The Weather Outside is Frightful! Christmas 2008
We write to you from the bottom of 24 inches of snow and it is still coming down! A week ago we had an ice storm that left thousands of people without electricity (we escaped that traumatic event) for over a week. It is nice to watch the neighbors lights come on to our east each night! We lost several large branches (our back yard looks like a war zone) and our large tree out front! Thankfully it went away from our house when it fell! We got an early Christmas present from Grandpa Corky-a chainsaw-and he trained Jordan how to cut up wood. Too bad we don’t have a fire place!
We are in our sixth year in Massachusetts and continue to enjoy living here. As long as we get to take a few trips out to Colorado each year to see the mountains then we are fine! I went out to see Caleb in March and we enjoyed going to Rocky Mtn. National Park for a day to see some elk, some snow and a fox. We visited friends in Ft. Collins as well as in Colorado Springs. Caleb is doing great in Denver and it was fun to meet some of his friends and to see where he lives. He returned in August for his second year majoring in Biblical Studies. He was hired by the church he attends to lead worship for a new service they started in October. We are so very proud of him and know that the Lord has his hand on this young man. Please pray for Caleb as he is open to listening to the Lord for his future. I also got to go out to Colorado Springs with some friends in October. I got to see Caleb for two days, one was spent hiking and celebrating his 20th birthday, then the next day I got to attend the first new service that he lead. He took up marathon running and is quite impressive already! If he wins shoes for every race he runs, he will be doing ok! Exciting stuff! He will be home for Christmas - can’t wait to see him.
Besides traveling to Colorado, I continue to be very involved with leadership in our women’s Bible study at church. I wrote the material for our study through John and so loved it that I am continuing with some other writing. I so desire to provide women with tools to dig deeper into the scripture and draw closer to the only one who satisfies their deepest longings!
Work wise, I continue to work at Lahey Clinic as Site Coordinator of a small office here in Merrimac. I got my 5 year service award pin – it has been well earned!
With joy I tell you that the Lord has tested and tried me to my very core and I pray that I have come through as pure gold. Not an easy road but he has sustained me when I wanted to run for the mountains and hide away in a secluded cabin. Oh, we did get to go to a cabin
near Lake Placid, NY this summer with all five of us. We visited all the Olympic sites from 1980-very impressive! Caleb ran up Whiteface Mountain! The rest of us took the gondola!
Jordan is in his senior year of high school and loves doing that studying in the basement of our house. He has made it into his little cozy spot and even gets upset when someone messes up his couch (he has it molded to his long-lean frame)! He doesn’t know yet what the future holds but he has a few different options. The golf course was Jordan’s source of income again this year working on the grounds crew. It helps immensely that he enjoys what he does. He finished up work just last week and will probably be back at it as soon as the spring grasses return (April?).
Dave was promoted to Associate Professor here at Gordon College this year. He also continues to teach New Testament and Greek at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. In addition to his teaching he tries to fit in some research and writing, and is currently working on what will hopefully be his second book. This fall he attended the Society of Biblical Literature meeting which was here in Boston this year. Dave took up a new hobby this year – building primitive, wooden longbows.
Ally consistently reminds us that she will be 16 in two months! It will be really weird to have all three kids driving! She is in her sophomore year in high school and is continuing to play basketball. The season just started, and she is extremely busy, having basketball practice six days a week. We love to watch her play. Whenever she goes in, the game instantly speeds up!
We know how busy this time of year is and we pray that you can somehow slow down and appreciate the reason for the season.
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We beheld his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Dave 978-270-7344
Joyce 978-270-3938
Caleb 978-518-1727
Jordan 978-270-1152
Ally 978-270-7343
Blessings on each of you. We so love receiving
Your letters and cards. Thanks for taking the time
To write to us.
14 Thorndike Ave
Merrimac, MA 01860 Yes, those are surfers in the background and it was about 20 degrees on this particular day in December! I LOVE the ocean! The rest of them are not so thrilled! (at times the smell of dead sea life is more than they can take! I can tolerate it because of the pleasure the ocean gives me while in my kayak or jumping waves with friends!) Ally is ok with it when the sand is warm.
Corky and Leola on the Atlantic Ocean beach front property-no bathing beauties that day!
Grandmas and Joshua (my brother Joe's son) who lives and works in Manchester, NH
We got to cut our own Christmas tree this year-it was cheaper because it was on the reject side!
Grandpa never did get the tree very straight!
Dave and Joyce's gift was a chainsaw to clean up the ice storm (Jordan learned how to use it really well!) Well, I also got a ladder that you also see Jordan taking advantage of. I also got two weeks of labor from Dad in my bathroom--thanks Dad!
Dave and Joyce's gift was a chainsaw to clean up the ice storm (Jordan learned how to use it really well!) Well, I also got a ladder that you also see Jordan taking advantage of. I also got two weeks of labor from Dad in my bathroom--thanks Dad!
y each had one for the airline flight home!
y each had one for the airline flight home!
