My dear Friends.

What kind of year has 2006 been for you and your family? I guess all of us have found over the years that some years are better than others. Well for me the year 2006 has proved to be one of those I could have done without!

My family often complain that they do not know what to buy me for Christmas. Well, with the benefit of hindsight, what they could have bought me last Christmas was a hospital car park rover ticket which allows you to park at any hospital at anytime! In the course of this year we have made frequent visits to many hospitals including visiting my grandson William at two hospitals in Leicester and one in Kettering, my aunt in Chertsey, my father in Sutton Coldfield and at other times my mother in Sutton Coldfield and also Burton-on-Trent. Then, of course, I make regular trips to Southend Hospital.

For us as a family, this year has been somewhat sad with the loss of my cousin Jill (I wrote about her in the June Magazine), my father in July and my mother in November. Throughout the year my grandson William (14 months) has enjoyed the hospitality of several hospitals and as I write he has been taken to Oxford for another operation, this time for water on the brain. To add to our problems my son and his wife parted company this summer, which has proved difficult for all concerned and especially my two grandchildren. Added to all this my wife has not been too good healthwise at times.

Now I know what has happened in my little world is somewhat insignficiant compared to some people's experience, but for us it has not been easy at times. I have had to cancel meetings, get others to cover for me at Services so as to make emergency journeys to various parts of the country, and all that travelling on top of everything else does take its toll. So if I fall asleep in the middle of one of my sermons you will know why!!

It is at times like these that one appreciates the love and support of family and friends which includes the family of the Church. Thank you for your prayers, cards and your patient understanding when I have not had time to visit or attend a meeting or have been a bit off colour!

As we approach Christmas and the end of this year I take encouragement in the fact that God became one of us all those years ago. The baby of Bethiehem reminds me that God understands what we are going through. We live in a real world where things do go wrong, people are taken ill and loved ones die. We know that in our heads, but it is not always so easy when it happens in our lives. However, my experience is that God loves us and understands what we are going through and He has been with me each step of the way. So as we approach another Christmas and say goodbye to 2006, 1 rejoice in the fact that God has not changed in his love for us and that we can still trust him whatever path we may tread in the future.

God bless you and yours this Christmas and may our celebrations not only thrill our hearts afresh but radiate us to those who as yet do not know the Christ of Christmas for themselves.

God bless you
Yours sincerely

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