Sisters salutes...

• The Cottage Inn at Sisters won the Building a Better Oregon award for Outstanding Lodging in Sisters at the Building a Better Oregon Awards presentation sponsored by Central Oregon Association of Realtors. The owners of The Cottage Inn are Jeff and Vicki Lemos.

• Steve Stratos of Sisters Community Church wrote:

We are entering into another holiday season with both Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner. We recognize a world where lots of pain, suffering and uncertainty exist. I am also aware that for some this holiday season is approached with sadness with the loss of loved ones. May we with sympathetic and empathetic hearts take a moment to acknowledge the heartache.

I want to thank C4C, for bringing to the forefront a conversation last week about loneliness and alienation, and what we might be able to do to support others and build healthy relationships. Scott Crabtree, who did a great job moderating the evening, said that gratitude was the beginning of a healthy mindset.

Therefore, I want to thank the organizations in our town that provide meals for many who are elderly and for those who are homeless. I want to thank all the volunteers who give of their time to organizations like Circle of Friends, Council of the Aged, Habitat for Humanity, YouthBuild, Young Life, Big Brother, FAN, and many more that help others in our little town. There is something beautiful about the heart of a volunteer.

Sisters Community Church is grateful to be able to serve the greater Sisters community. If you need a meal, a cup of coffee, a listening ear, or support in any way, please give us a call. We all can use a helping hand.

We recognize that loneliness is not God's intent (Genesis 2:18). However, we live in a broken world. We have been given a gift in Jesus that combats loneliness. As a church we want to be the hands and feet to bring that relationship to you in any way we can. It is not pie-in-the-sky theology. It's down-on-the-ground relational support. That is why Jesus came and for that we are grateful. Please feel free to reach out to us over these holidays for any support you might need. Give us a call or come by and see us.

Thanks be unto God for his indescribable gift.

(2 Corinthians 9:15)