After the presents are all opened & the kids have gone home...

I usually tell our kids that the first day they leave our home after a visit, I don't miss them at all... cause I'm tired & a good rest is needed. It's the second day that they are missed much. We were thankful this year that all (& that means 8 of us) were here under one roof at the same time. That factor alone gives our resident photographer, Corrie, opportunity to capture us all in one pic... & we did take several... till grandsons started to groan & wish we were done. During our time together, we shared a technological "fast". It was Marcy that asked if this fast included parents & Facebook viewing... yes, it did. It was special to be able to attend church together Sunday morning & a games nite that evening... Crokinole, Dutch Blitz, Uno & even a chocolate fountain added to our fun. We laughed much, talked lots & before the Grays left, Tyler asked if we could play one more game of Uno... & maybe Crokinole too. And so we did! Those times remind us of camping & get-aways where technology is put away & simplier joys are to be found.

As we put away our gifts, & clean up our home, we're also preparing for a camp staff retreat this coming weekend which will happen at our home & our church. As staff give up some of their holiday time, we'll come together to connect, share & look at our weekend theme: The Cost of Commitment. The gift of salvation God offers to us... the free gift that will cost us our lives. It's all too easy to think of God only as a God of love, but He's also a God of justice. The Bible speaks of the fear of God being the beginning of wisdom. Do we still believe that? Not fear as a scary thing, but respect... no even more reverence. I can remember times of walking into a church sanctuary & sensing that holy hush as people met quietly, preparing their hearts to meet with God. Fellowship & chatting are important too, but when do we hear (or not hear) that holy hush in a world so busy & noisy that when it's still, so very still, something seems to be wrong... like maybe a power outage or something. A few years ago, the word "awesome" referred only to God. Those thoughts cause me to think about surrender, submission & reverence to a Holy God who is Lord of Lords & King of Kings & how I respond to His voice & His will.

It's exciting to look ahead to a new year... a time of new beginnings, filled with much anticipation of all God desires to do in & through us. I've been challenged to take a look at Mother Teresa's life & personal vows that she made to God:
-to refuse Him nothing...
-to do His bidding without delay
-to be faithful in little practices like going to the back of the line & treating others with love & respect.
-to love Him as He's never been loved; even though she didn't feel His presence for a long, long time.
Those commitments made privately & sincerely to God made her one of the most influential women on our planet in her later years, but I think it was those first challenging years of being obedient to God's calling that made her most special to God.