Our Christmas Letter

December 23, 2008

Dear Friends & Family,

This letter comes to each of you filled with our warmest greetings and prayers that each of you are doing well and enjoying the peace that comes from knowing Christ. Our family has had a wonderful year and we are excited to share this summary with you.
This year Elijah turned six and entered the first grade. He is reading chapter books, excelling in math, and thoroughly loving being a little boy. Of course his favorite subjects are Art, Music, and P.E.! He recently finished another round of soccer and greatly improved this season. It is fun to see the little guy God is shaping him into. He is our affectionate child and brings us much joy with his sensitivity to the cares and feelings of others.
Rebekah turned four in March and is getting ready for Kindergarten this coming August. She loves to learn and write her letters. Just a few weekends ago she performed in a little Christmas ballet as a snow fairy from The NutCracker. She does well in ballet, when she's not being shy, and truly enjoys “girlie” things. Her favorite parts of the day usually involve some type of one-on-one interaction with Jim or me. We are so thankful for our little girl and enjoy spending time with her.
In August, Micah celebrated his two-year birthday! We are constantly taken aback with how the time flies when we consider how old he is. If you've not spent time with Micah, you are missing out. He is such a fun little guy and makes us all laugh daily. What a joy! He is quite a talker, but sometimes hard to understand when he has his pacifier in his mouth.
Lori has been quite busy this year juggling schedules and various tasks. She went nuts and volunteered to be the Chairperson for the Yearbook Committee for Elijah's school. This has taken much more of her time than anticipated, but she is thankful for the relationships it has brought into her life. As busy as she seems to be, she still finds time for reading and outings with her friends. Thank you, Lord!
Jim is doing well with Safequip, our family's business. Many advancements in the company have come to us recently and we feel blessed to be a part of these changes. We are thankful to the Lord to report to you that his health for the majority of the year has been much improved from 2006-2007. By the grace of God, Jim's Crohn's Disease seems to be in a state of remission with the help of medication and diet restrictions. We can't fully express how pleased we are to report this to you!
On January 2, 2009, Jim and Lori will celebrate their 10-year anniversary. These past ten years have been quite a journey and we are thankful for all the Lord has brought us through. Since before our engagement, we have had an interest in missions. This past year the Lord has brought opportunities our way to begin pursuing those dreams. Lord willing, Jim and another friend from our church will be going to India to visit an orphanage we all help support. We are excited about this trip and other opportunities for missions with unreached people groups. Please be praying for us in these endeavors.
Thank you to each of you for your friendship and care over the years. We are so very thankful for the relationships the Lord has brought into our life and consider each of you very dear to us.
At the end of this letter we quote Dennis Jernigan's song, The Blessing, for it is truly our prayer for each of you. May this next year be a truly blessed one for each of you!

Merry Christmas,
Jim, Lori, Elijah, Rebekah & Micah


“The Blessing”
by Dennis Jernigan


May the Lord answer you in the day of your trouble!
May the name of the Lord be your strong mighty tower!
May He grant you your heart's deepest dreams and desires!
May He answer each time you call!

May He pour out the blessing of heaven!
May you cast your cares on Him and daily fall!
May you live to see your children's children!
May Lord Jesus be your All in All!

May the Lord Jesus Christ satisfy beyond all measure!
May His Word light your path!
May His Peace guard your heart!
May your days be filled with gladness, joy and peace through any sadness
Filled with love that will not depart!

May your strength be renewed like the eagle!
As you run the race may joy flood every part!
May your memories all be sweet in each parting!
May the peace of Christ rule your heart!

May His word be to you health and life, joy and treasure.
May your home be a light.
May the Lord guard your ways.
May the Lord be your shepherd.
May His goodness and mercy follow after you all your days!

May His mercies be new every morning!
May His grace and Holy Spirit help you stand!
May you live your life to die for the gospel!
May you hold to His unchanging hand!

May the Lord answer you in the day of your trouble!
May the name of the Lord be your strong mighty tower!