Merry Christmas from the Michael Osborne Family

Dear SharperIron Friends,
By way of introduction to who we are: we finished work at Bob Jones University in May 2005 and moved to Omaha, NE, to be lay helpers at Good Shepherd Baptist Church (where Becky’s dad is pastor). Mike found work as a title analyst for American Title; Becky worked for TD Ameritrade until our first daughter, Felicity, was born in June 2006; she has since been a homemaker. Becky’s training is in German and English education; Mike’s in Bible and church history; Mike intends eventually to pursue apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary.

This has been a full year: a new house, three weddings, and a new baby. If that doesn’t set personal records, what does? In January, we prayed about our need to leave our one-bedroom apartment (however nice) and find a house, for various reasons. We also prayed about budgeting and arranging for three long-distance wedding trips. The need for a house became more urgent in February when we learned that we were expecting a new baby in October. For all of these needs, God provided.

The Internet really expedites house hunting: we were able to narrow down our search significantly before ever visiting a house with a realtor. By the end of May, we had moved into a two-bedroom house with a full basement, a garage under the house, and a year-round sunroom ideal to be a study. The house sits on nearly half an acre of mostly level land, with mature trees. We praise God for the friends and family who helped us move, clean, paint, and address some priority maintenance issues. Over time, God also provided good deals on some needed furniture (e.g., a desk for the study).

Two weeks after moving in, we drove to Mike’s friend’s wedding in Florida. Becky’s relatives in Mississippi kindly took us in along the way and helped us celebrate Felicity’s first birthday. Felicity did as well as can be expected on the drive; we’re grateful for the stop in Mississippi. We stopped more often than we would have were it just the two of us, and, come to think of it, the stops forced us into a more relaxed pace. Nevertheless, the trip helped us decide to fly to the next two weddings.
July was quieter, spent mostly on household maintenance. In August, we traveled to Fairfax, VA, for Becky’s brother’s wedding. This trip afforded an opportunity to visit Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC, which satisfied both curiosity, and more importantly, the soul. In September, we traveled to Massachusetts for Mike’s sister’s wedding, and we were able to catch up with family and Mike’s friends in the church in which he grew up. We spent a few vacation days at York Beach, ME. York’s population is about 13,000 in the winter and 30,000 in the summer, if that tells you anything. Nevertheless, Maine is very beautiful in the fall, and we were able to be together, just the three of us, for a few restful days.

On October 15, at 7:43 a.m., Elinor Rose was born. “Baby” was the clearest word Felicity had said to date! We praise God that Ellie arrived safely and that Becky recovered quickly. We praise God again for the friends and family who watched Felicity and provided meals and assistance. We have enjoyed two months now with Elinor, getting to know her as she stays awake more and more. Felicity has grown up fast. She has a sweet disposition and loves to be our “little helping girl,” cleaning up her room, fetching items and putting them away—a genuine help when our hands are full with Elinor. Her vocabulary has burgeoned; she can say only a couple of dozen words, but she understands hundreds. We have to be careful what we say around her! We enjoyed a visit from Mike’s parents early in November to meet Elinor, visit with us, and play with Felicity.

Last year’s baby boom continues. In our church of 50–60, we will have nine children under the age of two as of February. This year the parents in the church read through Ted Tripp’s Shepherding a Child’s Heart, an excellent book about godly childrearing: shepherding your child, not manipulating; disciplining consistently for godliness, not for personal convenience, selfish anger, or family pride; and taking opportunities for good communication with children, regardless of how tired or busy one is. The book is very helpful, and very convicting.

Mike continues to work at American Title, currently leading a committee creating company-wide training materials; having worked at BJU Press, he is glad for the opportunity to write educational materials again. Becky is busy being a mother at home. She still sneaks in some reading, and she still enjoys taking lots of pictures. Digital technology allows her to take so many more pictures than film would have, and now she can edit them, too. Mike still listens to books on tape, which has allowed him to sample children’s and adults’ fiction, biography, etc. He has been especially impressed with children’s author Katherine Paterson

“Patience” has been the word of the year for us. God has taught us a lot of patience, and He has also taught us how much more patience we need. We need constant reminders to get behind His plan and timing, and to pursue godliness even when we feel like our daily plans have been derailed.

Our Christmas program this year will reflect on 2 Corinthians 4:6. God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” If we want to see God, we must look to Jesus Christ. There is no other way. But when we do look to Jesus Christ, we can rest assured that what we see is what God wants us to see of Himself. We praise God that Jesus, the Savior, is there for us to turn our eyes upon.

Merry Christmas!

Mike, Becky, Felicity, and Elinor