Christmas Letter 2012

 

Our Christmas Tree, pictured on Black Friday after we decorated with our parents and the kids...

Dear Friends and Family

C- Christmas Joy, and Christopher Pop-in-kins- He’s our “elf on the shelf” who finds a new place to sit every evening after the kids go to bed, and they excitedly look for him when they come down the stairs for breakfast. With decorations, desserts on the counter, and Christmas music streaming from the internet, a festive feeling is in the air. Jace recently inquired about Santa, saying, "Does Santa bring presents to big kids too?" To which Sarah replied, "Yes, of course--the ones that are good. That's a lot of pressure isn't it?"J Life is filled with a lot of laughs from the way our preschoolers relate to one another, and to us. We are in blessed days, and thankfully, we are aware of it.

H- Happiness, Helping, and Heaven- While adjusting to three kids has been a challenge, there is much laughter and joy in our home.  Gwyneth is an active, happy little girl who is celebrating her third birthday this December.  She tends to want to do the opposite of what she is told to do, but will quickly help in any way she is asked.  This may involve smothering the baby in burp cloths or pushing a large storage bin at church.  Jace, at 4 ½ years, is smart enough to sit back and let her help him at every opportunity.  Jace is currently taking tae-kwon-do classes and we are seeing improvements in confidence and coordination.  Being a thinker, he recently had a day when he was focused on heaven all day. Right around bedtime this culminated in a crying little boy who told Daddy he didn’t want to go to heaven without his blankie.  Another comment that made us chuckle was his desire to have a “peanut butter and jelly casserole” – according to Jace “it’s a dessert”.  It is wonderful to watch the kids enjoy life and we do all we can to savor this stage.

R- Rest- We look forward to a little more…

I-Iowa- We had a chance to visit Sarah’s family, from the Des Moines area, in September. She scheduled an internship to complete a portion of her certification as an acupuncturist. Sarah’s sister, Hannah, took some of the pictures you see, while we were there. Thankfully, we’ve been able to see all our immediate family in IA, KY, and IN. The times with our families fly by too quickly and are immensely enjoyed, but with a seven-month-old baby, two preschoolers, and Sarah’s full work schedule, trips take some planning.

S- Stay at home dad- John builds his skill at doing laundry, keeping the house clean, reloading and unloading the dishwasher, and doing everything again and again… He continues to make it to the gym three times a week, read and write on the side, and recently has enjoyed volunteering for the Clergy Education and Development Division of the Wesleyan Church by calling pastors to pray for and encourage them. John helps to teach a preschooler Sunday School class, host a small group with Sarah, and greet on occasion at Harvest Church on Sunday mornings.

Grandma Packard and the kids...
 

T- Thanksgiving- It was a privilege to go to John’s sister, Becky Perkins’, home for our Thanksgiving Dinner. All John’s side of the family attended, and Sarah’s mother, Linda, graced us with her presence as well. It was terrific to have both sets of grandparents in our home for a few days following the Thanksgiving holiday to connect and bond with our kids.

M-Miracles- This family believes in them. David and Anna Verne Lee (John’s parents) have both battled cancer over the past years, and all is clear in both of them! We thank the Lord for the birth of a new daughter as well. Quinn Michelle, as referred to by Jace and Gwyneth, arrived on April 24 and is growing up quickly. She is a happy baby who knows how to demand our attention when something in her life is a little off kilter. Sarah recently began introducing her to solid food. She’s beginning to master sitting on her own and she is more mobile than her siblings were at the same age. We are aware of God’s blessings through the journey, and don’t want to be blinded to anything new God wants us to see.

Thanksgiving, with all the grandparents here...

A- Acupuncture- Sarah is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. It is very rewarding to help pets live a high quality of life whether conventional medicine has failed or the owners desire a different form of treatment.  She has also developed additional skill in herbal medicine to supplement the needle treatments. Her schedule is busy and her clients are faithful. We still enjoy Fridays when she is home, and our shopping day on Tuesday, when we get to go to Costco as a family and enjoy all the samples

S-Savior- We are thankful for Jesus, who brings hope and light into our lives. He saves us from our sin and sets us free to serve others. In a VBS this summer, Jace went forward to signify that he wanted to make a commitment to a relationship with Jesus. We try to foster that relationship with Christ in ourselves and each one of our kids.

Have a blessed Christmas! John, Sarah, Jace, Gwyneth, and Quinn

Isaiah9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (NIV)
 

 

It's NOT Over!

So, hopefully as soon as the election is over, we won’t be logging off social networks with a lump in our throats, feeling a heaving sensation in our chests from all the political dialogue to which we’ve been exposed. Honestly, I feel pain on a profound level when I consider some of the positions that my friends hold on volatile issues that have been discussed, but I can imagine they feel the same about some of mine. But, “I’m right!” No, I don’t really mean that. The extreme views and propaganda of freshly spun story lines and words spoken, yanked from their context, have been enough to make a person ill. The political spectrum’s right, left, and even the independent camp are all guilty.

No matter the outcome from the votes, we can bet the news media will take us through a short honeymoon for the administration of the POTUS, and those newly elected to the House and Senate. But, in no time, the onslaught of attacks will begin afresh. Maybe the hope of the media is to uncover inconsistencies that elected officials need to fix. Or, maybe it is a barrage mudslinging to the demise of a person with a different approach or perspective in solving the nation’s problems.

Yet, with all the intensity that this election evokes, an important question emerges:  If the candidate you want to win, WINS, will that really solve all of our problems?!!!

Of course it won’t! And, that’s not to say that great leadership doesn’t make a difference.

As I’ve observed the political process through my life, I’ve come to conclusions that often people make decisions based upon, "what’s in it for me?” Not always, but most of the time. I know that self-centeredness is what I see on a daily basis with my preschooler and toddler, and to be honest, real honest, I have to go to God, A LOT, about my own.  And no matter what policies a government puts  in place, it seems that eventually, self-centered people  are after a slice of the pie, for any benefit that can be acquired, free, from the governing authorities.

Capitalism is awesome!  Awesome as long as we all are upright, blameless, righteous, and just people. When the moral fabric of any culture crumbles, it doesn’t matter how well the political rails of the cultural train have been placed. Just to add, I don’t know of ANY founding fathers who laid a better foundation than the nation in which I currently reside. So if our governing officials stick to that foundation, we can expect a flourishing future. Yet, a necessity to experience a flourishing future we so desire is that citizens, on an individual basis, get in touch with a deep sense of righteousness and justice. That sense needs to be deep enough that it moves each person to responsible action.

So, my prayer is still, “God bless America.” PLEASE do, right down to the core of our being. Because what is going on in our hearts, the seat of our affections, motivations, and actions, is more important than any ideology to which we hold. Heart change brings awareness of our capacity for selfishness, and it can help us to know that with God’s help, we can do what is best for others, even if it costs us everything.

Amos 5: 24 “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (NIV)

Achievement Hunger

Watching the ’12 Olympiad from London has been quite an experience! I fast-forwarded through hours of recordings to see the interviews and the competitions that resonated with my temperament and personality. Once in a while, I saved a recording of the equestrian events or gymnastics for Sarah as well.  As I’ve watched returning athletes, like Phelps, May, Walsh, Bolt, etc…, I’ve contemplated about how they are able to win, and even return after four or eight years, and triumph again.  There are all types of components in being a ‘winner’, but what gives a person that intensity of desire of hunger? It’s that longing or desire that keeps a veteran competing, and helps a young athlete to rise to the occasion. That’s the theme that I’ve wondered about through the ups and downs of the games in London.  Disciplined and repetitive preparation, training, focus and even athletic ability all combine to make a champion, but an underlying, and even more important element seems to be a yearning to compete, and ultimately, win…

On a personal level, we all go out and, to a degree, contend in the marketplace. Some of us have a hunger to do what we do. There’s something deeper that drives us.  Yes, sometimes that drive is more passionate, and sometimes, unfortunately it languishes.

So, I’d like to ask a few questions and read your feedback. I’d love to write an entry someday with the thoughts that you have, since your responses may help provide expertise on the subject of that inner drive. What do you think feeds such a deep desire to win or triumph? Where do you think that get-up-and-go comes from?

Across the board, I think we’ve seen the athletes who lose that drive and the competitive edge, and all of a sudden, the medals and accolades no longer accompany their efforts. It happens in the work-world too.

I’ve also felt that the hunger and drive has an innate, divine quality. It is almost like a calling for each one of us. What do you think? I’d love to read your comments on my Facebook page about how to feed the desires that will help you accomplish and where you think that hunger comes from.