community and Christmas

Have to admit that we're a bit depressed today with Dodo and Bubba!  Yesterday they headed out, and the girls aren't the only ones who didn't want them to go!  Having true Christian community has been such a gift...We visit in the afternoons, we swap lacking ingredients mid-baking, we eat together several times a week, Lily runs next door several times a day to "Gonna go see Dodo and Bubba!  Be right back!  Don't come with me!"  

We've been very blessed to have so much help and so much family in Dodo and Bubba.  

Living together in Christian community, giving and taking, sharing and serving, ministering and encouraging, praying and helping, is how it's supposed to be!  

Other members of our Christian community had me laughing out loud last night...I was just taking a Calzone out of the oven when I heard Lily squealing outside.  I headed out in the yard with Sofie only to see a hilarious line up.  

First ran Junior down the road, carrying Lily, who was laughing deep belly laughs.  A few yards behind them ran Giselaine and Roziane, in their dresses and tennis shoes...(Granny Giselaine has diabetes and is trying to lower her sugar or something like that).  Then a few yards after them ran Matt and Boone, who is terrible on a leash.  

Lily and Matt had gone to fix the generator, so I don't know how we got from point A to point B, but if I had a lawn chair, Sofie and I would have sat and thoroughly enjoyed the sport :)

Tonight is Christmas Movie night at our house with the weekend students, so the fifteen of us will be enjoying Home Alone or Elf or It's a Wonderful Life.  

Meanwhile, we're working through a GREAT Christmas advent program with Lily that she is adoring.  (If you have a little one at home, we'd absolutely recommend it!)  Each day we read a passage from the Word that throughout the month shares the whole Christmas story, then we make a special ornament together that highlights the story.  

Yesterday we kicked off with a passage from Isaiah, then made a candle ornament with melted yellow and orange crayons.  When Matt came home hours later, Lily ran to the tree, grabbed her ornament, and yelled, "Poppy!  Jesus it the light of the world!"

Merry Christmas, Stacey!  I don't have words to describe the joy of hearing my baby proclaim His truth and begin to hide it in her heart.  I've never experienced any joy like it, a continual reminder that she really is just "on loan" to me from Him.  I'm so glad she is His, and so glad that she's beginning to know it and beginning to love her Father.  For over three years now I have prayed ever day, "Lord, help Lily to know and love you"...

Life is a bit crazy these last few weeks of school trying to get things from this semester sewn up, trying to prepare for next semester, working through student billing, registration, courses, etc.!  But, despite a lack of cold weather, Christmas decorations, and our home culture and traditions that come with Christmas, the joy of what this season means is ringing deep lately to Matt and I both.

Long lay the world

in sin and error pining

till He appeared

and the soul felt it's worth

the thrill of hope

the weary world rejoices

for yonder breaks

a new and joyful morn.