NewsLetter

December 19, 2011

Dear Family, Friends and Prayer Partners,

Family

Christina and Andrew:  The Gard’s have moved to Florida where Andrew is the Dean of Student Ministries at South Eastern University.  Christina remained behind for a while to finish her residency at Good Samaritan Hospital and the semester teaching at NU.  In December  she taught her last class, finished her residency, completed her Masters Degree and moved to join Andrew in Lakeland.

Charity, Robby, Lincoln and Fynlee:  The Hipp’s are such a beautiful family, Lincoln will be three years old in February and Fynlee will be one in April.  Robby is Director of Operations at InnovexGolf.  They are amazing parents and of course, our grandchildren are amazing too.

Charlene and Ben:  The Callahan’s are working hard in Fairbanks. Charlene is the Assistant Vice President and Ben opened a construction office.  They are both successful, busy and continually are on the go.  Recently they toured the East Coast in an RV including Boston, NYC, Philly and DC.

Recently all three couples celebrated Thanksgiving in New York together attended shows and attended attractions, including the Macy’s Parade. We are proud of them all and so grateful to God for the blessing and grace on each one of them.

Our News

This past year we have applied and received appointment as Missionary Associates, attended Missions school this summer in Springfield, Missouri.  Polly itinerated for 7 weeks in Alaska this past summer and then had gall bladder surgery in September, while I have visited some churches in Washington.  We both have transferred our credentials to the Northwest Ministry Network.  I have completed 21 credits in Grad School thus far and will go time and a half in January.  Additionally, I completed a course last winter and received as a Life Coach certification.

Polly and I have moved again, we are now in Kirkland, Washington and are still settling in.  Polly is working at Northwest University (NU) as the Executive Assistant to the President. I am starting my second year of graduate studies, so the move puts us much closer to the university.

We covet your prayers as we seek God’s continued direction and provision. We will have news more news in our spring letter about upcoming ministry and a trip to Asia. We will only send updates occasionally, if you are interested in collaborating or having projects and/or needs, please let us know.

Yours in the Father’s Service,

Robert and Polly Anne Reasner

Website:  www.Starfishing.org

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Blog:  http://starfishinginc.wordpress.com/

Christmas Thoughts: The Day After Christmas.

Twas the Day after Christmas

 

It is the day after Christmas, and here I sit with a house full of paper, and a cat full of tinsel. There are gifts to return, gifts to absorb, gifts that have been re-gifted and may be once more.  There are bills to be paid and work to catch up; having a holiday can surely disrupt!

 

I head to the office to catch up on work and I think of the sounds and phrases I’ve  heard. “We over spent! We over ate! We over indulged, and stayed up too late!”  I wonder as we head into the coming new year if our priorities are somehow …askew. Perhaps just maybe, we.ve missed it.

 

We really are the “have” generation. It shows in combat shopping, credit card overload and lines to get the latest toy that will be shelved within weeks.  Save up for something and work hard to afford it is becoming a foreign concept.

 

Like many of you, I grew up in a time where there were discussions about one gift and then a few socks and underwear were thrown in to reinforce the fall school clothes purchases that were what we got for Christmas.  We were taught to take care of our clothes because they were not going to be replaced.

 

Somewhere, we as a country began to believe that everyone has a right to everything that they want, when they want it. Men, who make millions of dollars while ruining their businesses, keep their bonuses, but taxpayers pay for the business.  Working people cannot afford health care, but people who are not working get it free, and it is the working person who pays for it.

 

I am so grateful for help going to those who are in need. However, I must admit I do get irritated about paying for people who receive from the “system” and then grumble about it, or protest over it.  The truly needy I have encountered show gratitude and tend to help the person next to them even with what little they have.  Others?  Well…Maybe it is time to be reminded again that a gift, in whatever form it shows up, is an act of generosity on someone else’s part.

 

 

Perhaps as we head into 2012, words and phrases like frugal, save for it, and earn it, should be recovered.  Just maybe we should stop from time to time to be grateful for all we are given.  The Bible teaches us that Godliness with contentment is great gain, and that gratitude produces joy.  Have a joyous New Year!

 

First published, Dec 2008, in the Kenai Peninsula Clarion, Kenai Alaska.