Everyone needs an Aunt Lee

Who can resist that smile? Not his Momma, I promise.

Yep...those are haystacks. Thanks to Cathy Matheney, who sent us two huge boxes full of Christmas goodies, including butterscotch chips!

Many Christians believe that we need to be strong if God is going to use our lives. The reality, however, is that we don't become strong enough for God to use. Instead, we must become weak enough. Steve McVey Grace Rules

It's been a rough week here at the Hooks' house. First our washer broke down, then I became really ill (I am finally on the mend, I think). Then we received word that Marc's Aunt Lee had passed away. This was, as you can imagine, very hard for Marc, who had been quite close to Lee growing up. Lee had received Christ as her Savior only the week before going into hospice care, so you can imagine that we were so relieved to know that she had taken care of the eternal before passing away.

I was not ever very close to Aunt Lee. She and I were very different people, and we really didn't totally understand one another. But I always appreciated the important role she played in making Marc into the man he has become. She taught him photography, took him to unbelievable places (she probably would think the Arctic circle in January sounded like fun!), and just generally doted on him. She went to everything he did--even church things, though she was definitely not a believer and definitely not interested in being a believer. She thought everything Marc did was wonderful. Every person should have someone in their life who thinks they are smart and talented and great...and Aunt Lee was that person for Marc. Those things that are sometimes hard for people to verbalize--like "Wow! That's the best video I ever saw!" or "Of course they want to hire you--you're unbelievably talented"--Aunt Lee always managed to put into words. She was never surprised by his success, because she recognized all of the good inside him. Those things that Marc (and every other person on the planet) needed to hear, she always said to him. What a gift to him, and what a blessing to those of us who are honored to have him in our lives. She was a unique person, gifted in encouragement. My guess is that if we were to talk to other people to whom she was close, they would probably say that she was always an encouragement to them, too.

Well, a little boy is asking to make his own toast this morning, so I must run. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you have been blessed with an Aunt Lee, someone who is outspoken about their love for and belief in you, and that your son has memorized all of his lines for the Christmas play this afternoon. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye