Christmas Focus

It's Christmas. I leave for Ohio in three days and then Springfield. Finally, in early January I will leave for language school in Costa Rica. It seems like I just arrived in California. The time flew by filled with travel, running errands, getting strep throat, visiting Sacramento and other various Christmas events. These next few days hold no promise of slowing down. I am currently looking at my list of ten things to do before I leave. I have crossed off the first thing and am working on number five and ten. I love being able to take that pen or pencil and cross off that thing to do. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment.

In the midst of all these things to do it is important to stop and remember the reason we are exchanging presents and setting up trees. Last night I was frustrated about some issues with my lap top and the company who created the computer. I was pretty worked up about it and not in the mood for Christmas. My dad reminded me that my computer was not a life and death matter and one way or another my computer issues will work out. My parents also encouraged me to go to the candle light Christmas eve series. After the service I was no longer worked up about my computer. In life it is important when we get tired and when we get frustrated to refocus ourselves. Hit our reset button, so to speak. The focus reminds us what is important and what we believe. God is faithful and loves us. He sent his son for us to live and then to die for us. This is the focus of our faith. This is the focus for Christmas time. This is the focus of our lives.

"The word became flesh and blood,

and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes,

the one-of-a-kind glory,

like Father, like son,

Generous inside and out,

true from start to finish.

John pointed him out and called, 'This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.'

We all live off his generous bounty

gift after gift after gift.

We got the basics from Moses,

and then this exuberant giving and receiving,

This endless knowing and understanding -

all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

No one has ever seen God,

not so much as a glimpse.

This one-of-a-kind God-expression,

who exist at the very heart of the Father,

has made him plain as day.

John 1: 14-17 (the message version)

Here are some pictures from the Balch Christmas...


Sarah's fiance Josh and Luke pose with the book Luke got Josh

Lolo with her new jacket

Kathryn with her new jacket

Derek and I in the snow after a quick visit with my grandparents

The Arrival...

The team arrived safely back into Springfield on December 5th at 10:00pm. Now we are experiencing the joy of a thing called jet lag - symptons include waking up at odd hours of the morning, not being able to fall asleep at normal times and heavyness of eyelids. We attended Republic Assembly this morning and were able to share a couple stories and photos about our trip. Thus the debriefing process begins. =) The term will end on the 11th.

I will be flying home for Christmas on the 13th and will be able to spend the holidays with my family. I am excited for this time at home. Over the New Years I will be in Cincinnatti, Ohio for the World Missions Summit help work the Convoy of Hope booth and break out session. Then on January 7th I will fly to Costa Rica to begin three months of language school. For a while now I have wanted the opportunity to study Spanish and finally now is the time. Convoy of Hope has a large focus on Latin America, so they they want their Missionary Associates to be able to have a base to draw from to prepare them for the work ahead. Needless to say this will be a time of learning and growing as I work on my Spanish linguistic skills.

I will leave you with this...

"Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good - crucified. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original"

Galatians 5: 22-25