We pray you are filled with Joy as you reflect on God’s Love expressed by the coming of His Son into the world. Despite the challenges of this year, there’s much to be thankful for! We fix our eyes not on what is seen and temporary but on what is unseen and eternal (paraphrasing 2 Cor 4:18).
“Advent exists to remind us that, while darkness surrounds us and troubles exist, the hope of Christmas isn’t far away. As you acknowledge that this hurting world is in need of real hope, you’ll have eyes to see this season through the same lens as the people waiting for a Messiah thousands of years ago.”
(from a Wycliffe devotional at www2.wycliffe.org/advent)
God’s Kingdom is continuing to advance around the world as He works in the midst of many difficulties brought by the pandemic. One major milestone is the translation of the entire Bible into a sign language for the deaf (American Sign Language) for the first time (see bit.ly/ASLcelebration).
Personal News
November 24th marked one year from when we moved in with Lynée’s parents (after staying with her brother when we initially came to Nashville on Oct. 27). We didn’t expect to be in this house for this long before moving to a larger one closer to her brother, but we are doing well and are trying to patiently wait in the midst of this crazy real estate market for the house God has for all of us. Our ministry budget over the last year was fully funded with some extra gifts making up for the $650/month shortfall we have in committed giving. “Thank you so much!” to everyone who supports our work through prayer, giving, encouragement, and other ways.
One of our highlights for the year was going to my nephew Noah’s wedding. Since he was getting married in east Texas, we combined that trip with a visit to Dallas — the first since we moved to Nashville. Seeing our old home area helped us feel a sense of closure, as moving was so intense we weren’t able to really say our good-byes before we left a year ago.
We’ve also been blessed by several visits from friends and family as they travelled through Nashville this year. Since we decided to not travel to Georgia in the fall as we’ve done for many years, we took a week to call some people there. It was great to catch up with some folks we haven’t seen face-to-face in two years, and we hope to call some others later. We encourage others to make the effort to call and reconnect with people, especially over this holiday time. We’d love to hear from you!
“I didn’t know then [as a child] that the thrill of seeing sparkling lights, hearing soaring music, or enjoying rich food and familiar laughter hinted at the joy contained in God’s epic story. The whole time I’ve been looking for wonder, I’ve actually been looking for God himself.”
(from www.wycliffe.org/blog/posts/finding-wonder-in-the-midst-of-christmas-weariness)
In the Greatness and Goodness of God
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