We were home the WHOLE month of December and it was good.
We continued walking five miles a day, praying for snow, and preparing for our family Christmas reunion: the first one in New England since 2015 and the first all being together for Christmas since 2019.
We had very high expectations.
Ministry events in December included Engagement Matters, the Patriots women’s study, and LOTS of counseling, but that left plenty of time for decorating the house inside and out, getting together with friends, wrapping and sending packages, sewing Christmas jammies, making gingerbread houses, and preparing for our long-awaited reunion which was to commence the 22nd of December.
Since my last post on Dec. 27, we’ve only been home eight days.
Maybe that contributes to me forgetting that when I last wrote, my reflections ended with Engagement Matters (EM), which was held Dec. 4–5, and not after Christmas, which the blog post date would indicate.
Whatever the reasons, before I write about our most recent last three weeks—which literally took us to the four corners of our great nation—we must finish December. Strangely, that seems SO long ago already. But what fun to sift back through my December photo library and have many sweet memories surface.
It happened.
The “decades birthday-family reunion” celebration, postponed for a full year, is now in the books, but even more deeply, in our hearts.
It was uncertain until an hour before the six flying from Oakland were to depart due to two lost Covid tests, but mercifully, new tests were done at 6 am, the results of which were registered less than 60 minutes prior to boarding.
The trip was on.
It was a sweltering summer day in Louisiana. My 8-year-old self stood in the kitchen of my paternal grandparents’ home in Shreveport, watching with fascination as Grandma Collins stirred the hot pot of boiling figs, on their way to becoming preserves. With sweat running down her brow, just beneath the thin brown elastic that kept her hair net in place over her thinning curly hair, she turned to me and said, “You know, Virginia, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” With that piece of wisdom pronounced, she simultaneously clicked her cheek and winked her eye at her wide-eyed granddaughter, leaving an unforgettable impression.
My plans to write “Part 2” have been derailed by the maelstrom of craziness driven by the Coronavirus Pandemic. I’m taking a break from all Coronavirus talk to take us back a month ago, when "Life as We Always Knew It” was all we really knew. What a difference a month has made!!
After speaking in Maine for the Valentine’s event, we flew to California for the annual ProAthletes Outreach “Increase” conference, which we fronted by spending two days with my dear mama. As per usual, I “made" her go on a field trip each day because getting out is good for everyone. Off to Coronado we went for Paul to get his every 4–6 week haircut by his favorite barber, and while he was getting shorn, my mom and I rolled through town. This photo was taken by accidental tourists, who just happened to be from Lexington, MA!! Small world moment. The time with my mom is never enough but we’re always so grateful for any time we have with her.
Six weeks ago today we returned from six weeks on the road . . . and these six weeks have been marked by a birthday, an anniversary, and a funeral, with a whole lot more in between each sacred event.
Our days at home after returning March 17 were brief, and included a day of counseling, haircuts, connecting with our kids/grandkids, and mowing the lawn.
And then we were off to California. Though it didn’t make logistical sense to have crossed the nation for three short days at home, it made heart sense.
So we did.
Just days after our HIM Marriage Conference ended, Feb. 5th exactly, we were on a plane to the west to speak for the Calvary Chapel of Red Bluff’s (CCRB) first-ever marriage conference. Robert and Abbey Kovacs, who serve on pastoral staff at CCRB, put feet on the vision they had for this conference and pulled it off Feb. 6-8, at Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds (where we will be hosting Family Camp this summer, June 16–20!). The Kovacs did a great job putting together a well-designed program, which included worship, teaching, recreation, and even a game show. Both fun and inspirational, the feedback from the couples was very positive. Hopefully it’s the first of many!
Welcome to 2025!! We’re off and running in the new year and have so much to be thankful for as this quarter century year gets underway.
The first week of January found us in Oakland, CA, hanging out with our three grandchildren and daughter Lisa while Kari and Gabe attended a church planting pastors’ conference in Miami. Dog walking, bowling, walking to and from school, geocaching, and celebrating Lisa’s birthday filled our days and we delighted in having some extended time with the grands.
Seven weeks ago, we were in Kona, partnering with Living Stones Church and Mokuaikaua Church … and if time has wings, they flapped at an unprecedented rate, flying us right into 2025 before I made the time to bring closure to 2024.
I have therefore decided that we’re currently in the 13th month of 2024.
Does anyone else feel like they blinked and Thanksgiving and Christmas ran a footrace to the finish line?
More than a few of my favorite things have been a part of this past month and in fact, in some ways, it feels like I’ve been standing under Niagara Falls with all the blessings and expressions of love which have come my way.
Starting back on Oct. 17, for the seventh year in a row, we were honored to partner with Dr. Harold and Dalia Arnold, who founded and direct the Eusebeia Live Marriage Experience. Eusebeia LIVE is one of my favorite things. Held in Annapolis, MD, 137 couples gathered to be encouraged and challenged in their marriages. We love this movement. Harold and Dalia share our deep passion for healthy marriages and this conference is helping to accomplish just that.
The past six weeks have been unusually quiet on the ministry front “on purpose” as we have taken time to “be” grandparents as well as to take care of some neglected “physical” maintenance.
And it’s been good and productive on many levels.
But first: after our wonderful vacation in Ogunquit with our dear friends, John and Marilyn, we celebrated Paul’s birthday before the days of August expired. The Johnsons planned and prepared a delightul cook-out celebration in Virginia before Paul flew west for a second celebration with his birthday buddy and first grandson, Brandon (and his family).
The dust had barely settled on “Papa-Gigi Camp” when the date for Family Camp at The King’s Chapel (TKC) was upon us. Originally to be a Thursday–Saturday night camp at a local property, the lack of facilities prompted a switch to an “in-house camp” at TKC’s property in Chantilly on Friday night and all day Saturday, August 2–3.
It was our first introduction to a TKC event outside of church (where we attend, in tandem with Immanuel Bible Church) and we were blown away by the well thought out and executed weekend conference. Diana White and her sidekick Maria put so much in to making sure this was done with excellence and that people would leave having had a great experience, and they succeeded.
It’s been quite a month!!
And it’s very hard to believe we’re experiencing the waning days of summer. Didn’t summer always include August? Apparently no longer, as social media posts are flooded with “back to school” photos.
A glance back at a major part of our summer will reveal why we are filled with deep joy as well as a bit of tiredness. Fortunately, we still have a couple of weeks of summer to recharge before our fall ministry schedule launches.
Our love for family camp found its second outlet this summer at Alliance Redwood Conference Grounds in Occidental, CA (just north or San Francisco). Though our concerns driven by a very late start (promotion for it commenced at the beginning of May) and it being over the 4th of July that it would result in a very small turnout were realized, the staff at Alliance Redwoods chose to press on so family camp would get out of the gate at this beautiful property.
And so we went for it and were reminded that it’s not the size or the location as much as it is the people.
And the 35 campers who gathered were delightful and all agreed that it was a wonderful experience.
All praise is His!!
We’ve enjoyed a somewhat slower pace since returning from our two-month ministry tour, which ended May 20 when we re-settled in Fairfax. In fact we’ve racked up 21 days out of the past 42 sleeping in our own bed! That’s some kind of a record!!
During the first few days we were home, we had a day of counseling and we did a podcast with Jim Ramos of “Men in the Arena.” It can be found here. We also walked the kids to or from school as often as possible and kept them overnight while their parents snuck away. These are the joys of living only 2 miles apart. We’re loving it!
After 2 1/2 weeks in Kona, we flew to Sacramento on May 1. An unusual delay caused us to barely make our first workshop at the Bayside-hosted Thrive Conference, but thankfully we made it after landing in Oakland (instead of Sacramento) at 10:30 pm, renting a car and driving to Roseville to crash at the home of our dear friends, Scott and Sally Shaull. 6 am came too soon after a 2 am bedtime, but God gave us exactly what we needed to present at our first two workshops that day. It also helped that Thrive is so alive and energizing and that in between workshops, the plenary sessions were full of action and very motivating.
Our very full speaking schedule picked up after having one weekend “home” in February (the 16-18th), and the past month has seen us in North Carolina, Oahu, Pennsylvania, and Boston. Whew! We’re thankful for so many great opportunities and continue to be so grateful for good health and an ever deepening passion to continue encouraging marriages and families.
“Rejoice always!” (I Thessalonians 5:16)
Always? Wow! That’s a lot!!
Some days that’s harder than others.
Like after returning from our ministry tour in the frigid Pacific NW in January, we tried to coax our hot water heater to come off vacation but to no avail. Apparently being on vacation was to be a permanent destination, so three days later, after no hot water (which greatly impacted our plans to begin our baking marathon in anticipation of the HIM marriage conference the following weekend), and $3500 less in our till, the new water heater was installed and we were back in business.
But that was followed by spending 5 hours the next day at the SS Administration (and leaving with the job not finished) and 2 hours at the DMV getting new licenses and registering our cars.
Some days it’s harder to rejoice than others.
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof . . .” —Psalm 24:1
This glorious sunset welcomed us home last night as we returned from spending most of the first month of 2024 in the west. New year, old truths. The earth is the Lord’s . . . and though there are many discouraging realities of life on earth, our hope continues to be in Him: creator, sovereign, faithful, good God. How reassuring that is!!
I don’t know if anyone else is reeling from the calendar date and wondering how we got here so quickly, but I am. The past six weeks are a bit of a blur so the expectation of being home the next three weeks (the longest stretch since we moved to Fairfax in August) brings great comfort.
When the present busyness of the holidays seems like a restful, slow-down-and-smell-the-roses period of time, you know you’ve been on a tear.
So in the dark early morning on this 32-degree day in northern Virginia, it’s good to sit by candlelight and reflect on what has filled the days since Nov. 1.
"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” —Jim Elliot
These wise words from Jim Elliot have taken on an even deeper meaning over these past two months as we’ve transitioned from a 32-year history of living in the Boston area to our new address in Fairfax, VA. Since making the move on August 20, we’ve actually spent less than 4 weeks in Fairfax and those days have been largely dedicated to unpacking and settling in. We don’t yet have a good answer to “how do you like living in Fairfax?” . . . but we are “living to the hilt, believing we’re absolutely in the will of God.
Each sunset and sunrise is unique and, like fingerprints, snowflakes, and humans, no two are ever exactly alike. This beauty captivated us as the sun set behind our home in Fairfax. God of all creation!! How majestic are your works in all the earth!!
We were thankful for this sky show seen during our four days of being home after moving here and before departing on a month-long speaking tour. We were also grateful to have the opportunity to walk the Littles to school on one of those four days . . . since they are the main reason we made this move. Joy!
