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We can learn a lot about ourselves by looking at the first humans Adam and Eve. They had that perfect environment. They had God. They had each other. They had the perfect garden, no weeds. No death, no disease, no pain, no sorrow. The Bible says that they were naked and unashamed. They not only had no clothes on but could be totally transparent and not fear rejection. Now that would be amazing! Not certain how long that lasted, but something went terribly wrong. God told them that they may eat from any tree in the garden but not from the Tree of Good and Evil. Unfortunately, the first humans did not obey God and ever since everything changed and even everyone after them. Death entered the world and along with that fear, shame, pain and suffering. We feel the effects all around us. Let's look at how the first humans handled this situation. “They heard the sound of the LORD walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3: 8) Why did Adam and Eve hide? For the first time Adam and Eve felt guilt and shame. Instead of going to God to confess and ask for forgiveness, they hid themselves. One thing is that you can hide from people but you can’t hide from God. God asked Adam, “Have you eaten from the Tree of which I command you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:11) This not because God didn’t know, but so Adam could be confronted with his own sin. That is how our conscience works. Instead of admitting and confessing his own sin, Adam blamed not only his wife but God, “The woman who you gave to be with me she gave me from the tree and I ate.”(Genesis 3:12) Like it or not we are unfortunately more like Adam and Eve than we wish. We often see the other person as the problem, the other person needing to change, make excuses, rationalizing or even blaming another person, rather than taking responsibility for your own wrongful thoughts, words and actions. We all have sinned. What we do with sin makes all the difference. Sin has tarnished all of our relationships. Don't be like Adam and Eve and blame God, others, our past, our upbringing. Admit that I'm a sinner. I disobeyed God. I deserve His wrath and punishment. What must I do to be saved? Maybe that is the wrong question. The real question is what must God do to save me? God knew that man could not save himself. God showed love and empathy toward us humans. He understands and shares our feelings. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The Gospel means “good news.” Before we can accept the good news, we must understand the bad news. The bad news is that we all have sinned, deserve God’s wrath and we can’t save ourselves. All efforts and all “good works” can’t save us. We need a Savior. Christmas time we celebrate the coming of that Savior, Jesus Christ. Through angels God declared that “good news.” “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) What does it mean to “repent?” Admit and take responsibility for my sin, godly sorrow that I have disobeyed God, confess- verbally telling God my sins and asking for His forgiveness and finally turning from sin. What does it mean to “believe in the Gospel?” Believe that Jesus, the Lamb of God, Jesus’ death on the cross, paid for my sins. Jesus was innocent, and He died in my place, the guilty one. Why would Jesus ever do this? “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) That is the best “good news” - ever! Jesus asked one of His followers this question: “But who do you say that I am?” How would you answer that question? Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Do you believe that? What holds you back from becoming Jesus’ follower? Repent and believe and you should be shall be saved. To repent is admitting my sins, stop making excuses, stop blaming others, my past, my parents, my upbringing. What does repentance look like? Let’s look and King David’s repentance: “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when you judge….Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow… Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51: 7, 9-10) Being Jesus’ follower doesn’t mean a sinless life but a forgiven life and being part of God’s family. What does that look like? Here is Jesus’ illustration. The father in the story represents God. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his han and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:20-24) “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Jesus saved me back in 1984. Several friends and my pastor helped to explore and answer some of my questions and concerns about Christianity. I repented of my sins and placed my faith and trust in Jesus to forgive my sins and give me His life. My life has never been the same. Sure I still sin, and the same Gospel that saved me, also helps me deal with the daily sins of my life. Instead of hiding like Adam and Eve, God invites me to come to Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If you're right with God, He will give you the power to have better relationships even the most difficult ones. We began with various “generations.” Which generation are you? Do you know that God gave you parents that you have and had no say in that and He gave you the birthday that you did not choose. “He (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist.” (Acts 17: 26-28) Invest not only in your generation but those generations that came before you and after you. We all need one another. May this Christmas season fill you with wonder at God’s amazing love and grace and that you draw closer to Him. He is inviting you. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” My favorite: Up Close and PersonalJairus:: Jairus is still at Geneva College in Pennsylvania. This year he is a mentor to the freshman students going into computer science. He was at an accelerated pace and he is actually set to graduate one year sooner. Great job! He is taking 300 and 400 level classes and he actually has to study hard. He is attending a local church, which is good.. Sounds like he is making good friends. His room sounds like the hangout room. He often stays up late. He loves to cook and a group of his friends actually made Alfredo sauce and homemade garlic sourdough bread and they won first place. He also has a rice cooker and makes all types of sushi. His school does fun activities like film contests and scavenger hunts. This past Easter Jairus got extremely sick. You would think that was terrible. Well it was that but God caused it for Jairus’s good as he had some amazing times with God. Pictures of some of the food served at his school look scary and unidentifiable. Amazing he remains alive. Have Jairus show you some of his colored pencil drawings- so impressive. We did some drawing together when he was here this past summer. He is self taught and has a lot of natural talent. He came home this past summer. His job disintegrated. The bad side was that he didn't make extra money, but the good side was that we got a lot of time together. We went to Mt Rainier camping, hiked June to a mountain lake, Lake of the Angels, that was still frozen with 5 to 6 feet of snow around it. We went salmon fishing but only caught a founder and a crab. This summer with some friends, he went shark fishing. Ask him what he caught and what animal was so friendly. This summer, some of the children were here and they dug up a time-capsule they buried 11 ago. Amazingly they found it. It was so interesting what each child placed in the time capsule. We are both competitive. He still beats me regularly at foosball and I beat him at ping pong. About a year and a half ago, Jairus asked if I had listened to Charlie Kirk. I had never even heard of him. I ended up adding him to my regular podcasts. I was amazed that he welcomed his harshest critics to ask him any questions. He allowed them to talk uninterrupted and then Charlie Kirk began his questions. He used the Socratic method, to search out the truth through questions and more probing questions. A person is not won by arguing, but by persuasion- their opponent’s own persuasion. “The quill is stronger than the sword.” Charlie Kirk aged 31 never graduated college but he had a heart to reach college students. I don’t agree with everything that Charlie Kirk stood for and believed, but I give him credit for his perseverance even under much opposition and threats. His popularity among Jairus’ age students was phenomenal. Unfortunately his life was shortened by a gunman, leaving Charlie’s wife Erica and their two sons without a husband and father. His legacy lives on as he started a grassroots movement among the youth. Not just accepting everything promoted as truth, but searching for truth themselves. This summer you are getting your driver's permit and your license so we can go on a long road trip. Lily: This year Lily graduated college and we attended her graduation. We got to meet many of her friends. That's one thing I noticed, is that Lily has many great friends. She has been maid of honor or bride's maid in many of their weddings. She attends Clifton Baptist Church. The preaching is powerful and life changing. She is also involved in small group and worship team. She worked in the church’s kids camp. Lily says that her church is the main reason she stays in Louisville and wonders if we would move there. If you are in the area- check out: Clifton Baptist Church Home Page https://cliftonbaptist.org/ If you are like me, listen to the sermons remotely. I guarantee that you will be blessed. Did you know that Lily ran a half-marathon? She ran it in Louisville and it finished in Churchill Downs. I used to run and maybe after I get my other hip replaced, I can run again. I would love to run “another” race with Lily. She is currently living in a house with 5 other girls. What a nice set up. She loves camping and this summer she was able to go camping at Cumberland Falls. Some gorgeous scenery and campfire scenes. I hope we can do some camping together this summer. Maybe to Snow Lake again or Lake of the Angels. Because Lily is able to work remotely in her current job in marketing, she is able to travel and also help out her siblings. What a blessing she is! Nolan, Noelle and Nourah: Nourah (which means “light”) was born in August. Lori and I went to visit when she was about one month old. What a precious girl! I was so touched to see Nolan and Noelle take such good care of her. Nolan works for Upper 90. Upper 90 is a community outreach serving at-risk boys and young men in poor communities, using soccer to train them for life- “Empowering children to win on the field and in life (education, family life, faith and purpose).” I got to hang out a lot with Nolan. Picking up players, going to soccer practices and coaching. I even got to play goalie. Every practice has a Bible study and prayer. His players range from 7 years old to high school. Other than his younger brother, all the players are refugees from the Middle East, Africa and South America. I had the privilege of talking and getting to know several of the players. I got to see the respect these young men have for Nolan, when Nolan kicked a player out of the game for having a bad attitude, this 18 year old walked off the field without complaining, not trying to justify himself, and sat down. Wow! This young man showed that he submits and respects authorities in his lifethose are character traits that will lead and protect him during his life. If you want to learn more about Upper 90 here is Jorge Vallero, the founder, sharing about the mission of Upper 90: https://share.google/JKev6sXAgsfg8LACG We stayed about one week. We attended their church, Morningside, Morningside Church https://share.google/jXrnfkveboRN0iXWI We also attended their small group Bible study. Even though we'll miss not being there often, Lori and I are assured that they are well supported and encouraged. They plan to be here for Christmas which is going to be great! Their family came for Christmas and New years. For many this was their first time seeing Nourah. So great to see their marriage and family thriving. Aaron and Nae’Ana and Namiko: It's so nice to see Aaron and Nae’Ana with their daughter. I think you never understand how much work children are until you have your own. Here you try to teach your child what to do and what not to do, and you end up learning more about oneself. I think every parent sees impatience, selfishness and pride coming through. One's child is not the cause, but just brings out what is already in every one of us. Patience, selflessness and humility are qualities our children teach us daily. Amazing how time flies, less than one year we were celebrating Namiko's first birthday at TwinkleLand and now she's almost two. She, like Aaron, is fearless. She loves Woojas also. Nae'Ana is an artist and sells her wares at local fairs. Aaron and Nae’Ana got paint, brushes and canvases and tried to copy Bob Ross. I think Aaron was surprised that he could even paint. Aaron loves to work on his cars. He dropped the engine of their Ford Escape, fixed and replaced it. My Prius has almost 300,000 miles and needed new brake rotors and pads. Aaron showed me how by doing one side and coaching me as I did the other. Now I'm ready for another 300,000 miles. Thanks Aaron! They moved again trying to get cheaper rent, so they can eventually buy. They found a place in Puyallup, Washington. Kristi & Devin: That first year of marriage is full of firsts: 1st: Christmas, apartment, car, vacation, anniversary. Wow how time flies! Devin works for a company that marks utilities. Before you dig, move or push dirt call 811. Those markings actually mean something seriously important and not like sidewalk chalk. Kristi still works for Master Works as graphic designer. “Masterworks is a full-service marketing and fundraising agency based in Poulsbo, Washington, that specializes in helping faith-based organizations. The company provides a range of services, including traditional and digital marketing, media, branding, analytics, and fundraising solutions.”https://www.masterworks.agency/ They used to have an apartment close to the Space Needle, but now moved further north. They attend Downtown Cornerstone Church. The sermons are powerful and life changing. We wanted to go hiking or even backpacking together but we couldn't match our schedules. Some ways the first year is full of adjustments so giving some space to establish their own home, traditions and friends is important. I'm so glad Devin is part of our family. Maybe some camping this coming year! Bethany: Bethany worked at Starbucks as a barista until the whole store closed. She put out resumes and landed a job training up new employees and stocking shelves at a market on University of Washington campus. That's so exciting as she gets benefits and also can take up to 6 credits every quarter for free. Currently she would like to get a degree in linguistics. She is really gifted in languages. She already has a CERTA certificate:, which is an initial teacher training qualification for those who want to teach English to speakers of other languages (ESOL). Provided by Cambridge English this globally recognized certificate includes around 120 hours of training and emphasizes practical teaching skills and knowledge, with hands-on practice and written assignments. The course is designed for both new teachers and experienced ones who want a formal, internationally accepted qualification. Bethany has a wonderful church, Downtown Cornerstone Church. I often listen to their sermons. She has great support and friends. She is learning God's truths and opportunities to serve, which are for a lifetime. I'm so proud of Bethany as she has grown closer to God through many difficulties and I'm certain this will continue. The Christian life is never stagnant, God wants to continually grow in our knowledge of Him, our faith in Him and our worship of God. “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14, NASB) Stefanie, Elisha, Xanthi and Cora: This year they had to move with a short notice. They found a quaint house in Bremerton. Elisha transformed a room into his studio. This is smaller than their previous place but works. Stefanie loves to work outside. She transformed an unwieldy hedge into a beautiful site. The yard was full of discarded “treasures”: toys, pop cans, screws, nails, coins, etc. With new gravel, white rocks, pruned brushes and roses and their arbor from their wedding, their yard is so inviting! Great job! When they moved in, a park across the street was being updated. In July, Lulu Park opened. It had a nice playground, sports court, and grass field. So much fun! Elisha helped organize a work party- men from church cut, split and stacked wood. My woodshed is full. Elisha also helped me to sort through much of my “stuff.” He is so helpful! I have a tendency to not throw things away. “You never know…” Elisha also helped drive me to get my hip surgery. Overall, so helpful! Thank you! He is teaching Xanthi, catechism (question and answer format to teach Christian doctrine) and she is so good at remembering the responses to various questions, like: “Whot is God?” “What is sin?” She is rewarded with a special outing with her Daddy. Elisha teaches violin, viola, cello and bass- in person and virtually. He also has lessons for preschoolers ages 3 to 6 years old, called Prodigies. Check it out: https://www.rosemusicstudio.com/ This summer Lori, Lily, Jairus and I together with the Roses got to vacation together in Cle Elum, small town in Central Washington. What a fun time! Campfires, marshmallows, games and shared meals have a way to make not only memories but ties of the hearts. Hope we can do that again! Jonathan and Emma and Baby: In April they purchased their first house. Around Thanksgiving, Lori and I stayed in their new house and attended their gender reveal. It was at Emma's parent's home and 14 of her 15 siblings attended, spouses, nieces and nephews. The excitement was palpable. Winnie the Pooh was the theme. As an aside, each of our children was a character from Winnie the Pooh. Can you guess which character Jonathan is? I'm so excited for them. God's timing is perfect, yet still it's been ten long years. Baby is healthy and actively moving around. Jonathan is doing well as a solo attorney in Family Law in the Austin, Texas area. https://share.google/on3kKzcXLGPwjQvqL Jonathan normally has been trying to ride his bike 1,000 miles a year. With all that is going on, it doesn't look like he'll make it this year. While at his place we rode bikes around their housing development. Only three miles and my hip really felt the pain. I really need to get my other hip replaced. My orthopedic surgeon says that March is likely the earliest. That won't come soon enough. Jonathan, like me, loves traditions. Now he can make his own family traditions. Ask him about Backyard Baseball, GeoSafari, Apple Junk, Green and Black. “There you go!” I'm so proud of Emma and Jonathan. Amy, Jon, Jet, Rezi and Josephine: . They are now new home- owners. They live even closer to our home. We see each other at least twice a week as we attend the same church and they are in our mid-week Bible study. Just like when we had young children, swim lessons, basketball, ballet lessons, homeschooling fills your days. Not as often as I want, we go fishing and hiking together. Jon through the army has drill at Fairchild Airforce Base, near Spokane. Occasionally the whole family comes over and we get together at my Mom's home. Jon had an army patch on the lapel of his uniform. It has the objects: background was a hatchet, next a sword and closest was a quill. Jon gave it to my Mom, telling her that the quill (negotiating) was stronger than the sword (fighting). One of my Mom's favorite mottos is “Might Is Not Right.” Better to use discussions, negotiating, giving grace rather than using power, authority and arguing and fighting. Peace and understanding being the goal. Lori: :God can use skills that you already have or give you a gift totally new. As long as I've known Lori, she has always been organized, especially compared to me. Homeschooling 9 children has even honed those skills. Listening has never been my Forte but Lori is a much better listener than me. Helping and caring skills, combined with listening and organizingthese all combine to make for a good counselor. Lori was able to get a degree in Biblical Counseling through Westminster Seminary, and now helping women using Biblical truth to direct them through life's difficulties and glorifying God in the process. What is Biblical Counseling, glad you asked. Here is from Westminster: “Scripture knows man better than man knows himself. The Word of God speaks to every form of human sin and suffering. It accurately reveals our true problem: guilt before a holy God. And it accurately reveals the only solution: faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ and his Word alone can pierce the depths of the human psyche. No matter how simple or complex the situation, confidence that we truly move toward people with wisdom comes only when we move toward them with Scripture and the gospel.” Counseling only fills part of Lori's schedule. She also weekly attends BSF, Bible Study Fellowship. What is BSF: “We believe people discover their true purpose and identity by knowing God through His Word. That is why BSF offers free, in-depth Bible studies in community for people of all ages around the world.” One of Lori's passions is quilting, from picking a pattern, finding good deals on fabric, coordinating color and design, sewing and then quilting. Her favorite store is Calico Creations https://www.calicocreationsfabric.com/ in Mt. Vernon. We usually make a date out of it. Lori made a wonderful Olympic Parks quilt for my birthday. She also made a beautiful quilt for my Mom, who always praises how beautiful and warm it is. Besides quilting together we enjoy walking together (she carries bear spray and a bell, as she encountered a black bear), pickleball (on hold right now as she is getting physical therapy and has an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon). Lori and I are empty-nesters which is quite different from a house full of nine children. We had the privilege of spending two nights at an Airbnb and I spent most of that time asking questions and listening and taking notes, wanting to understand Lori more. She is such a treasure, so different from me. I learned that I'm not a good listener and this was actually quite difficult for me to do. Something even harder is to listen and understand the negative impact I had on our marriage without trying to defend, rationalize and justify myself. Giving Lori a voice to share her side freely and acknowledging and valuing her opinions and person- seeing from her viewpoint. God made men and women equal but unique roles and giftings, to be valued and appreciated. In many ways we are polar opposites, complimenting each other makes us more whole! Other shared activities Lori and I enjoy together, going to plays, playing games, doing puzzles, watching movies, being with Grandkids. Rich: In the last Christmas letter I mentioned that I became a patient and got a new left hip. Surgery went well and recovery was smooth. I had high hopes that I could begin jogging again, something that I love but haven't done for years. Traditional snow camping with a bunch of guys in March, three months after surgery. Why not? I decided to pack as light as I could. I was the oldest hiker by 20 to 50 years. Dominick helped carry my fanny pack- this was a life saver! I haven't pushed myself hard enough to determine my limit, but this certainly did. Glad I did it. Will I do it this coming winter? I'm still deciding. I just saw orthopedics, as he said my right hip is now bone on bone and much worse. The earliest possible surgery date is likely March 2026. Next Christmas letter, you'll find out my decision. One thing with a painful hip, it doesn't stop me, but everything takes longer. Elisha, my son in law, helped organize a work party. On my driveway I had a bunch of logs just staring at me. In half a day, all of the logs were cut, split and stacked in the woodshed. That was so nice! This has been a year of transition and change. TK and Beth began English Corner Fellowship maybe 8 years ago as an outreach to international students at Olympic College. Through friendship some joined a group studying the Bible. Some became Christians. I joined maybe 5 to 6 years ago. Before COVID, we had around 20 students regularly attending twice a month gatherings. After COVID the number of students and leaders shrunk. I remember a few times, the few leaders just prayed as no students showed up. At the beginning of 2025 TK stepped down. That left Pierre & Ann Louise (both 90 years old) and myself. We prayed for helpers and God provided Tim and Victoria. Unfortunately with me traveling often to Spokane to be with my Mom, I haven't been consistently able to attend English Corner. This has been an answer to our prayers. English Corner will continue. This year Lori and I celebrated 37 years of marriage. We were able to get away to Rock Away, Oregon. As always, Lori found a perfect place right on the ocean. Some wonderful walks along the beach, beautiful sunsets, pounding surf and even flying a dual-handle stunt kite. Lori actually flew that kite well, I hate to admit, but much better than me. 37 years of marriage has taught me many lessons. I'll share a few. Lori is my best friend and I'm so glad to be married to her. Marriage is designed by God and best lived out according to His design (Ephesians 5), marriage is a covenant and not a contract, God focused and not focused on oneself, moving toward oneness vs. selfishness. Have we arrived? I wish, but glad we together can experience life's joys and sorrows with each other. How time flies! I've been a doctor for 40 years and 30 years at the same office. I've grown old alongside my patients. How much longer? Not certain, but I feel the pull of other factors, marriage, helping my Mom who is almost 102 years old, grandchildren, ministries. I just need to share a bit about my Mom. She is probably the most thankful person I know, she also doesn't want to go to sleep angry at anyone, she finds joy in the simple things of life, like fishing, enjoying watching the birds and flowers, picking huckleberries and eating her Hershey Kisses and sharing them with her family and friends. The world would be a better place if more people would follow her example. What do you want to be remembered for? That should shape the way we live and treat others. This year has been full and blessed year. I look forward to this new year with hope and anticipation of all that God has planned. Looking at my immediate family, there are 5 generations represented. My Mom born in 1924 is part of the Greatest Generation, I am a Baby Boomer, my children are Generation Y (Millennials) and Generation Z and my grandchildren are Generation Alpha. I hope to understand each of their strengths and weaknesses and encourage them in their pursuits and relationships to be all that they can be- making our society and world a better place for all From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and God’s richest blessing upon you and your family. Rich Website: www.teamtanaka.com Email: [email protected]