As I send each Christmas greeting, I like to pause to treasure memories of you and offer a prayer of thanksgiving. I am so grateful for my friends and family, including each of you who take the time to connect with me via my website, books, and blogs. The connection means a great deal to me.

This has been an eventful year, full of both joys and trials. Several highlights include a pilgrimage to Ireland with my doctoral cohort, a Christian coaching course completion, a dissertation defense, and various trips that allowed me to both learn and teach. After completing a nearly year-long certification for Christian life coaching, I set up a new business called Riverfront Coaching. It seems just the right vehicle to combine ministry experience, theological studies in spiritual formation, and training in Christian coaching. In January, I begin a year-long Spiritual Direction certification program. I love sharing things I have been learning in any way they can be helpful to others. If you are not already reading this from the website, I would be honored if you would visit and peruse my new website at riverfrontcoaching.com.

In the fall, I finished my dissertation and successfully defended it on October 19. It has been a wonderful but long journey, and when my professors said “Congratulations, Dr. Shaw,” I cried from relief, joy, and weariness. I began my studies while at Wyndham’s bedside, and he greatly encouraged me in this pursuit. I learned and grew from my research and writing on, “The Relationship Between Restoration Movement Hermeneutics and Spiritual Formation.”

I enjoyed our second annual “Labor Day Weekend with the Entire Family” at a beach in Connecticut. The picture on this greeting is from that weekend. I apologize for the lighting issues, but the photo plans I anticipated during Thanksgiving were overthrown by various stomach bugs. Lighting issues or not, it represents my greatest joy in spending time with my family.

Sadly, in October, the house I own next door to me suffered a tragic fire. Thankfully, my friends who rent the house were eating dinner around my dining room table at the time so were all safe. It was quite traumatic, and they lost all their possessions. So, this will be a year of more rebuilding and restoration, which follows along the story of my life’s desire to keep building and transforming to become more like Jesus. That’s what spiritual formation is all about.

Have a wonderful holiday. May the Lord bless you and keep you…and give you peace.