Christmas Card... again

So I finally gave into the Apple craze last month and turned in my Blackberry for an iphone.  And yes, now I see what all the smug iphone/apple users have been talking about all this time.  I have gone gaga for Apple.  While it has a gajillion apps and has potential to do things that totally blow my mind, my favorite feature thus far is the Free Scrabble app.  My kids, husband and I have an obsession with playing each other, and I must confess that there have been many nights where responsibilities were neglected, just so that I could contemplate how to score the most points on my next word.  One neat thing about the game is that there is a “teacher” feature.  After you place your word, the teacher will show you what you COULD have scored if you were as smart as the computer.  Sometimes the teacher icon will smile at me, sometimes frown, but I have been known to make the teacher show it’s horrified, “I cannot believe you are that stupid” face.    This morning as I was getting ready for work and thinking about this Christmas season and all the things that have happened over the course of 2011, I felt like the teacher- at myself! 

Every year I try to get some decent picture of my family or my children and send it out to a few friends, some far and some near.  And though some photos are better than others (thanks to my great friend and photographer Jamie), I always want to put out our best effort- a pretty picture with everyone smiling and as few hairs out of place as possible.  You know- the same face you put on when you walk into church on Sunday, though the morning up to that point might have been filled with chaos, fussing, and threats of punishment if certain attitudes do not cease.  Yet we get out of the car and smile like nothing happened.  Somehow my Christmas card seemed like that- a nice front, but in many ways not real.  It doesn’t show who we are, or what matters.

So even though I have never done so before, I felt it necessary to write a little piece on what has actually been going on with the Millers this year.  I will say up front that 2011 was good to us.  We feel blessed, and undeservedly so.  But we feel that with those blessings comes the responsibility to serve those who are having difficulties. 

In January, Brent took his first ever mission trip to the Dominican Republic.  This week was a life changer for him, as he saw areas of utter poverty like we do not have in the states, and was able to share with some of the Dominicans the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He came back a different man, with his eyes opened to missions, and is now planning on going again in 2012, this time taking Brooks with him.  We pray that these efforts will bear eternal fruit, both in their lives and in those that they are going to meet.  Brent also has made a career change this year, and has reactivated his real estate license to work with Keller Williams of Auburn.  For many years, Brent has been a servant to our family by sacrificing his own career aspirations in order for me to tend to the demands of my office and career.  He has served as janitor and bookkeeper in this office, he has been the carpooler, he has been on the fieldtrips, and stayed at home many time with sick children when I could not.  But hopefully this new venture will allow him to have the flexibility that our family still needs while allowing him to meet some personal career goals as well. 

As for myself, I continue to try and juggle the duties of mom, dentist, business owner, and wife.  I will be the first to admit that I do not do this well, but my type A personality does not allow me to give up any of these hats easily.  So like the circus performer that spins the plates on the little sticks, I juggle (with the occasional crash).  This summer, we found a house that we love and moved- our 8^th move as a family, and hopefully our last for a long time!  I am still on the American Dental Association’s New Dentist Committee, and though I love the experience and the travel, it is one more plate to spin.  But it has been a lot of fun, and we have tried to take advantage of the trips so our children could experience different cities across the nation.  This fall, I purchased and merged the practice of a retiring pediatric dentist into mine.  This has been a challenge to implement, but has been fruitful thus far.  Many of you know that we dedicated this practice to doing God’s work- being the hands of Jesus for children who may be hurting.  Little did we know that we would encounter so much more- we see so many families with needs so great.  Just last week, we saw a child whose father had recently died and the grandparents had gotten custody.  While they were in our office, his mother was in an accident and died as well.  Please pray that we can serve not only the dental needs of these children but be receptive to the overall needs of these families as well.  While our family did not experience any tragedies, so very many around us did.  We have several friends who got the terrible news of cancer this year.  Many dear friends lost a parent.  Some had (and still do) have children in the hospital battling terrible illnesses.  And there were the tornadoes…

As Alabamians, many of us still vividly remember the April tornadoes.  We were at the ballpark watching Brooks play when we got word that Tuscaloosa had been hit.  As it unfolded, we all knew we had to do something to help.  So with the help of many wonderful and generous friends, we collected some things for a few families and took them in a trailer to distri bute in Tuscaloosa.  What we saw was mind blowing, devastation like we have never seen before.  We got to hear stories of how God’s hand protected each of these families when everything but the room they were in was totally destroyed.  I am so glad that our children were able to be a part of that relief effort, and I hope that the memories of serving will stay with them forever.  Little did we know that our community would be on the receiving end of some charity when tornadoes blew through Auburn last month, dancing around 3 of our schools and many, many houses.  Thankfully, there was no loss of life, but just lots of downed trees that serve as a visual reminder of God’s grace in sparing lives.

I have really had an issue with finding peace this Christmas.  Despite my attempts to try to minimize and not get caught up in the worldly aspects of the season, I continue to struggle.  At the first of December I came across John 16:33, where Jesus says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." In the end, I find true peace only in Jesus.  And though we have not had major troubles like so many have had this past year, we see it as our duty to serve those who have.  Our time is coming, after all.  But instead of putting on those shining perfect smiles for Christmas, I just thought it was about time that we got real.  Merry Christmas from the Millers!  And praying for a blessed 2012 for all.