Warm Christmas Wishes from Our Home to Yours

Greetings! In this advent season, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully blessed New Year! My prayer for you and yours is that you are well, that you know God is good—all the time, and that your souls are secure in our Savior’s hands. Not that every day isn’t The Lord’s, but in the Christmas season, there is an extra emphasis on Jesus as we celebrate His birth and the promise He brought with Him. What began in Bethlehem ended with the fulfillment of God’s plan in Calvary. Hallelujah! Here, in Georgia, we are saying goodbye to the beauty of autumn and embracing the cold that is coming in as we get closer to winter. Life is full here. With four adults and four children in the home there are many dynamics at play. The household is buzzing with activity daily and I don’t think we’d know what to do with ourselves if it was any other way. 😊. Jozsef is plugging away at his seminary program as well as working as a painter. He’s been enjoying learning the trade and developing his skills. He’s also an assistant to a local Youth Pastor—a space of teaching, playing, and leading that he fully enjoys! Nikolas is plumbing his days away and doing quite well. He’s also gained a girlfriend and a longer-term view of life as he gets closer to 21. Though the current economy is challenging both guys in their attempts to move forward in adulthood, they are setting goals and working towards achieving them. Connor and Sonja are in high school. Connor has taken to creating on many levels. He’s developed several chemical concoctions, made rings (nice ones too) out of copper, he’s even made knives and sheaths. To say he’s a hands-on guy would be an understatement! Connor enjoys knowing how things work. Sonja is an artist at her core. She loves creating on a different level. She’s a wonder at drawing and painting. She’s also taught herself to knit and loves to bake. Sonja keeps busy adding beauty to the world and taste to your plate. Riley is in Jr High while Hannah is finishing elementary school. Riley enjoys challenging his Lego building and Bushcraft skills. It’s an interesting spectrum but a fun one. 😊 Riley is a sweetheart with a great sense of humor. He turned 13 this year, entering a new level of growth, and we’re pretty excited about that. Hannah is a budding beauty with a servant’s heart. Nothing pleases her more than to complete an act of service and to be appreciated for it. She’s such a doll! Hannah is also practicing her drawing skills. She’s using both traditional and digital mediums. I’m excited to see what she develops in skill. Kellogg’s Garden Supply is keeping John busy and stretching his skill set. With the frequency of change in our economy, supply chain, and retail environments, there is much to adjust to and to reinvent in his role with the company. Though the job is demanding, John is enjoying puzzle solving and is thankful for his job. On the side, he’s maintaining and improving the house—thankfully, he’s got help. John, Jozsef, and Nikolas used all their skills (and then some) and built a bathroom from scratch this year! It was a major endeavor and quite a blessing. As for me, my “job” is constant yet ever changing. Being wife, mom, teacher, homemaker, and church participant keeps my days and calendar full. I did run a couple of childbirth preparation classes this year—what a blessing! Am I done? I can’t say. I’m just following the path God sets before me. If it was a short season, I say thank you. If there’s more to come, I welcome it. Either way, it’s a gift. 💕 We are so blessed—challenges and all. If you know Jesus, may you rest knowing that’s He’s still writing your story with new mercies every day. If you have yet to meet Jesus and want the security of salvation He offers, I pray that you surrender to Him today. Romans 10: 9-10 if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 💕 May each of us find many blessings to count in 2024. Until Jesus’ Return, Gina and the rest of the Bartok Brood—-John, Jozsef, Nikolas, Connor, Sonja, Riley, & Hannah