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Opinion
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- Written by: PASTOR CHRIS DELCOL
Dreams and visions at Christmas seem to go together.
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," Bing Crosby and other voices croon this time of year.
And what would Christmas be without a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"? Who doesn't know Clement Moore's words, "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."
Then, of course, there's Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that tells us of Ebenezer Scrooge's dream of "the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
There's quite a tradition of dreams and visions at Christmas, wouldn't you say? It's a very old tradition; in fact, it's as old as Christmas itself.
Christmas began with the dreams and visions of Joseph, Mary, shepherds and Wise Men.
That's what we've been considering each week of this Advent/Christmas season, especially the dreams of Joseph and the Wise Men. They tend to get overlooked because the focus is usually on the shepherds, the innkeeper, and the manger in Luke's gospel.
As a matter of fact, Matthew doesn't mention these at all. His focus isn't so much on the birth event of Jesus as on the protection of the Holy Child that was born. One after another come the dreams in Matthew's Gospel, five altogether. First is Joseph's dream of an angel who tells him to take Mary home as his wife.
Next is the dream for the Wise Men. They follow a star all the way from Persia to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king. In a dream, they are told to go back a different route because Herod has gone crazy, again!
Perhaps on the same night the Wise Men have their dream, Joseph has another one. "Get up," the angel tells him in the dream, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
So now, we consider the fourth dream. A few months have gone by; we don't know exactly how many.
According to tradition, the Holy Family is living in a cave near Cairo. There seems to be the pattern; first they live in a house in Nazareth, then a cave in Bethlehem, then a house, and now once again a cave.
So, you see, it wasn't just as an adult that Jesus could say, "The Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Again and again Jesus is homeless, his life threatened, even as a baby.
It's probably at this cave in Egypt the angel comes in a dream to Joseph. "Get up," the angel tells him, "take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
How do you suppose Joseph feels as he hears these words?
Why all this torturesome travel? These are the obvious reasons, but there's one very important one. The infancy and life of Jesus retraces the journeys of Israel, the people of God.
Israel, the chosen people, the people God called to be his own, had disappointed him. But God loved them, nonetheless and the travels were necessary.
Please join us at First Lutheran Church this Sunday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. to hear more about Joseph’s dream that brought Jesus to Nazareth and how closely it ties to the travels of the Israelites as Matthew had intended in writing this Gospel.
All are welcome, so please, come as you are and join us Sunday for worship and a hot lunch and then again on Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. for our free community Christmas dinner and our Christmas Eve worship service at 5 p.m.
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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- Written by: Evan Arnold-Gordon
It may be possible for you to bring your pet along for the trip. If not, boarding your pet or hiring a pet sitter may be an option.
Keep the following BBB tips in mind when planning a trip with your pets:
· Traveling by plane. You have two options when you take your pet on an airplane with you. If your pet is small enough, you can keep it under the seat in front of you. If your pet is too large, it will go in cargo. No matter what, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a BBB Accredited Charity, recommends making an appointment with your veterinarian for a checkup to make sure they’re fit to fly the friendly skies. In 2017, consumers nationwide filed more than 7,400 complaints against airlines with BBB, so do your research. Look up airlines at www.bbb.org to see their BBB Rating and if there are complaints or reviews from past customers on file about flying with pets. Regulations and fees for bringing your pet on a plane vary by the airline, so make sure to double check.
· Road trips. Before bringing Fluffy or Fido on a long car trip, make sure your pet responds well to car rides. The ASPCA recommends keeping them safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier with plenty of food or water. Put together a pet travel kit, and prepare for the worst. If you’re renting a car, make sure that the company allows animals and ask if you’ll be charged extra. Consumers nationwide filed more than 10,000 complaints with BBB against auto renting and leasing companies in 2017, so make sure to find a trustworthy business at www.bbb.org.
· Make sure accommodations and destinations are pet-friendly. Wherever you’re staying, whether it be a hotel, vacation rental, or with friends or family, ensure that pets are welcome. Ask if there are extra costs or regulations. Research pet-friendly activities ahead of time – do the local beaches or nature areas allow pets?
· If necessary, leave them behind. Traveling with pets can be stressful for both you and the animal, and sometimes it’s just not feasible. Thankfully, you have options. You can hire a pet sitter to visit your animals in your own home, letting them stay in their natural environment where they’re most comfortable. You can also opt for a traditional boarding facility, like a kennel or pet hotel. In 2017, BBB received hundreds of complaints from consumers nationwide against pet boarding, sitting, and kennel companies. Complaints allege injuries to pets and poor customer service. It’s important to leave your pet in the care of someone you can trust, so look for BBB Accredited Businesses at www.bbb.org.
Remember to always report scammers. If you've been the target of a scam or suspect scam activity, report it to authorities and BBB Scam Tracker to warn others.
Evan Arnold-Gordon is a public relations specialist for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
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- Written by: Dave McQueen
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – I’m excited to introduce everyone to our newest board member, Allison Panella.
Allison is going to be a great addition to our board. She is a lifelong Lake County resident who has positive attitude, a strong foundation in community service and plenty of familiarity with education.
In addition to having a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and having been a preschool teacher, she said, “Everyone in my family either works in the education field or is married to someone who does.”
With three kids under 5 years old, she’s a stay-at-home mom who’s about to spend a lot of time at Kelseyville Unified schools in the years to come, which is one of the reasons I’m so pleased she chose to become a board member – her perspective is really valuable.
She said her goals are to support staff, including exploring resources to help prevent burnout; and to support parents, as she knows firsthand the barriers that full-time working parents face while striving to meet the needs of young children.
She’s pleased that Kelseyville Unified can provide free school lunches and strong after school programs, and she wants to help the district continue to be responsive to the needs of parents as social and economic situations shift.
She told me she is excited to be a board member in a district where things are going well, as she put it, “where the district has its act together with a healthy budget and a great team that’s focused on what’s best for kids.” Her role on the school board will be one of many community activities she participates in.
She’s a member of the Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary, which provides scholarships to Kelseyville High School seniors, encourages student volunteerism through the Rotary Interact Club, funds school initiatives like the new baseball scoreboard, and sponsors students through the Adopt a Fifth Grader Program and Student of the Month Program. She is also a First 5 Lake commissioner.
Through her and her husband’s business, Stokes Ladders Inc., and their pear and walnut farm, Allison and husband Greg have sponsored Kelseyville Unified FFA students, is an active supporter of the Stokes Basketball Tournament, as well as supporting and coaching local youth sports teams.
She said, “My heart has always been with our youth. I believe in public education and want to support it to the best of my ability… Kelseyville is a close-knit community. We know our neighbors and a lot of us really care about our schools and our kids. I want to help local kids pursue a higher education and then return to our community.”
So there you have it. Welcome, Allison. Thanks for volunteering your time and energy. I’m confident you’ll help us make Kelseyville Unified the best it can be.
Allison will work with the following board members to help set the direction for Kelseyville Unified: John DeChaine, Gary Olson, Rick Winer and Taja Odom. She replaces Dr. Joseph Richardson who graciously stepped in to serve during a midterm vacancy and opted not to run for office.
In addition to our dedicated staff members, Kelseyville Unified thrives because of people who give their time and talent to help kids – our board members, our student families, and our community members.
Thanks to all of you who support the district through your financial support of school-sponsored programs and activities, your volunteer time, and your willingness to come when called upon to help our students reach their potential.
During this holiday season, I wish you all a joyous time filled with the company of loved ones.
Dave McQueen is superintendent of Kelseyville Unified School District.
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- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
The holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, it's the busiest travel season of the year.
In the next couple of days, if you haven't already heard it, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is going to be played on the radio, over and over and over.
Ironically, the Gospel accounts of the birth and early childhood of Jesus are busy with travel too.
There's Mary's trip to visit her cousin Elizabeth, then the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. The Wise Men travel hundreds of miles from Persia to find the Christ Child and worship him.
Then, in today's lesson, the Holy Family are once again on the road, this time traveling to Egypt to escape the murderous plan of Herod to kill Jesus.
In a few months, they'll be traveling back to Bethlehem, and from Bethlehem on to Nazareth, where Jesus will grow up. That's a lot of frequent donkey miles, or camel miles, depending on the mode of transportation.
Interestingly, each of those journeys begins with a dream.
Herod had his spies and informers, but Joseph had only dreams, and Scripture to confirm them. But his dreams weren't necessarily the happy kind. The one we consider today was a nightmare.
There had been happy moments, to be sure. Holding baby Jesus on the day of his birth was one. The welcome given the child by the shepherds was another. And, of course, there was the visit of the Magi who bowed in worship and presented their gifts.
Herod's threat against the life of Jesus was revealed to Joseph in a dream. Though settled into their home in Bethlehem, probably intending to spend their lives there, the Holy Family was forced to flee in the middle of the night to Egypt to escape the sword of Herod.
Meanwhile, King Herod is slaughtering the male babies in Bethlehem, 2 years of age and under, and maybe his troops are after Jesus.
I would guess that Mary personally knew the mothers and the names of the babies that died. They probably chatted together as they drew water, washed clothes or bought food from the merchants. I wonder if she felt guilty that her child was being spared while others weren't.
As he got older, the population yearned for the day Herod would die. On his deathbed he ordered thousands of the most prominent citizens of his realm taken to the Hippodrome and executed them. That way there'd be weeping on the day he died. Fortunately, the order was not carried out.
Joseph's visions in the night were not visions of "sugarplums" dancing in his head. Thank God they weren't. They were dreams of warning that he heeded, so that you and I would have a Savior in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Please join us at First Lutheran Church to hear the full story of Joseph’s dream and the hasty trip to Egypt this Sunday. Worship is at 11 a.m. with lunch immediately following.
This Sunday is Food Cupboard Sunday so if you are in need of perishable and/or nonperishable foods, please join us at 1 p.m.
All people are welcome so come as you are.
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at