KZN-Drak Chrysalis

November 2011

I’m finding it very hard to believe that in just 6 weeks time it will be Christmas! Where has the time gone?

End of year exams have almost finished – for some of you there are still years of study ahead, for others you’ll finally be taking that big step into independence and the unknown

I love Christmas. I love the thought of celebrating Jesus’ birth. We put up our tree and hang all our little decorations – a home-made star on the top and a little nativity scene at its base. Our lounge sports a big WELCOME banner that always sets me to thinking that we should have it hung in the lounge throughout the year!! But most of all I love the knowledge that as a family we have always celebrated it with as many members as possible- some years more than others. My Mom remains the only member of her generation and I watch her feeling so blessed as she is surrounded by so many of us – daughters, our husbands, our kids and the our children’s children.

For many it becomes the silly season when we buy gifts we can ill-afford. The idea of an expensive and generous gift is great and I truly doubt you’ll find any one, who, if they are being completely honest, doesn’t enjoy being on the receiving end of one of those. However, in this economic climate, I think we should be more practical and either decide as a family to swop inexpensive gifts or give each other the most valuable gift of all – a home-made gift. It is a gift that has taken forethought, planning and your precious time. While it may not have a designer label see it for what it is – a gift with the tag “made with love” - a gift of love :-)

And that brings me to Chrysalis – our “gift of love” to the caterpillars. The year has already started to hot up in every sense of the word. New enthusiastic board members have replaced ones whose terms of office have expired. We are busy with team selection for the 2012 flights. Our Lay Directors, Sam and Scotty, are gearing up for team formation in the New Year and we are starting the process of moulding and developing strangers into a strong and cohesive Chrysalis family in order to allow Flights 34 and 35 to be God-filled, God-driven weekends in which our caterpillars will be transformed by God’s inexplicable Grace - His “made with love”, cannot be bought, cannot be earned, hand-made gift to us.

My prayer for all of you is that you have a happy, healthy Christmas, filled with love and laughter, friends and family.

May God bless each and every one of you.

With love,

Fly with Christ