple has three seperate parts with three seperate purposes, but it is only one apple.
We have learned that God protects us, that Jesus provides our needs- especially our greatest need of salvation, and the Holy Spirit plants the seeds of faith in our hearts, grows faith, and enables us to share with many, many more people about God. Three seperate persons, one true God!
We have learned that worshipping God is responding to who He is and what He has done and is doing. Some examples of how we can respond are; we can sing, dance, play musical instruments, read God's word with our Moms and Dads, learn at home and at church about God's ways, obey, and be thankful! The more time we spend with the one true God the more we become like Him. 
This coming Sunday, the preschoolers will be putting a piece of celery stalk into a jar of red water. If we dip the celery into the red water the green celery will not change much. Maybe some red dye will stick to the bottom, however if we leave the celery immersed into that red water the celery will transform from the inside out! It will change as the red water is soak up through the stalk until finally the celery's leaves will turn a beautiful red. The celery will soon look the color of the water. Red. 
Our lives need to be immersed in true worship to change from the inside out, to be Christ-like. Not just dipped in hoping that some Jesus sticks on us on Sunday so we can show it around the town. Nope. Everyday worship. Everyday absorbing the truth of God's word. His words will permeate our hearts and exchange the lies that surround us exchanging lies for truth, knowledge, and wisdom. Everyday opening our heart to conversation through prayer with the true and living God. Learning, Listening, Loving, Growing. Everyday our lips proclaming thankful praise from our heart through songs or words or journaling in thanks for who God is and the things He as done and promises to do. Everyday we can be changed from the inside out! 
I encourage you to learn from a preschooler. Use child-like faithful eyes filled with imagination and wonderment to think about who God is. To think about what God has done through the ages. To think about what God has done in your life and those around you. To think about His beauty. To think about how God protects you. To think about how Jesus meets your needs and nourishes your spirit. To think about how the Holy Spirit grows faith in you. It is my prayer that through wondering upon such things that you will be free to respond in true worship! 
If you are brave: Ask the small people in your life some wondering questions. They could be about anything you see while you drive or walk along during your day. Post the answers! 

by Trish Thompson, Ministry Pastor of Groups
On November 16,  COTHA is hosting an amazing opportunity for women to fellowship and talk about their faith.  The mornig begins with The Steel Magnolias performing A Garden Gathering Bloom Where You Are!  After lunch several of the woman will lead a workshop on writing your faith story.  Over the next few weeks, I will be posting these stories to inspire others to spend more time with God.  

1. What was your early spiritual background and how did it affect you as you grew up – your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?

I never remember a time when my family did not attend church.  I went to school at a nearby parochial school and attended Roman Catholic mass on the weekends.  My parents tithes so that they would receive a tuition discount.  I dutifully completed all the required sacraments and prayed my rosary occasionally.  As a teen and young adult, I became active in the church as a lay reader and sang with the worship team.  When I married a non-Catholic, it became evident that I would eventually leave the church.  I was disenchanted with the regulations of the religion. 

1. What caused you to begin to consider following Christ?

I continued attending semi-regularly for the first few years of marriage.  Michael and I had committed to attend services together and we needed to follow through on this promise.  We began searching for a denomination where we could both feel comfortable.  He was a Pentecostal, so this was no easy feat.  We settled on an Episcopal church with a contemporary praise band and a healing service in the middle of the Eucharist.  We left this church after purchasing a home in a new part of town.  We located the nearest Episcopal church and promptly joined.  I became active in ministry and volunteered with the student ministry.  It was in these years that I began to hear about a relationship with Christ.  Although I had always been a Christian, having a relationship was a new concept for me. 

1. What realization did you come to that finally motivated you to receive Christ?  

Fast forward a decade- another move and a new church.  While at COTHA I agreed to attend a small group meeting with Michael.  I was not really ready to meet with other adults to talk about my faith, but Michael was eager.  Through several years of small group teaching, ALPHA, and Sunday preaching, I became aware that I wanted a relationship with my Lord and Savior.  I was not quite sure how one did this when they were already a Christian!

1. Specifically, how did you receive Christ?

I wish I could credit someone with leading me to faith, but the truth is many people contributed to my realization.  I attended a testimony conference in summer 2005 and finally understood that the relationship was my acceptance of Jesus Christ.  I had prayed to accept Jesus many times before with lots of people, but not until that day did the head knowledge finally connect with the heart.

1. How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?

The immediate change was a confidence in who God created and an understanding in the purpose for my life.  I desire to have a relationship with my Creator.  I want to worship Him.  I am also called to help others come to this same understanding. 

1. What other benefits have you experienced since becoming a Christian?

These days, I recognize that none of my evangelism efforts have been through my own power or ability.  When I allow the Holy Spirit to use me, I am able to speak and pray with others.  His words make a difference in people’s lives.  It is not my nature to readily talk about my faith.  I am still shy, yet when God directs the time and place the Holy Spirit empowers me to be bold.  Knowledge, compassion and understanding flow from Him through me.  I have feelings that I can’t explain why or where they derive.  I simply know and trust that it’s God at work.  I watch with awe and wonder. 
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