The Eide Scoop: We are feeling a little light this Christmas. Shane (24) recently spent a couple years in Ireland to help plant a church, and a year of ministry training in Phoenix before that. Then last September, he tossed a couple suitcases in the trunk of his Corolla to go on a multi-state road trip, found a job in Dallas, TX, and never came back. We aren’t sure how long he’ll stay in Dallas, but since he told his sister she could have his bedroom, we suspect this latest flight out of the nest is permanent.
It took Janae (17) about 30 minutes to box up the rest of Shane’s stuff, haul it downstairs, and enlist her brother and her BFFs to help repaint the room and move her stuff in. The walls are now aglow with fluorescent dancing silhouettes. In addition to painting and dancing, Janae is wrapping up her senior year at Sandy High with a 3.9gpa, working part-time at a local preschool, preparing herself (and her parents) for college, and hanging with friends. She and her boyfriend Matt run a weekly bible-study fun night called “Jesus Night.” They offer a time of worship, bible study & discussion and games, and finish off with a crazy fun activity as an alternative to the typical teen weekend partying. “Jesus Night” has been a big hit with their high school friends.
Ben (22) is taking time off after his first year of college and is training full time in martial arts. He’s getting really good; he earned his yellow belt last year and will test soon for his green. When he’s not training, he helps out by teaching the kid’s class. Ben is hoping to get into law enforcement, and we think he’s very well suited for it. Ben also keeps the kids in Children’s Church in line and entertained with his puppetry skills, one his many amazing gifts.
Dan continues to use his God-given gifts and do what he does best: to provide for his family and friends in the ways that count the most. He works hard to take care of us all, both materially and spiritually. He not only gives of his time and talents with family, he also works with boys at Royal Rangers, sharing his fatherly wisdom and guidance with the next generation of good men. Dan loves to study the bible, fish, and search on Craig’s list for a killer deal on whatever anyone needs. Dan is the man if you need prayer, a word of sound biblical advice, a fishing buddy, a job, or a car.
Camille is working on adjusting to her baby girl graduating from high school, managing a home and the church office, and being a novelist/writer. She signed with a Christian literary agency last spring on a novel that piqued the interest of a couple Christian publishers, but is currently (still) undergoing revisions. The revising work has been slow going, but this work has been an important learning process. When the novel is finished to her agent’s liking, we will put together a proposal and submit it to publishers. We’ll keep you posted if you want to follow the publishing journey and celebrate with us if we get a contract, or if you’d just like to read the finished product. Camille looks forward to resuming work on her second book soon.
We would like to leave you with this thought for Christmas: This earthly life, from birth to death, is just a prologue, the opening scene of an eternal story in which the ending is only the beginning—a glorious beginning for those who belong to the resplendent Hero.
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."[John 8:12]May Jesus be the Light that shines in every dark place.
Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year!
