Tanya, kids are I are in Topeka celebrating Christmas with my family. So there have been some traditions set over the years as a "pastor's family" for us. For one, we are always in Lincoln Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so often it is the case that we travel to Topeka Dec. 26th and do the "Hsu Christmas" then. We've been here in Topeka since yesterday. Another tradition that is a bit more recent came out of the "Advent Conspiracy" we've encouraged people to do at Grace Chapel. The idea is to seek and give loved ones the gift of "presence" as well as presents and at times in lieu of presents. We began asking the question a few years back, what do you give parents who really don't "need" anything? Well, we came up with the idea that since mom and dad have lived in the same house since 1975, have never had a garage sale and are looking at retirement soon (and possibly downsizing at some point), that we would begin "taking things away from them" for Christmas every year. So each year we take a room of their rather large house and go to town on the room clearing out closets, taking many things to the local mission, yet others to the garbage, yet others things after a brief evaluation are kept and then organized. Mom and dad (and my sister Cassandra) enjoy the time spent together digging through each room, making decisions together as to what to keep, what to give away and what to throw out. I think this gift of "presence" is really meaningful to them. I figured this is a way to do "Christmas for the affluent."
Another thing that has been super-fun is going through my "old room" and digging through old college pictures, letters, etc. Tanya and I met when we were sixteen and so now have known each other for over twenty-four years. Here I found an old college picture- I'm going to date the picture somewhere around 1992 (when we were both 21-year-olds). The picture made me think of this Scripture:
Proverbs 5:18- May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
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