Boston Christmas Celebration

Boston Pops 2012

Beautiful music in celebration of Christ's birth

Singing for our Sunday School Christmas program at church.

 

                                                                     Sunday School Christmas Program

                                                             Starbucks on Beacon Hill Christmas Eve

 Stefanie watched Benjamin so Esther and I could ice skate on the Boston Common.

Esther and I having a great time on the "Frog Pond."

 

We both agreed that we felt "young" again! :)

It was so fun to be in Boston on Christmas Eve.

It was a blessing to discover a friend of ours passing out Christmas tracts from our church while we were down there.

 

 

Benjamin liked the Christmas tree ornament that I gave him. 

 

 

  Camusos with Benjamin

 

 We celebrated Christmas Eve with my sister, Shera's, family.

Great homemade pasta sauce with meatballs for dinner and gluten free pasta for me. My lucky day!

 

 

Justus and April in their hideout! So cute!

 

 

April loves her new stroller!

 

 

Benjamin's First Christmas Morn!

 

Esther and Joe had to fly out Christmas day. Stefanie had to work and Denis stayed in New Hampshire with the Camusos. We enjoyed a quiet Christmas dinner with my parents at our apartment.

 

 

 

Josh and Aleta 

 

   I am thankful for a wonderful Christmas with my husband and family.

 

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." Luke 2:14

Merry Christmas

I hope that everyone enjoyed a Merry Christmas with family and friends.  I will post pictures from our celebrations as soon as I get them. Last night, I watched the Nativity which is becoming a tradition for me. I enjoyed reflecting on Jesus' birth-The reason for the season!

Summer Recap

I know it is now, October, but I feel like I never paid full homage to summer. (My favorite season)
I love the heat and warmth of summer!  Probably, because it is not so unbearable here as it is in other regions.

It was a busy summer. Most of which was spent at the law office preparing for some deadlines. I did sneak away for a few fun times at the mall and the ocean.

Highlights of the summer (Not necessarily in this order)

Shopping at Nordstroms, Macy's, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Williams and Sonoma. Love these stores. I don't usually buy anything from the above mentioned except from Macy's which has a great clearance section. I do love the inspiration and the joy of looking at beautiful things. I usually look for decorating ideas and buy the items from a less expensive store. Williams and Sonoma is such a fun kitchen store and they have free coffee samples which is always a draw to me.

Nantucket

I took the ferry from Cape Cod to Nantucket Island at the end of August. It was a beautiful day and I had a great time. I tried a lobster roll for the first time and enjoyed it. I am getting more into seafood these days. (Favorite being scallops from Legal Seafoods). The beaches, villages and downtown streets of Nantucket are beautiful and charming. It was much more upscale than Martha's Vineyard in my opinion. My first memory of Nantucket was with my dad when he took me over on his motorcycle and we rode around the island. I remember being enthralled that the cliffs on the beaches looked just like the ones in Anne of Green Gables. I have my dad to thank for the many special places he has introduced to me as well as the travelling spirit that forever seeks a journey. :)

"Somerville Olympics" was the theme of the three day Bible club that I hosted in my bus route neigborhood with the help of  2 of the "12 Men On A Mission" from West Coast. I was struggling deeply with doing the club and was worn out from a busy school year. As I battled it out in my mind, my soul was not at rest and I was not happy about not doing it. How could I stay home while
others went out to battle? So I decided on a compromise of a 3 day club instead of 5. The Olympic theme came together nicely and the guys were a great help. We had over 100 kids and parents attend the club which was great!

Sister Time

 

It has been a tradition that the Michael sisters get together for sister day(s) each summer. As Shera and Sonja have moved on and have families now, it has been left to Stefanie, Esther and I to carry on. We have had many adventures ranging from Rhode Island to Virginia Beach. This summer, we spent the afternoon in Rockport and Gloucester which are two of my personal favorite get-aways close to Boston.

 

 

 

We dined at the Ocean View Inn. I love the view of the ocean here. My father brought me here on a motorcycle ride when I was in high school. I was so happy to re-discover it a few years ago.

We enjoyed great conversation and laughter. I am so thankful for my sisters! 

 

ps. Notice our similar taste in footwear. We must be related!



The Last Michael to Graduate from N.E.C.A.

Josh, Denis, Aleta

In June, my brother, Denis, graduated from New England Christian Academy. Thus, ending a thirty-six year "tradition" of a Michael attending the New England Christian Academy. School has not been easy for him. We are proud of him for sticking with it and graduating. Denis came to us from St. Petersburg, Russia, when he was seven years old. My memories of this event are vivid. He was so cute and very hyper. He was fascinated by the Christmas tree lights that have a button to change the variety of lights and the cd player that he would turn off and on at random...driving me crazy!

Hats off to sister Sonja who taught him how to speak and to read and write English in her class at school. TRIPLE HATS OFF to my mom who has steadfastly undertaken the task of raising him. It has not been an east road at times. Denis has been a blessing to our family in many ways. He is very good with his hands and can figure things out in an instant. Presently, he is working two jobs and is hoping to attend Christian college next year. Please pray that he will follow the Lord with his whole heart.

 The Michael Family (missing a few)

It was a blessing to have siblings from out of town here for the occasion. Scott flew in from Washington  and Esther and Joe drove in from Ohio. Sonja would have loved to have been here, but could not due to it being too close to her due date. It was great to be with family!

Boston Tea Party

 Tea Time!

Recently, we held a tea party on the the Boston Harbor. The tea was not dumped into the harbor this time, but was enjoyed by all at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

The grand occasion was to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my sister, Esther's first child, "Baby Boy Hawkins." A few of her friends from high school and their moms joined us for high tea.

Each of us chose our own pot of tea and enjoyed the lovely desserts and tea sandwiches. 

Lots of laughs!

 

A great time was had by all!

~Sisters~

                                                                                                           

Sister Sonja was with us in spirit as she was near her due date and could not fly out.

~New England Christian Academy Graduates (And one spouse)~

May we be dedicated to the task of reaching the next generation as we were reached.

Esther is closest in age to me. We share a lot of  memories from growing up as well as memories of an amazing trip to Europe. It is very sweet and somewhat mind boggling to think of her being a mother, but I know that she will do a great job. One thing that has always impressed me is her consistency with personal devotions even in high school. She would rise up early to read the Bible and would sometimes fall asleep. I, under the covers and under conviction would ask, "Why do you even bother?" Needless to say, I was at the top of her prayer list! :)

Congratulations Esther! I have no doubt that you will do your very best to raise Baby Hawkins in the ways of the Lord. 

MSN 4.0!!!

Congrats to my sister, Stefanie, who graduated with a master's degree in nursing from the University of Massachusetts in Boston with a 4.0 GPA! She was a recipient of an academic award at her graduation. This milestone reached has not been easy. She maintained her nursing job at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston which ranks third in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report and was actively involved in ministry throughout her time of graduate studies.

Many people put service to Christ and others on the backburner while pursuing higher education. I admire that my sister sacrificed study time and much needed rest to continue in her weekend ministries at church as well as to serve many families in our church throughout the week. While putting herself through graduate school, she also sacrificed financially by sponsoring students at New England Christian Academy. Her dedication to the work of the Lord has been a great blessing.

In honor of this special occasion we hosted a party with the regular Sunday night group that gets together on occasion.

 ~Cake from Whole Foods~

~ Lovely Deserts~

Lots of Great Food!

The Sunday night group bought Stefanie a new laptop for her graduation.

Denis can have his back now. :)

 

Congratulations to Stefanie on this great accomplishment!

West Coast Comes to Boston

My father received a random phone call from West Coast Baptist College earlier this year. They had a group of 12 college men coming to Boston this summer and were looking for a church to host them. Never one to say "no" to anyone coming to Boston to evangelize, my dad agreed to allow them to live and set up base at our church. We are excited about this outreach!

 Five pallets arrived before they did!

30,000 packets to be distributed to Jewish homes.

So what are they doing? It is quite fascinating in my opinion. They are employed by Israel Restoration Ministries a ministry of Tom Cantor, founder and CEO Scantibodies Laboratory, INC., Scantibodies Clinical Laboratory in California. He is paying these college students to go door-to-door in large Jewish communities in the United States. I understand that there are other college groups in different sections of the country this summer as well. The money that the young men receive goes straight to their college tuition. They also receive a weekly food allowance. Last year some of the boys in this group spent the summer in New York City. The stories they share are quite interesting!


The packets are hand-delivered by these young men. Please PRAY for them. It is not easy to go to the Lost House of Israel day after day. Please pray for hearts to be softened in the communities of Boston, Brookline and Newton. Tomorrow they are following up on those who expressed interest from the last two weeks of door-to-door.

~West Coast Baptist College Men ~

Packet that is left at each Jewish home.

Inside of the packet you will find the following:

1. A message from Tom Cantor (See below.)

2. A DVD with the testimony of Tom Cantor 

3. A booklet with the testimony of Tom Cantor


I would be happy to send you a packet if you willl share it with a Jewish friend. The message from Tom Cantor is as follows:

Dear Friend:

I am Jewish and all of my ancestors were Jewish. I am very excited to pass along to you my DVD life story and accompanying booklet. Though having started in my garage with $130 a biotech company that has grown to over 600 people, and having been the 2009 Whistleblower of the year, these have not been what have been the greatest events in my life. Even though I now have incurable stage 4 non Hodgkin's Lymphoma I have a wonderful peace, security and assurance that I am thrilled to share with you in the attached DVD and booklets.

Please consider with an open mind the contents in the DVD and booklets. What God has done for me He can do for you. From these materials may your life be forever inspired, altered, and blessed.

If you would like additional materials including a beautiful new covenant scriptures about the Jewish Messiah, or you have any questions please contact me at the Israel Restoration line at 1-800-247-3051.

Your Friend,

Tom Cantor

_________________________________


I watched most of the DVD last night and was fascinated by his testimony. It is so amazing that the Jewish community in Boston is being reached in this way. It is a great blessing to have the West Coast Baptist College men with us this summer. Please pray for them to learn what they need to learn from this experience and for protection for us all from Satanic oppression and attacks. Thank you!

Celebrating 65 Years

Marilyn Marsh Michael

Happy 65th Birthday!

On May 3rd we celebrated my mom's 65th Birthday. I wanted to post something in honor of this special occasion.The following is an excerpt from an article that I submitted for a contest and was published in Christian Womanhood in January 2010:

"Many women sacrifice for the advancement of husband and children. Rare is the woman who offers home and talent not only for her husband and children, but also for the world beyond her front door. My mother, Marilyn Michael, has been that kind of woman. For 35 (now 37) years she has been the pastor's wife of the New England Baptist Church in Medford, Massachusetts. Leaving Chicago and traveling to Boston with her husband and two small children was an act of faith and obedience to God's will. Upon their arrival, my parents chose an apartment in Medford, five miles north of Boston, and began holding services in their living room...

Just as her child-rearing responsibilities were winding down and she was to become a grandmother, the opportunity to pursue international adoption arose. My mom supported my dad's desire to adopt and accompanied him to St. Petersburg, Russia, where she welcomed a Russian-speaking seven-year-old boy into our family. For the past ten years, she has embraced the challenges of rearing a son who was quite different from her other children.

As mother to five daughters (and 2 sons), she has spent countless hours listening to our struggles and identifying with them. Her words of praise and encouragement have strengthened us. I believe it is due to the prayers of my mom and dad and to the grace of God that we six grown children love God and serve Him in various capacities. My mom is a real person who does not present a facade. Her honesty about the struggles of life and the ministry has not discouraged us from the ministry, but rather has equipped us to serve God as well."

Yesterday, my mom spoke for the ladies brunch at our church. She shared her testimony of being led to Christ by my grandmother, Mildred Marsh, at the age of five. My mom then relayed to us that rarely a week goes by when she does not share her salvation testimony. I appreciate many things about my mother. One of them being her heart for lost souls. As a young girl, I accompanied her out door knocking where she shared salvation and reached out to many needy people. Not only did I learn how to reach out to others, but was, also, safely exposed to the wages of sin. I saw the broken lives and knew that was not what I wanted for my life. When I was 12 years old, I paired up with my sister and began knocking on doors and leading people to Christ on my own. Fifteen years later, I visit that same neighborhood sharing salvation. I am so thankful that my mom emphasized by example the importance of reaching other people for Christ. In the end, isn't that what matters most? I truly believe so.

 My hope and prayer for my mom is that this next season of life brings much fulfillment and joy.

Happy 65th Birthday Mom!

TEXAS

You'll never guess where I was over the weekend...

Spirit airlines offered a round trip flight for $107. from Boston to Dallas. The time was right. It had been five years and seemingly five lifetimes since I had seen some of my college friends. I was having these random thoughts of the Texas countryside and feeling the great need to get away from the city. So I was thrilled when the trip came together.

I rented a car in Dallas and took the drive that had been lingering in the back of my mind for months. It was everything I wanted it to be. Relaxing and refreshing! The wide open space and white fences are typical landscape that I saw.

I grinned when I entered Cracker Barrel for lunch and was greeted with the Texas southern hospitality. "I'm definitely in Texas." I thought to myself. So different from Boston.

Plans for the day were to meet up with Anne (college friend and roommate) at her sister-in-law's wedding which happened to fall on the weekend I planned to come. It was so good to see Anne and to meet her three year old son, Philip.

                                                   Had to chase him down for a picture!

  Saw some familiar faces and another friend, Chrystal, at the wedding. Great time catching up!

Drove back to Longview with Anne and talked and talked and talked. We stopped by the college campus for old time's sake and that "arriving on college campus" feeling emerged from the pit of my stomach...gotta love it!  We checked out the dorm and the TBC plaza and headed off to one of our favorite food haunts...McAllisters. Love the place! Great food and the best iced tea!   

Anne and her husband Philip graciously put me up for the two nights at a lovely hotel. So nice! It was great to retreat to my room around midnight after starting the day in Boston around 4 a.m. Wiped out!

Started Sunday off at Starbucks (what better way?)...so nice to see an empty store. Everyone must be at church. Starbucks in Boston are packed out on Sunday mornings. One of the things that I like about Texas is that there is still a very strong Christian influence. So refreshing. So nice to see church goers at restaurants after church. Don't see that very often in these parts.

Had a great time at the church service at Longview Baptist Temple. I felt very welcome and was happy to see so many special people from my college years and to meet up with Mrs. Rossouw and college friends, Chrissy and Carrie. My friends have all had children since the last time we were together. It was fun to meet their new additions who are so cute. Since I am a teacher, I notice children's behavior.... and was impressed by all of my friends great parenting skills. It also cracked me up to hear my former roommates etc. being called, "mom."

Was treated to lunch and great conversation by the Rossouws. They showed me around the beautiful, new TBC addition which was fun to see. Church was great Sunday night. Spent more time with Anne at her lovely apartment etc.

Monday, I met up with Mrs. Rossouw and had breakfast and lunch together with lots of talking thrown in. Stopped in to see Mrs. Petticoffer (former teacher and dean of women) to say "hi" and touch base.  Met up with Anne for some shopping and made our way to McAllisters for the grand finale with friends. Had a great time talking and laughing! It was so good to be with them. I am thankful for such a special weekend with friends.

  Clockwise starting next to me: Sarah, Chrissy, Carrie, Chrystal and Anne.

Boston Marathon

          "Awesome...Inspiring...Thrilling!"

                                                              
My sister responded with the above captioned after receiving my text and picture of a runner at the marathon. On Monday, I made my to the Boston Marathon for the first time in my twenty- seven years of being a Bostonian. It was amazing! After having watched the Boston Marathon a few times, I decided to see it in real life as the weather promised to be great. Great weather for the spectators that is! Not for the Runners! Temperatures hiked up into the mid 80's causing a lot of heat related issues for the runners.

AWESOME- I arrived just in time to hear the roar of applause erupting from the crowd lining Boylston Street as Kenyan, Sharon Cherop, crossed the finish line first. It was an awesome moment! I jumped up on someone's steps(Surprised they didn't kick me off!) and spotted her after she came through the finish line. Not wanting to stay at the back of the finish line, I wandered up Boylston Street 100 yards from the finish line and worked my way into a spot at the front of the line. Everyone was in great spirits! I met people from New Jersey, Alabama, Texas and Kansas who were here to watch a family member run!

During my sojourn for a spot, I missed the men's race to the finish line. Kenyan, Wesley Korir, won for the men's division. Notice the time. Imagine running 26 miles in 2 hours?

INSPIRING- After the men's and women's races were over, runners trickled in in small numbers. The majority were men and most of them looked great as in not completely exhausted. Around the three hour mark, larger groups of people started coming through. I saw several groups of army men running towards the finish line. The crowd always erupted in extra cheers and applause for them. 

Other inspiring images that stood out were the individuals running with a prosthetic leg, the blind man running with a walking stick in his hand, the two blind men running with a "rope" attached to a guide who was also running with them and the parents who pushed their children with special needs. One such person I saw was Dick Hoyt pushing his son, Rick, to the finish line. Dick is 71 and this is his 30th Boston Marathon run to raise awareness for the Hoyt foundation. 

THRILLING- It is thrilling to see average people lace up their sneakers for a cause that they believe in. Many people ran for a charity, a hospital or to reach a personal goal. As the 4th and 5th hour mark hit, many of the non-professional runners made their appearance. The unexpected heat wiped everyone out to some degree, but it hit these people the hardest. A few would stagger to the ground in exhaustion. It was sweet to see a stranger come by and offer a pat on the back, a hand to help them up or a shoulder to lean on. Watching the person stand to their feet and limp to the finish line was thrilling. People were still jogging up Boylston Street at the 6th and 7th hour of the race. Towards the end of the day, an elderly veteran bent over with exhaustion made his way up Boylston Street as a young army friend ran along the sidelines shouting, "You can do it! You're almost there!" And he did!

Throughout the day, I thought about the Christian race we are running and the cloud of witnesses that we are compassed about with. Our race on earth can be grueling, but the Finish Line will be much more glorious than any of us can imagine. So..."Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;" Hebrews 12:1-2

See you at the Finish Line! 

Editor's Note: After cheering the runners on, I took a break at one of my favorite places on Newbury Street. :)