December 2007

Dearest family, community of faith family, and friends across the world,

Greetings from the Griffins, December 2007!

As usual it has been a year of encouragement and a year of crying out to God for his help! The highlight of the year was experiencing with Winn his book being published. This has been a dream come true for him, and we pray that the book will be a resource to many across the nation and the world. His book, entitled God's EPIC Adventure, may be ordered from HarmonPress.com -- as well as many other large book companies online. Winn also has taught a "dissertation course" for Bakke Graduate University this year. He is always writing and has started his second book which might be available in the first quarter of 2008. He teaches as often as he can, which is a first love. We created a new publishing company this year called Harmon Press (named after Winn's dad). If you know of folks that want a book published, we can help those who are invisible to traditional publishers get into print easily. We can also help those get back into print that have an out-of-print book that their publisher does't want to reprint.

This has been a busy year for Donna, working in an elementary school again but primarily in the Resource Room, adding the After School Program to her schedule as well (which is called "Worldwide Readers"). She also occasionally reads Middle School Language Arts writing papers in the same school district. She and Winn are looking to be a part of Missio Dei Learning Community, she as Registrar, and Winn as Dean, which is associated with the Monroe Vineyard, Monroe, WA. Our family attends and participates with Vineyard Community Church, Shoreline, WA (North Seattle).

Our adult children are close at hand. Jason works for UPS and does computer business on the side. Check out some of his websites: TVaholic.com, NewMovieFriday.com, eWooing.com, and TheBrownChronicles.com. Jeramie Joy left the King County Library System job, having been there for five years. She is currently in a "seasonal" job at Barnes and Noble, and works from 10-15 hours per week. Her major challenge is a physical one with an "atrial fibrillation" condition that continues to take its toll on her body, but we're praying for a Christmas miracle or any other time for that matter. We have weekly to biweekly visits to an Anti-Coagulation Clinic to check Jeramie's blood, since she's on blood thinner, because blood clots is a by-product of atrial fibrillation. This all came up in mid-September, after a great report at her August checkup. Doctor doesn't know why, it just is! We appreciate both of our children and continually pray that God would use their strengths, however He wants.

Donna's mom was in the hospital with a severe urinary infection and dehydration, so bad she couldn't walk. She spent several weeks in a "rehab" center to learn to walk again. She's having a few weeks of "in-home PT" currently, to get her strengthened even more. My siblings faithfully attend her needs, as my sister lives with her and my brother and wife live close-by. As I write this, I'm preparing to go visit Mom for five days prior to Christmas, leaving right after school on the 18th for the airport. I hear Mom's excited. I'll be home to spend the second half of my Winter Break with my immediate family and our church family (Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve).

Usually, I'm long-winded, but Winn had this idea of sharing via video, so you may see some of that here as well, if you choose to check it out.

We appreciate our friends and family. We appreciate hearing from you, even if it is only once or twice a year. More would be great, too, however. May your lives be fruitful in 2008. May you experience health and blessing as you live in God's Story for the sake of the world. That's our desire as well to make our lives count in God's great drama.

Have a blessed 2008!

Love,