Happy holidays from the Basye’s in “Magic City”, otherwise known as Billings, Montana! For those of you who are more involved in our day to day life, sorry, this blog isn’t intended for you as much as those who are less involved but feel free to read it nonetheless.
As you might recall, Shelly, the kids and I moved to Billings, Montana from Memphis, Tennessee in October of 2009. Wow, 2009. We have really lived in this city for over a year. That is hard for me to believe only because I pause and wonder, “Where has the time gone?” When we first arrived to Billings, Ellie was just 6 months old… a little baby. She is now approaching 21 months, can walk and run, has a full head of hair, is able to put together two word phrases and certainly looks and acts more like a little girl than a baby (though we do still call her Baby Ellie sometimes!). Man, how time flies. We joke around that Ellie is our southern girl as she does not seem to like the cold! If she is out too long in the snow, she’s cold. If we don’t put the heater on in her room, she’s cold! It really is quite funny. She is doing well, full of life, absolutely loves her brother, and Shelly would say she is a Daddy’s girl (that might be trueJ).
And then there is Elijah. As I look back over our time since being in Billings, I’m not sure he has changed in personality so much as he simply keeps getting bigger and bigger. Though he just turned 4 this past September, he very easily wears 5T clothing and even those aren’t big enough for him, so we go to the 6T. He is doing “pre-school” at the local YMCA three half days a week and absolutely loves it (well, most days I should say). He continues to be the personable and outgoing boy he has always been, but if anything is different he is more imaginative. He loves playing pretend and especially loves when I make up stories or songs for him (typically I have to make up songs as I can never remember the lyrics; I’m just glad someone appreciates this talent of mine!).
Shelly, or should I say Dr. Basye, has been working at Billings Clinic (it is a hospital; don’t let the name fool you) as a hospitalist (a "doc" that works in the hospital) for over a year now and absolutely loves it. Not only does she really enjoy the work, which is shift work so a much lighter workload than residency, but she also enjoys the team of providers she works with. Just last night we hosted her work Christmas party as we filled our house with some 20 adults and a good 10+ kids. It is always an enjoyable thing when not only you get along with your co-workers, but also when they are your friends. We are both very grateful for her work and the relationships it offers both of us.
If you haven’t heard, we are expecting a child sometime in mid to late May! Each day Shelly looks more and more pregnant, but absolutely stunning, of course! In just the last few weeks she has really started to show and we have begun to feel the baby move around too. We will find out the sex of the baby in January because who are we kidding, we could never wait to find out! Elijah and Ellie are quite excited about this new baby. And as you might guess, Elijah is pulling for a boy, but we’ll see.
I am doing quite well also. For this past year I have been working on planting our house church in our community as well as have started a nine-month urban internship called the Fellowship House. Come this New Year I will continue to do this work as well as take over as the Executive Director of Community Leadership Development, Inc., a non-profit that has been at work in our community since 1979. I’m excited to have a more direct role with CLDI and am grateful for the platform this provides us in serving this community as we desire to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.
In closing, allow me to share what I have been thinking about most this holiday season. Beyond the layers of this thing we call Christmas is a deeper, more significant celebration and that being the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though this is absolutely amazing, this isn’t where my thoughts have been. The Bible teaches us that just as Christ came once (to die on the cross, be buried, raised from the dead and ascend into heaven), He will appear a second time. When He comes again God will establish a new heaven and a new earth… He will fully establish His kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Here is what the book of Revelation has to say of this kingdom:“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
Blessings and love to you all!
the Basye's
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