Christmas Greetings from our Pastor’s Family
Hello, Friends and Family!
When last we wrote, we were celebrating an early Halloween as we said “good-bye” to our long-time Gig Harbor friends after thirteen years. Fourteen months later, we’re settled into our newly-purchased home atop a magical canyon in Laguna Beach. Each evening, we watch the moon rise over the distant San Bernardino Mountains as the changing colors shadow the Laguna Wilderness Canyon below. Mornings bring brilliant sunrises as we look down at the fog nestled in the nearby valley. On a crystal clear day, we can see the Pacific shimmering in the distant harbor of Dana Point, and most days bring our feet to roam the paths along the shores of Laguna Beach. Ever-changing, mysteriously beautiful, the earth continues to inspire and amaze us. As the winter solstice brings shorter days and longer nights, we listen to the owls call and the coyotes cry, joining our song of thanks for this great gift of creation entrusted to us!
Likewise, we are incredibly grateful for the new adventures and opportunities afforded us in the last year. Michael has settled into 6th Grade incredibly well. After a rough mid-year transition during last year’s 5th Grade, Michael bounced back and embarked on the Middle School adventure with gusto this fall. Good grades, good teachers, good friends, and lots of fun with beach play, Lego robotics, basketball, and theatre bring joy and challenge to his busy days.
B. J. loves his new parish at Neighborhood Congregational Church, and the community is truly blessed by the ministry both he and the church offer. It’s been a challenging year to help the very wealthy town address the growing number of homeless residents, but B. J. and the church have truly led the march toward a just and kind approach to the needs of the many people who struggle to simply survive from day to day. The church has warmly welcomed all of us, and we are glad to call Laguna Beach “home.”
Mary has received a warm welcome from her United Methodist colleagues in southern California, already serving a couple of interim pastorates in her first year here. Most recently, she’s on special assignment to help four urban churches in nearby Santa Ana find a missional focus to better steward their large buildings and small congregations in a town that long ago became primarily Spanish-speaking while its Methodist churches did not. Her writing and teaching ministry is still her greatest passion, and we all look forward to hosting future workshops and retreats in our new home, which has lovely open space and a relaxing feel.
We send warm wishes and loving thoughts with this letter and hope the new year brings joy to your life and peace to our world. Please keep in touch and call if your travels bring you to southern California!
Much Love– B. J., Mary & Michael