2023
December 2023
My heart is not proud, Lord; I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.
Psalm 131: 1-2
Dear Friends and Family,
Season’s Greetings and wishing you and yours the Merriest of Christmases! 2023 has been full of tremendous blessings, like watching Charlie (16) and Ricky (14) run cross country and setting personal records for the 5k of 16:28 and 18:20, respectively. We were often too choked up with gratitude to even cheer at their meets! We are even more humbled by their life choices (self-funding their mission trip to Guatemala, choosing an amazing friend group, working hard and introducing friends to Jesus and church).
Eve (12) is growing more beautiful every day, stretches each morning, keeps a clean room, and refuses to quit grueling Brazilian Jui Jitsu, even though we have now given her that option (Ricky wrote and submitted his resignation letter within 1 hour). Liam (10) and Solomon (8) are inseparable. They love Legos, dinosaurs and board games. Liam was baptized this year and Solomon began piano lessons with Grandma (“Mimi”)…now if we can just get him to learn to tie his shoes and wear socks…
Sarah blesses me daily with her sweet nature, compassionate point of view and deep soul. She is also creative and handy…like, gutted and remodeled an entire cabin on our land this year (while homeschooling the three younger kids and hosting an army of people). We love to do life together – pray for people “on the street” (servers, Walmart employees, etc…), hospitality with the purpose of blessing people, and undertaking major building/cultivating/restoration projects. I love her so much and count every day a blessing that I get to live with her.
Other blessings in 2023 were more “disguised” and came at a cost. We launched 5 businesses (unintentional timing), moved 25 Financial into our new building, hosted a dozen events with hundreds of guests (150+ staying overnight), welcomed 5 newborn babies from employees (sometimes born only days apart) all while feeling like a rag doll on the back of a bull as we parent our own 5 children. The “cost” was a painful and ugly death to my illusion of control over life circumstances.
Yet, suffering can produce useful and even beautiful results. Through crushing, the grape transforms into a delicious wine. It is the flame that purifies metal and the chisel that carves the statue. This has been a year of crushing, chiseling and purifying. I emerged more certain than ever that: (1) There is a God, and (2) I am not Him.
I was once dust and to dust I will return again (sooner than later if I keep annoying Sarah as part of my bedtime routine!). Few will remember my name and life…and I am growing more comfortable with this reality. I am known and deeply loved by the One that matters and He calls me His child (I John 3).
We are not just a collection of molecules bumping together that randomly emerged from a primordial soup billions of years ago. There is more to the story. Universes don’t pop into existence, uncaused, out of nothing. There must be a “First Mover,” an eternal, uncaused Creator. Jesus claimed to be this person (John 8:58)…and then rose from the dead to give His claims credibility.
Humanity has a deep problem that we cannot fix…and it has infected all of us, leading to anxiety, depression, hopelessness and fear. But this is also not the end of the story. Jesus offers to forgive us, cleanse our conscience (Heb 9:14) and exchange our anxiety, fear and depression for freedom, peace, and joy. Christmas is the celebration of the beginning of the greatest story of hope ever told.
May God give you lasting Peace and deep Joy in all blessings, disguised or not.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love, Randy (for the family)