When Your Party of 14 Shrinks to 5… ( Plus TWO Christmas gift ideas!)
Friends! How’s your Christmas season shaping up? Ours recently nose dived, thanks to that nasty ole’ flu…
We were all supposed to have breakfast with Santa December 3rd. Our fun family of 14 (+1 with Baby Girl Hoagland growing in LT’s tummy) had had reservations since we heard of the event long ago.
One by one, our family was falling like dominoes…We wound up with only five of us dining with Santa. Claire and Charlotte got to decorate their gingerbread houses, eat biscuits and gravy (one of my favorite indulgences), some fruit, one or more cookies, and chat with Santa. Diana was our lone “grown up.” Bless her. Our Lexington kiddos weren’t sick, but wisely chose to stay home, away from germs.
John Jr., Woody, Ford, and George were down for the count. LT, being the “last man standing,” and now Diana is same since Claire and Charlotte are now down for the count.
John and I are praying our flu shots will protect us. Akin to “ticking time bombs,” our prayer for good health is, I’m sure, sounding like a broken record to the Lord.
One fun recommended activity for your family if you’re anywhere near Louisville is to attend the “Gardens a Glimmer” at the Waterfront Botanical Gardens. (www.waterfront gardens.org )
John and I got to take Claire and Charlotte, now just 4 of us (again we had 14 tickets!?!) to the Gardens a Glimmer event. They loved the lights, climbing up into Santa’s sleigh, talking to him, drinking hot chocolate, and making ornaments to take home. It’s a very fun, short-n-sweet event for all ages.
We first learned of this event last year, going with friends. We liked it so much last year, these same friends are going together again this year! And yes, adults can also sit in Santa’s sleigh.
So, now I’d love to give you a couple of Christmas gift ideas I highly recommend. You’ll be stunned to know they’re both books! I finished one recently, grabbing it from John as soon as he finished it (We were both sad to turn the last page, it was so, so good). And the other one I just now finished, realizing I need to order more copies! We’ll get to it in a minute…
First off, let me show you Saturdays with Billy: My Friendship with Billy Graham by Don Wilton.
While at a fabulous conference taught by Bob Russell at The Cove this past September, you can guess John and I popped in their bookstore. We bought several items, including the two books I’m about to tell you about.
Saturdays with Billy first begs a question: Who is Don Wilton and HOW did he get this unique opportunity to meet with Billy Graham many a Saturday? Remarkably, the Lord crossed their paths, and after ten years of friendship, Don tells us, “Mr. Graham asked me to be his pastor…our times together were like worship services.” Don visited with Billy nearly twenty-five years.
Don is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC and has been since 1993. Spartanburg is about 90 minutes from the Graham’s home in Montreat, NC. (You can find out more about Don and his church by visiting this website: www.theencouragingword.org )
One of many favorite parts in the book comes from Chapter 7, “Billy’s Lessons.” Don tells us Billy often spoke of Peter telling so many of the need to “learn and grow.” He shows us this verse:
Billy said, after showing Don that verse, “One of the greatest tragedies I see in so many people who serve the Lord today is that they no longer see the need to learn…anyone who stops learning stops growing..”
My goodness, to hear Billy Graham say this, well that speaks volumes! This reminds me of THREE dear friends and mentors I have who all recently turned eighty years old. They are all still studying, writing, and teaching the Bible to all who will listen.
Dear Lord, may we all remain teachable!
Prayer was a huge part of Billy’s life and so were his friends. He leaned on both, often. Don said Billy’s “powerful presence to his friends never diminished with age and time…His presence remained strong and formidable.”
We readers get glimpses of Billy’s humor and large doses of his humility. His stalwart faith and trust in God kept him going daily wherever he was in the world. The epigraph from Chapter 15, “Billy’s Mantle”, prove the last sentence:
In this chapter we learn, “A mantle is a legacy. A legacy is the story of a person’s life worth passing on.” Billy often spoke of Moses and Aaron, and how Joshua “wore the mantle of Moses’ life and legacy.”
This will make you think, “Each person affected by the legacy of Billy Graham carries the mantle of his life in proportion to the time spent with him and the relationship experienced with him. Above all, each individual mantle is specifically identified by each person’s calling according to the purpose of God.”
When asked who the next Billy Graham is, he simply answered, “You all are!” Don’t miss how Don expounds on this idea of the mantle as it shows Billy’s unwavering devotion to and love for God. It is beautiful. (There are 23 chapters to delight you!)
While we’re on the idea of leaving a legacy, let’s switch to my second book recommendation. You’ll enjoy getting more sneak peaks into the Graham family::
Jesus Followers: Real-Life Lessons for Igniting Faith in the Next Generation by Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright.
I love the format of this book. It’s divided into 4 parts, paralleling a 4-by-100-meter relay race where four runners compete as a team. Anne tells us,
“You and I are in a race called life. The Baton is Truth that leads to faith in Jesus Christ. Each generation receives the Baton from the previous generation, runs the race to the best of its ability, then is responsible for passing it smoothly and securely to the next generation.”
The four parts of the book “expand on the biblical description of the very first transfers of the Baton. These transfers seem to emphasize the unique impact of our witness, our worship, our walk, and our work.” (Those 4 are the 4 parts of the book.)
Anne introduces each section and Rachel-Ruth shows us how these topics play out in real life. She includes heartfelt stories from her own childhood. We Graham family fans are delighted to hear more about Ruth and Billy Graham (who the grands called Tai Tai and Daddy Bill), Rachel-Ruth’s parents, Anne and Danny, as well as siblings and cousins.
Each chapter ends with a picture of whomever Rachel-Ruth may have been talking about to share various truths, including an idea pertaining to the chapter, a nugget on how to be a Jesus Follower, and a Scripture. One of many favorite photos is of Billy Graham by the Christmas tree with not one, but two kittens that arrived on Christmas Day. One of many letters Rachel-Ruth’s grandmother Ruth wrote her is included and I predict will make you cry as it did me!
Over the years we’ve all learned a lot about Billy and Ruth Graham, but most of us don’t know much about Rachel-Ruth’s other grandparents, the Lotz’. All four of her grandparents cherished and loved the Word of God. Mr. Lotz was a preacher in the Bronx in New York! Likewise we learn of her parents’ love for the Word and how they both taught it to so many.
Not only did these grandparents and parents show Rachel-Ruth their love for the Word, they taught her the importance of getting up and investing time in God’s Word. Rachel-Ruth shares, “My mom has told me I must set my spiritual compass each morning by praying and studying my Bible so that my heart is lined up with God’s will and His Word.
One of several favorite chapters is Chapter 14, “An Enduring Legacy”. Rachel-Ruth tells us about when her precious grandmother, Ruth, was in her last days. She reminds us we must “be aware of life’s brevity so it can prompt us to live each day with greater intention so that we leave a legacy of faith for those who follow.”
She says, “One vital key to facing death is to focus on Heaven.” She tells us her grandmother “exemplified what it means to live for Christ, to take up our cross and follow Him. The woman who manifested nothing less than a life on fire with love for Jesus.” You will adore this chapter. (And never fear, there are 28 chapters in the book!)
I had forgotten about Anne being in Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY speaking at a huge audience several years ago when she suddenly collapsed. They revived her and she unbelievably spoke for two more sessions! (See Chapter 28)
The other story you don’t want to miss is how Rachel-Ruth’s Father’s friends became “The Transportation Team” to take him to dialysis when his kidneys started to shut down. You’ll need a kleenex by your side while reading this remarkable story of friendship.
So as not to give any more away, and so you’ll enjoy BOTH of these books, run, don’t walk, to your favorite bookstore and grab both of these either for yourself or as Christmas gifts (or birthday gifts!) for your loved ones. They will thank you, I’m certain.
As of this writing, we’re a mere ten days away from Christmas Eve, so I’d like to wish you and your family a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a fabulous Happy New Year.
‘Til next time!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”