Back in November I announced to the world, via the pulpit, that I had already bought Kathy’s Christmas present and that she was going to love it. Since that time, both of us have been asked about it and some of you have even speculated as to what it was. Well the wait is over and at last I can reveal the nature of this mystery gift, or I should say gifts. This year Kathy received two gifts from me- an original abstract painting of the nativity scene, complete with professional framing, and a pottery pitcher from Keith Stewart’s studio in Taylor, Mississippi. I can imagine that as some of you read this you are a bit UNDERwhelmed. Based on my level of excitement, you where expecting more bang for the brag. Right about now your response is “well I guess it’s the thought that counts” which, by the way, is my point exactly. I was excited about giving the gifts and Kathy was excited when she received them because they reveal THOUGHTFULNESS. I was confident she would love them because I know what she loves. On top of that, they were items that she had seen and commented on in passing throughout the year. They were not things she had hinted that I should buy her, but rather things I knew she loved, so I worked hard at finding a way to surprise her on Christmas Day. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what the people you care about would love for Christmas. Just start listening. You will be glad you did next December 25.

Santa’s helper,

Bro. James

What a blessing it has been to spend another year with the DeSoto Hills family. As a staff we do not take this privilege for granted. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your love and support. We all look forward to a new year of ministry possibilities. Together we can make a difference as we spread the good news of this season to the uttermost.

Merry Christmas

Many of your have asked about the narration at the end of this year’s Carols By Candlelight. Due to space we will have to give it to you in two segments. You can look for the second half in the “nook” space on December 28.

In Genesis Jesus is the Ram at Abraham’s altar.

In Exodus He’s the Passover Lamb.

In Leviticus He’s the High Priest.

In Numbers He’s the Cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

In Deuteronomy He’s the City of our refuge.

In Joshua He’s the Scarlet Thread out Rahab’s window.

In Judges He is our Judge.

In Ruth He is our Kinsman redeemer.

In 1st & 2nd Samuel He’s our Trusted Prophet.

And in Kings and Chronicles He’s our Reigning King.

In Ezra He is our Faithful Scribe.

In Nehemiah He’s the Rebuilder of everything that is broken.

And in Esther He is the Mordecai sitting faithful at the gate.

In Job He’s our redeemer that ever liveth.

In Psalms He is my Shepherd and I shall not want.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes He’s our Wisdom.

And in the Song of Solomon He’s the Beautiful Bridegroom.

In Isaiah He’s the Suffering Servant.

In Jeremiah and Lamentations it is Jesus that is the Weeping Prophet.

In Ezekiel He’s the Wonderful Four-Faced Man.

And in Daniel He is the Fourth Man in the midst of a fiery furnace.

In Hosea He is my Love that is forever faithful.

In Joel He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.

In Amos He’s our Burden Bearer.

In Obadiah, our Savior.

And in Jonah He is the Great Foreign Missionary that takes the Word of God into all of the world.

You go on and you see in Micah He is the Messenger with beautiful feet.

In Nahum He is the Avenger.

In Habakkuk He is the Watchman that is ever praying for revival.

In Zephaniah He is the Lord mighty to save.

In Haggai He is the Restorer of our lost heritage.

In Zechariah He is our Fountain.

And in Malachi He is the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings.

May these words continue to be a blessing to you.

A big thanks you to all of who took the time to have your photograph taken for our new pictorial directory.  I know it was not easy to dress up, wait, smile, smile some more, wait some more, and then narrow down all those wonderful shots to just one that you wanted for the directory.  I trust the whole experience was not too strenuous and I’m certain we are going to love the final outcome.  It will become a cherished tool as we seek to get to know one another better.  Some of you were forced to cancel appointments due to illness or other circumstances that could not be avoided.  We hope to offer a make up session after the first of the year for those of you who might be interested.  Please call the church office and let us know your willingness to be involved in this.  You can also fill out a visitor tab, mark it “photo shoot”, and place it in the offering plate.  If we have enough families willing to participate, we will get back to you with a date.  I also want to thank all of you who volunteered your time to set appointments, make phone calls, man the check in station, and lay out the directory (a process that is still going on).  We literally could not have done this without you.

See you in the directory,

Bro. James

While on a trip recently with the TnT (Tried and True) to Branson, our senior adult group made an unscheduled, unexpected, and unannounced stop at a local restaurant for breakfast. We knew we were coming; we just didn’t let the restaurant know we were coming. Some of us had discovered the place the morning before, so plans were made to carry those interested the next day. Most of us decided to go, so we pulled up to the place around 8:30 with a busload. I went in to let them know how many we had and just as I figured, they were more than happy to accommodate the 50 plus people we had on board. We filed in and made quite a line that stretched all the way out the door. They started seating us in groups of 4 to 6. Kathy and I were making sure everyone got in the door and that’s when it happened. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you cannot take the classroom out of the teacher. Kathy started organizing our group. She had them pair off and step up closer so they would be primed and ready as soon as they called for the next group. As we were herding our group through, I was amazed when a by-stander, who was likewise waiting on a table, turned to Kathy and asked her if she was a teacher. I laughed out loud as we affirmed her insight. She indicated that she was also a teacher and could tell by the way Kathy was organizing the scene that she must be a fellow educator. I often kid Kathy about the teacher coming out of her, but the reality is being a teacher it is a part of who she is. It is a gift she has been given that comes out in all kinds of settings. I trust today that although you can take the church member out of the church, you can’t take the church out of the member. Perhaps someone is watching and waiting to see a church member in action before they go into a church building.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, an d it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.

Matthew 5:14-16

A Blessed Husband,

Bro. James

Ask folks what their number one concern is right now and many would probably tell you the state of the economy. These are indeed uncomfortable and in many ways uncertain times financially. The backlash is being felt by almost every aspect of our society - even the church. We continue to operate on a very tight budget and this was certainly on our minds as we contemplated the financial needs for the upcoming year. For months now, the staff and Stewardship Team have been working on a budget for 2009 that would be realistic, but at the same time challenging. We have completed our work and it will be presented Sunday night, November 23, prior to the evening service. The Team will be available for any questions or concerns that you have on Wednesday nights, December 3 & 10, from 6 to 7 P.M. in the church office on the second floor. We will vote on the 2009 budget prior to the evening service on December 14. I assure you that all the changes, whether they were increases or decreases, were discussed thoroughly and considered prayerfully. We will be voting on a proposed budget. If the money is given, then this is how it will be spent. This new budget will become both a guide and as well as a goal.

A Fellow Giver,

Bro. James

What now? The commercials have ended, the bumper stickers are fading, and the yard signs are thankfully disappearing. The decision has been made, so where do we go from here? Some of you may be glad with the outcome of the election, while others are sad. Some of you prayed for it, while others prayed against it. But now, we have a biblical responsibility to join together and pray for our President Elect.

“I urge, then first of all, that request, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”. This is good, and pleases God our Savior”. I Timothy 2: 1-4

He has a job that is difficult under the best of times and these are certainly not the best of times. Pray that he will:

…Look to the Lord for all decisions

…Look for opportunities to do what is right, even when it is not popular

…Look out for the welfare of all Americans

and

…Look back to our nation’s foundations, even as he looks forward to our future.

As if he sensed the struggle some would have in praying for “everyone”, even those in “authority”, Paul adds that doing this “pleases God”. Let’s please Him today and in the mean time, seek to help our President Elect by praying for him.

Thinking out loud,

Bro. James

It has been over a year now since I first made a call to Michael Bucy and we began to pray about the possibility of him joining the staff at DeSoto Hills. Someone on the Search Team had a contact at Southern Seminary and asked them to send us some resumes. Michael’s was the only one they sent. We looked at it along with others we had received from a variety of sources, but this one seemed to always rise to the top. The rest is history. Michael graduated last December, he and Lindsey were married later that month, and in between all of that, we issued a call for them to join our church family. What a great year it has been and we are only getting started. They have moved into our city, into our church family, but more importantly, into our hearts. This Sunday night, November 9, we want to affirm, applaud and accentuate God’s call on Michael’s life by ordaining him to the Gospel Ministry. I hope you will join us, along with Michael and Lindsay’s families, for this opportunity to celebrate what God is doing through this chosen vessel.

See ya there,

Bro. James

Ever since the late 70’s, I have been making an annual fall pilgrimage to Jackson to attend the Mississippi Baptist Convention. Regardless of where I was or in what position I was serving, I gathered to fellowship with friends and be inspired by God’s Word. However, three years ago I missed my first convention. I don’t remember why I missed, only that I didn’t go. The next year rolled around and we had just opened the doors at DeSoto Hills. There was so much to do here that I stayed home, thinking to myself I will make the next one for sure. Last year it was a little easier just to stay home - they could certainly convene without me. No big deal. The bottom line is, the more I missed, the easier it was to miss. The convention did go on without me, but I was the one missing the blessing. This year I have returned. In fact, I am writing this week’s “nook” from Jackson. Wow! What an incredible few days it has been. The music has been stirring, the messages convicting, and the fellowship sweet. There will be other conventions, but if I had missed this one, it would never have been regained. I could have read about it and heard about it, but being here has made all the difference. What about you today? Are you in some kind of attendance slump? Do you have intentions to do better next week or next year? Have you fooled yourself into thinking that you are too busy to meet with the church family? Learn from your pastor today and take the time to gather with others to experience what can happen when we forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.

A Wiser Mississippi Baptist,

Bro. James

We were in a hurry. It seems that we are always in a hurry when we head into the big “W”. Of course, we only went in to pick up a few items. We both had our assignments and fanned out with the idea of making this absolutely the fastest and cheapest “W” run in the history of consumer shopping. However, the allure of that big store called to us and before we knew it, we remembered we needed this, and that, and how could we survive another day without one of those? When we at last met back at the front of the store and compiled our items, the shopping cart had more than a few items in it, but not to worry, I had seen it much fuller. The ordeal was almost over now. We only had to face one last critical aspect of our mission - run the gallant known as the “check out line”. We were in luck! I spotted a lane with no one in it. Yes! The light was on indicating the sweet grandmother behind the counter was open for business. There was one slight problem- it was a 20 items or less lane. I quickly surveyed the cart and although I thought we might be close, discerned we were under or maybe only slightly over the limit. I wheeled the cart into position and put a big, if not a little sheepish, smile on my face as I greeted our checker. But suddenly, my smile faded as grandma looked hard at my cart and gave me a look that said, “who are you trying to fool?” She did not utter a sound, but I could tell from her quiet demeanor that she was not happy. I gave a nervous laugh and asked if I needed to go to another lane. However, as I started to turn away she did an incredible thing. With one swift movement of her hand, the situation changed. She waved me on over, her smile returned, and the world was good again. Grace is a good thing wherever you find it!

Over the limit,

Bro. James

P.S. We had 32 items in our cart.