Botkin Family End-of-Year Letter. 2014 Edition-MERGED

[hoipolloi]

Not sure if there's an online link to the text, but, as always, Geoff Botkin is happy to tell us how great things are.

Greetings in the Lord, dear friends. Years ago, Victoria and I found a promise that said one day we would reap if we didn’t grow weary and lose heart. Well, we have been weary most days since then, but we never lost heart, and this year we began to learn what it means to reap. We saw the active, living grace of God working faith in the lives of our now-grown children. It has been a rewarding year of laboring with the children we had earlier labored over.

[Marian the Librarian]

Link, pretty please? How does one gain access to these missives?

Thanks!

[hoipolloi]

Link, pretty please? How does one gain access to these missives?

Thanks!

[jerkit]

Do Nadia and what's his face have children yet?

[Howl]

It looks like there are three married sons, two unmarried sons and the Anna-Elizabeths (!), is that correct?

I just visited Katie Botkins' blog a few days ago. IIRC, Katie's father is Geoff's brother. What a difference between Katie and the Anna-Elizabeths! Katie just returned from a global adventure (bought a round-the-world ticket and headed off solo) culminating with rock climbing on cliffs by the beach in Thailand.

yeah. She lives in Idaho and skis, rock climbs, hikes. She has a b-friend and I'm pretty sure they front hug. And a LIFE. Double yeah!

Her blog, Culture, Adventure, Stillness can be found at kbotkin.com/

Check out the most recent four or five posts. Awesome.

And triple yeah!, she actually has something to talk about. And something to say. The 'Ettes just are basically re-working their dad's theological comb over and giving him emotional pedicures.

I did think it was of interest that in this family photo, Geoff is positioned solidly next to his wife, with no daughters hanging off his shoulder, and the 'Ettes are somewhat behind their brothers.

[Kira]

Do Nadia and what's his face have children yet?

[Coco]

AS & E are actually looking somewhat human in that photo, instead of ethereal elvish misty maidens staring off into the middle distance. :lol:

[Black Aliss]

Katie Botkin, wow. She's like the anti-matter to the Anna-Elizabeth's matter or something. I assume Geoff keeps his precious treasures far, far away from their cousin.

[nelliebelle1197]

It looks like there are three married sons, two unmarried sons and the Anna-Elizabeths (!), is that correct?

I just visited Katie Botkins' blog a few days ago. IIRC, Katie's father is Geoff's brother. What a difference between Katie and the Anna-Elizabeths! Katie just returned from a global adventure (bought a round-the-world ticket and headed off solo) culminating with rock climbing on cliffs by the beach in Thailand.

yeah. She lives in Idaho and skis, rock climbs, hikes. She has a b-friend and I'm pretty sure they front hug. And a LIFE. Double yeah!

Her blog, Culture, Adventure, Stillness can be found at kbotkin.com/

Check out the most recent four or five posts. Awesome.

And triple yeah!, she actually has something to talk about. And something to say. The 'Ettes just are basically re-working their dad's theological comb over and giving him emotional pedicures.

I did think it was of interest that in this family photo, Geoff is positioned solidly next to his wife, with no daughters hanging off his shoulder, and the 'Ettes are somewhat behind their brothers.

[Jana814]

So are their 7 kids in this family? 5 Boys and 2 girls?

[Marian the Librarian]

So are their 7 kids in this family? 5 Boys and 2 girls?

[Palimpsest]

I just love Katie Botkin!

Not sure there is much hope for AS and E escaping Dad anytime soon.

[meda]

It's been a rough week. I was tired, experiencing perhaps a touch of ennui. I asked myself, "what else could the year bring in dominionist land?" Dougie, Driscoll, Gothard...It's all been done. But Geoff did not disappoint. Today the folllowing screed landed in my inbox, complete with link to 2014's Botkin family photos. Please share with me the joy of Geoff's year end manifesto in all it's pompous, condescending glory:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1147599611 ... lMyK8IOoew

Greetings in the Lord, dear friends. Years ago, Victoria and I found a promise that said one day we would reap if we didn’t grow weary and lose heart. Well, we have been weary most days since then, but we never lost heart, and this year we began to learn what it means to reap. We saw the active, living grace of God working faith in the lives of our now-grown children. It has been a rewarding year of laboring with the children we had earlier labored over.

The highlight of our year was the marriage of our oldest son, Isaac, to Heidi Roach, a glorious answer to our prayer of many years. Watching them learning to work together on their new independent household, and their first co-production, The Spread of the Gospel Map and upcoming DVD has been wonderful. Heidi became an immediate and beloved asset to her new Tennessee community.

Our family’s most intense focus of the year was our recently-established church, Christ the King in Tennessee, where I serve as an elder. Solidifying leadership and doctrine has been the priority of 2014. We are overjoyed with what we are seeing happen. Men are rising up to lead and help govern the church with unity and humility. Our son David poured his heart into serving the body as one of four deacons, and working hard to recover the Biblical function of the deaconate. He and his wife, Nadia, have two delightful children, Katharine, 3, and Nehemiah, 18 months.

Anna Sofia and Elizabeth are busier than ever, continuing to study and hone their message to Christian young women, working with their dad to produce Western Conservatory's major new product for next year, helping their mother with home and property management and extensive hospitality, investing in the lives of their niece and nephews, and generally looking for new ways to serve in their family, their church, and the broader body of Christ.

Benjamin, our third son, has continued to grow in his capabilities as a composer. He just finished the cinematic score for the feature Polycarp. He and his wife Audri have two sons - Ethan, now two and a half, and Elliot, 17 months, and God has blessed them with another due in January. Lucas started a business experiment that succeeded with rapid growth. He’s rapidly gaining the character needed to take greater entrepreneurial risks and is expanding, hiring and experimenting some more. Noah is studying electrical engineering and looking for new opportunities for Christian engineers and inventors. He’s currently our leading self-taught programmer, designer and web architect.

2014 was a tough year for many in the home education movement, seeing allies or loved ones stumble or fall away. Let me tell you something that will encourage you. There is a remnant of families scattered all over the world who are holding firm in their faith. I had the privilege this year of taking my daughters to Russia to speak at the first homeschooling conference in Russia’s history. Home education has finally been legalized, and we met sincere families with hunger, determination, genuine reverence for God with holiness and humility. In St. Petersburg I spoke on the mentality of Christian freedom, how it can be destroyed and how it can be regained. The Russian Christians we met are working very hard to get their thinking back in line with their faith.

We were also able to speak to an embattled but faithful home educating remnant in England, whose government is more hostile to Christianity than Russia’s. Our travels also took us to other European nations to research first-hand the legacy of Western Christendom and the conditions of its current demise for an upcoming media project. It was the Christian faith that built the high moral culture of the great cities. Today it is deliberate rejection of God’s law that is bringing those cities to ruin. We studied the rape capital of the world, Stockholm, to see the fruit of a nation’s devotion to anti-Christian socialism, and the effects of unregulated Islamic immigration. All of the nations of Europe are stark monuments to God’s promised national judgments.

This year we are grateful that our work has helped many Americans see the big- picture issues facing their families. We have released dozens of practical messages, lectures, sermons, and articles for parents, pastors, elected officials, young men and young ladies. Anna Sofia and Elizabeth addressed timely issues in two lectures for young women called Good Girls and Problem Guys: Taking the Moral High Ground with Men Who Are in Sin, and It's Not About Staying at Home (And Nine Other Things Christian Young Womanhood is Not About). Other helpful messages were Ben’s sermon Perfect Love Casts Out Fear and David’s sermon series on The Biblical Doctrine of Persecution. I gave a number of lectures to students at Milligan College including Your Escapism-on-Demand Culture, and a Sermon Audio series How Bad Company Corrupts.

We watched this year as one era came to a glorious end shortly after the beginning of another. My mother, Halcyon Botkin, 94, passed quietly away shortly after Isaac’s and Heidi’s marriage. But before her passing she was able to meet the newest Mrs. Botkin, and she saw the first four of her great-grandchildren before her death. This remarkable lady was always hopeful and optimistic. She once defied doctors and refused a therapeutic “Life of the Mother†abortion. I was born eight months later. Thank you, Mom. Thank you.

Now let me say that no one loves the joys of motherhood and grandmotherhood more than Victoria. Her gratitude and wisdom continues to inspire these growing families, and all who get to watch Victoria pour into them. I love and delight in my wife more every year. Her full heart continues to delight all who know her, and her tireless learning spills continually into the souls and minds of all who encounter her. She invests richly in everyone, from infants to newlyweds to strangers, and never ceases to cover her children with hard-hitting, no-nonsense prayers for their future. As our children continue to develop into mature, focused, industrious Ambassadors of Jesus Christ, her love and affection for them deepens into greater and greater respect. She and I continue to stand in awe at the work of God in their lives.

May God bless my children and yours. They face complex spiritual battles, don’t they? Tomorrow there will be more. The Botkin family is only scratching the surface in understanding how important the family can be in fighting these battles and seeing little victories and occasional big ones. We’re watching the promises of fruitfulness be fulfilled in spite of threats, setbacks and challenges. We are so thankful that one small family can pay tribute to God’s grace and goodness in their lives. He alone gets the glory. Thank you for your friendship, your prayers and your support.

With love, and gratitude for God’s mercy,

[gustava]

I think we have another thread on this.

[meda]

just saw it, sorry. asked the mods to merge. ( I was so excited to post this)

[hoipolloi]

just saw it, sorry. asked the mods to merge. ( I was so excited to post this)

[Odd1Out]

Can't stand him but at least Geoff states he loves his wife more and more. Steve Maxwell only tolerates his so he won't be sent to Hell.

[DaffyDill]

'Ettes just are basically re-working their dad's theological comb over and giving him emotional pedicures.

[MissBitters]

We were also able to speak to an embattled but faithful home educating remnant in England, whose government is more hostile to Christianity than Russia’s. Our travels also took us to other European nations to research first-hand the legacy of Western Christendom and the conditions of its current demise for an upcoming media project. It was the Christian faith that built the high moral culture of the great cities. Today it is deliberate rejection of God’s law that is bringing those cities to ruin. We studied the rape capital of the world, Stockholm, to see the fruit of a nation’s devotion to anti-Christian socialism, and the effects of unregulated Islamic immigration. All of the nations of Europe are stark monuments to God’s promised national judgments.

[darkplumaged]

Geoff is THE most arrogant, pretentious, self-righteous, full-of-shit blowhard in fundieland. He is worse than dearly departed Dougie, and THAT is saying something.

[jerkit]

I never have any idea what these people are even talking about.

[ViolaSebastian]

We studied the rape capital of the world, Stockholm, to see the fruit of a nation’s devotion to anti-Christian socialism, and the effects of unregulated Islamic immigration.

[Marian the Librarian]

In more Botkin news, Anna-Sofia has updated her public Facebook page with:

I make an exception to my general rule about not going out alone with young men -- He had a 1927 Ford Model A (and I know his parents).

[Howl]

Note that it is the "young man" behind the wheel. Can't start them too young in gender specific roles!

anyway, quite the glam shot.

[DomWackTroll]

A-S is mourning the slow, agonizing death of her reproductive organs.