December 2011 Newsletter

December 2011

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.
-Psalm 95 1-3

Greetings in His precious name!

Having just passed through the special season of Thanksgiving, I am aware of so much to praise God for that it’s hard to know where to start!

Thanksgiving is a crucial factor in any normal, healthy culture. It is essential in the healing process that takes place here in community. However, I was shocked while in a major shopping facility to hear the drivel labeled as “Christmas music” cranking out in full swing--two full weeks before Thanksgiving!

I waited and watched as the day approached and am even more troubled at the very minimal emphasis given to a national day of Thanksgiving in the media. Apart from food promotions, I saw little in the way of an outpouring of praise.

That certainly is not the case at His Mansion! Each day, prior to lunch break, a large cross-section of staff and residents of the community gathers in the chapel to praise God, and share needs and blessings. So, to some extent, every day is “thanksgiving day.”

My concern, even for us, is that daily thanksgiving becomes a “throw in,” an afterthought. God made it very clear throughout the Old Testament that Thanksgiving takes preeminence. At the end of every journey, the people of God stopped to give thanks. At the culmination of each battle, armies gave thanks. At every milestone in the travels of the people of God, a stack of stone would mark the place where the children of God gave thanks.

We tend to be a nation lamenting what we don’t have, yet believe we are entitled to, and envying what we think others have. Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:8 to focus upon things that are true, noble, just; things that are pure and lovely, deserving of a good report, virtuous or praiseworthy; meditate on them.

In preparation for “The Feast,” the members of the His Mansion community spend an evening composing individual letters of praise and thanksgiving to God. These are then displayed all about the dining room and the family meanders about, “reading each other’s mail” to God.

The men and women who are residents in the program are, for the most, acutely aware of how much they have to be thankful for. This is encouraged because a powerful prescription for healing is delivered in exchange for a script of thanksgiving. There are some things that science and medicine can’t explain and are often blind to.

How are you and I doing with this “thanksgiving thing?” Have we gotten caught up in the grumbling, belly-aching, “woe is me” thinking?

There’s so much to be thankful for! For family, regardless of the stresses and trials; for food on the table, whether beans and water or steak and potatoes; the clothing on your body, designer or Salvation Army; for life, even given the warts and creaks!

What a blessing to have loved ones who will love us and stand with us even after we have disappointed them. Yes, reality can be tough, but thank God for the precious burden-bearers He provides.

Stop and listen to the breeze and bird-songs; smell the fragrance of beaches, pine, flowers, or the unique aroma of that one you’ve spent a lifetime walking with.

Contemplate the inevitable and give thanks--in advance--for the blessed hope of a new life and perfect body which with to serve and please our King.

A bit of sad news… Diane Hultgren serves as Finance Administrator at His Mansion. She and her husband, Dave, have been a part of the ministry for 33 years. Having lived a long and fulfilling life, Diane's mom passed into the presence of her Savior last month. Now having that new and perfect body is for her a blessing, but the loss of a wife and a mother is nonetheless painful. Your prayers for the Hultgren and Priebe families are welcomed.

And now we focus on the season before us and cry out: “Thank You! Thank You, Father, for the ultimate gift--redemption through Jesus Christ!” When we, every one of us, consider what we should have coming to us as a result of sin, we realize the joy of new birth. We look forward to celebrating His birth!

Now, a word from Paul…
There are so many things to be thankful for this year. The blessing of our crops and gardens can’t go without being mentioned as a very significant one. Months of laborious efforts of watering, weeding and picking (only to repeat the cycle again and again,) have resulted in the incredible harvest we’ve experienced. We thank God for His faithfulness in this provision and the opportunity we had to celebrate this at our annual Harvest Party.

On Harvest Party night, the buzz started quickly as the gymnasium began to fill with residents, mentors, long-term staff and children all dressed up in costume. Weeks of free time had been devoted to creating many of the elaborate ensembles for the night. The competition for the costume judging was just as fierce as the pies! Costumes were judged in three categories: 1- Person on the Hill, 2- Object on the Hill, 3- Bible Character. Each person was given the opportunity to “walk the red carpet” as they presented their costume to the judges.

While the judges broke for their time of deliberation, the square dancing started! Diane Hultgren called the dancing as attempts were made to perform the Patty Cake Polka and of course, the Virginia Reel. It may not have been pretty, but it was certainly entertaining! The evening came to a close with the awarding of prizes. There was a hush that fell just before each prize winner was announced.

Only certain folks took home actual ribbons, but the success of the night was far greater than any handmade ribbon could accurately reflect. God’s transformative nature was evident as faces that were only months ago void of life, now reflected joy and revived personality. The evening was not only a time to give thanks and praise for God’s blessing of our harvest, but also for the blessing of the new life that filled the gym. I doubt that many residents would have imagined this night as “fun” in the past, yet God’s work supersedes any of our own expectations.

The making of Thank You Cards for Jesus has become a tradition here on the hill as part of the Thanksgiving holiday season. Each year, I still find myself in awe at both the incredible creativity and talent that is reflected in the design of the cards and the heart-felt gratitude for the free gift of Jesus’ saving grace that is expressed in the content. I can’t help but want to share some of these unique cards and expressions of thanks with you all.

And to highlight some special words of thanks that were shared inside the cards…

“Thank you, Jesus, for making me a new creation, for restoring relationships and building new ones and for giving me a heart to love like you.”

“Thank you for laughter and the joy and peace you give me everyday. Thank you for loving me so that I can love others.”

“Thank you, Jesus, for… loving me, protecting me, providing for me, redeeming me, suffering in my place, your light, your word, your life, you, being my Rock, being my strength. Thank you for… my life.”

As we now move into the Christmas season, the resounding theme of thanksgiving carries on. We have been so blessed by those of you (individuals and churches) who have already sent to us donation gifts to be a part of Gifts from God’s People for Christmas day. These generous donations will be a part of creating a special Christmas holiday for the residents and staff of His Mansion as they find themselves celebrating the birth of Jesus with new family this year. We look forward to putting these gift bags together just prior to Christmas day with the eager anticipation of the joy and appreciation of those who will be blessed by these bags that are possible because of your generosity. Thank you to all who have already contributed and to those who will be contributing within this month!

Closing comments from Stan…
His Mansion is much more than a small, isolated, “rescue” work nestled away in the woods of New Hampshire! It is easy to regard His Mansion as a regional ministry but in fact, we are a national (international) ministry having ministered to men and women from every point on the compass in North America this year. We are beginning to impact students at many colleges and universities through the His Mansion Institute.

I offer this last minute reminder to consider making His Mansion a significant part of your year-end expression of “Thanksgiving.”

I published a list of the missionaries serving at His Mansion in the last newsletter. Please remember those serving here as staff members, especially those you know. Gifts for staff support should be made out to “His Mansion” and have a note attached suggesting it be used to support a particular staff member. You will receive the standard tax-deductible receipt.

Right near the top of the list of people I am thankful for, are His Mansion’s faithful prayer warriors and supporters. Thank God for you! May God’s richest blessing be upon you and your family throughout this special season.