I love being home. It's home, for crying out loud. Christmas is a good time with family, but I look forward to getting the house back to normal and moving on.
Over the past week we have received news that the first man I ever discipled, a good guy in Colorado, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's looking like only months left for him. We also found out just today that my wife's former boss in Colorado recently lost his wife in incredible circumstances. They are both near our age and also have four kids. She was climbing a mountain with a friend in CO, got separated from her climbing partner somehow, and went missing. It was a massive search for her and she has yet to be found. She went missing in September.
Over Christmas at my parent's house we were able to visit four very old relatives, my Great Aunt, my Grandmother (mom's side) and Grandparents (father's side). The aging process is taking a large toll on them and we always try to see them never knowing when it will be the last time.
So we have found some reasons to think about our own mortality this Christmas, which is always a good thing. We are also praying for friends and family with renewed vigor.
We got a few nice presents, but the kids really made out like villains. It was a good time at my parent's house, good food, and I got to watch cable TV (a treat for me).
I was able to get out and take some nice pictures of barns in rural IL as well as some stuff in my hometown (Pontiac, IL). You can see them on my Flickr page.