Family Thanksgiving

Family and Thanksgiving seem like words that fit together and yet in the world we live in this is not always true. It has been true for the Woodward family and for this I'm eternally grateful, and we owe this to Mom and Dad and our grandparents.

For the third year in a row we all gathered in Whittier, Calif. at my brother Tom's house. The reunion was rich with family fun; golf, Christmas cookie baking, Wii games in the living room, the traditional Vince's spaghetti dinner, backyard basketball, outdoor Thanksgiving dinner (a treat for us northwesterners) and relationship building for all.

The picture with Grandma Carrie and all the grandkids is priceless. We miss Grandpa Lee and it seems hard to believe it has been almost a year since his passing. Mom hardly remembers the incredible Thanksgiving spreads she used to serve for our family but we will never forget. My sister-in-law Marti has carried on the wonderful Thanksgiving traditions for her family and ours in a mighy way. We are so thankful for her.

A Christmas cookie baking day for the ladies has been a tradition that Marti has instituted for the family. While us guys are out hacking up one of the local golf courses, the ladies are creating wonderful cookies in the kitchen.


Here are Stephanie and Marcy at work in the kitchen. No snacking, yeah right.




Cookies on the BBQ?
What's up Erin?

Brothers Jim, Tom and I with sons Damon and Grant.

Woodward ladies, Jamie, Samantha, Amy, Ellie and Carly

Grazing in Grace

It is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, so that no man can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Monique and I have been grazing in the truth of God's grace for about a year now. God has been revealing His grace to us, helping us to embrace grace in our hearts and souls. He want you to experience His grace, not just for salvation (see above verse) but for living the life of a follower of Jesus. It all begins with grace, but thanks be to God that the living is found in freedom which comes from grace.

Tim Kimmel, in his book, Grace Based Parenting shares, "Grace certainly has its share of enemies. There are those enemies who want to camp on the truth of the Bible and say life is black and white with little nuance." I'm sad to say that I have found this to be all too true.

In Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott beautifully describes grace towards us. "It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. Its the help you receive when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desparate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you. Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are as startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there."

In our experience, it is this kind of grace/love that reshapes us, transforms us, provides us with the environment for spiritual growth and maturity. An essential piece of experiencing this grace is in the knowing that our God is crazy about you!

What are your thoughts?

What is it about camping?

Camping has always been one of our family favorite things to do in the spring and summer months. This year has been no exception. We've had weekend opportunities to go camping here in the islands and also journey to June Lake, CA where we met the Tom and Phil Woodward families, along with some new friends, the Bolter family.

In reflecting on these times, there are a few things that stand out for me. There is a cooperation amongst campers that makes me smile. Folks join together to meet needs in a beautiful way. It is really an example of how the body of Christ is supposed to work together, in harmony. Because of the close quarters, conflicts amongst family members get worked out rather quickly, no grudges held on to at the campsite. Hmmm? This is another Biblical teaching, isn't it.

There are always challenges and sacrifices on a camp trip, hmmm, opportunities for growth? When we are out camping, it seems that we are often in awe of God's creation, which leads us in true worship of our Creator. I'm thankful our family embraces camping the old fashioned way, tenting to be specific. Okay, we do pump up our air mattresses, and use a propane stove, but that is about it. Today's camping world features the comforts of home for most folks.

It is fun to meet new friends, a real treat that comes from camping. There is hardly a trip we've taken where we don't meet some really special people along the way. Somehow I think God is pleased when he sees us pack up the van and head out on another camping trip.

Dad and Daughter Weekend

Last weekend Ellie, Carly and I spent together at Warm Beach Camp near Stanwood, WA. We attended Dad's and Daugther's weekend, along with about 30 or 40 others. We had such a blast! This was the second year in a row for us at camp. This year we built and launched our first rocket, beautifully decorated and painted by the girls. The pink nose cone could not be missed at launch time. One of our highlights was our rainy horseback ride through the woods around camp. We were pretty wet by the end of the ride.

Face painting was fun too. I looked pretty scary after the girls painted my face. All in all we learned more about each other and our amazing God. What a blessing to spend this time together.

Unconditional Love and Respect

This past weekend, Feb. 9th and 10th, we hosted our second Love and Respect Marriage Conference in Friday Harbor. Eighteen couples attended and the message of Ephesians 5:33 was presented in a powerful way.

So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Most people understand unconditional love and would admit that they seek to embody it in their lives, but what about unconditional respect? As Christ followers we know that God's love for us (completely unconditional) is demonstrated on the cross at Calvary, through the perfect atonement and sacrifice for our sins. Belief in a life giving message of hope, forgiveness, peace, grace, mercy and love is something that the human soul yearns for here on earth. The message is found the person of Jesus.

But what about respect? Can wives have unconditional respect for their husband in spite of his performance? This again is a message found in Jesus and the power to carry out this command comes from Him. It is a life giving command to marriage partners. How could we have missed it all these years? Go to www.loveandrespect.com to find out more, or better yet, attend our next Love and Respect video conference in Concrete, WA on April 27th and 28th, 2007.

Dad, Grandpa Woodward's homegoing

My Dad, Leland Seale Woodward, went home to be with his heavenly Father on Dec. 31st, 2006. We were blessed to fly down to So. Calif. and celebrate his life. For me, our family time was rich, filled with stories from friends and loved ones who were touched by a life well lived.

I love what D.L. Moody said as he was dying. Realizing that he would soon be gone from this world one day, Moody said to a friend, "Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of Northfield is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone higher, that is all -- out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that sin cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned into His glorious body. I was born in the flesh in 1837; I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die; that which is born of the Spirit will live forever."

Dad came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ in the final days of his life. The peace that washed over our family knowing we will be seeing Dad in heaven, is truly a peace that surpasses all understanding.