PPatterson Post

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Welcome to the 20145 edi-tion of Patterson Post. This is our family Christmas newsletter. We do this instead of Christmas cards. I hope you enjoy this edition of Patterson Post,

Amber is now in the 12th grade. She graudates in May! That is hard to believe! She is ready to start college. She has a few colleges in mind to attend. She has been enjoying her Agriculture class in high school. She wants to continue on into college study Vetenarian Sciences. She is intrested more in large animals like cows.

Steve is currently still doing graphic design and still working on his bachelors in Theology at Andersonville Theological Semi-nary and passing the classes he has submited for grades already. Keep in prayers as he has a long road to finish. He is also actively helping the youth and van ministry at church and where every else is neeed.

Steve is also still maintaining the Christian blog ministry: Cou-rageous Christian Father. 2015 has been a great year, pageviews

are majorly up and I give God the credit for that. If you haven’t gone to visit, please go visit courageous-christianfather.com.

In 2014 and 2015, Steve was able to do many reviews for faith-based movies and local attractions. Plus Courageous Chrisitan Father has got to be the sponsor of the Living by Faith that is published when space is available in The Tri-State Connection and the Smoky Mountain Trader.

This year, 2015, we added a new family member into the Pat-terson Family ... Lilly Bug. She is a Calico cat we adopted in Febru-ary of 2015. She is a very loving and friendly cat. Lilly bug is pic-tured with this article.

I plan to do a different type of theme each year with Patterson Post. So if you have a theme idea, let me know. I have done a recipe guide, song book and a comic book. This year will be our 15th year, so I plan on doing a best of type newsletter. You can download past issues at tinyurl.com/patter-sonpostnewsletter

Thanks for reading!

Patterson’s

Cover photo from Metro Creative Graphics. Graphic design by Steve Patterson.

Best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

Buddy the Elf”“

First used in the Patterson Post 2013 Make a Joyful Noise (Song Book) Edition

Lilly Bug Patterson, the newest member of the Patterson Family.

Used with permission. Order your print today. etsy.com/shop/dwellartThis was first published in Patterson Post in the 2013 Issue.

Breakfast PizzaIngredients1 can cheap biscuits1 Pkg. Bacon1 Pkg. Sausage6 eggs1-2 Pkg. Shredded Cheese1 Pkg. Peppered White Gravy Mix

Other toppingsIf you like you could put diced or shredded potatoes

on top, diced onions, diced tomatoes, and any other vegetables you wish as well. Or any other breakfast items you can think of.

Compliments of Steve Patterson, himself.

PreparationPreheat oven to 350º. Take the canned biscuits and roll all the biscuits together to

form a ball and roll the ball out like a pizza dough. Prepare your gravy mix, cook your sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs. Once the above is all prepared, put the gravy on top of the dough like you would

pizza sauce. Then top it with the cheese, scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage and crumbled bacon.

Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until dough is done.

First used in the Patterson Post 2012 Recipe Guide Issue.Also published on Courageous Chrisitan Father (courageouschristianfather.com/breakfast-pizza/)

First used in the Patterson Post 2014 Comic Book Edtion

30 FREE GOSPEL TRACTS:

First used in the Patterson Post 2013 Make a Joyful Noise (Song Book) Edition

Bezeugen Tract Club, a great way to get 30 free gospel tracts in the postal mail. These are full color and most are about the size of a business card. More information at Bezeugen.org

You can view all past issues of Patterson Post at: tinyurl.com/pattersonpostnewsletter

All other graphics used in Patterson Postbelong to their respectful owners.

They were used just for myFamily Christmas Newsletter.

Front cover back ground graphicand most clip art used throughout Patterson Post 2015 isfrom Metro Creative Services.

I think about my family, my relatives, the neighbors, people with whom we will spend this day. Dear Jesus,

as I look at their faces and remember their stories, there are feelings of gratitude and some fear and anxiety.

Thank you for these loved ones and please forgive me for the ways I have been less than accepting and loving.

Please heal the wounds, division and conflicts that stand between us and help me to remember how dearly you love them. I only want to remember that you have

come to save us all.

Family Christmas Prayer

First used in the Patterson Post 2014 Comic Book Edtion

First used in the Patterson Post 2014 Comic Book Edtion

This is one of Amber’s favorite things to make.

This is Amber’s modified version.

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:3 Cups Sugar3/4 Cup Milk1/2 Cup Butter1/2 Cup Baking Cocoa

1 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp Vanilla4 Cups Oatmeal

Directions:Boil sugar, milk, butter, and

baking cocoa. Remove from heat.

Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and

oatmeal. Drop spoonfuls on wax

paper. Let is sit 24 hours.

Enjoy!

First used in the Patterson Post 2012Recipe Guide Issue.

Also published on Courageous Chrisitan Father(courageouschristianfather.com/bake-cookies/)

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Plan ahead … needs to chillMakes 6-8 servings

Ingredients 1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk 1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant lemon pudding mix 2 pkgs. (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup lemonade concentrate 1 graham cracker crust (9 in.)

DirectionIn a mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). n an another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in lemonade concentrate. Gradually beat in pud-ding mixture. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Strawberry Lemonade PieI diced up some strawberries and blended it with the mix. When you do this you may want to use less lemonade concentrate. Maybe also in pudding mix use a 1/2 pkg of lemon and 1/2 strawberry. This is something I made. Do make sure you use less lemonade concentrate.

I got this from someone at my old job. It looks like it came out of a recipe guide or book. So no proper credit is known for this recipe. I also shared this same recipe on CourageousChristian-Father.com.

First used in thePatterson Post 2009 Issue &

Re-used in the 2012 Patterson Post Recipe Guide Issue

Creamy Lemonade Pie

First used in the Patterson Post 2012 Recipe Guide Issue.Also published on Courageous Chrisitan Father (courageouschristianfather.com/lemonade-pie-strawberry-lemonade-pie-recipes/)

First used in the Patterson Post 2014 Comic Book Edtion

CourageousChristianFather.com OneCourageous Christian Father boldly bloggingfor God being led by the Holy Spirit to help others know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!

You are invited to …

Piedmont Baptist Church1226 West Dumplin Valley Road • Dandridge, TN 37725

(865) 397-2125

Providing• Sunday School• Adult/Children’s Choir• Sunday Morning Children’s Church• Nursery• Discipleship Training• Brotherhood / WMU• Youth Programs• Interpretive Dance• Wednesday Night: Team Kids, Team Youth, Mission Nights

Sunday Services9:45 am Sunday School11:00 am Worship6:00 pm Discipleship Training Youth Choir Practice7:00 pm Worship

Wednesday Services7:00 pm House of Prayer Team Youth Team Kid/Kid’s Missions

Xmas you may have seen to shorten the word Christmas. I myself are like many and do not like to use that because you are taking Christ out of the picture. I made a post about this as well on Facebook and got some good responses on it.

A friend Irma shares I believe the Pagans brought this on. Both Rob and Cheri agree with me as I stated in the above paragraph. Valarie gives her opin-ion that she has heard it is a Greek abb., for Christ and is not meant for disrespect. It takes more than a abbrevia-tion to take Christ out of Christmas.

The word -mas is Latin Old English word for “mass”. The letter “X” comes from the Greek letter “Chi”. Chi is the first letter of the Greek word for “Christ.” The Greek letter “Chi” resembles an “X”. As you can see the Labarum, has an X in the graphic above and that is how it could have got its start. “Christ” was often written as “XP” or “Xt”; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as AD 1021.

As quoted by Wikipedia: In the United States, in 1977 New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson sent out a press release saying that he wanted journalists to keep the “Christ” in Christmas, and not call it Xmas—which he asserted was a pagan spelling of Christmas. Which is what Irma had stated above on my post in Facebook.

The Oxford Dictionary believes the abbreviation got is start around 1485.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

THE LABARUM, OFTEN CALLED THE CHI-RHO,

IS A CHRISTIAN SYMBOL REPRESENTING CHRIST.

First used in the Patterson Post 09/10 IssueAlso published on Courageous Christian Father(courageouschristianfather.com/its-merry-christmas/)

First used in the Patterson Post 2008

The idea to celebrate Christmas on December 25 originated in the 4th century. The Catholic Church wanted to eclipse the festivities of a rival pagan religion that threatened Christianity’s existence. The Romans celebrated the birthday of their sun god, Mithras during this time of year. Although it was not popular, or even proper, to celebrate people’s birthdays in those times, church leaders decided that in order to compete with the pagan celebration they would themselves order a festival in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Although the actual season of Jesus’ birth is thought to be in the spring, the date of December 25 was chosen as the official birthday cel-ebration as Christ’s Mass so that it would compete head on with the rival pagan celebration. Christmas was slow to catch on in America. The early colonists considered it a pagan ritual. The celebration of Christmas was even banned by law in Massachusetts in colonial days.First used in the Patterson Post 2007Also published on Courageous Christian Father(courageouschristianfather.com/date-christmas/)

Plus many more small articles like these posted inthe Patterson Post 2001 to 2006.

You can view all past issues of Patterson Post at http://issuu.com/stevepatterson0

Plus each year I share the new issue onCourageousChristianFather.com

Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They were named after America’s first ambas-sador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He brought the plants to America in 1828. The Mexicans in the eighteenth century thought the plants were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. Thus the Poinsettia became associated with the Christmas season. The actual flower of the poinsettia is small and yellow. But surrounding the flower are large, bright red leaves, often mistaken for petals.

3R-Radio is an online Christian Radio station. You can tune in and list at www.3R-Radio.com

A Prayer of SalvationLord Jesus,

I have sinned against you. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose again. I repent (turn) from my sins and trust you alone to forgive me of my sins.

Amen

I invite you to find a church home so you can strengthen your walk with Christ. Worship with other believers and pray without ceasing.

The above comic is part of the Way of the Master ministry and it is free to resuse.Check out my Christian blog at www.courageouschristianfather.com

The Christmas season allows people to transform their homes into wonderlands of lights, gar-lands and poinsettias. Each family has its own Christmas traditions, and decorations are a part of many of those traditions.

Decorations might be awe-inspiring, but those that include lights often lead to substantially higher energy bills. Fortunately, there are ways for homeowners, whether they prefer subtle displays or more over-the-top arrange-ments, to save money and still celebrate the Christmas season in style.

In addition to lights, lit candles, animated dolls, wreaths, trees, and scores of imported ornaments contribute to the energy consump-tion per household. Even so, envi-ronmentally conscious individuals need not skip the holiday décor and entertaining. Fortunately, there are various ways to be energy efficient with holiday décor this season.

Switch to more efficient lightsA great way to ensure Christ-

mas displays consume less energy is to change the bulbs being strung. Incandescent lights can use 80 to 90 percent more energy than LED lights. Gradually replace older light strands with newer, energy-efficient LEDs. Not only do LEDs require less energy, but they also can last longer than incandescent bulbs, meaning you won’t have to replace them as frequently as more traditional bulbs. Furthermore, lower wattage usage means you can attach more strands of lights together safely. While a standard string of 50 lights consumes 300 watts, LED sets only consume four watts. This not only saves energy, but also considerable amounts of money over the course of the holi-day season.

Use fiber-optic decorations Fiber optic items are lit by one

light. The illumination carries through the fiber optic cables to the entire decoration.

Use timersTimers can be set to turn lights

on and off at specific times, ensur-ing lights aren’t turning on during the daytime or being left on into the night by forgetful homeown-ers. Timers also are a good safety precaution. A dark house that is normally lit up can advertise to thieves that no one is home. When lights turn on with a timer, it will create the illusion that it is business as usual in your residence.

Use homemade decorations You also can save energy and

money by recycling materials into Christmas décor. Trim branches from trees and use them in vases for an instant wintry look. Prune an evergreen on your property and make your own wreath with some wire and twine. Shop yard sales for gently used decorations that still have years of utility left. Sew ornaments from scraps of fabric or clothing that no longer fits. Each of these ideas reduces reliance on manufactured decora-tions that consume energy during production and fuel while being transported from factories to store shelves.

Rely on extension cordsYou can extend the length of

displays without using more lights by spacing out light strands with extension cords. Intersperse spot-lights to add attention to key ele-ments of your display as well. Most extention cords for for temporary use only.

Turn off interior lightsIf a Christmas tree is illuminat-

ing a front window, turn off the lights in your home, as the tree may provide enough light to make

a living room or den extra cozy. Christmas tree lights or the lights framing a picture window should be sufficient to light up a room. Keep lamps and overhead light-ing off while the tree is lit to save money and energy.

Check light strandsAlways inspect lights for frayed

wires and any damage. Frayed lights are less efficient and pose a considerable safety risk.

Enhance decorationsUse mirrors and reflective orna-

ments to give the appearance of more lights without actually adding more.

Lower the thermostatWhen entertaining, turn the

thermostat down a few degrees. Having extra people in your home will raise the temperature. Simi-larly, heat generated by the oven and other cooking appliances can warm up a home. Don’t waste energy by keeping the heat turned on high.

Invest in rechargeable batteriesAccording to Energy Quest, 40

percent of all batteries are pur-chased during the holiday season. To power those many gifts and devices, use rechargeable batteries which can be used again and again.

Change your cooking practicesSmaller appliances use less

energy. Put those toaster ovens, slow cookers and electric fryers to good use. Only use the oven if you are cooking a large meal.

Wait until the dishwasher is fullPack in the dishes from holiday

meals, and only run the dishwasher when it is full.

Reuse items whenever possibleMany items around the house

can be put to good use as decora-tions, holiday servers or gifts. Take inventory of what you have before you go out and purchase new deco-rations.

Save Energy With Christmas Decorations

Article compliments of Metro HL15A564 & HL14C763Also Published on Courageous Christian Father at courageouschristianfather.com/ save-energy-with-christmas-decorations

ChristmasDecember 25

Christmas is a winter holiday in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Mary and Joseph give birth to Jesus Christ in a manager. Jesus was born of an immaculate concep-tion. He was born in Bethlehem.

We celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December each year. Gifts are given to one other on Christmas Day. We eat big meals on Christmas Day, almost like we do on Thanksgiving Day.

Another icon for Christmas is Santa Claus. The man in a red suit who brings presents to all the boys and girls who have been good. He leaves the presents under the tree. He also fills stockings with gifts

as well. Some countries use wooden shoes instead of stockings.

The celebration of Christmas and tra-ditions can very based on the type of Christian faith you are, but all believe in celebrating the birth of Christ. Most of all churches hold a special Christmas service. The Roman Catholic always hold a special Christmas Mass. I was raised Southern Baptist and I always remember my church always doing a Christmas Cantata, where the church choir would sing a bunch of carols and hymns.

My family celebrates Christmas. I will share with you a couple of our traditions we do. We usually decorated our Christ-

mas Tree the day after Thanksgiving. However, this year my daughter and I put it on Thanksgiving Day. Our tradition is on Christmas Eve, the children can open one small approved gift that is under the Christmas tree.

A lot of people today try to take Christ out of Christmas. They will say Marry XMas or Happy Holidays. The Happy Holidays is to please those who celebrate other holidays. The Xmas is just wrong, because you are taking Christ out of the picture. It wasn’t X who is the Son of God, but Jesus Christ.

Some information has been taken from Wikipedia.

First used in the Patterson Post 2011 Winter Holidays Issue.