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Christmas cards

The best laid {Christmas Card} plans… oft go arwy.

Yep. Its the middle of January and I’m still talking about Christmas cards… But if we know each other personally and you didn’t get one from me, I wanted you to know why.  Because I really did send some for the first time in years!!!

I begin each new year with such thoughtful plans for our family’s Christmas cards… then the months roll by… then Thanksgiving comes… then I blink and it’s Christmas… and we’ve gone yet another 365 without sending our salutations.  I don’t think we’ve actually sent cards more than once since 2008.

Well… this year, I was going to beat my own belated system.  Before Christmas I ordered “New Year’s Cards” – relieving myself of the pressure to get them addressed and mailed out in a timely manner.  So far, so good.  I placed my order.  Check.

Then {and this really isn’t my fault…} when they were delivered, it was pouring down rain, and the package got soaked.  Some envelopes were ruined – which wasn’t a terrible hurdle – but I couldn’t address the usable ones until they completely dried.  I also had to separate all of the cards so that they could dry, too.  Delay number 1.

Once everything was dried I addressed the envelopes.  Feeling pretty confident in my progress, I began to stuff said envelopes… Only to find out that I was missing almost half of the cards I ordered!  Seriously!  [The company is kindly making restitution for this, btw.]

It was too late to order more cards, so I had to do some serious sorting and praying over the envelopes.  In the end, only family and a few long distance family friends (mostly those that I don’t keep up with via social media) are the only ones who made the soggy card and envelope cut. 🙁

My best laid {Christmas Card} plans, once again, went awry.

But, since you and I are friends, will you accept this completely dry,though belated e-version of our family’s “New Year’s Card?”

2014 Walker Family Christmas Card - SmellingCoffee.com
The back tells the same things that you already know… Nathan’s Senior year,  Abigail’s Junior year, James working on his doctorate, me trying to cherish these last days with everyone at home… blah, blah, blah…. and praise the Lord.  😉

I sure do love you and thank God for your presence in my life and blogworld.  Happy New Year from my family to yours!

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Christmas Letters or Cards ~ Are you sending them this year?

Hi friends~ I hope each of you had a wonderful and very thanks-filled Thanksgiving!  (I’m still giving and listing thanks through the end of the year.  It’s not too late to join in… a thankful heart is good medicine for a hectic day! You can read about that here.

For many, it’s now Christmas card time…Have you planned or sent your Christmas cards or letters yet? Our family will not be sending them this year – it was just too much to add to the plate. I have mixed feelings about that, but as my friend Amy says, “it is what it is” this year. 🙂   Hopefully next year…

Speaking of Amy, if you are planning on sending cards and letters this year, I thought you might enjoy a “re-posting” of a Frappuccino Fun with Amy post from several years ago about the CHRISTMAS LETTER.

Blessings to you all…whether you send cards or not! 🙂
Jennifer

The Christmas Letter… A Blessing or A Curse?

By now, I’m sure you have received some Christmas cards, and maybe even a letter or two. Maybe you are in the process of composing a Christmas letter to send. Christmas letters can be a great way to touch base with those you don’t communicate with all year long. But like most things that start out well, a Christmas letter can go “down hill” real fast.

Like me, I’m sure you have received a letter chronicling all of the bad things and hardships that have occurred that year. I call this letter, the “Debbie Downer” letter.

Or, how about the “Betty Bragger” letter that expounds on every high achievement of every person in the entire family – every award, every A+, every trip, and every purchase. All is so perfect for this family, there is NO way it could all be true!

And how about “Super Spiritual Sally”? Now this family goes on mission trips, prays daily together, has a perfect Quiet Time record, serves at the local homeless shelter, and donates all their Christmas money to charity. Don’t get me wrong – all of these activities in and of themselves are wonderful. But the Christmas letter is not the venue to list one’s spiritual accomplishments for the year.

To keep from being “Debbie Downer,” “Betty Bragger,” or “Super Spiritual Sally,” here are some simple guidelines for a great Christmas letter:

1. Keep it short. A two sentence update on each family member is plenty.

2. Be positive. If you have had a hard year, don’t focus on the negatives. Instead, share what God is teaching you in the process.

3. Don’t brag. Be careful not to cross the line between sharing great news and bragging. Enough said.

(Jennifer here: Amy wanted me to show my Christmas card and letter. I ordered these inexpensively from Vista Print. The picture is on one side and the letter is printed on the back.)


A good Christmas letter should be like a sweet conversation with friends. One where, when you finish reading the letter, you feel encouraged and have a huge smile on your face.

Personally, I think that if you must choose between sending a letter or a picture, you should always send the picture. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Happy letter writing. ttfn… Amy

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Our "official Christmas letter" 2009


Merry Christmas from the Walker Family!
We think of each of you often, and thank God for placing you in our lives. If you’ve sent us a Christmas card this year~Thank you! We love receiving them! This is the first year in many that we haven’t sent Christmas cards, but we couldn’t let the year go by without at least a note to you, who are so special to us.

Like it has for many, this has been a life-changing, faith-growing, family-bonding year for the Walkers. Already, we can look back on it with deep gratitude to the Lord for what He has done, while we look forward with grateful anticipation for what we know the Lord will do in the coming year. God is teaching us to walk with Him in Trust and Obedience. And all is well.

Nathan (13, 7th grade) played middle school football this year and loved it. He is growing and eating and growing and eating… :-). Abigail (11, 6th grade) plays the flute in the band and is involved in Student Council and other clubs at school. Both are involved in activities at church, and we are having lots of fun with this stage of our children’s lives.

James and I are waiting with the Lord for that ministry position within the Body of Christ that He is preparing for our family. In the mean time, we are doing whatever the Lord places in front of us to do. It has been a blessing to have this time to spend together, to rest, and to get ready for what God has in store for us.

God has shown us His faithfulness in many many, ways this year. As we look back at 2009, I think it’s theme will be that familiar truth in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”

The Message offers a unique perspective on this well loved truth:

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” Romans 8:26-28, The Message

I just love that! And I pray that you know this truth to be true for you, too. God is Good and Trustworthy, and we celebrate Him with thanksgiving this Christmas, and every other day of the year.

If you’re on Facebook, look us up. James R. Walker and Jennifer Crawford Walker

Much love to each of you~ We are so thankful to the Lord for placing you in our lives. I pray for each one of you when the Lord brings you to my mind and heart. May you and your families enjoy the Lord’s Peace that comes when we place our lives in His hands.

Merry Christmas!

With love,

Jennifer, James, Nathan, & Abigail

“There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship with your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting go of everything else, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.” ~Oswald Chambers

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