Dear
Friends and Family,
It
looks like it’s almost Christmas time again.
I’m not sure why I’m surprised every single year!
How
about some stats since we last wrote:
Phil and Lisa
celebrated 20 years of marriage in August.
Phil continues to work for USPS, which means we haven’t seen him in
weeks, since everyone… everywhere… orders all of their Christmas presents
online! L accepted a new position as
Director of Family Ministries at Asbury UMC in Portland, IN, in July. So we moved to a house located in the middle
of a pig and chicken farm. Life is
funny. She has also enjoyed being a part
of the editing team for the book, Uncontrolling
Love, which was released this summer.
As part of the book launch tour, she traveled coast to coast and her
feet touched both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the same week. That was a highlight! We are looking forward to “sacred days”
between Christmas and New Year’s, when the whole family will go “missing” for
awhile from everyone except each other…
Seth turned 17 in
September. He remains involved in teen
Bible quizzing and continues to enjoy Lego, art, reading, and baking, which is
a very good thing, because someone has to feed us in the midst of our busy
schedules! Seth is a Junior in high
school, this year. He is very helpful
with generally keeping everyone on track from day to day, and he is looking
forward to finishing up his school curriculum as quickly as possible!
Grace, also a Junior, turned 16 in October. She fills our house with piano music and
teaches piano lessons, as well. We have
come to realize that it is a great asset that she learned to play guitar,
because that means we have mobile live music and can throw her into all kinds
of random and spontaneous predicaments.
She also continues to quiz and writes even more than her mom.
Caleb is in 8th
grade and launched us into the “families with three teenagers” category when he
turned 13 in May. Following in his
siblings footsteps, he made two all star quiz teams this year. He has recently developed an interest in
drafting and architecture, which means Grandpa is bringing him all of his
equipment, like drafting tables and such.
He is helpful with tech related stuff for children’s Sunday School, and
he remains the “go to” guy when his younger siblings need anything (even in the
middle of the night). 
At age 10 (almost 11),
Ian continues to be the spice of life at our house! He is in 5th grade and has begun
to tell people that he plans to be a theological paleontologist when he grows
up, which apparently means he intends to discover the back-story of the history
of the world. If anyone can do it, it’s
Ian. He is thrilled to have his own room
for the first time ever, and we have discovered that he has definitely always
been the source of the mess.
Miah turned 7 in March and is technically
in 2nd grade, although she likes to tell everyone about her third
and fourth grade schoolwork. She is so
full of life and love and keeps us all on our toes! We are continually amazed at just how much we
needed this bringer of all things rainbows, glitter, and unicorns into our
lives! She loves Lego, wants to be an
OBGYN when she grows up, and moonlights as “Pastor M Squared,” preparing
sermons and worship services for which only my (L’s) mini-me #2 could be
responsible.
We’ve had an incredible year of travel, heartache, blessing,
tears (happy and sad), and decisions.
It’s the stuff real life is made of.
Somewhere along the line, I heard a quote about how, in this age of
social media, we are all comparing our practice tapes to everyone else’s
highlight reels. Christmas letters are
highlight reels, too, friends, but rest assured. This year has been just as real for us as it
has been for all of you. Because of
this, we ask that you continue to pray for us as we navigate life, day after
day.
May love overwhelm you
in the coming year.
Phil, Lisa, Seth,
Grace, Caleb, Ian, and Miah Michaels
Ecclesiastes 3:12:
“I know that there is nothing better
for people
than to be happy and to do good while they live” (NIV).
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