30December2011 Quickshot: Rez

Anyone want to guess what one of our New Year's resolutions is????

29December2011 Quickshot: Chaos

A little of the Christmas chaos at Papa & Dede's house.  Actually this is the reading of the Christmas story, with all the kids having parts.  However chaos followed soon thereafter. 

27December2011 Mama's House

Understand why we love going to D's parents' home?  If you think the table is beautiful you should have tasted the food.  Edible artwork! 

26December2011 Shadow

Singing Silent Night during the candlelight service at Green Street, eating a big ole southern breakfast at mama G's house, seeing our Kentucky kin hold baby L for the first time, watching the kids bounce with excitement while opening presents, eating scores of those little Reese's peanut butter Christmas trees...we've loved spending Christmas in America!  However, regardless of the joy, there has been a constant shadow in the peripheral of our holiday merriment.  Here are some of the situations we're praying about:

Families in crisis. Our hearts are broken by the number of dear friends that have either completely given up on their marriages, decided self is more important than their commitment, turned their backs on God or maybe a combination of all three, leaving children and loved ones in the wake.  It's a terrible thing to witness and certainly something that grieves the Father.  God please heal our families.

Refugees entangled in international bureaucracy or struggling to survive in a new environment.  We have now had the privilege of seeing the resettlement process from both sides of the pond. A painstakingly long, drawn-out procedure, filled with many legal hurdles, often void of any regard for humanity, can be spirit crushing.  Then after landing here, language and culture differences, financial difficulties and throw in a heaping spoonful of post traumatic stress and you've got a recipe for disaster. God please bring hope to the forcibly displaced. 

Millions across the globe who are dying without knowledge of the Truth.  To forget or ignore this fact is wrong.  Even as the world sing about the Savior's birth in Bethlehem there are riots in the malls of America over Nike's latest tennis shoe offerings.  Really?!  People are dying hopeless deaths and we're fighting over a pair of Air Jordans?  God please draw the lost world to You.

20December2011 Cookie Cookers

Below are pictures from our annual Christmas cookie baking party:

18December2011 Quickshot: Birthday Breakfast

If you know anything at all about her you know the way to D's heart is through her stomach!  So, for her birthday, this morning, we fixed her a tasty breakfast.  She felt loved and we all felt full.  Happy B-day D!

17December2011 Quickshot: I'm gonna let it shine

We rode around looking at Christmas lights tonight.  The scene above reminded us of one of the kids' favorite songs, This Little Light of Mine.  So proud of children that don't hide their lights under a bushel!

14December2011 Quickshot: Arrivals

Last night, well actually in the wee hours of the morning, I had the privilege of welcoming 16 new arrivals to America. A couple notes from this experience:

1. They only had 8 bags of luggage.  That's half a bag per person.  Most Americans would take twice that much for a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach and this was everything they owned in this world!  Do I really need all this stuff? 

2. Travel is exhausting and stressful for everyone.  30 hours of flying with children is insane. Yet, these were some of the sweetest, most humble, patient people I'd ever met.  Perspective is everything!,

3.  Finally, and I think about this nearly every day, the world is coming here.The nations are our neighbors!

12December2011 Quickshot: Missing

A great reminder of some wonderful visits in our old city.  We miss our local friends who welcomed us into their lives, like family.  Thinking of you today.

8December2011 Dinner with Friends

This past weekend we had the honor of participating in a Christmas party for refugees at Green Street. There are few things more beautiful than watching the Body do It's thing! 

5December2011 Quickshot: Oh Deer!

Oh deer!  Check out these cute cookies the girls made. 

2December2011 Decompress

One thing that we'd nearly forgotten was the hectic pace of life here around the holidays.  It's palpable, rising like a surging wave and at times powerful enough to knock you off your feet...if you let it.  

Decorations, parties and events, buying that special gift, buying the other fifty special gifts, rushing from here to there, buy a tree, put some change in the bell-ringing lady's bucket, create, address and mail those Christmas cards, etc. ad nauseum.   

Here's some advice for a Friday morning. Take a deep breath, grab the hand of someone you love and go for a walk.  Spend a little time being a human being not a human doing.  DECOMPRESS!  

Some shots from a recent decompression trek.