Selah: Mary verses Martha

So I've been thinking alot lately about how to really take time out to ponder the joys of this season. To add on to the normal stress that is produced around this time of year I have to cordinate an international flight for a family of 5. I have felt so overwhelmed at times that if I were a pc, I would completely crash. God has restored my focus as he always brings to mind the story of Martha and Mary:

Luke 10:40-42 (The Message)

Mary and Martha
38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
41-42The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

For those who really know me, you know that I could talk all day long about My Savior, Jesus. And that is why I especially enjoy Christmas as it is a wonderful time, through our Christmas Family Update Letters, to sing praises for the year we have had and help us to focus on the year to come. And in the spirit of having a Mary heart in a Martha time of the year; I have decided to email our Christmas Family Update Letter and send cards to those who I do not have an email address for. AND for all my blogger friends I have decided to post our Christmas Family Update Letter for 2008. As we will be traveling soon, if I don't get to post before the year is up: Merry Christmas and Have a Blessed New Year.

This year can best be summed up with these 3 words:
Blessings: watching our children grow older, (at the time of this writing LJ is 7, JJ is 4, and CJ is almost 23 months) Big Daddy's promotion to Warrant Officer, and clarity with our home school goal.
Changes: moving from McT to Kinser, many dear friends PCSing, and for me slowly transitioning out of several ministries near and dear to my heart so that I may better focus on our home.
Spiritual Growth: Big Daddy was ordained as a deacon and I became a VisionKeeper. LJ started his last book for Sparks, JJ is having a ball in his last year of Cubbies, and CJ has become our family song bird. You can always hear her belting out her own version of “This Little Light of Mine” and a song she learned from the boys, “Jesus is My Super Hero.”
We eagerly seek out the works that the Lord has prepared for us in the New Year to come.May the grace of God’s salvation fill your hearts and shine Christ’s bright light into the New Year. Merry Christmas, The Jobe Family