Frank's Favorite Shade of Christmas Gray

    During a quick pick-up-a-few-groceries stop today I grabbed a bag of tennis balls for Frank for Christmas.  Yes, even the pets get a little something.
    I set the bag containing the beloved toys, in his favorite shade of gray, on the counter to keep them out of his sight until I could put them in the attic (and now I've given away my present hiding spot...).
    On my way upstairs I paused and set the bag down to gather a couple other things that needed to go up. When I turned around there was Frank alerting me of the presence of the balls. It was as if he was thinking "There they are, all this time! (He loses them like it's his job.) Could you get them out of that mesh trap please?"
    I would have been heartless to put them all away.  Seriously, look at that face. Plus, he would have whined until Christmas at the door he saw them last go through. So I took one out for him.  It made me truly joyful to see him so happy.
    He has been treasuring that ball all evening and bounces the spit laden wonder toward you with pride. (Sidenote:  I just heard it bounce down the stairs).
    I got to thinking how God loves to bless us too, how pleased it makes Him to see us happy.  Yet, He knows the perfect time to take the gift out of the attic (...and how to perfectly hide it from us).  Sometimes when we get the gift it seems way overdue , but He knew it was right on time.
    This Christmastime I find myself grateful for God's infinite wisdom, and that it included a way for me to get to Him.  More than any gift ever, and more than ever, I treasure this.

   

Fragile

This is me trying to read this morning.

I know, I look different than you expected...but that's my knee and my pen with kitten all over it.

This kitten can be a real inconvenience but he's so crazy cute, that I don't mind. And when I pick him up and feel his fragile little frame in my hands, at the mercy of my grasp....well, it does something to me. I mean his rib cage feels like a furry goose egg, so breakable, and suddenly my heart gets all mushy.

This is a good mushy.

I got this picture of how I am like this to God, very fragile. He could crush me in a nano-second. I am not convenient (there are witnesses for this). Yet He welcomes me.

It is a really comforting to realize that He actually likes my playfulness, my curious questioning, understands when I am frightened or confused, AND thinks I'm crazy cute, in a flawed-from-the-21st century sort of way.

Maybe I'm thinking on this because it's Christmas week and the manger that the kitten keeps trashing is really on my mind, not so much the porcelian one though. The smelly messy real one thousands of years ago with the God-Child in it. He made Himself fragile. Like me.

He really gets me.

2009 Family Christmas Letter

2009 has been a good year….

Warning, this Christmas letter contains mainly good parts of the year. There is a danger that you may fall into the erroneous belief that the Lees have it together. Be strong, don't fall for it.
Dave has kept busy all year. Late spring through mid-fall he kept the growing mowing/lawncare business going with help from the boys. He is entering his 24th year of teaching and his 23rd year of coaching wrestling at Elmwood. His favorite read this year was Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Trevor graduated from Hallmark Institute of Photography in June and has been shooting weddings and other work back at home. He is helping coach wrestling with Dad again this year. Biggest news this year for him - he proposed to Jamie Hoke and she said yes! They are getting married in early fall. We are excited to welcome Jamie to the family! You can find more of Trev's story and photography at http://www.tmleephotography.blogspot.com./ Mitch is working hard in his sophomore year at BGSU. He has done a lot of mowing to pay for college and is also coaching junior high wrestling again this year. A nice article appeared recently in a local paper on all the boys' wrestling involvement, you can read it at http://www.fostoriafocus.com/viewarticle.asp?artID=14072. Wes loved making it to state in wrestling last winter. Over the summer he and Dex went to Young Life camp, always a hit! This fall the Cross Country team made it to state too and took 10th. A nice thing for the senior year. Now he and rest of the crew are in the throes of full tilt wrestling. Dexter was excited to "make it into the 16's" this year, that means running a 5K in less than 16 minutes (Crazy right?). He enjoyed being part of the Elmwood Cross Country team this year a lot! He's working really hard at wrestling along with a good team. Shelley is still working in development at BG Christian Academy. She keeps writing on the side. Really enjoyed going to a writer's conference in Philly over the summer, and has had a couple new things published. You can read more about that on her blog http://www.shelleyrlee.blogspot.com/. Her favorite read - also Blue Like Jazz! Family stuff: We all enjoyed visiting Trevor at Hallmark, near Boston, for his graduation. We also took a vacation in Port Clinton. That's right. Had a great view of the nuclear plant too. More recently we've been thoroughly entertained by a new kitten who has joined the crew. The kittten's name is a subject of debate. Mac, Leo, Bruce, or Meatwad? Send your vote via one of our facebooks or shelleyrlee@gmail.com. Bruce loves playing with the baby Jesus, and well, the entire porcelain nativity cast actually. Presently two wise men are down. ..oooh, Joseph just face planted into the camel. Ed and Zoey are exhausted just watching Mac. The hermit crabs have nothing to say.
Just in case all this good news is really getting you down, maybe this will make you feel better. Last month, 4 of our 6 decrepit vehicles (Trevor has the 2000 Alero starship of the fleet) were broken down. Six people. Two vehicles. A real kick-in-the-pants sort of week that was. Also, I did not get out on Black Friday to shop, but someone else did - with our card number. I think that qualifies us for Visa identity theft commercial appearances.

We hope 2010 is awesome and that you have very few breakdowns, of any kind….this goes out with a prayer that the coming year finds you closer to God with deep peace and a Hope beyond this world.

In the Christ who came to a messy manger to rescue us,
Love, The Lees