Serve by Design

I just received one of my favorite gifts of the season! And yes, I have already opened it! For two decades now, two of our closest friends in Texas have been making our Christmases extra special! They have been gifting us with a yearly Texas State Capitol Ornament. This exclusive and beautiful ornament annually features a new aspect of the vast history surrounding the beauty, tradition, and folk lore behind Texas’s beloved State Capitol in Austin. This series ornament is in its 29 th year! The monies generated by ornament sales support the ongoing preservation and interpretation of the Capitol for the next generation of Texans and for over one million visitors who come to the Capitol each year. "Jingle Bells" Why all the hoopla about this ornament? You must not be a Texan or have lived in the Lone Star State! Our family is inextricably tied to Texas! Three of our four children were born in Texas during the fifteen years we lived in the Great State while I attended seminary a...

I have been the recipient of a very special Christmas ornament for several years now. As December comes around each year, I watch and wait for it to arrive. I have two dear Texas friends who make this gifting possible - Wanda and Deborah Crossland. Back in the days of my seminary education, Wanda served on the search committee that called me to FBC Granbury as an associate pastor. Her daughter, Debbie, became one of Monique’s closest friends. Now, forty-five years later, Wanda and Debbie continue to be two cherished friends and encouragers! "Welcome to Songfest!" The ornament arrived the other day and took its place on my little Christmas tree that sits prominently in the family room on top of a media shelf. These uniquely crafted ornaments (on sale at the Capitol Gift Shop) promote the Texas Preservation Board that “ensures the preservation and use of the State Capitol Old General Land Office Building in Austin.”  Each year these collectibles have a special theme. The 2022 T...