Chaplain's Corner!

Here I sit this late November Saturday, contemplating what this day will bring. My karting neighbor, John, and I have worked hard this week to mount my old Parilla TT25 to his Emmick sprint kart. We are taking it and one of his other sprint karts to Sugar River Raceway out of Brodhead, WI. The weather is questionable, and it is probably our last chance to do this before winter sets in. The last time I drove a racing sprint kart on a sprint track was over thirty years ago. I am bonded to my Parilla, and to put it and me together on a sprint track brings great anticipation. Read this to the end and I'll let you know the hot results.

Now, with Christmas on the way, there's a spirit of anticipation for many reasons. We look forward to great family times, giving the right gifts, parties with friends and the wonderful tastes and sights of Chirstmas. It can also bring a mixture of emotions for us. Joy in family reunions. Saddness because of loved ones no longer with us. Our lives are deepened because of Christmas.

I wonder if God the Father felt anticipation over 2,000 years ago when he sent His only Son into the time zone in which we humans operate here on earth. The time He chose was when Israel lived under oppression of the Roman Empire. Thousands of Jews had been killed and by the time Herod became King the entire country lay in ruins. The world was in darkness and despair. This was the time and place Jesus would be born. Yet God sent his angels to proclaim at Jesus' birth, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." God chose the right time to enter human history and knew that it would lead to Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. His death and resurrection has redeemed us - saved us from our sin. It was mankind's only hope.

Maybe God still lives in anticipation. His hope and desire is that all will accept Jesus as our Savior - and that none would perish, but have eternal life. Choose to make Jesus, the Son of God, to be your Lord and savior. Follow Him with all your heart. He knows where we've all been and what we have all done - even our thoughts. Why not invite him into your Christmas and make it the best one ever. An old Sunday School song goes like this: "Come into my heart, come into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus."

To get back to the hot results at Sugar River Raceway, we made it to the track, and the rain held off for a while. My Parilla ran great and my lap times were not too bad. The problem came when the hot clutch ignited the clutch fluid and I was suddenly driving a flaming kart. This is not the kind of flames you want on your kart. I stopped and got off, standing there trying to figure out how to put the fire out, when my friend, John, came over, took my chair cushion and put it over the clutch to smother out the fire. My cushion now has a hole in it, but John saved the kart and saved the day. So concludes my story.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!