The Christmas season has been marked by all the usual aspects of the holidays –church, trees, decorating, baking, shopping, lights, friends, and family—busy, busy, busy. Yet the holidays came to a halt last week when Ray’s ninety-three-year-old grandmother died. We have often said that when someone dies, we should pause and reflect on our own immortality. As we went through this time of grief, we reflected on Nanny’s life of love and family and our own responsibility to live a life prepared before God. Mankind was to be prepared for His coming in the form of a man. Now we are to be living our lives in such a way as to point others to our Savior in preparation for the day in which we will meet Him in eternity. There is a time coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Our prayer for you this holiday season is that you might reflect on your own life as you examine your heart to see if Christ is your Lord.
This year marked some big events in our family. Rachel graduated from high school and spent a month in Honduras on a mission trip. She is now learning the violin and Spanish, helping our family at home and doing some coaching while she contemplates the future. Hannah spent three months on the reserve list for a hip injury, but is now back on the basketball court. Besides home-schooling this year with future hopes of joint enrollment at North Georgia College, Hannah is spending a lot of time with the guitar and piano. Sarah is wrapped up in the world of home-schooling, reading and basketball, and has mastered a left handed dribble. (She is right handed.) Sarah is learning to crochet and play the flute. Mary has learned a wealth of information about chickens and is now selling eggs. Ray built a small chicken coop in our back yard and she is gathering fifteen to eighteen eggs a day. Lydia found out that when you turn four years old in our household, life changes. You must be a big girl and start chores and keep all tempers under control. (We are all still working on the last one). And just in case there is anyone who hasn’t heard – Ray published his first book this year. Family Worship for the Christmas Season came out in October and, within two months, was the best selling book for Solid Ground Publishers for all of 2007. Three more books are planned in a series of family worship books. If you would like to keep up with family goings on check out our blog at www.nitw4ladies.blogspot.com.
Merry Christmas from the Rhodes Family
And Lori, who is still lying around eating bon-bons and reading magazines.
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