Merry Christmas

Linwood House will be filling up with family over this next week. Laughter, tears, sharing, being snuggled up in a corner with a good book in the library, or chatting in Grandma's room - there will be plenty of sweet wonderful family time in this big house!

We wish each of you the peace of Jesus in this season of celebration.

Stars are the theme this year at Linwood and they hang in many places in the house. Stars are also found in each one who comes through the door. Scars we carry can become stars as Jesus touches our lives.

We wish you a time where the scars can reveal star qualities in your life, reflecting courage as you have journeyed, and as you continue to journey.

Thank you for travelling with us in whatever way you have touched our lives.

Shalom to you
Blessings to you
from all of us at Linwood House.

A Woman of Strength

Our Monday "Happy Hour" group of women, who get together each week to share where they are on the journey, has a couple of new additions. The youngest one, and one who is courageously into day 29 of walking to freedom from addictions, brought us this.

A Woman of Strength
A strong woman works out everyday to keep her body in shape,
And a woman of strength builds relationships to keep her soul in shape.
A strong woman isn't afraid of anything,
But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.
A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her,
but a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.
A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future,
But a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be unexpected blessings and capitalizes on them.
A strong woman wears a look of confidence on her face,
But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

Christmas Is Coming

The days are flying by at Linwood House, with almost 200 people having been through the doors in the last few weeks. It is beautiful to see the lights on the trees in every room, hear the crackling of the fire, smell the coffee on or Grandma's baking giving the house an inviting aroma. There has been such incredible participation from our community here on the Sunshine Coast. At The Journey this week a bible study group from a local church prepared an amazing turkey dinner for our guests from the Downtown Eastside. Our Monday night Happy Hour group of ladies (we meet each Monday to share where we are on the journey) arrived, dressed in beautiful long coats and lovely hats, to sing carols for our guests. We even had a participant in The Journey who we just met and she lives not far from us. It was an honour to have her join our group. The "Beauty Babes" - our wonderful team of women who drive from the opposite side of Vancouver, arrived to pamper our guests with hair cuts, makeup and manicures. We have enjoyed the musical contributions of various friends and guests which have added to the fun, the joy, and the meaning of this Season of celebration.

There are a few more community dinners and open house events happening before Christmas is actually here.

Yes it is crazy busy, and yet, what is this Season of celebration, what is the message of grace and love, if we do not share it with everyone we can? That is what gives us the energy to keep going - knowing it is such a wonderful time, knowing it is much too grand to keep to ourselves, and that we are called to let this love fill every part of our living.