Steinbox

Formula for writing a Christmas newsletter:

1) Begin with commentary on how quickly the year has gone by and the time to write another letter has come already

2) Brag about accomplishments of children in the household and what great vacations you went on

3) update on job situations and minutia of daily life

4) mention trials, but gloss over them as though they are no big deal and everything is under control

5) close with vague reference to God’s gift of Jesus, attempting to witness without offending

Occasionally someone will branch out and do something creative, like write a poem…but usually this is what you get.

Are we going to follow the formula once again this year? Well…yes. We don’t have the time or energy to do otherwise! Enjoy…

Click here to read our Christmas Newsletter 2007

This has been a year of change and growth.

Ben finished his EMT course in March first in his class, and has since spent about 12 hours a week volunteering on the ambulance. He loves serving our neighborhood in this capacity, and has enjoyed becoming a part of that community.

After spending the early months of the year enduring more medical tests, we took a grueling trip to the Cleveland Clinic in March. After having more tests there and being pointed in a new direction, we came home, saw more new doctors, and seem to finally be getting somewhere. I most likely have Crohn’s disease, and certainly something autoimmune. Many new symptoms have emerged, and while they are not enjoyable, they are what finally clued in the medical establishment to what was really going on inside of me! We are experimenting with treatments and while I don’t feel entirely settled on a course of action, my health has been mostly stable for the last three months. My weight loss finally stopped, and while I cannot eat what anyone would consider a normal diet, I am eating more than rice and oatmeal!

We were blessed to be able to spend a LOT of time at Camp this summer. We all attended family camps, Amelia and I went for part of a preteen week to play the piano, and we all went for Summer Round-Up. Ben was the assistant director for the first time and we all had a great experience (we hope the campers did, too!). In the fall we returned for ladies/mens retreats, and we were also able to cook for three rental groups. Looking ahead to the coming year, Ben is planning to assistant direct Round-Up again, and I have taken on the role of camp registrar for 2008. I am both excited and apprehensive about taking on such a large ministry. Thankfully I have my husband, the computer expert, to assist me as needed. Part of what this will involve is traveling to Camp every weekend throughout the summer to handle registration on-site. While I don’t think I’ll mind being at Camp so often, we are praying that my health will remain stable so that I can travel without episodes. We are hoping to resume travel to visit family and friends, as well.

At the end of August, Ben clearly heard God tell him to quit his job, and promptly did so. He enjoyed about three months at home, studying the Bible all morning and catching up on things around the house some afternoons. We all appreciated having more time together. At the end of October he started looking for work again, and had three offers in three weeks. He is now working for IBI from home, and traveling to New York City once a month for 3-4 days. We’re finding it an excellent trade-off. I can definitely handle having him gone for a few days when he is home all day the rest of the time! He is working on a project for the MTA in NYC. We are so blessed with this work situation and are excited to see where God leads.

Amelia turned four in October. She is attending preschool for the second year and is enjoying memorizing Bible verses as a Cubbie again. Ben is teaching her to read and she does NOT let him forget their after-dinner sessions together! I am pleased to see her love for books (I still read about a book a day myself). While people frequently comment on how well she entertains herself, she also enjoys her friends and loves to have me arrange playtimes with others. While books are still her first love, she also spends a lot of time drawing and making crafts, playing with baby dolls, and making up songs. She loves Camp and frequently asks when we are going again. For six months this past year I babysat two of Amelia’s friends two days a week. It was good for her to have other kids in the house, and we make a point to still spend time with them. Two new cousins were born this year, and she is eager to hold them. She frequently prays for a brother or sister of her own.

While we are blessed with wonderful friends, several of them are going through divorces. We’ve spent many hours talking, counseling, and attempting to help. While all the situations in question remain unresolved, if nothing else it has been a reminder to actively focus on our own marriage. It’s hard to believe we’re celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary this month! We attended a weekend marriage conference at our chapel last year, and this year are on the committee to plan the next one. We are praying that many marriages will be strengthened through this conference (it’s February 8-10, 2008–let us know if you’d like more info!).

Other than that, not much has changed…we spend a lot of quiet time together at home, either in our yard or in front of the fireplace, enjoying our little family. Amelia and Nutmeg (our cat) have a relationship that defies description. I still teach a few piano lessons, we play Settlers with friends, make improvements to our home as time and finances allow, and try to keep our commitments to a minimum.

If you’d like to know more, see the archive section on the right-hand side of this web site. We try to update it weekly with news and pictures.
We pray you’ll take time this Christmas season to reflect on God’s incredible sacrifice, and thank Him for His free gift of salvation to all who believe. May you be richly blessed this Christmas and throughout the new year!

With Love From Ben, Jess & Amelia