Our mission is to encourage, to bring hope, to unite our church body by weaving a common thread through our faith community in Christ with our stories, prayers and praises.

The Editor’s Patch — Kathryn Burling

Welcome to 2023!

Winter Window (1) I know, I know—if we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times! Where did the year go? It was just summer 2022 and here we are in the midst of winter 2023! The Christmas and New Year celebrations are behind us and the forecast for snow, wind and ice are now with us. How do we face this season?

Let’s begin with thankful, with a heart of gratitude. As we ponder the experiences of the holiday season—the hustle and bustle, the last minute preparations, the sigh of relief once each gift is under the tree, the festive meals, the Christmas Eve service, where perhaps you paused—as I did—took a deep breath—and focused on that most important event ever—the birth of our Lord. Yes—His crucifixion and resurrection gave us new and eternal life, but that could not have taken place without His miraculous birth. We thank You Lord.

Now in the winter of this new year, I envision many days of the falling snow outside my window, and it brings me back to thankfulness—resting with a cup of hot cocoa, seated by a warm fire—a time for reflection, resolution, restoration. Common Threads can be a path to that end. Our mission square, by Bethany Hogan begins with reflection on her mission to Kenya and the joy that has brought. The Pastor’s Note begins with making resolutions—ones that we keep. As you have time during these days of winter, bring Common Threads to your quiet moments and draw close to our contributors and their insights. Common Threads is the newsletter by the people and for the people of SLPC, and all who are opening its squares. Be thankful, be restored!

I’ll end with this quote:

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”   Lewis Carroll

Editors Note: Thank you to our Common Threads team, and to all the contributors who wrote articles for this Winter Edition. We thank the Lord most of all for His inspiration and guidance, and for all of you—our readers.

Please send your comments to: kwburling@gmail.com to encourage or writers, and tell us what may have blessed you. We love to hear from you. Thank you!

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