Friends and Strangers

If you have ever lived away from family, you will know that the holiday season is a mixed blessing.  We have been very fortunate to have friends who have included us in their holiday gatherings over the years, and we have fond memories of these times.  So this year we decided to pay it forward.  There was a unique mixture of 15 people from 4 different families at our table this year, including 7 children.  We sat down as strangers, but left as friends - which is really what it's all about. 

Walking in Another's Shoes

Our kids are incredibly blessed, and they are becoming old enough to realize that this is so.  Jordan and I want to reinforce this fact, and we decided to do so in a practical way this year.  We had a conversation with the kids, and together as a family we decided to cut back on Christmas presents and use the saved funds to fill a bunch of shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child.

We have participated in this amazing program for several years, and the kids were very excited about doing it again on a larger scale.  A few years ago my Aunt Bonnie, whom we saw in September, went on a trip to help distribute some of the shoeboxes, and her stories inspired the kids to carefully choose appropriate gifts.  We will be tracking the packages and praying for the kids who receive them throughout the coming year.

We all had a fun few days focusing on others - and learning to grateful for our blessings in the process. 

A Larger than Life Halloween

Happy Halloween from Paul Bunyan and

his faithful friend Babe, the blue ox!