Here’s our 2024 Bob and Shirley Christmas Card, Christmas Letter, Christmas Email, Christmas Blog Post…all in one.
Merry Christmas from Bob and Shirley,
Christmas 2024 has brought with it many wonderful new changes for the Kellemen family. On the top of that list is our move from Seattle, to warm, sunny Port Charlotte, Florida. We often visit our favorite place on earth—Siesta Key Beach.
We moved into a new development within a block of two couples who are dear friends, and who we served with in church ministry in Crown Point, Indiana. We’re also within an hour of nephews, nieces, and step-sisters. And we’ve made many new friends in our Biscayne Landings community. Within a month, our new home will have a new pool/spa. We’ve joined Family Church of Port Charlotte—our first time ever as members of a Southern Baptist Church.
Our move away from our adult children and three grandchildren in Seattle was not easy. We miss them. We love our video chats with them. And our granddaughters love texting us. Right now we’re loving our daughter, Marie’s, two-week visit with us for Christmas. We’ve been on many adventures, including Siesta Key, of course. We enjoyed a sunset and Christmas light cruise on Port Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda, and much more.
Since we’ve moved here, we’ve enjoyed hiking in local parks, wading in the waters of the Gulf Coast, taking walks in our neighborhood, eating out with friends, hosting friends in our new home, visiting museums and aquariums, reconnecting with old friends who have moved to Florida, and much more. Recently, Shirley organized a ladies luncheon of the women who live on Crossvine Court. Shirley’s gift of hospitality continues to shine through.
Speaking of hospitality, we have a wonderful guest suite. We love hosting families for a free Florida Gulf Coast vacation. Come visit in 2025! And if you live in the Seattle area, in Northwest Indiana, or in the Maryland/Virginia area, we’re planning a spring-summer 2025 trip up north to visit family and friends. Hope to see you!
In terms of my ministry, I’m doing pro bono Zoom counseling for pastors, missionaries, counselors, and Christian educators. I also continue to research and write. In 2025, I published my 25th book, Counsel the Word. Via my RPM Ministries blog site, I continue to engage with the larger biblical counseling world. After 50 years, I’ve “honed” my approach to biblical counseling down to 18 words: Gospel-Centered/Christ-Centered, Theologically-Saturated, Relationship-Focused, Church History-Informed, Research-Aware Soul Physicians of Embodied-Souls.
We’ll end this brief Kellemen Family Christmas Card/Letter/Email/Blog Post with the beautiful, life-changing, hope-giving words of Luke 2:8-14.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Merry Christmas from Bob and Shirley
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