Merry Christmas
Our family would like to wish you and yours a very special Christmas season. Dayle and I are home in South Georgia for the holidays and plan to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. The house is decorated for Christmas and like you, plans are in place for a Christmas dinner and many activities before and after the 25 th . We also look forward to ringing in the New Year from the farm. This time of year is special to us and we try hard to spend every moment we can with our precious grandchildren. They each mean the world to us and we see them growing up so fast. We are proud of each of them.
We try to spend part of the Christmas season with our children and grandchildren in service to others. We spent a few hours at the TMT Christmas Lights in Rocky Ford, Georgia, collecting canned food items, new toys and pet food for food banks in our area. This annual event for the Burns family has become a labor of love and we get far more out of it than we put in. Bulloch County Commissioner Roy Thompson and his wife, Deborah, have offered this magical Christmas drive-through light show for many years. The support from the community is overwhelming. Literally, thousands of cars drive through with hundreds of cans of food and other items. No one is ever turned away because they forget to bring canned food! And the lights just get more beautiful each year.
One of our traditions is to stop by our lovely little country church, Mizpah Church, on Christmas Eve for communion. Our pastor, Jay Williams, and his family offer this drop-in time for families at the church. Our church was built in 1859 and still is the center of life in our small community. We are grateful for a congregation of loving and caring Christian people. Our little church reaches out to the community and faraway places to offer hope and support to those in need. It truly is a beacon in the community.
During this Christmas season, we also pause and pray for those who are sick, suffering, or have lost a loved one. It’s important to let our light shine just a little bit brighter for those folks who may be struggling and let them know they are seen, loved, and cared for during this Christmas season.
Life at the Capitol will soon be all hustle and bustle, but for now we pause to remember the Baby Jesus and the whole reason for this special time of year. We hope that each of you find time to reflect on your relationship with Christ and find new directions for the New Year.
Our best to each of you!
Jon and Dayle Burns