We’ve made it through a cold, but very nice, Christmas weekend. We spent most of the 25th here at home. We had Lisa’s family gathering a week ago Christmas eve, and my family got together the next day, so we weren’t obligated to visit anyone on Christmas day.

It was nice to just spend the day at home with Lisa and the children. I did get out once. Lisa’s sister Rhonda was without heat. Her heater wasn’t working so I went there, climbed in the attic and lit the pilot light for her. All was working nicely when I left, but she and her family had spent the coldest night of the year, so far, with no central heat. I told her she should have called sooner, on Christmas Eve.

This morning we went to Trinity Luthern Church to worship. It was a nice service. Tomorrow morning, Lisa and I are supposed to meet with the pastor. I’ve been looking forward to this meeting. I have a number of questions that I would like to ask him about the differences between Reformed and Lutheran views on certain matters. This will be our second time to meet with the pastor; the first time was mostly a "get to know you" session.

The pastor at Trinity is Rev. Duke. He is in his 60's and is a very personable gentleman. Lisa seems to like him a lot.

I told my friend, Bill Smith (pastor of Covenant PCA in Sulphur), that we have been attending the LCMS church and that I would like to visit an Episcopal Church as well. Bill said he knew the Vicar of the local Episcopal church and thought he was theologically conservative. I would like to visit and worship with them. I have worshipped at many Christian Churches but not an Episcopal church. We may visit there soon.

I am not sure what we are going to do as to a church.. I don’t think we are going to return to Bethel (our home church).I have a number of friends at the PCA Church here in Sulphur, but it looks like Bill Smith will soon be leaving and moving to Louisville, Kentucky, to pastor another PCA church up there. I like Bill and hate to see him go, but it would put him very close to Southern Baptist Seminary. He will be able to return to school and get his doctorate. This will be good, because he has great gifts that further education will only help.

I know our friends at Bethel would like us to go back there, and now that we have moved to Sulphur our friends at Covenant would like us to start going there. I’m in no hurry to make any decision about that. I think the move to Sulphur gives us a chance to visit other denominations, which I have wanted to do for years. As long as we lived so close to Bethel, I did not think it would be right to visit around, but now that we have moved, and there are other traditional Protestant Churches between us and the Reformed Churches of Bethel and Covenant, I think this is a good opportunity to check out these churches.

After Church today Lisa went to meet a friend and the little boys and I went to the park to fly an aeroplane they got for Christmas. It worked great, until I crashed it several times. I will have to get them another plane.

Once the plane ceased to function, they went and played on the swings and things at the other end of the park. We had a good time.

I am finally 300 pages into Calvin. I am reading slowly, but I continue on. Calvin is worth taking one’s time to read. I am enjoying him very much. I’ve also been reading some small things on the Lutheran Church and Lutheran views.

Coram Deo,
Kenith