Our READING Christmas

sandi and i celebrated our Reading Christmas early this year. we gathered together to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to open our gifts on Friday, December 15th. this is because we would fly out of PHL, HNL bound, the next day. just to let you know, we had more gifts than the ones we gave each other. we had some local Reading gifts. and we were suprised by boxes that arrived from Hawaii in time for us to open them on the 15th! (mahalo to those who blessed us with Christmas gifts) here are some pics of us around our tree before we opened our gifts...




three of these four books (below) were gifts to me from sandi. (can you guess which one she got for herself??=) all three of these books were recomended reads from Bob Kauflin's blogsite: worshipmatters. these books--"True Worship," "Music Through the Eyes of Faith," and "The Enemy Within"--prescribe biblical guidelines for worship that honors and exalts GOD, and helps individuals involved in corporate worship times to evaluate their actions and motives so that they do not take away from the worship of GOD.

the book sandi got for herself is written by Carolyn Mahaney (wife of C.J. Mahaney). i've never read the book, but i've heard that it is wonderfully written to encourage women in becoming more godly wives and mothers. my prayer is that sandi will be strengthened in and by the things she learns, that her joy and delight in God would become a firmer foundation in her life, and that she will gain confidence as a woman who fears nothing but the holiness of God.

i am so blessed to have a wife who gets me gifts like these for Christmas--books that contain wisdom and truths that will last beyond this lifetime, and have the capacity to encourage and build up God's people...his Church. thank you sandi for knowing what is truly important in this life. and thank you God for showing sandi and me that YOU are more valuable than anything we can ever hope to possess in this lifetime. God is truly kind and gracious with his wondrous gifts to me!! i am blessed...