A Blessed Year

Another year has flown by. We have been blessed in so many ways.

Our kids are growing. Aris is one of the brighter kids in her Junior Kindergarten class, and is getting somewhat more balanced at home — she’s learning to obey, and doesn’t throw tantrums so often! Zane is also a bright kid, is talking quite a bit, and is fairly intelligible. He’s climbing everything — nothing is safe in our house!

We’re excited about our third child coming in February. We’ve been blessed with a minivan this fall that will make it possible to fit all 3 kids into the car!

Grace is doing quite well emotionally. (The last pregnancy was pretty rough, as were the months following.) We can pray that she continues to do well. Physically, she’s found the pregnancy rough, so we can keep praying for her in that as well.

We continue to feel blessed with the townhouse we moved into just over a year ago. While far from extravagant, we have space to host a weekly youth group, and a weekly ladies group. We’re a few feet away from a beautiful woods, and have a wonderful view. We’re close to a great school that Aris is now attending.

God has blessed me with some exciting projects to work on this year at International Teams. I’ve been able to help develop resources for several of our ministries that they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise — resources that have helped them to take their ministries beyond what they could have otherwise.

And through it all, God has continued to provide for our needs. We are so blessed by those friends, family, and churches that support us financially, and in prayer. Thanks so much!

May God richly bless you this Christmas Season.
Steve

What were they thinking?

We've been leading a youth group in our home this fall, and it's been a lot of fun! At the moment, it's usually just guys that come, which makes for a very interesting dynamic. For some reason, the moose has been a recurring theme. We looked at the parable of the soils (Mark 4), and the kids re-told it. One of the retellings somehow involved moose looking for new places to live. For our church's Christmas service, each cell group will be doing something from the Christmas story. Our guys want to have the 3 wise men riding in on moose.

It's been exciting to see the guys get involved. When we started, we had guys that only seemed able to share silly things, and are now taking part in more serious portions of the bible studies. Some that hardly said anything are now taking part. We've even seen the guys curb their insults to each other, and actually think more about what they're saying.

Please continue to pray for these guys, and for wisdom for Grace, Sarah (the other leader) and I, as we seek to lead them well.

Grace's Space

The word "Christmas" brings to mind many different pictures. I see platters of beautifully decorated and oh-so-delicious cookies, beautifully decorated trees in wonderfully decorated (and CLEAN) living rooms, gorgeously wrapped presents and elegant Christmas cards. I love the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas. However, these are things that don't happen at my house. My cookies are in containers where children can't get them easily, and I got those from a cookie exchange (mine weren't decorated, but they are yummy!). My tree has been knocked over four times. Or maybe it's been five, I can't really remember...Said tree has been lovingly decorated by my children and then "re-decorated". Although it does have ornaments on it, all non-breakable, it has also housed my son's sock and a toy bat.

My house has a few Christmas decorations, but is far from clean. Presents will be wrapped by my talented husband and set out shortly before the children are allowed out of bed on Christmas morning. As for cards, they just don't happen. I like to tell myself I'm being environmentally responsible:)

In case you can't guess, the word I'm struggling with this Christmas is inadequate. There is a lot that challenges me on a daily basis. I'm not a good housekeeper. I'm learning and getting better, but it's a struggle. Wrapping presents is much too complicated for me. If you've received a present I've wrapped, you know what I'm talking about. Then there are the things that I just have to accept as part of this stage of life. I have small children, who like to touch and get into things. They are more important than a pretty house and tree. But the most challenging are the new limitations.

I have been pregnant before at Christmas, but this is the first Christmas I've been very pregnant. As my belly becomes bigger, there is less that I can do. The things that I love and excel at (shopping and baking) are things that I do not have enough energy to do. Letting go of the few things that I do well challenges my sense of self-worth.

My daughter has been going through a phase where she freaks out and tells us she's a bad person. As we have talked through that many many times, I am reminded what Christmas is about. We are celebrating God's gift to us because we are inadequate. Jesus didn't come to earth just to say hi, or get a feel for what being human is all about. Rather His ultimate purpose has been to meet a need that we cannot fill. No matter how much I try and how good I am, it still isn't good enough for heaven. So right now, as I'm seeing all the ways that I'm failing, I remember that Jesus is my perfection and my completion. And as I turn to Him and ask for His strength, grace, righteousness, etc, He fills me and makes me better than I can be on my own. That's all the Christmas presents I need right there.

Wishing you many blessings,
Grace

Kids Corner

Aris and Zane love Christmas. According to Aris, Christmas is about a little baby named Jesus, who takes care of all the people, and was born in a manger. Zane says that Christmas is about trees with lights. They are excited about presents, parties and trees. Thankfully, both children are just as excited about buying presents for people as they are about getting them.

We have been listening to Christmas music as a family since the first of December. (Although some of us started listening to it a couple weeks earlier, while Daddy was at work:) Their favorite songs are Away in a Manger and Jingle Bells. Aris is very excited about her holiday performance next week at school. At the moment, she is refusing to tell me what songs will be sung at the concert as it is a "surprise".

My children's excitement is a good reminder that Christmas is more than just a very busy time of year. As we answer their questions, we are reminded of the Christmas story so long ago. As we talk about our baby that will be born soon, Aris reminds us of a little tiny baby born in a stable and visited by shepherds. Zane and Aris wish you a merry Christmas!