Once again, this year’s Christmas letter comes to you from a new and exciting location. This is the fourth edition of our Christmas letter, and each has been sent from a different address. In 2002, it was Grafton, WI, where Jamie and Greg were enjoying their third month of marriage and completing their B.A.s at Concordia University Wisconsin. In 2003 it was sent from a small one-bedroom house in St. Louis, MO. 2004 saw just a small shift, but still in St. Louis. Today, however, the Christmas letter is being drafted from small town, IN. So, on behalf of Greg and Jamie, Merry Christmas and God’s continued blessings to all of you!
Our headquarters is not the only thing that has been changing in the last year. For the first time since, well, for the first time Greg has entered the full-time workforce—temporarily. Greg was assigned to serve as Vicar at Immanuel Lutheran Church, IN. This is a year long pastoral internship served under the direct supervision of a parish pastor. So, in August, Jamie and Greg loaded up a 24-foot truck and hit the road for Indiana. Immanuel is a congregation with 3000+ members and has three wonderful pastors for Greg to learn from and observe. Greg’s regular duties include preaching at least once a month, doing shut-in calls, hospital visits, radio devotions, leading Bible class, confirmation classes, helping with funerals, and getting an all around experience at the life of a pastor. Somehow he finds time to fool around on the guitar, play the trombone for services occasionally, play basketball in the mornings, and take out Jamie, his beautiful bride. This vicarage year will be completed at the end of July, and they will move back to St. Louis for one final year at the Seminary.
Jamie has also had her share of adjustments. After two awesome years of service at Peace Lutheran Church as their D.C.E., Jamie was forced to look for employment. She ended up finding work as a missionary to the people at Applebee’s. They call her a waitress. After two years of work in the church, the adjustment was rocky at times, but she seems to be enjoying it more each day. Jamie works five days a week, but does not have to work nights. This has been a blessing, as Greg and Jamie have still been able to see each other. She was promoted in November, and now trains other servers. That same month she was also selected as Employee of the Month—Hip Hip Hurray! October brought another opportunity for Jamie, and this time, she gets to work with teenagers again (Yes!), and gets involved with swimming after a few years away from the sport. Jamie is an assistant swimming coach at the local High School (Go Owls!). They practice four mornings and four afternoons a week, not including meets. So when she isn’t serving food, or counting laps, you might find her scrapbooking, taking pictures, blogging, listening to music, or cross-stitching, and she will be learning how to use her new sewing machine (Thanks Mom and Dad P!).
There were many highlights for Greg and Jamie this past year. Here is a list of some of them: Celebrating the new year with dear friends in Pennsylvania, a surprise birthday party for Greg at a Bebo Norman concert (Jamie is getting better at these), playing basketball for the Preachers and beating Fort Wayne (twice!), celebrating Jesus’ resurrection with family in the Memphis area (the Griffins), surprising Eric (Jamie’s brother) for his birthday in San Diego where Greg was also able to preach and reunite with a high school buddy (Greg randomly ran into Glenn in Times Square the previous May and finally saw him in CA—Thanks God!), playing baseball for the Preachers in a wood-bat league, preaching at nephew Andrew Michael's baptism (Holly’s first child), a mission trip to Juarez, MX in July (we were in both cities of El Paso on the same day—TX and IL), becoming God-parents for Asher Jon, remembering two years of wonderful service at Peace with a heart-felt sendoff (Jamie will remember all her friends at Peace with fond memories), attending one final game in beloved Busch Stadium II (A Cards playoff victory!), witnessing Heather (Jamie’s cousin) and Chris united in marriage, joining a Euchre club with other couples, numerous relationships being made and developed at Immanuel as God’s message of salvation through Jesus Christ is shared, starting our new online Christian book store (http://purejoy.spreadtheword.com/), working in Slidell, LA to help hurricane victims get back on their feet, celebrating Thanksgiving with both sides of the family at the “vicar mansion” (if anyone is looking for a place to visit we will have room until the end of July!), and surprising Jamie with a Caedmon’s Call concert.
As you can see, God has continued to bless Greg and Jamie in many and various ways. The year was not without its difficulties, however. Throughout cheerful times and difficult times alike, Greg and Jamie hang on to the sure promises of their heavenly Father. In the midst of terrible tragedy and great grief, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. During this CHRISTmas season we remember the Highest Light of all, from whom all of these highlights flow. The darkness of this difficult and sinful world has been overcome, and God has seen fit to take the form of a little child. That little child was not placed under a tree as a Christmas gift, but was later placed on a tree as an eternal gift for you. Rejoice, dear family and friends, for God is with us yesterday, today, and forever. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and what a light it is. Merry CHRISTmas!
With CHRISTmas joy,
Greg and Jamie
Our headquarters is not the only thing that has been changing in the last year. For the first time since, well, for the first time Greg has entered the full-time workforce—temporarily. Greg was assigned to serve as Vicar at Immanuel Lutheran Church, IN. This is a year long pastoral internship served under the direct supervision of a parish pastor. So, in August, Jamie and Greg loaded up a 24-foot truck and hit the road for Indiana. Immanuel is a congregation with 3000+ members and has three wonderful pastors for Greg to learn from and observe. Greg’s regular duties include preaching at least once a month, doing shut-in calls, hospital visits, radio devotions, leading Bible class, confirmation classes, helping with funerals, and getting an all around experience at the life of a pastor. Somehow he finds time to fool around on the guitar, play the trombone for services occasionally, play basketball in the mornings, and take out Jamie, his beautiful bride. This vicarage year will be completed at the end of July, and they will move back to St. Louis for one final year at the Seminary.
Jamie has also had her share of adjustments. After two awesome years of service at Peace Lutheran Church as their D.C.E., Jamie was forced to look for employment. She ended up finding work as a missionary to the people at Applebee’s. They call her a waitress. After two years of work in the church, the adjustment was rocky at times, but she seems to be enjoying it more each day. Jamie works five days a week, but does not have to work nights. This has been a blessing, as Greg and Jamie have still been able to see each other. She was promoted in November, and now trains other servers. That same month she was also selected as Employee of the Month—Hip Hip Hurray! October brought another opportunity for Jamie, and this time, she gets to work with teenagers again (Yes!), and gets involved with swimming after a few years away from the sport. Jamie is an assistant swimming coach at the local High School (Go Owls!). They practice four mornings and four afternoons a week, not including meets. So when she isn’t serving food, or counting laps, you might find her scrapbooking, taking pictures, blogging, listening to music, or cross-stitching, and she will be learning how to use her new sewing machine (Thanks Mom and Dad P!).
There were many highlights for Greg and Jamie this past year. Here is a list of some of them: Celebrating the new year with dear friends in Pennsylvania, a surprise birthday party for Greg at a Bebo Norman concert (Jamie is getting better at these), playing basketball for the Preachers and beating Fort Wayne (twice!), celebrating Jesus’ resurrection with family in the Memphis area (the Griffins), surprising Eric (Jamie’s brother) for his birthday in San Diego where Greg was also able to preach and reunite with a high school buddy (Greg randomly ran into Glenn in Times Square the previous May and finally saw him in CA—Thanks God!), playing baseball for the Preachers in a wood-bat league, preaching at nephew Andrew Michael's baptism (Holly’s first child), a mission trip to Juarez, MX in July (we were in both cities of El Paso on the same day—TX and IL), becoming God-parents for Asher Jon, remembering two years of wonderful service at Peace with a heart-felt sendoff (Jamie will remember all her friends at Peace with fond memories), attending one final game in beloved Busch Stadium II (A Cards playoff victory!), witnessing Heather (Jamie’s cousin) and Chris united in marriage, joining a Euchre club with other couples, numerous relationships being made and developed at Immanuel as God’s message of salvation through Jesus Christ is shared, starting our new online Christian book store (http://purejoy.spreadtheword.com/), working in Slidell, LA to help hurricane victims get back on their feet, celebrating Thanksgiving with both sides of the family at the “vicar mansion” (if anyone is looking for a place to visit we will have room until the end of July!), and surprising Jamie with a Caedmon’s Call concert.
As you can see, God has continued to bless Greg and Jamie in many and various ways. The year was not without its difficulties, however. Throughout cheerful times and difficult times alike, Greg and Jamie hang on to the sure promises of their heavenly Father. In the midst of terrible tragedy and great grief, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. During this CHRISTmas season we remember the Highest Light of all, from whom all of these highlights flow. The darkness of this difficult and sinful world has been overcome, and God has seen fit to take the form of a little child. That little child was not placed under a tree as a Christmas gift, but was later placed on a tree as an eternal gift for you. Rejoice, dear family and friends, for God is with us yesterday, today, and forever. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and what a light it is. Merry CHRISTmas!
With CHRISTmas joy,
Greg and Jamie
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