Because I spent some good, much-in-demand time working on it...
And because I feel like some sort of general update is due to blogland, as a result of my extended absence...
Ta-dah! Coders' 2014 Christmas Letter! Not for the faint-of-heart, length-wise. (But I do believe my blog in general doesn't qualify for those readers.)
The steadfast love of the LORD never changes,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning –
New every morning.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O LORD;
Great is Thy faithfulness
Mumsie
must have sung this song constantly when I was little, because I still hear her
voice, praising slowly and reverently, whenever I ‘sing’ it in my head. As we
come again to a year’s end, as we prepare again our hearts to celebrate the
incarnation of our mighty God, as we look again in retrospect upon the last 12
months of life, we see afresh the many changes of the year. There are new
friends, new jobs, new ideas, new sorrows, new joys – and yet, through all the
changes, we clearly see God’s mercies and compassion which are paradoxically ever
the same, and ever new. Great
is His faithfulness!
What’s
new for the Coders in 2014? I’m so glad you asked! Settle back with a cup of
tea or a mug of cocoa, though, because we do
still have 10 kids (as incredible as that may sound to those of you who know
Zachary) and this could take a while (but I’ll do my best).
New Reasons to
Celebrate:
In
March, Gregg and Keri celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary!
Actually, that’s a slightly misleading statement. Mom and dad’s 25th
anniversary was in March, but they
have been celebrating all year by disappearing for a weekend a month. Sometimes
to the beach, sometimes to the mountains – they keep in touch enough to make us
jealous by pictures of sunshine, snow, and sea.
That’s
not all we’ve celebrated this year, though! School landmarks are always good
reasons to have a party, and we had a giant triple-graduation bash in July, as
Ben finished WSU with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Emily graduated from
the community college with an AA in Business, and Rachel graduated from high
school! Pie, pie, and more pie was consumed, which – of course – made the
celebration official.
New Travels: (note: for
pictures and more details, check out the travelers’ blogs!)
Ø At the beginning
of the year, Ben was working as an intern at Hewlett-Packard as he finished up
his degree. Even in his not-yet-a-full-time-employee status, he had the amazing
opportunity to go to China for two
weeks in February to oversee the production of a part he designed! Chongqing being famous for its spicy
food, Ben’s only time venturing out alone resulted in a meal of many tears,
LOTS of water, and huge grins from waiters. Nonetheless, he considers it a
great experience and can’t wait to go back! (Plans for another business trip
are set for January 2015)
Ø Shortly after
graduation, Ben enlisted the companionship of Joshua on a three-week European
jaunt. After visiting family in Loches,
France, they traveled on to sight-see through England, Scotland, and even a brief 48 hours in Ireland!
Ø We have only
just welcomed home our most recent world-traveler, Rachel! She struck out on
her own at the end of September for a two-month absence in Ufa, Russia, where she enjoyed playing with and caring for two
adorable twin boys recently born to some friends of ours!
New Challenges:
Our
pastor constantly reminds us that “God is always good, all the time.” The
evidence of this comes most powerfully in times of pain, of fear, and of
uncertainty, and so we share these challenges to testify to the goodness of our
LORD. We see the proof of His love
and provision while in the midst of trials, and although we are not often told
“Why?” He always shows Himself to be
the “How.”
At
the end of August, Megan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Having a
9-year-old suddenly insulin dependent, being required abruptly to count every
carbohydrate she consumes, learning all the emergency signs and responses for
high and low blood sugar readings – these things have composed our greatest
challenge. And yet, we have truly “seen the goodness of the LORD in the land of
the living.” From His providential hand in causing mama to notice Megan’s
symptoms (which seemed coincidental and normal), to Megan’s beautiful and
grace-filled response to her life-long diagnosis, we have been in awe of how
our King has marked the way.
If
you had been a fly on our wall one particular night – only a few days after
learning about her diabetes – you would have been touched by Megan’s attitude,
as she discussed possible reasons God has allowed her to have this disease.
“Maybe I’m supposed to be an encouragement to another little girl who gets
diabetes!” “Maybe I will grow up to be a doctor for kids who get diabetes!” – she
was joyfully ready to look for God’s purpose in her trial, and the enthusiasm
and willingness of my wee sister humbled me. Yes, God is good.
New Ventures:
Ø Work: After graduation and Europe, Ben became
an official employee of HP right here in Vancouver, and continues to enjoy his
job immensely. In June, I also started a new part-time job at a local tea room!
Ø School: Joshua began classes at the local
community college this fall through the running start program. At this point,
he plans to study for a degree in mechanical engineering.
Ø Play: The youngest three of the Coder clan have
now been added to the ranks of costumed volunteers at Fort Vancouver. Beginning
in January, they will be taught the skills and hobbies of young boys and girls
living at the Fort in the 1840s, and will be trained to share this knowledge
with visitors.
Ø Music: Intrigued by the art of shattering glass
and destroying good hearing, Joshua decided to learn the bagpipes this year. It
was several months before he received the actual instrument, but now we are
often serenaded by strains of “Amazing Grace” or “Scotland the Brave” floating
through his closed door, down the stairs, around the corner, into the great
room, and arriving in our ears at a loud-and-clear volume. (We love it.)
Old News:
Amidst
the ever-changing newness of life, some things have remained the same
year-to-year. For example, Mama is still home-schooling the younger children
around the kitchen table, while our two high-schoolers (Grace and James) watch
classes online through Bob Jones University. I continue to teach violin and
piano lessons to about 30 students, and thoroughly enjoy my time with each of
these aspiring musicians. Dad is still working at Home Depot, and will
celebrate two years as an employee of ‘the Orange Life’ in April! Besides the
bagpipes, music continues to be a major part of our lives, with the youngest 5 taking
lessons and practicing the days away (mostly)! J
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
Christmas season, we pray that you all will be blessed with a fresh awareness
of who our God is as you celebrate His birth. May we all continually learn new
lessons from Him, praise Him with new songs, and wonder at His ever-new
mercies.
Merry
Christmas!!
~Sarah
(for the Coder family)
