THE GIFT OF NOW
Seventeen years ago as a young wife and mother, the idea of an annual Christmas letter inspired me. For 16 of those years, themes and thoughts and happenings from our lives flowed seamlessly and creatively from the tip of my pen (and later the keys of my keyboard). It was with a great sense of accomplishment they were printed on the finest handpicked paper, crisply folded, inserted, stamped, addressed and on their way by the earliest days of December to friends and family near and far.
A year of dedicated commitment to health and
wellness (at the gym and around the table)
Matt's High School Graduation and acceptance to Grove
City College
Sarah's marriage proposal from Tyler, and turning
21
New friendships and family
Trips to Florida, Pittsburgh, New York, Virginia
and Connecticut
Wedding dress shopping
AND…….
Quite possibly, one of the most vivid and
beautiful autumns I have seen in all of my 47 years.
At the end of
the day (and the end of the year) couple ALL of that with
the challenges
of ministry life,
full time
work,
the
beginning joys and fears of the empty nest,
AND......
I find the
very thing that once inspired, now takes a back seat to a different kind of inspiration......
THE GIFT OF NOW AND ALL OF ITS SIMPLICITY
BEING PRESENT IN THE GIFT OF NOW, the
quieting of our hearts slowing to prepare Him room, that's what inspires me most now. Sometimes in the ebb and flow of life's busyness, adjustments are
necessary. It's 1 day before Christmas, and I’m totally OK that my letter is
just getting written. You
see………"BEING PRESENT IN THE GIFT OF NOW, no matter how changing OR how constant..... is what inspires me.”
*Exchanging baking, for an evening out for Christmas desserts and music,
with new friends and dear family.
*A cup of Christmas Tea and good conversation
with my next door neighbor instead of running to the mall.
*The expectation of stress-free togetherness.
(It's a beautiful thing, and not always packaged
perfectly)
*Helping my daughter’s best friend from out of
town, plan a Christmas surprise....
And being
there to witness the joyful tears and capture it on video.
*Watching my kids enjoy time with each other (in
silliness and in maturity)
*Watching my husband and his “grownup” little
girl checking off their "daddy-daughter" bucket list together, with
little more than a year before her college graduation and wedding.
*Getting to work extra early on a Monday morning
to witness an employee in need, being blessed beyond measure by her co-workers.
For us, changing things up a bit this year simply meant enjoying every single special and intimate moment of the 2014 Christmas Season (planned and unplanned) with joy in our hearts and peace in our minds.
As we
open the pages to 2015,
May THE SIMPLICITY OF BEING PRESENT IN THE NOW
bring to you some of life's greatest gifts.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
The Steimling Family