Epic Christmas Relationships: Epilations

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Tonight, our young couple group met to celebrate our Savior’s birth. We had a lot of laughs, shared our favorite Christmas traditions, ate great food, enjoyed a white elephant gift exchange, and played a spirited game of Catch Phrase. The house was full of couples and their children, and my heart was overwhelmed with love as I observed and enjoyed our LIFE group.


We howled with laughter or oohed and ahhed, as we opened the creative and hilarious white elephant gifts. Our version of white elephant required a gift from home you did not want or need, wrapped to bless someone else. We had an assortment of Christmas decorations, Japanese gifts which needed translation, pictures of the family who gave the gift, and even a bathroom guest book. The laughter and jokes flowed around the room all evening. 

As I watched and tried to capture a few pictures of the event, my heart overflowed. There are no pictures that can express the love and connection felt in this room. This is exactly what Jesus meant by love your neighbor. Gathering to celebrate each other’s successes and life events, and supporting each other through the struggles of this life is what Jesus calls us to do.

Tonight, we gathered in a circle of friends and discussed our favorite traditions at Christmas, and we prayed for those who are struggling with feelings of loneliness and loss. God is at the center of our marriages, as we seek to build our personal relationships with Jesus and our spouse. The beautiful thing about living in this circle, is knowing we are never alone. Our friendships are growing deeper, and we are excited for opportunities to spend time together. We are building Godly, epic relationships. Hence, the name chosen for our group tonight…(Drum Roll Please…) “Epilations.” 


The Gardner household now has a log for our guest bathroom.

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