Merry Christmas from the Leach kids!

Tonight we went to Sovereign Grace Church's Christmas Eve service and had our traditional "after church family party" (which we'll also repeat tomorrow night in Richmond with JJ and Katie.) Daddy found out last weekend that he had to work today and tomorrow- so our Christmas day this year will be on the 26th.

I can't WAIT to meet my nephew!!! It will be so fun to all be together as a family.

Florida continued

Monday I got to go see Meghann and the girls...Reagan, Sydney, and Jordyn. They're the last family I lived with. Ah, they've grown up so much! Reagan is reading up a storm! Oh how I miss them.



Last night a bunch of us met at the Phillips' to experience spontaneous hospitality- which we always enjoy there! It was wonderful to spend time with friends laughing until my cheeks hurt.

Ang Gilland

In typical Jake style, his t-shirt says: "Trust me, I'm perfect"
Oh, Jake.

Amy Roberts

Janelle Phillips, Lauren Phillips, Angela Gilland, me and Ariel Watler

Today Ang, Em, Lindsay, Alli, Abbott and I went to Chipotle for lunch. My flight got delayed an hour and a half so I had a little extra time to go Christmas shopping with Lindsay!

This weekend couldn't possibly have been more refreshing, encouraging, or FUN. I am so amazed and humbled by the way my friends serve me, build me up, and I can't believe the richness of the friendships I have. I am totally spoiled.

A special LOUD thank you to the Jones family for making this weekend possible! Danny and Melodye NOT ONLY bought my tickets, but they hosted me...and Lindsay selflessly drove me to and fro and bought practically all of my food for the weekend. What a wonderful Christmas present! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Florida, I miss you already! See you in 8 months!

Surprise!

Surprise Orlando!!! I'm here for the weekend!

First stop was Jeremy and Kristen's to surprise the girls. We had Kristen's amazing pancakes and then went to the park with the Dunlops, Naams, Traugotts, and Jones'. What an incredibly fun afternoon!







Nana and Grandaddy brought candy canes!

We ended with a game of volleyball (my team won!) and a haircut for Jack.

I'm having trouble uploading the videos, but next was surprising a few close friends.

Mission: To Skype with them in the next room, tell them to "hang on" and then walk into the room they were in. Worked like a charm! Ariel was late so we got to do it TWICE. We screamed, hugged, and laughed for a while before heading to my favorite restaurant: Outback!

Then we went to Julie's Starbucks to continue the fun...


Then we came back to the Jones' for some amazing singing. I have incredibly talented friends. You just wouldn't believe it.

Church Sunday morning was so wonderful. So many faces I love, so many hugs, lots of surprises, it was so much fun.


This picture is purely to show you the unbelievably gorgeous weather here. Oh what I would giveto be able to bottle it all up and take it back with me!

After Olive Garden for lunch, Ariel, Linsday and I went to the mall.

Then we SURPRISED SJ (in white) for her birthday having dinner at the Elephant Bar.





...all around the table.

Happy Birthday, SJ!!!

Jet Lag

FYI: Jet lag from Wales to the States is WAY easier to recover from than the reverse...

Keep in mind for future travel.

Condemned by Condemnation

Have you ever had those downwards spiral of thoughts? The ones that just get you no where but depressed, overwhelmed by failure, and feeling miserable?

"I should've known better." "I haven't been reading the Bible enough." "How can I even call myself a Christian when I treat other people this way?" "All I've been doing is focusing on myself. When will I get a life?" "God has to be so disappointed in me." "Maybe next time if I work really really hard, I can do better..." "Other people must be so annoied with me. I can't believe they put up with all of this." "Do other people really love me? Or do they just think they have to?"

And what's worse, then it proceeds as you think of how you SHOULDN'T be thinking these things. Again, more failure, more misery, more condemnation. Condemned in condemnation.

"In thinking this, I'm robbing myself of joy. Great. Another thing I'm doing wrong." "Do I think Christ's sacrifice wasn't enough, and needs 'adding to' by my works? Ugh, I'm so proud." "No one could possibly describe me as joyful, all I've been doing is moaning and complaining- I haven't been applying the Gospel at all."

Do you catch my drift?

Well, welcome to the last 24 hours of my life. I have listened to The Gospel Primer four times. I have fought for joy. I have wrapped myself in Gospel truths. I have worshipped. I've had a friend remind me of grace and that Christ is bigger than my sin.

And I don't feel any different.

And that's just it. The beauty of it. It doesn't matter what I feel. Christ maintains my justified status before God anyways. He's not waiting for me to get victory. He's not waiting for me to clean up my act- to get it all together. He's here. With me. Right now. In my mess. He knows my sin better than I do-- He bore its wrath entirely. Drinking the cup of God's anger so dry that there is not even one drop left for me to drink. Whether I think it or not, I'M FREE from sin! Freed from the slavery of various lusts and pleasures. Freed from condemning thoughts. When the Father looks on me, He has nothing but love for me in His heart...love with no admixture of wrath whatsoever.

"There is therefore now no condmenmation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8
"Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Romans 5
"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." Isaiah 53
"Not that we have loved God but that He loved us" 1 John 4

Oh Father, help me relate to you based not on myself, not relating to you on my feelings about the Gospel, but regardless of my emotions, help me to live my justified status before You. Help me not see you as the angry tyrant that You are not, but make me see you as You are. Full of love, compassion, and grace which is Your delight to lavish upon me. Help me, please. I love you.

God Bless America!

I cannot tell you how wonderful, and yet funny it is to be back in the States. Things are oddly familiar, and yet seem strange. Oh how I miss it!

Ironically enough, I almost yelled to my dad, "We're going the wrong way!" while being on the right side of the road...ha!

I woke up at 4:30am Wales time to drive to London, and arrived in VA with my family around 10:30pm EST (3:30am Wales time.) That's right...about 23 hours of travel from door to door. But it went so quickly and so smoothly...some of the best flights I've been on- thank you for your prayers!

Tomorrow I plan to have a lie in and do Joy's hair and then we're going to the Benson's for dessert!

Christmas time in Wales

Last night in the midst of baking cookies, we heard a knock on the door. Two carolers. They sang a very terrible rendition of "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" but they were very cute and the thought was precious.

Here, you have to PAY the carolers for singing. Last week, three of my LIFE girls went out, and made 36 quid!!! We only gave these boys a pound, but it was fun to partake in!


After three or four batches of lovely cookies, I went back into the kitchen and proclaimed, "Oh my gosh! I left the oven on!" I turned it off and proceeded to wonder what the smell was of something burning. I checked the candles, the bread maker that I borrowed from Sue Rees...and then opened the oven to find these...

apparently I put another batch in. Whoops!


And just like Kat's line in our Christmas assembly..."There's only one last thing to do...decorate!"

In honor of my love for Florida, I made a "beach babe." The yellow is to represent her bronze godess tan.

The girls were hard at work! I pretty much just threw the icing on there...but they were very meticulous!

And then I set up for tonight's Christmas dinner. A beef roast, asparagus, roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots, homemade bread, bruchetta, and bacon cheese rolls. Oh! And hot apple cider. I had SO much fun! (and help!)


Anna joined us when she got home from Placement.

This is our little ity bity Christmas tree!

We're about to do presents in a minute. Christmas time in Wales is almost over, but Christmas in the States begins tomorrow! We leave at 5:30am and Peter and I will be traveling for about 18 hours! It's early to bed tonight!