White Christmas

Since I grew up in Wisconsin with most Christmases being white, it was a special treat this year to have a white Christmas in Texas. The last time we remember a white Christmas in Texas was in 1995 and although it snowed somewhere around Christmas, it probably wasn't on Christmas Eve like this year.

What marked that snowfall in my memory was the fact that our son John was home on break from his first year of college. How delightful it was to watch my family romping in the snow, building a snowman together! They all took great pleasure in playing in the snow, even my husband who was raised in Texas. I don't think I got out and helped with this particular snowman, unless it was to take pictures.

Seeing this year's Christmas Eve snow through the eyes of my almost four year old grandson, made it extra special. He had been asking me for months when it was going to snow. Hmmm...even Grandma didn't have an answer for that question. His excitement was only surpassed by the anticipation of opening all the gifts that were spread out under the tree.

The weather forecast calls for more snow this week and I foresee that this might be a snowman building snow!

Did it snow at your house this Christmas? Or do you have a special memory of a White Christmas?

Special Christmas Memory

One of the special memories of Christmas when I was growing up was the tradition of the Christmas Eve candlelight service at our church. We would scurry around getting all the last minute preparations done including grinding the gizzard, heart and liver of the turkey to mix in the stuffing. Then we would all bundle up and head out the door for the candlelight service. This normally started at 11:00 and was over by midnight. It was one of those enchanted times with everyone singing carols to the light of just the candles. It was always heartwarming. But the most enchanting of all was to come out of the church to find freshly falling snow. I'm sure that didn't happen every single Christmas eve, but it happened often enough to become one of those special memories. Coming down the church steps and making fresh footprints as the snow crunched underfoot was a very special reminder that the reason God took the form of flesh and dwelt among us was so he could wash us whiter than snow. That's what we celebrate every day of the year, but especially at Christmas time.

What is your special Christmas memory?

Healthy Food Choices

I just read a post by a friend telling about her son's preference for healthy food. He even asked her to make something healthier for him when he found out that pizza was on the menu. That reminded me of John's interest in healthy food, too. For several years we kept a "food target" on our refrigerator and once in awhile he would get up from the table and go and look at the target to see if what we were having for supper was healthy or not. But in spite of that, he had a weakness for pickles which, incidentally are on the OUTSIDE ring of the food target. Every year we gave him a jar of pickles for Christmas just because he loved them so much. I'm sure that started when he was about 4 or 5 and we were home on a furlough from the mission field. His grandfather would occasionally take him out for a pickle at a place where they were sold out of a huge crock setting on the counter. Come to think of it, I guess his grandfather also had a weakness for pickles...something that skipped a generation since my husband can take 'em or leave 'em. Oh what fond memories! Do you have any food related ones to share?

10 Years Ago

On Thanksgiving Day 10 years ago our son John set off on a great adventure. On November 19, 1999 he wrote this in his journal.

Next week is Thanksgiving week; there will be another big party on Thursday. I won't be there, just as I haven't been to any of their parties. I feel like a kill-joy, and I don't know how to tell people that I really do enjoy having a good time, just without alcohol, pot, sex, and gossip. For one of the two holidays that might actually have some meaning for me, I will be isolated again out of a need for self-preservation.

Instead of sticking around for the "party," John decided to hike across the valleys of the Kohala on the northern end of the Big Island. He meticulously studied the route and knew that he would not have a clear trail across the whole area. He was prepared to bushwack across the portion that had no trail. He had actually visited the area a few weeks before with some of his colleagues and he found it intriguing. I'm sure it reminded him of his beloved jungles of Brazil where he grew up. There were guava in abundance and he had eaten his fill and reveled in the beauty of the place.

So it was a good choice for a "get-away" and he anticipated he could do the arduous hike in the long 4 day Thanksgiving holiday. He packed his backpack with the essentials. As far as we know he took food for the 4 days, sleeping gear, a machete, miscellaneous camping and cooking gear, his Bible and perhaps some other reading material. He also carried a bamboo pole in which he carried maps. He did not anticipate the heavy rains he was to encounter. He was simply looking for a profitable and enjoyable way to spend the long weekend - an option to preserve his integrity by removing himself from the party scene.

He had written us an e-mail telling of his plans - an e-mail we didn't have access to until after his boss called us Monday evening to tell us John had not returned from his hike.

We often wonder what life would be like if John had not disappeared. I'm sure everyone who has had a loved one go missing can identify. But every Thanksgiving we thank our heavenly Father for the incredible gift that was John and for the 22 wonderful years he was with us.

You can read more of John's story in our e-book Aloha is Forever.

What do you do with an "OOPS?"

What do you do with an "OOPS" when it involves another person? We just received an email from someone our son mentioned in his journal which is on our website as "John's Legacy." We thought we were being so careful to change every name he mentioned - or at least most of the names and there was one name we forgot to change that just so happened to be critical that we do so. Yikes! How did we let that one slip by? I guess that just highlights the importance of a really good editor!

All we can do now is send a sincere apology and change it as quickly as possible! And hope we don't make the same or a similar mistake again.

Maybe you have an "OOPS" you'd like to share. If so, please feel free!