day of the Christmas Tree

I think I love the Christmas season more every year. The older I get, the more I realize that nothing about life would make much sense, or matter much, if it were not showered in the light of what Christmas is all about. Jesus is the reason for the season...His miraculous coming as "Emmanuel" (God with us), with the purpose of reconciling a fallen race with their Creator, gives every reason for us to celebrate and treasure the holiday.

And then it's the delight that children find in Christmas. I think I find more joy in watching John and Sam's delight with absolutely everything Christmas than I even felt as a child myself. I mean, the boys get so excited about all the little changes indicating that Christmas is near. They love to see city crews hanging up lights and Christmas decorations.

Oh, and then there are the Santa sightings. Have you noticed that Santa is everywhere? Yes, he is. If you have a three-year-old and a five-year-old, they'll help you never miss a Santa that's there to be seen. So, Sam was thrilled to see "the real Santa" at Half Price Books, and insisted on sitting right down next to him and chatting away as if they were old friends. He cracked me up by addressing Santa by name throughout their chat...here's an excerpt from my recollection...

Sam: "So, Santa, how was your Thanksgiving? Did you have pie?"
Santa (in a deep, jovial voice): "Why yes I did have pie! Ho, ho, ho! So...have you thought about what you want for Christmas?"
Sam (totally clueless, because I don't think he knows he's supposed to "want" certain presents for Christmas): "Ummmm...a tree?"
Santa: "Would you like a Thomas the Train set? Ho, ho, ho..."
Sam (dumbfounded and totally in awe of how Santa could know that Sam wants this item, which John was just given for his birthday!): "YES!!!"

Half Price Books volunteers were nice as well, and gave me a free Polaroid:

I digress. I was going to tell you about going out and cutting down a Christmas tree: our first time to do this as a family. We drove out to a lovely Christmas tree farm (if you're in the Dallas area, let me take this chance to give a recommendation to the Walls Family Farm)...then got a hayride out to the rows upon rows of evergreens.

There we walked and searched for our perfect tree...found it...cut it down...and took it home.

Then we decorated the tree and took the requisite "kids in front of the Christmas tree" photos (of which every photo turned out funny for one reason or another)...

 

Happy December.

To 'Pastor' (From Adam)

Roger J. Magnuson

(d. November 30th, 2013)

Faithful husband, father, and pastor.  Your example of faithfulness to God is almost unparalleled in my Christian experience.  You knew the Word of God, loved it, taught it, and did it.  You are now with the One whom you have faithfully proclaimed.

What Paul said of himself is certainly true for you.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Thanksgiving

This year we celebrated a genuinely American Thanksgiving. Not only did we have family and a friend over, but we made our very first ever turkey! If I do say so myself, it tasted amazing. (More on the turkey later)

In the morning we got to talk (using Skype to cell phone) with our dear friend Marie-Hélène, in Berbérati...and John got to talk with his very best little friend in Africa, Marie-Hélène's grandson Tychique! It was super precious to hear Tychique's little voice talking to John in Sango. These two little guys have missed each other so much: John talks about Tychique all the time. So that was a special conversation. And Marie-Hélène totally made my day by telling me that if we move back to Bangui soon, she might move there too! It's wonderful to know that when you move back across an ocean, there are people you love waiting for you there.

Later on Thursday morning, some dear friends of ours who now live out of town came into town and paid us a short visit. Five years ago, they brought us Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital when John was a hospitalized newborn. And look now! Our four cute little boys who love to play together whenever our families happen to be in the same town:

And here are the dads:

So, as I was saying, we made our first turkey this year. I bought, brined and prepared the turkey...Adam helped me pull it in and out of the oven, turning it as it baked...and then he did a marvelous job carving it. I do think we might have been a little bit proud of ourselves for this mile-marker of preparing the Thanksgiving turkey.

Then Otto and Sal arrived, and there was that happy final stretch before the big meal: everyone working together in the kitchen to mash potatoes (or, as the boys would say, "smash potatoes"), chop garlic, heat gravy, and bring together the finishing touches:

Emma came too. We all enjoyed a delicious meal, happy visits, and a beautiful hike in the woods together:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow. We have much to be thankful for.

5 sweet years: happy birthday, Johnny!

John turned five years old on November twenty-third. What a beloved son he is! This past year, it has been amazing to see the way God has worked in John's heart to give him a real trust in Jesus, and a sincere desire to tell others about Jesus too.

(The birthday boy: John's been doing more "serious faces" for photos as of late...)

For his birthday breakfast, John got his requested meal: biscuits and eggs. And guess what he wanted for supper? "Pork, carrots and greens." Two vegetables for your birthday supper?! Wow, such a request from a five-year-old makes for a very happy (if a bit surprised) mother.

We made ice cream cake with pink frosting, as John had asked for, for his little birthday party in the evening (well, the frosting was actually whipped cream dyed with beet juice).

Some sweet neighbors and friends came over for cake, and look at the adorable puppets Emma made John! These celebrations with loved ones reminds me how much our lives are bettered by the dear people around us:

Happy birthday to my favorite five-year-old in the world!

A Couple Quotes from John and Sam

Ruth and I have often said that we should make a little blog containing only the little things that John and Sam say.  Here are a couple from the past two days.


Sam: Papa, would it be impolite to call someone "lazy bones" who is sleeping on a train track when a fast train is coming to hit them?

Sam: Is Papa an old man now?

John: Yes, Papa IS an old man…but Mama is young. 

pecan picking, and autumn in Dallas

"Conquering the world...one pecan at a time!" Dad exemplifies patient labor as he sits at our kitchen table meticulously cracking nuts, seeking the elusive "perfect halves." A long stretch of time into the work, he's gathered about 1/2 cup total. The goal is at least two cups of pecan pieces, enough to make one pecan pie.

We spent the late hours of afternoon at the pecan-tree-filled Crawford Park, walking slowly beneath yellow-leafed canopies overhead, searching for pecans camouflaged amongst the rocks on the playground and then on the dirt and in the grass beyond. A cursory glimpse of the ground would not have indicated how heavy my pecan-laden purse would be at the end of our hunt.

The church bells nearby rang out 5 p.m., reminding us that sunset was coming in less than half an hour. We were all wearing jackets to ward off the autumn chill that has recently settled over Dallas. Fall takes a while in getting this far south, but it does get here after all, bringing with it that mysterious nostalgia bound up in the odor of fallen leaves and the look of breath in cold air.

The best part about this change of seasons has been that all four of the grandparents have been able to step out of their busy schedules and to come down to Texas for a visit. We've had sweet times together.

paths crossing (and smiling because it happened)

It feels like, over just a brief a handful of weeks, another brief season of our lives has passed. Coming back to Dallas, our paths intersected with a number of old dear friends from our graduate school days (most in Dallas, and a couple while travelling). We had a day's visit with some of them, and the blessing of a few weeks together with others of them. The end of the semester, or maybe the change of seasons, meant that it was time for these dear friends to pack up and move back to the furthest ends of the world.

It's pretty crazy, really. When we all first met here we were dreamers and students only imagining what plans God might have for us and where on earth those plans might unfold. Now we were able to spend some short but sweet times together again, sharing stories of God's goodness in our new homes in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific...literally across the globe!

While I have to admit I've had a lump come to my throat more than once as I have helped do the final house-cleanings, receive the half-used bottles of ketchup from the fridges being cleaned out, and waved last goodbyes to the cars driving away...I am really glad God worked it out for us to get to see some of these great friends again here.

It may be oft-quoted, but it has come to my mind more than once over the past week or so of goodbyes...

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

Or as John said to me as he was missing one of his friends who just left Dallas, "Mama, it's sad to say goodbye to my friends, but the happy part is that someday I can say hello to them again." Yes, and in the meantime, we carry them in our hearts.

  

And even while saying goodbye to many friends, I'm so thankful I have some more time with others...

And even, the sweetness of making new friends!

As we travel so many places and have fellowship with believing friends (old and new), I come to understand more and more of the love Paul had for the church! Christian fellowship is truly an amazing gift.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace..." (Philippians 1:3-7)