December SunFun
Prayers and Praises
The middle of January is way too late to remember what happened last month, but the videos and blogs help! The girls enjoyed all the end of the year school things, like dressing up and the candlelight lunch, Jessica got her glasses, we had a fun time as a family making and getting Christmas presents, Jessica had multiple birthday celebrations, and overall, the Christmas season was more restful than stressful, which is a gift and a challenge every year.
We have a lot of really great family traditions which were carried out well: the trip to Madison, Carina Christmas eve (the two parts), Rachel’s cleaning rampage after Christmas, Christmas and New Years food/chill extravaganza, and NYE countdown at 10 with Brazil. I am exceedingly grateful for the focus on family, and getting to be with so much family so often. I know that won’t always be true, but for while it is, we embrace it. I felt like I was able to have time to reflect on the past, as well as “shake it off” and be excited about the future.
Interweb Reads:
From me: The Christmas Sting, Coming to America, No more Again, 25 things that worked in 2025, In Defense of Malls, In the Bathtub, In front of the Fireplace, Grumpy Mom, Crying Wolf, Living Stones newsletter 2025, Memoirs of 2025, Best of Media 2025, My Favorites of 2025
Missionary stuff: are you in burnout? (A Life Overseas), Racial Reconciliation in Cross-Cultural Ministry (A Life Overseas), Willing to be Uncomfortable (A Life Overseas), Essential resources for parents of global workers (A Life Overseas), My limits, His Greatness (A Life OVerseas), Returnee Reality, a Christmas card of sorts (Rachel Pieh Jones), did I really live that life? (A Life Overseas)
Other stuff: Trying to try (Kate Bowler), It takes an village to love an elder (Courtney Martin), When no one shows up: Hospitality in the age of maybe (Kate Gaston)
Immigration stuff: All we want for Christmas? Everyone home for the holidays (Brittani Farrington), People are not garbage (Brittani Farrington), Turned away at the finish line (and what we can do about it) (Brittani Farrington), The kids are hiding (Brittani Farrington)