Christmas Letter 2010

I am a sucker for quotes.  Some of the names tagged on the end of quotes I recognize, but most I don’t.  For all I know, the person could be an ax murderer with a random good thought. In any case, I like the way people put a thoughtful thing together with words.  Good ones usually make us read a little slower, then stop and think for a second, or a minute, an hour, or some, a lifetime.   The one I’ve been thinking about today is by Alexander Smith-- and incidentally, I think he’s fine.  Anyone born into a large family during the 1800‘s in a thatched house in the Scottish Lowlands must be a good guy, right?  (And his mother’s name was Christina.)  Here’s his good thought, “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”  Holds all time together.  God created time and He transcends time.  He is not constrained by it as we are.  Christmas brings us the HOPE of eternal life, the possibility, if we choose it-- connecting the here and now to our eternal future with Him.  Jesus, the true gift of Christmas, stretches between the two-- and holds all time together.  Now, that I can ponder awhile. 

Here’s our update:

Our one bit of family news I didn’t share in my 2009 letter was we gave the children a Golden Retriever puppy last Christmas.  Gabriel.  I fought the good fight of “no” until one Wednesday night after work, I headed upstairs for the “Mommy check” and found Brighton barely awake, waiting to tell me some big news.  “Mom!  Guess what Daddy said?  We can get a dog when I am 10 and Julia is 12!!  Isn’t that exciting, Mom? I can’t wait!!”  Mind you, this was 4 years away at the time and he couldn’t sleep for his anticipation!  I went down like a pitifully folded paper airplane.  I waved the white “puppy for Christmas” flag and Jeff put Operation Gabriel in motion.  Only “dog people” understand why I share this bit of news.  Well, the Sanders house has not been the same since.  Not only do I have strange new cleaning gadgets around (I’d like to shake the hand of the woman-it HAD to be a woman- who came up with Swiffer line-oh, and the Fur-minator!), we have seen our backyard bushes gnawed to nubs, padding chewed out of numerous bike helmets (Brighton is currently riding the neighborhood with his batting helmet atop his head), outdoor furniture fraying in places we never thought possible, and teeth marks on things that cause us just to shake our heads and wonder if we should just feed him wood chips!  You know what I am going to say next-- he’s such a good dog.  Really, he is.  

The kids are doing well.  Julia is almost 9 and Brighton just turned 7, which makes them in 3rd and 1st grade.  I am still teaching them at home and for the most part, our days go pretty smoothly.  “Bumpy” days would be those that include one or more sleepyheads, doing Math at the speed of a snail with a hangover, a teacher distracted by laundry, her phone, her computer, her kitchen floor in desperate need of “swiffering”, Brighton asking me to call “Mr. Saxon” because “This math is not right!” or finishing all his work for the day in an hour not knowing what in the world to do with him for the rest of the day, not being able to find ONE pencil, Julia looking at her math but being in a galaxy far, far away, siblings that act like they’ve never heard the word kindness or patience in regards to each other, Brighton beating Julia in a math drill, and last, but definitely not the least, a teacher in need of a high sugar snack.  I relish the days that they cheer each other on, we take a field trip, they finish Math before lunch, we get to read into the afternoon to our hearts content, and I can say, at the end of the day, that I was a nice Momma.  

Julia still enjoys ballet, piano and sewing.  She’s the one who sews on the buttons at our house..  She’s my child that loves to read and I have enjoyed reading childrens’ classics I never read right along with her.  She is my “can do” girl, ever ready and happy to help whenever I need it.  

Brighton enjoyed his second season of baseball this year.  His genuine, enthusiastic love for people delights his recipients.  He continues to enjoy snapping together amazing Lego creations, playing the piano, drawing whatever is on his mind and being a catalyst for Julia’s sanctification.  

Jeff’s work with Tarrant NET (www.tarrantnet.org) is going well.  The highlight of our year came in October on “Faith in Action” weekend when about 85 churches (roughly 12,000 volunteers) joined together on one weekend and served our city by working on a myriad of projects around Fort Worth.  Many wonderful things took place and most importantly, God was glorified by the unity displayed and the good works accomplished.  Glory to Him.  And Glory to the Son Who holds all time together.

“While they were there, the TIME came for the baby to be born...”  Luke 2:6  Amen