Year-end donation click here | Photo essay click here
First–you may wonder how, on a limited budget, we are able to afford photos and graphics… great question! I personally believe our photographer, graphic designer, web developer, part-time writer and marketing consultant should all get a significant raise this year.
However, our accountant, office manager, travel agent, part-time writer, donor communications manager and supply purchaser all believe they should get a significant raise this year as well.
So which one deserves a raise–me or Jolene? OK. I thought the pictures would put me over the top, but somehow the accountant has won again. I think it’s her good looks… Just not fair!
That said, THANK YOU to all who have given, and all who are going to give, in our year-end appeal. No, we’re not at the edge of a fiscal cliff. But for your tax purposes in 2012, the deadline is the same!
Santa vs Fiscal Cliff
I actually spent the first 15 years of my career as a newspaper photojournalist. Admittedly, I’m a little rusty now. But I wanted to share with you some unexpected spot-news coverage with my iPhone Christmas eve. Santa arrived at the Capitol!
I thought you’d appreciate the constructive dialogue we recently had surrounding this event.
“Ho ho ho… take that fiscal cliff!” Jon
“Is that Hamill underneath that beard?” Jason Hershey
“Santa was an intercessor…” Jon
“Did DC make the nice list?” Jason Hubbard
“(Santa) came empty handed because they’re all on the naughty list.” Matt Lockett
“No bag! The government has taken even that…” Bill Brubaker
Take Time to Pray!
Despite Santa’s Christmas cheer, another round of free gifts just won’t cut it. That said, please take time to pray for President Obama, our Senators and Representatives now tackling the budget challenges at the edge of the fiscal cliff. If you’re like us, you’re not really sure how to pray, so we advise praying in the Spirit and declaring as God leads.
At 3:00 pm EST, President Obama will meet with both Republican and Democrat leaders of the Senate and the House. According to Keith Koffler of the White House Dossier, “Nothing gets really done when all the leaders are in the room. But it still may be significant that they are meeting, because after the gathering ends, all their little aides will get together and try to hammer something out.”
Within this embedded dose of cynicism is a solid prayer point. Lets pray not just for our leaders, but their aides as well as we head towards the afternoon. CALL OUT THE TRUE STATESMEN TO RISE TO THE OCCASION.
Covenant blessings,
Jon & Jolene
