December 2020

O come, O come, Emmanuel...And ransom captive Israel...That mourns in lonely exile here...Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel...Shall come to thee, O Israel.

We are so blessed to be the recipients of God's grace through the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This month was about the eager expectation of celebrating Christ's birth and the longing for when He returns again...this time as Conquering King. We are so thankful that the Christmas Season isn't about gifts, or cards, or even family gatherings but is about the One who came to seek and save the lost. We hope that you too rejoice in Emmanuel, God with Us!

As usual, we squeezed as much as we possibly could into this month. There were the usual appointments, lessons, and school work but mixed in was a swim meet, lots of time with family, and, of course, Christmas.

As we kicked off December, the boys had their kidney check-ups. Their ARPKD continues to advance but it is still doing so at a slow rate. We are thankful for doctors and modern medicine yet we continue to pray for miraculous healing knowing that might not happen on this side of Heaven.

Next up was the boys first official swim meet since the Pandemic began. Both boys dropped time off of all of their events. It was a great meet albeit different from those pre-COVID. It was strange for the boys to wear their masks to the swim blocks, put them in Ziplocs, and then adorn them again after each race. It was also a bummer that USAA swim is limiting the number of spectators per swimmer. Such strange times we are living in!

We enjoyed a fun night at our church with those involved in the Children's Ministry. We decorated cookies, played silly games while being socially distanced, and did Bible trivia. Our Children's Ministry team has done a great job of finding unique ways for us to meet during the pandemic!

The girls enjoyed Christmas themed festivities at school this month. There were fun dress-up days, Christmas crafts, and an awards ceremony hosted by the Grinch...er...principal. Marie received an award for improving her iStation math and reading scores and Anna received an award for her iStation scores.

When school break started, we finished packing and headed to Pinecrest Camp where we met up with Jeff's family for several days of family fun. It was such a blessing to come together, fellowship with one another, and have some good ol' fashioned family competition. We were blessed with beautiful weather, health, and almost the entire family being able to gather. A highlight for me was our Sunday morning worship time. Singing Hymns and reading God's Word together is such a beautiful thing. I can't even describe the amazing legacy of having 4 generations of believers in one room praising God and thanking Him for his faithfulness. There was a time for everyone to express their thankfulness and it was such a blessing to hear person after person having so much to be thankful for. This year has brought challenges no one could have ever imagined but our God is still Sovereign and has brought so many blessings to our family! 

We returned home from Pinecrest to another blessing. After Jeff's insurance rejected (three times) a much needed medication, the drug company decided to provide it at no cost to us. We are so thankful and humbled at the way God provided, yet again, for all our needs! Jeff had his first infusion the day we returned. Time will tell how effective the medication will be but we are hopeful that the end result will bring much needed relief to Jeff.

Next up, was the celebration of Christ's birth. We began the day finishing up our advent story and praising God for Jesus. We then opened gifts and had a magnificent breakfast. After our food had settled, we headed to the Anderson's house to continue our celebration. It was the first time in many years that we were all together for Christmas. What a huge blessing and gift from God! We enjoyed games, fellowship, and good food. 

As the year wraps up, we look back and see the hand of God all over our lives. What a gracious and merciful God! What a faithful provider! What an amazing gift-giver! What a wonderful Savior! We look forward to seeing how God is going to continue to reveal Himself to us in the New Year. 

The King of Kings salvations brings...Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Click the link below to see a slideshow of December's pictures...

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