Merry Christmas from the Bondes!

Thanks for checking out our "Bonde Bits & Pieces" blog. This is the place where you can read our annual "Christmas Letter" as well as see pictures or clink on links to other web pages and websites. Read the letter below from Julie, read more about each of the kids in the side bar at the right and then click on any links in the posting below that you might be interested in. You may also add your comments by clicking on the comments icon below the postings. Enjoy and thanks for visiting!

Greetings to each one of you, our wonderful extended family, and our amazing friends,

It's the afternoon of December 27th and I'm still in jammies. We're waking up slow and quiet on this day since we finally had our own family celebration last night. The boys are reading or "chatting" with friends on email or google chat or the new web cams they got. Jacob is here from Boston, Karl is here from St. Olaf, and Luke is here as usual. After thirty years, I'm still sharing a wonderful life with my best friend, Pete. It has been 8 years since Hans died and my 3 suriving boys are thriving, living life with their hearts and heads at attention. And I am blessed with family, friends, employment and ministry.

My theme for the year has been Emmanuel-God with us. God has been constantly reminding me since last spring that God's presence is with me everywhere, all the time, no exceptions. During a recent meditation with one of my prayer groups, I was thinking again about Emmanuel-God with us. Afterwards I wrote in my journal, "The God I believe in is not out there somewhere unreachable. The God I believe in has been trying to tell us for several millennia, "I am with you." I mean, why send a baby? The only reason I can think of is to repeat again, "I am here with you. I want to be with you because I love you." The God I believe in is Emmanuel-God with us just as the baby Jesus and then the adult Jesus was with the people of the Mideast thousands of years ago." I was reminded again of God's presence just a few days ago. Last Friday, a sudden severe pain in my back accompanied by a maniacal itchiness caused me to find a small lump in my breast. This threatened to undo me and my Christmas plans. But some close friends began praying for me right away and took time to be with me as I waited for medical help. And then in meditation God again showed up to say, "I'm here." Good news followed as I discovered on Monday that I have shingles and on Christmas Eve morning that the lump is just a cyst. Thanks be to God!

May each of you know this intimate presence of God within and surrounding you with love, forgiveness, joy and peace. May you find hope in abundance in 2009.

love,

Julie (Jules)

ABOUT PETE
As board member, treasurer and computer geek for The Dragonfly Project, Pete has put in about 400 hours of volunteer time in 2008. He spends many hours entering donations, keeping the books straight and managing the computers for this wonderful nonprofit organization that has now sent out over 21,000 condolence cards and key chains to people all over the USA. Recently he was able to set up a virtual network through the Internet that makes working with others on The Dragonfly Project much easier. And because Pete works at Thrivent, we have been able to get some wonderful support from the employees there for helping with Julie's packet assembly events. Recently, Pete also did a virtual event with employees at Thrivent's Appleton offices. Through teleconference, he was able to give his speech in Minneapolis while employees in Appleton assembled packets for us there. In 2009, Pete is looking to add to his volunteer hours by helping others with their taxes through a nonprofit organization called AccountAbility Minnesota. He continues to commute by bike and play softball in the summer. In the colder months, he takes yoga during lunch hour.

MORE ABOUT JULIE
It took a year but I finally transitioned from full-time stay-at-home mom to a woman with a full-time working attitude. My job at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church is still just part-time but my life is not. In addition to the 12-16 hours per week that I put in as administrative assistant at GA church, and the many hours I have worked on The Dragonfly Project, I also spend a considerable amount of time singing. At Nativity I sing in both Voices of Women (a 6-member group) and Senior Choir. Then twice a month I spend two hours blending my voice for fun at Singing in the Light, a community song circle that gathers to sing for the fun of it, for the community of it and to raise money for 50 Lanterns. From this larger song circle, a smaller circle formed a year ago to form a hospice choir to sing for people who are at life's threshold. There is nothing quite like walking into someone's life at this holy time and sharing the healing of song. Morning Star Singers meets twice a month for practice as well. I simply can't get enough of singing so in December I started taking voice lessons with Barbara McAfee. I thoroughly enjoy every minute that I am singing. I figure I spend about 20 hours a month at various practices and an additional 10 hours a month actually performing for others. I finished my spiritual direction training at Christos Center for Spiritual Formation in May and have led a few retreats and group studies since. Soon I will be adding individual directees to my practice. And I continue to meet twice a month with my delicious writing group, Cursive Friends. To some, I am over committed; to some I am crazy to have this abundant schedule. For me, I am just grateful for each day, for the energy and health to live each moment of my life, for the friends who surround me with love and for God who is present in all of it.