It's that time of year again to make and send out our Christmas cards! Shutterfly has hundreds of Christmas photo card designs.  I wish I could make more than 1 Christmas card because there are so many that I like! 

I’ve been really into blue/green colors lately and the few below are so sweet.  When combined with snowy white images, it just “feels” like Christmas just looking at them.  They give such a peaceful, bright and happy feeling.  I wish it snowed here in LA so I could experience the real thing!



In the design below, I like the color of the lettering on the slate grey background and the simple snowflake design. 

This one is sweet too.  The color combo of pink, green and tan work so well together. It really does give you a sense of peace and joy like the card is titled!

On the other end of the spectrum though, I love the warm color of red.  With pictures of family, it just reminds you of the joy of spending the holiday with family.

This one is different and modern, but something about it just draws me into it – like warmth of joy flooding over you (no doubt enhanced by the picture of newlyweds in their wedding attire.) 

This one is a nice combo of the colors and designs I’m drawn to:

This last one is simple but I like it.  I think this might be the winner for our Christmas card this year. The brown border with the red design across the bottom is a nice color combo that even my husband likes.  It’s warm, with a hint of Christmas red and snowflakes, and it's calming to look at.  Since it’s just the 2 of us (no cute kids yet to put on these cards), I think this simple card might just be the one for us this year.      

Didn't I say Shutterfly has so many to choose from?  It's hard to pick!  If you’re looking for your own Christmas photo cards for this year, go here to find the myriad of choices:   http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

Shutterfly also has great variety for other occasions as well if you're looking for something else other than Christmas cards.  Their baby announcement cards are so cute.   http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birth-announcements

Birthday cards are another great item Shutterfly has.  If you’re anything like us, we’re always saying happy birthday to someone and looking for cards to give. http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery

But, you still have time to send out your Christmas cards!  Go to Shutterfly now and browse for that pretty Christmas card you want for your family this year!

 

Life is busy.  Since Tranwei started seminary, life has been moving very quickly and we're just barely keeping up (and I don't even know if we're doing that!).  I have wondered at times if we're ever going to make it through, if we're going to come out thriving...not just surviving...but thriving.  Our desire is to grow and be sharpened as the Lord would see fit to mold us, but the molding is showing to be very hard.  We certainly don't make God's job any easier either if we're not easy to mold in the first place!  We are constantly tired and feeling overwhelmed with even the most basic responsibilities of life (maybe that's more me than him, haha).  What's even more sad is that when I take a step back to get some perspective, I know that our lives are not nearly as hard as others around us and I wonder why I can't even handle the little burdens that I have on my plate when others around me have such heavy ones to bear. 

But through it all...I know the Lord is our Rock, faithful and kind to us.  His grace is sufficient for us and He will provide the grace we need for what He has given us to do.  Tranwei sat me down one time and reminded me that though we may not know how things will go, what our outcome will be, we can and need to strive to be faithful.  I am thankful for a husband who exemplifies that for me!  He is tired and weary, much more deserving of rest than me, but he pushes on because he wants to be faithful to studying, to serving in our ministry, and to loving me.  It encourages me to strive on all the more and to always come back to the grace that God so lovingly gives me.  So through it all...God is good, and life is good. 

As the school year winds down, my anticipation for the summer grows and grows.  Part of the excitement is of course tied up with the fact that I'll be done teaching and I'll get a 2-month break.  But another part of the excitement is that that means my trip to Ecuador will be just around the corner.

This summer I'll be going back to Ecuador for about 2 and a half weeks in July.  This will be my 3rd trip and our church's 8th trip to this South American country.  If you want some more information about this year's trip and how you can support us, just let me know and I'd be more than happy to give you some information.  Here's a video summarizing my last visit to Ecuador in 2004, although the teams have been much larger in recent years.