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Ron and Sandy Schultz Christmas 2005 A.D. Friends, It has been an awesome year: the aftermath of the Christmas 2004 tsunami; many hurricanes, including Katrina, Rita, and Wilma; earthquakes; technical and biological advances; and threats of a flu pandemic – but awe of all this pales as we consider the awesome plan of God that God could be born a man to fulfill the law and redeem us sinners condemned by the law, and grant us salvation and resurrection unto life with him forever, creating the perfect Christmas gift for us imperfect people: a savior for us who needed saving - For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that everyone who has faith in him will not die but have eternal life. John 3:16 Christmas 2005 finds 3 sons preparing for school/work in Ann Arbor, our 18-year-old daughter attending Hillsdale College, Ron retired and home ALL THE TIME, and Sandy looking for ways to get out of the house. Sandy and Ron might officially be said to be empty-nesters, tho Mark lives at home and commutes to UM, Dearborn. Ron retired -- twice! He used up vacation from mid Jan thru 3/14, cancelled retirement 3/14 on rumor of buyout, and reinstated retirement 4/29 when buyouts did not materialize. - says he does not miss DWSD job. The first in R Schultz family with a cell phone (for work), he is now the only one liberated from this modern alarm clock! While he retired to get some things finished, so far only the roof/gutter job is done; some days he naps after each meal! Since last Christmas: Joy was the 2nd R Schultz child voted to Detroit Free Press Brightest and Best, 3rd to be chosen for Observerland Academic All Stars (Group Pic), 3rd to be a National Merit Finalist, and 2nd to be valedictorian. While in high school she tutored fellow students, acted in plays, and received a superior rating at the State Voice Festival. She spent the summer preparing for college, which included a trip to Cambridge, England with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. After a week of conservatism-centric lectures, she returned from Gatwick just before the last bombing in London occurred. She went to Hillsdale and met 4 more Joys! She’s into choir and swing dancing and meeting lots of new people. Third son John has a new black Saturn Red-Line Ion and is still driving big UofM buses. John won another spelling bee -- an "extreme" spelling bee at Grand Valley State U – the prize: another Ipod. In April he won a $125 gift certificate in a Halo competition at UofM. John is on track to graduate UM next December with a dual major – Latin and Computer Science. In computer science he's learning to program games - which seems to be where computers are "advancing" these days. And John isn’t the only one investing time and effort into video games, Mark learned of real estate flipping this summer and is now applying the same principle to speculation on Xbox® 360s: waiting in line all night at Best Buy to purchase the systems and then quickly selling them on eBay for sizable profits; Mark expects to pay for his Christmas shopping via this resale adventure. Mark's grilled meats are appreciated at Ann Arbor and Detroit. He lived at home while Paul shares a house in Dixboro, MI (a suburb of AA) and John shares an apt (just off) campus. But, come January, Mark plans to be in AA as well because he has paid internship with U of M financial services. During the summer he worked for Door to Door Valet. He passed realtor test, got his real estate license, joined Real Estate One, but the fall semester started and that job gets few hours of his time. He plans to do more with it in '06. Paul finished his first year at Ave Maria School of Law, celebrated Rae’s graduation from Wellesley in early June in Massachusetts, and made his first trip to Asia (Minor). Paul was everywhere but Joy's graduation at Lutheran H S Westland. Paul took a summer class under Justice Scalia at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. He was able to take side trips following the steps of St. Paul (I) to ancient Ephesus and Areopagus Hill in Athens, Greece. This fall he externed under the tutelage of Ross MacKenzie at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, in Detroit. He will be interning under Judge Henry Saad in the spring term and expects to graduate in May 2007. Ron and Sandy both spend Friday mornings at MOPS; Ron hugs the infants and Sandy mentors the moms. Sandy is again involved with Guardian Lutheran School Bible Quiz. She heads the GLC Missions Committee and is becoming a voting member! She is getting used to Ron being home, even if she doesn't like it! Ron, Sandy and Mark took part in Guardian’s 40 days of purpose, guided by Rick Warren’s book and program The Purpose-Driven Life; we have five purposes: 1) to glorify God, 2) to fellowship, 3) to become like Christ, 4) to minister to the body of Christ, the church, and 5) to share the good news with those who do not know it. WWS went south for month of February (8 months ahead of Katrina). Sis Karen and others talk of bountiful crops in 2005. Karen notes God spoke of such bounty in year preceding jubilee year [Leviticus 25 ff]. Ron and Sandy danced at the 60th anniversary fete of Aunt Bertha [one of Ron's 3 godmothers] and her husband Erwin Golder. Ron has no godfather, but all 3 godmothers and their husbands are living tho all other godmothers' siblings [both sides of family] are dead. Perhaps Ron needs a lot of prayer. Febuary 18 Ron and Sandy attended funeral of Ron's mom's cousin Pearl (Kleve) Sauer. Ron's grand niece JoAnna survived Hurricane Wilma in her Miami apartment bathroom with her cats. |
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In advent we prepare for the Lord's return: He has promised He’s coming again. Even if Jesus does not return in 2006, may the new year be for you and yours a year of good, growth, and gratefulness. Sincerely, Ron, Sandy, Paul, Mark, John, and Joy Schultz Picture: Ron, Sandy, John, Paul, Mark, Joy |
