11/28/22 Safely Home

 Dear Family,

                Soup is Winter’s cereal.  My favorite food is cereal but soup may be best in the cold months.  I enjoy both but am trying soup out more these days. 

                Bobby continues to be good company.  He chopped down an apple tree for me.  He also drove me to Bothell, WA and back while I slept most of the way.   I enjoy the trip zooming by.  Bobby enjoys getting us there. 

                Seth remains focused on schoolwork.  He has been getting good grades so I believe he enjoys his studies.  He helped move Christmas decorations out of storage.   I am thankful for his help and strength.

                Adriel visited on Tuesday.  I enjoy her company.  Please pray with her as she desires to live in Portland.  Please pray for wisdom, God’s will and endurance with college and work on her part. 

                Thanksgiving was a lovely time of interaction and fun.  We visited my parents, sister, and her family.  The children have grown so much that they are now helpful and quieter.  I was impressed by how busy they were after the meal, clearing, scrubbing dishes, and cleaning.  Adriel also helped and delighted in their focus on art. 

                We are safe.  Travel was uneventful, Angels guarded and protected.  God’s love was shared, and we are blessed.

                May you also feel God’s hand in your life.  May His peace rest in your heart.  May you find joy in knowing how deeply you are loved!  Hugs, Cristy          

 PS, Thanks Anita for taking the picture :-).

11/21/22

 Dear Family,

 

            Forgiveness of others is a gift to us.  Being Thankful even in hard times also frees our minds from angst.    Those two choices bring peace that passes understanding.  Holding a grudge is a heavy burden to bear and so is holding onto control – which we don’t have anyway.  The only control we have is control of our reactions and that is even super hard to grasp.  Living free with arms open is such a blessing.

            This week Bobby visited his mom and brought back gifts.  How delightful to see Bobby model being a good son 😊.

            Middle School group continues to be filled with outpourings of love, excitement to be together and joy radiating out of every person.  Song time had so much exuberance Bobby had to remind the youth of an old but good rule.  “You are allowed to scream, only if your arm is severed and you are bleeding out.”  A youth had to say, “Hang on, let me try it,” while they pretended to sever an arm by putting their hand back inside the sleeve. 

            High School group was full of sweet music, delightful teens, and camaraderie.   I like that the youth stood up for Julie Andrews.  Bobby doesn’t like Mary Poppins or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  He calls them bad movies!  This is because he prefers special effects and Science Fiction.  He did say he would watch a remake of Mary Poppins if Mary Poppins was played by Yondu.  I declared that would be horrible.  “No one would entrust their children to Yondu.”  Someone in the crowd asked Bobby if he would like to have Yondu take care of his kids and Bobby said, “Yes, at least I would know they are safe.” 

            I enjoyed reading a devotional with Bobby, setting marriage goals, and praying for our family.  I like that we go to God together.  It deepens our love and friendship. 

            Bobby cooked several amazing meals this week and I am always glad I don’t have that chore.  I don’t care about what we eat, just that there is food.  He’s the best!  We also enjoyed a date this week and I am glad to have his company as we do life together.

            Seth remains adorable.  He watches humor and laughs.  I love hearing his delight.  He cleaned his shower this week but ran out of one cleaning solution and had to add another.  His chagrin at mixing the two ended up with, “If I die from cleaning my shower it’s your fault.”

            May you find strength in knowing you are loved by God and me.  May your love overflow to all you encounter.  Hugs, Cristy

11/14/22

 Dear Family,

                Skipping over Thanksgiving only makes sense if you are trying to sell something.  Being Thankful for what we have is the opposite of wanting more.  Being thankful for where we are, who we love, and who’s we are may lead to contentment.  Oh, the horror!  Let’s play Christmas music so they don’t remember to be thankful. 

                Choosing to count our blessings can be a daily, weekly, and yes, yearly task.  Daily I ponder what to add to this blessings letter.  Weekly I ask for editor (family) approval and then publish, yearly we all gather and announce our thankfulness for each other and what God has given us.  The purposeful choice to remember God’s goodness produces joy in our hearts and minds.  When we take our thoughts captive God blesses us with peace.  What a great sermon we had Sunday, Nov 6^th (https://fb.watch/gGbPzMtFwf/). 

                So, on to how God and my family have given me joy.

                Bobby cleaned under the refrigerator and under the kitchen sink this week.  He took all the magnets off the old fridge.  He took everything out of under the kitchen sink.  He awaited and was there for new appliance installs.  He removed items from the fridge and placed them in a new fridge.  This is Bobby’s gift to me.  I was gone at work.  I came home and was pleased.  Yay, Bobby.

                Adriel came over to gather her laundry and exclaimed with delight about the new look in our kitchen.  She is delightful to be with and I am glad every time I see her.  We talked for a while, and it is lovely to hear her take on life and what is going on in her space. 

                Seth put Adriel’s laundry in the dryer because I had a cold.  This generation fears a cold!  I wasn’t allowed to touch her stuff, but a hug was just fine.  I am thankful for Seth and his willingness to help.

                Chatting with Adriel on the phone is lovely.  She is a bright splash of joy in an increasingly dark and dreary world (5PM on the drive home is a perfect time to talk).

                Middle School group had abundant energy and the joy of gathering.  Just being together can energize some and boy were they excited to be together.  When it was time to sing there was praise and gratitude.  When it was time for the lesson there was thoughtful discussion.  My favorite student quote of the evening; “The past is behind us, the future is before but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.”  How lovely when considering it is good to be thankful.

I did have to chuckle right after singing how Holy God is when Bobby asked, “Who knows the definition of holy?”  After hearing the right answer a student leaned over to me and mentioned that Swiss cheese is also holy.  I was thinking along the same lines.  Holes in clothes also counts as a definition but I didn’t want to answer that way and get into trouble.  I felt a bit of camaraderie with our silly humor.

                High school group has deeper voices and deeper thoughts.  There are smiles, greetings, and competition.  One person even exclaimed with joy when Bobby was handing out the lesson.  “Oh yeah, I love fill in the blanks.”  I do too!  It gives us a chance to guess the answers, interact with the text, and be affirmed if we were right about the answer.  Sometimes this disintegrates into silliness though.  The blank was, “Everything good U--------- comes from God.”  When they gave up, guesses included; umbrella, understandably, etc.  The true answer ultimately.  Such fun, I enjoy laughing with the group.

                A friend offered us Elder-immune gummies because we all had a cold.  I had been thankfully taking it with my cold calm, lemon, honey, and regular exercise.  I offered the Elder-Immune to Seth.  He was suspicious.  He read the label thoroughly.  His conclusion, “They don’t answer any of the questions I have and look just like an advertisement.  It looks suspect.”  Seth then refused to take any.  I had to chuckle when I also remembered that Seth wouldn’t ride half the rides at Disneyland because he read the warnings at the age of 13.  .  I did try persisting with, “But they taste good!”  This was met with Sarcasm.  “Ohhh, that makes sense, all things that taste good are good for you.  Take kale for example, and then there is salad.”  He went on but I got the point and had to backtrack.  This is true, not all things that taste good are good for our bodies.  I asked if he trusted our friend and he said, “Mmmmm, not really.”  (By the way, he doesn’t trust me either).  I am so glad Seth is not like me.  I’m a leap-before-you-look type which can be fun.  It can also lead to regrets and drama.  I like that Seth thinks things thru before doing them.  He may save himself some heartache.

                Seth mowed the lawn this week and it looks fabulous.  I am glad for the ways he helps us out.

                Thursday when Bobby came home to find me sleeping, he declared me not well enough to join the elderly at home group.  I might spread germs.  When he mentioned this to those at home group they were taken aback.  “Are you calling me old?”  LOL, now he had to contend with pretend hurt feelings on that front.  (Anyone not youth group age might be considered old to a youth pastor.)  I was glad to have a restful evening after working full-time and having evenings out for youth groups.

                Friday Bobby took the Middle School group to Tapawingo for a retreat.  How fun to visit a summer camp in the fall.  I know they have games, songs, messages, and a big gym to keep them preoccupied.  I’m glad God will work in and thru our church to grow kids’ faith.  I am also happy he is back safe and sound.

                May you find joy in the tasks God has for you.  May you delight in our crisp fall air.  May you know how deeply, how fully and how richly you are loved.  Hugs,  

 

Cristy

11/7/22

 Dear Family,

 

                Bobby had a great time at the trunk or treat.  He enjoys making connections with people and having general fun. 

Middle school group was fabulous as usual.  There was one hiccup though.  He was talking about how we should look more and more like Jesus every day as we follow him.  I couldn’t help but think how handsome Bobby is and how Isiah 53:2 says about Jesus that, “he had . . . no beauty that we should desire him.”  I didn’t think I said it loudly, but I was protesting when I said, “But Jesus wasn’t cute.” Three girls exclaimed!  “Ohhhhh!!!”  Bobby rewarded them and mentioned he was talking about “the inside” of a person, how good we are.  I was properly chastised.

                A middle school student shared this joke with me.  "What did the tree say to the logger?"  I said, "I don't know, maybe Ow!?"  The answer was, "Chop, chop, I have somewhere to go."  I love laughing with people.

                High School group was meaningful and had a lot more guys than girls.  Each night has its own flavor.  That night there was a lot of candy to go around.

                Bobby cleaned a bathroom and unplugged a drain.   I’m glad he sees what needs to be done and does it.

                Adriel answers my calls and continues to be lovely.  She asked me to pray for something I don’t want to happen, so I just told her I’ll pray for God’s will.                 

Seth stays loving and ever-present.  I was glad he is the last one out from Church Wednesday because I had some library work to do and didn’t have to worry about closing up the church.  Seth also cleaned a bathroom in our home.  I’m so glad he’s helpful around the house. 

This weather is wonderfully amazing for cozying up in a blanket and reading or sitting.  I enjoy the time I have with Bobby and our kitty.  I like that I am tired after work and can curl up for a bit to relax before going to bed.  It is wonderful that God has supplied a roof over our heads and heat for our houses.

May you also be so very glad that God provides all you need.  May you rejoice in the much-needed rain and in the warmth you have in your hearts and hearths.

Much Love, Cristy