Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!
So what is new with the Ekelund fam? Once again, we traveled eastward to visit family, but mainly to see my brother Matthew get married on February 11th in NH. In March, Ekelund #5 was born, Joshua Matthew, named after my brother. On a sad note, my mom, Beverly passed away on April 19th after almost a 30 year struggle with depression. She was 63 and is missed very much. Two-week old Joshua and I flew home for the funeral. While it is painful without her, I know she is happy, healthy, and with her Savior.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Our family still attends Bethel Lutheran Church, and Adam teaches senior high Sunday School and 3rd grade Kidventure (1st-4th grade program on Wednesdays). Bethel called Pastor Rich Iverson (yep! the former senior pastor in Barnesville) to be our Faith @Home Pastor. Something really cool is happening at Bethel. As a whole church, we began The Story which is a 31-week journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It's the story of "God's great love for us, how far we have gone from that love, and the extent to which He will go to bring us back." What's great about this is the pastor preaches on a passage of Scripture, the Sunday School classes teach the same passage, the youth groups learn the same passage, and the weekly Bible studies study the same passage. So, there is a cohesiveness in what we are all learning and when we are learning it. This really contributes to the Faith @Home model of studying God's Word. As parents, we want to be the primary source pointing our children to Christ, but are blessed to be supported by the body of Christ.
If you have been following us on Facebook, you may have seen that we ripped up the carpet in our living room. I could no longer keep up with the stains. They won...or did they? Now, thanks to Adam, we have beautiful hardwoods.
Caleb played football for the first time this summer and found a new passion. He learned a lot and hopes to play again next year. He is in 3rd grade at Cleveland Elementary, and still loves "recess" the best. During recess, he runs around the soccer field in a program called JAWS (Jogging And Walking Students). Students can choose to run laps during recess instead of playing on the playground. For each lap, they get a card punched. Once they "finish" a card (25 laps), they get a sneaker-shaped charm on a chain. Caleb hopes to run the most laps at school and get a trophy. And of course(!) all he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth.
Hannah got an awesome present at the beginning of this summer. Her friend Elise moved back to town! I think both of them spent EVERY day from June 1st until the beginning of school together. Praise the Lord for best friends!
For Timothy's 5th birthday, he wanted to go to the YMCA. It just so happened that the night of the party, there was a Halloween party for the community in the gym. We had cake and presents, and then played tons of games and jumped in a bouncy house in the gym. So fun! He is in his 2nd year of preschool and has even started to read. It helps having older siblings to teach you.
Sarah is turning 3 years old on Christmas. She is talking up a storm and asserting herself all over the place. She loves Dora the Explorer and dancing in her purple, Dora dress. As she looks out the window of our van and sees Christmas lights, she says, "It's my birthday!" and "I see Christmas!"
Joshua turns 9 months on December 25th. He is still toothless, but is very mobile. He crawls everywhere and pulls up to a stand whenever and wherever he can. He is definitely Mommy's little man, as he makes sure I am within arm's length (his!) at all times. He loves his sibs, and we are blessed that he is part of our family.
During this season, we often hear the word "Advent," as in the coming of Christ into the world as an infant. The Old Testament whets our appetites for a coming Savior in Isaiah 11. God's chosen people waited for the Messiah. Then, Joseph and Mary are both told by angels of the Messiah's coming birth (Matthew 1 & Luke 1). And one night, in a lowly stable Jesus Christ, Immanuel (God with us) was born and placed in a manger. He came just as was foretold!
So now, we look forward to celebrating the First Noel later this month while continually anticipating Christ's Second Advent. When he will "himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God...And so we will be with [our] Lord forever. (from I Thess. 4). Now we say, "Christ is coming! Christ is coming! Christ is coming! Christ is coming!"
We pray you find encouragement with these words and His peace this season.
So now, we look forward to celebrating the First Noel later this month while continually anticipating Christ's Second Advent. When he will "himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God...And so we will be with [our] Lord forever. (from I Thess. 4). Now we say, "Christ is coming! Christ is coming! Christ is coming! Christ is coming!"
We pray you find encouragement with these words and His peace this season.
Love,
Rebekah Adam Caleb Hannah Timothy Sarah & Joshua
