WiebeHaus 2013
Here we are, just a few weeks before Christmas, and the snow
is already flying. Today’s temperature is -8, but the great thing is that
there’s a fire burning at my feet. And tonight, Amy and I head off to NYC for a
long-awaited weekend together (sans children because of Pen and Bill –
THANKS!) The undeniable fact is that
this year has been full of blessing. I started with our new church on January 1
of this year and it has been a great year of new things and people for every
person in our family. We moved into our home in March, and God provided us with
a street-full of children our kids’ ages. It is an amazing thing to be able to
let our kids go outside and play and run and ride bikes for hours with a huge
group of good children and helpful parents. Sadly, that’s something that
doesn’t happen much these days. We love our new home, and though there were
many projects to complete, we had and abundance of help from friends and family
members. And the even better part is that though we enjoy the house (and basement play area and media room) a
lot ourselves, we have also been able to open our house for WeBeGrillin about a
dozen times. This is a regular event where we invite our church members and
anyone from our neighborhood to come over and grill with us and share a dish
while we hang out on the patio on a weekend evening. The kids play outside or
in the basement, and the adults get to sit around and talk and laugh and eat
and share stories for hours. This has given us an opportunity to get to know
people in our neighborhood and from our church in ways we are all blessed by.
In
the long process of updating the older house we bought, Amy’s wedding ring was
unfortunately stolen. We were blessed to be able to replace it with her work
bonus, and were able to additionally get one other wish list item for her: a
hot tub. We found a great deal on Craigslist for a used one, and I was able to
do most of the installation work myself, and we’ve already gotten to sit out
there talking and watching the snow fall. In the busyness of life right now, it
has given us a chance to just sit and talk about what’s going on and what God
has been doing. Our church here is a smaller one that the one we were part of
in Texas, but it has given us opportunities to get involved in ways we couldn’t
have in a larger church. My role as an associate
pastor/church-planter-in-training has been a lot of work, but every challenge
has brought with it blessing. Over the last year, I have gotten a number of
opportunities to preach, which is something that I really enjoy. The preparation
for a sermon is exhilarating and fun for me because I love to write and read
and study, but also because God has opened his Word to me in ways I haven’t
experienced before. We help co-lead a community group, which has been a great
way to connect and grow with people in our church body. Amy and I both
participate on the worship team. Amy learned how to play guitar this year and
is a quick study. She has already led worship at a ladies retreat as well as in
a number of Sunday morning services. I am now putting my habit of annoying Amy
by constantly drumming to good use as I now play percussion on a Cajon during
our worship time. The kids find their ways
of helping too, and we’ve gotten to give and serve alongside them in a number
of really cool ways too this year. The church plant is still a ways out, and
God only knows where and exactly when that will happen. In the meantime, our
pastor is working with me in every area of ministry, and I’m getting a great
education in what it takes to run a church, and really stay focused on the work
of discipleship, which is really the point of why we “do church” in the first
place.
Amy’s job has been in transition as well. She wrapped up a 7
year stint working for PwC Dallas in October, but had already begun a new job
working as a deployment director for the San Francisco office. While there have
certainly been challenges in terms of travel and a heavier workload, she has gotten
some great opportunities and has worked with some great new people who have
shown great appreciation for the skills and talent she provides. (She will likely edit this section, but her
track-record and feedback speak for itself at what a diligent and valuable
employee and colleague she is for her organization.) The kids are doing very
well in school. Ellie is in second grade and soaking up information like a
sponge. She has developed a love of reading that is great to watch. Emma is in
afternoon kindergarten and is learning to read, write, and do math. She still
enjoys recess the most, though! Nathan is now 2, and like the boy he is, loves
to run, wrestle, and play hard, but is also a sweet, little man who loves to
cuddle with his momma and sisters. He is learning to talk and will soon
transition to a regular bed. Hopefully, moving out of diapers will soon follow!
Amy continues to sew and embroider various crafts, and keeps us all
well-supplied in monogrammed apparel. She made all of our Halloween costumes
and is presently in the process of making the girls’ Christmas dresses.
We tried to take advantage of our new state and did a lot of
skiing last winter and a lot of hiking and exploring this summer. Thanks to the
lovely weather, we were outside (either in our own back yard or in the
mountains) often. We did take one trip to Dallas as a family in June. It was
great to see all of our friends and family. Amy also took the kids to Detroit
in August. This wouldn’t be all that remarkable, except she DROVE them. On her
own. If you missed her escapades, I’d encourage you to check them out here. We
also took a family weekend up in Winter Park which was nice.
Amy and I are continuing our family traditions of Christmas
devotionals with the kids this season and are incorporating some new Advent
traditions as well. The house is well and fully decorated, beautiful, and
prepped for the upcoming winter. We have upcoming parties to plan, sermons to
write and deliver, worship sets to practice, meals to prepare, crafts to
finish, regular work to do, children to love and take care of, and the list
goes on and on. However, in the midst of all of these things to do, it is easy
to get distracted, to stay overly busy, to feel tired - to focus on things that
are not the most important things. This is true all year long, but feels
especially true during this season. Last
night I heard a beautiful version of “Gloria In Excelsis Deo” and was reminded
that in celebrating Jesus’ birth – the arrival of the Messiah – that we direct
all glory to God in the highest because he brought about his plan to save a
lost world in ways only He could. His plan wasn’t splashy or loud or fancy. It
was quiet, and miraculous, and humble. If the God who made everything and
everyone displays his power and love in these ways, it is no surprise that he
also calls us to love the world around us and shine the light of the hope of
Jesus to those around us in those same ways. As you spend time with family, as
you get through the bustle of December, remember that the bottom line of this
season is the joy of the Savior, and that gift is one you can and should share
not only with those closest to you, but especially with the stranger and the widow
and the orphan. We wish warmest
Christmas blessings to you all, friends and family!
-The WiebeHaus
James, Amy, Ellie (7), Emma (5), and Nathan (2)
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