Another semester is coming to an end. We are in the midst of party season...this week I Christmas partied with my Monday night discipleship group (the pretty ladies on the left) and we had our Ministry team leaders and our small group leaders over for parties. Tonight we have a staff Christmas party and next week Kyle's staff is coming over and we're headed to our favorite party: the deacon's banquet. We like to count Christmas sweaters and Christmas ties. All this partying sometimes makes me forget why we're Christmas partying in the first place. Every morning we've been walking through an Advent calendar with the boys and reading books about Jesus' birth. It reminds me how simple it all really is....we can give or take all these parties, but we must remember a little baby was born that gives us so much hope and joy.
We've been reflecting on the semester. It was so full and we feel like God did so much. In our family this semester has been a turning point. In October, as many of you already know, Will was diagnosed with autism. That diagnosis rocked our world for a while and then we just had to come back to the fact that God made him, God chose us to be his parents, and we can trust Him for Will's future. We can't help but reflect on that as we think about this past semester.
We've also been thinking about our students and how much we enjoy being a part of their lives. 
I've loved my discipleship group and meeting with Jenn on Wednesdays...it's challenged me and those girls have loved me and each other well. We have seen God use our leaders this semester in many ways and change their hearts in many ways. We also just plain have fun with them and are thankful for the privilege to speak into their lives. Some of them are in this picture at the left at our annual broomball game between leaders.
We are thankful as we look back at the faithfulness of God in our lives this semester! What has He done in yours?
