Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” – Philippians 2:5 – 8
It was because of this truth that at His birth angels rang their voices through the heavens, shepherds left their flocks to see Him, and wise men brought Him gifts from afar. As we remember Him this Christmas, let us come before His throne with renewed senses of wonder and adoration. May we love Him and love one another even more as we ponder on the first and best Christmas miracle – The Savior!
As our family looks back over the past year, we recognize the continued blessings from the Lord. Peter continued to grow during his first year and remains as good natured as ever. Daniel crossed his talking milestone and now adds to our household chatter. Hannah learned to help Melinda cook and me wash dishes as well as be a wonderful big sister. Kenneth learned to read entire children’s books, work addition and subtraction problems including those involving words or negative numbers, and profess his faith in Christ.
Melinda and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary, resumed target shooting after a long hiatus, and began to lead our family on a kind of pilgrimage to find a new local church. It is difficult to have left the congregation we have been a part of for about 16 years, but it has been a blessing to visit the wider body of Christ. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue the search for our new “home” church.
Melinda continues her roles as my wife, mother to our four children, and a wonderful homemaker. In all these things she is a beautiful reflection of God’s love and grace. I continue to enjoy my roles as Melinda’s husband and father to our children. Also, I am enjoying my continued employment with the Dept. of Juvenile Justice. It has been a challenging year of growth while learning my new position, but it has also been rewarding. Also, I have started a side job co-leading family group meetings for troubled youth.
A friend recently asked, “What is freedom?” On the surface it seemed like a question with an easy answer, but the more I thought about it the more I realized just how elusive a definitive answer is. At last John 8:32 came to mind which says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Knowing the truth is freedom! May you be blessed this Christmas with knowing the truth of its celebration and receiving the sure gift of freedom. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” – II Corinthians 9:15
Love,
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