The Wilkes Team

We received our first snow storm this December and it actually fell on Adam’s Birthday! It was a very powdery and was really good for snow balls. I call it puffy snow

We all woke up that morning to snow outside and we all really wanted to go out and play in it. So after Wisdom search we decided to skip breakfast and head out to play in the snow. We had a blast!

The snow ball fight was my favorite activity that morning! We had two teams. One team started on the deck and the other was on the ground. The team on the ground was trying to take over the deck by pelting the team on the deck with snow balls until they surrendered and ran off! It took a lot of working together in order to get the one team off the deck. If one person decided to try and take the deck by them self they would stubble off the stairs very quickly and be covered in snow. But if we went up as a team we had a lot more success!

If we try to only please our self and do things our own way instead of God’s way. It will not work very well. We will stubble and fall. But if we are willing to do things God’s way and work together as a team by looking at our problems from God’s perspective we will have success as we did in our snow ball fight!

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  The week after Thanksgiving was a blur of excitement as we directed our energies into decorating! The house began to take on the joy of Christmas which was stirring in our hearts as the week progressed. Everyone was so creative in coming up with stunning ways to make the house look extra special this year. There is nothing more enjoyable then turning Christmas music on and everyone running around putting Christmas decorations in there proper place!   

A wonderful event that we look forward to every year is the joy of gathering at Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a day of fellowship and creativity in building and decorating ginger bread houses!! We all so appreciate Grandma and Grandpa’s love for gathering their family together to make memories and traditions that will be past on and remembered for a very long time and this is one of  them. If you are not to sure about this ginger bread creation day just try fitting 15-20 people in a small kitchen with tons of candy, icing, ginger bread houses and lots of joyous people and you are sure to make a memorable time. There was not just one ginger bread house this year but FOUR and the creativity was incredible!   

Another God filled event was Christmas caroling with our dear church body this past Sunday. It was the very first time we have done this in our neighborhood since living here, and after doing it we wished we had done it more! It amazes me how often we go out to bless those around us and we end up receiving a blessing as well! Quite a few of the people we sang to told us how much they missed hearing the carolers going around and singing this time of year. We all were touched by their gratefulness and joy in hearing about Christ’s birth! Our prayer is that the messages of those songs we sang will sink into their hearts and impact them for eternity. We look forward to doing it again next year! 

   The Christmas Season can be a negative to our lives if it causes us to focus only on self. But this special set aside time can be used by God to prepare you for the upcoming year. This Christmas season has truly been a time of checking our hearts and preparing ourselves to enter this new year with purpose and a vision for discipleship. Did not Christ come to change lives? Was not his focus to go out and make disciples? May this be our passion this new year! May we be willing to set aside self and let Christ make us His devoted disciples. Discipleship requires a decision!  In order for us to be able to disciple others in the ways of righteousness we have to be willing to let Christ prune us and mold us. This calls us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand and to let Him bring our defects to the top so we might be able to work them out now in order that He may be able to use us most effectively at that due time He has already set in place. Don’t faint and become discouraged over your weakness! Let Christ help you work them through now in order to prepare you for His ministry. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not!”(Galatians 6:9)

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An end of the year challenge is in full motion for our family. What is involved? Motivational speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones once said something like this, “The only difference between who you are today and the person you will be in five years will come from the books you read and the people you associate with.”

With a desire to see us grow in our understanding of what is true discipleship, Dad issued a book to each of us children. They range in topics from manners to America to Christianity to stories and more. We are learning that a disciple is a disciplined learner and that a discipler is one who applies the truth he is taught and passes it on to others (2 Timothy 2:2). Reading through a book can often leave little effect if one fails to have a focus. Our focus is centered on discovering insights into discipling.

The Scriptures say, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished (Proverbs 22:3).” Dad sees the evil running rampant across the world and knows that without a discipleship mindset centered on making Christ known, we have little hope for survival.  

On January 1st we will come together to review the insights and discoveries. I appreciate Dad’s leadership and am in great anticipation for what is in store.

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 

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Merry Christmas! The morning we celebrate the birth of our Savior is now upon us. On this cool but cheery day our family gathered for devotions. We sang many joyous carols as our time together began.

Dad then proceeded to give us a meaningful perspective on Christmas. Ponder for a minute that this baby in the manger is the Savior of the world. And while we remember his birth in a cold stable, we should wonder at the thought that He resides within the hearts of His children. More than a baby in a manger, Christ came to offer the world true peace, joy, and love.

Peace
We were reminded of David in the Bible. How often he became discouraged, yet when all seemed beyond his control (by the way, it always is but we seem to forget), he would call upon the Lord to lead him unto that Rock that is higher than all people, circumstancse, and trials.

Joy
This is ours when we have truly relinquished and surrendered all to our Sovereign God. While grasping onto expectations, desires, fears, offenses, and rights we encounter a struggle between the quiet still voice of our Savior calling us to forsake all and the yells of the flesh to stay in control. The Christian’s battle is unique in that victory is only obtained through surrender.

Love
When peace pervades our soul and joy bursts out of a conquered will, love shines forth in brilliant splendor. The lives of many will be touched.

During such a wonderful season, there is a tendency to become wrapped up with expectations of how we think things should go. Offenses easily result and Christmas joy is dampened. In conclusion of our time together, Dad lead us in a time of prayer and encouraged each one to check our hearts to see if there were any expectations to yield, offenses to forgive, or sins to confess. Spirits were uplifted and joy energized. What a meaningful way to begin this Christmas Day!

Love has come a light in the darkness!
Love explodes int eh Bethlehmen skies.
See, all heaven has come to proclaim it;
Hear how their song of joy arises: Love! Love!
Born unto you, a Savior! Love! Love!
Glory to God on high.

May the peace that passes all understanding, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the love of God pervade each of your hearts. Merry Christmas from the Wilkes Team!

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Angels from the Realms of Glory, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and more. What wonderful thoughts come to mind at the sound of these familiar carols! Last evening marked a memorable moment as our entire church fellowship accompanied us on our first time Caroling in our current neighborhood.

The entire day saw much fellowship, joy, discipleship, and…………..rain! Starting early Sunday morning rain began to fall. While this did not dampen the high spirits within our home, we did begin to wonder how caroling would work later that evening. Our season of worship together was rich and uplifting, the lunch warm & satisfying, and the fellowship inspiring and God honoring. Yet, the rain continued to fall, even harder as our time to carol drew near. Praise the Lord for those He uses to remind us to pray. Not a few prayers were offered unto the One who controls the weather. God providentially orchestrates our stops and starts. Our response ought to be continually one of contentment and submission. While we all know this, how often do we forget!

Minutes ticked by as the rain dripped down. Before long, coats and boots were put on, cookies gathered, and out the door everyone went. In awe we looked up into a sky where there shown a full, bright moon, twinkling stars, and only a couple light clouds. Not a single drop of rain fell the rest of the evening. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” took on new meaning that night .

We were amazed by how many said they had just been wondering if people went caroling anymore and that how much we made their day. This gift of time and the responses that followed reminds once again what really counts during the Christmas season: Remembering the birth of our Savior and taking the time to share it with others. Merry Christmas Eve!

For pictures of this event, be sure to visit the Hyne’s web site: www.hynesva.com

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