Good News: Our moods are lifting! Thanks, at least in part, to your holiday gift-giving! Hooray and thank you!We've had the tree up for the better part of the month -- with gifts underneath the whole time* -- and now we have started to open our presents!
Yes, this is one of the privileges of being a grown-up (with no kids either) -- we get to start unwrapping things pretty much whenever we want! So, because we will be up at the school most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we are making this whole week our own Clark-style Christmas -- complete with lights, music, and gifts... every day!
So far, we have opened a few from our family members in Arkansas [that black cat curled up in the upper-left is fake, by the way, something Grandma Ellen sent us] and a few from the "family" at Clear Creek. I've got an extensive coffee collection -- like, with 9 types total, plus syrup; Cec has enough warm socks and PJs to see her through this winter and next; we even got some dijon mustard and fancy cheeses. Oh, and I've already redeemed my iTunes card to purchase a great new Christian rap CD by a guy named K-Drama. I spent forever surfing around and making my decision, which was an awesome way to spend the better part of Monday morning, and then finally decided on this one from a guy I hadn't known of before. [See music link** and comments*** below.]
Also, we're hosting a small Christmas gift exchange party this Saturday. The whole team, the Beamons, and Steve are all invited. We'll be having some of the coffee and tea you sent, and there will be brownies and pumkin bread, which I think must also have come in a package some time or another.
Other than our material blessings, I should mention that the team has done really well working together recently to come up with some definitive plans for helping the W3 and others. I wrote to Joseph about some of the issues I've been concerned about, and he is really open to discussing and re-examining those things, so that was encouraging. I included a lot of encouraging comments towards him and what he has accomplished so far in his teaching and reaching out, so it was uplifting for both of us. And Connie -- whom some of you will recognize from W3, but whom I just really met for the first time at Marg's place -- gave me some great advice and encouraging words last Sunday. She's a mature and self-assured lady who, despite her young spiritual age, has a wealth of insight and wisdom. [Too bad she's going to Beijing!]
So, we're doing better. Very well, in fact.
Thanks for your prayers and presents.
FOOTNOTES:
*It was cool because the first box of presents arrived the same day when I had been whining about not getting anything yet -- and the same day we had already planned to go get the tree!
**If you wanna check out the CD I bought: http://holyculturedownload.com/index.php?cPath=9&sessID=8e0f974b07df5de98632e477cd1d015f Of course, if the link fails, you can just go to the main page and find K-Drama from there. Also give a listen to Lecrae & Trip Lee.
***Parents: I want to suggest that, if your kids are into rap music at all, you turn them on to this website and these albums. I know some people have reasons why they don't support the "Christian" music scene, but if you listen to what "mainstream" rappers are talking about, then you'll probably be willing to reconsider and give these guys a chance.
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