Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much for reading our annual Christmas Letter and for being a part of our lives!
Stay connected with the Woods Family year-round, and learn more about some of the things we mentioned.
Scroll down to the bottom for links to pictures and fun from our letter.
Stay connected with the Woods Family year-round, and learn more about some of the things we mentioned.
Scroll down to the bottom for links to pictures and fun from our letter.
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Keep In Touch!
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Margie & Tim: [email protected]
Chris: [email protected]
Elizabeth: [email protected]
Margie & Tim: [email protected]
Chris: [email protected]
Elizabeth: [email protected]
Our Christmas wish for you is that God is at the center of your life bringing you joy, peace, and contentment. May you be grateful for all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon you and your family. May your hearts be open to the needs of the less fortunate and the longings of the lonely. May you, our dear friends and family, live life to the fullest, experiencing all God has to offer. We thank you for being such an important part of our lives and for touching us with your goodness. We pray that we only grow closer through the years and that 2015 brings us many wonderful times together. God Bless You Always!
One of the Woods family’s true loves is travelling together. In June we travelled by car to Branson Missouri. The entire trip was 3400 miles!! That’s a lot of time for singing, laughing, and praying in the car! We made stops in Indianapolis Indiana, at the St. Louis Arch, Cleveland Ohio, and Rochester New York (where we visited Aunt Evie, Uncle Bill, Stephen, & Aiden). We travelled to the top of the St. Louis Arch and then saw fourteen shows while in Branson! Branson was filled with Christians who loved God and their country. We were like celebrities when they heard we were from New York. Not many people travel to Branson from this area. They absolutely LOVED our accents (and we loved theirs). We had lots of fun making a video diary of our trip and were so surprised by how many people followed our antics! [See below for the complete list of videos!] In June we initiated the first annual Girl’s Week!! My Mom (Grammy), my sister Maria, my Elizabeth and I all travelled to the Berkshires in Massachusetts for a week of girls, games, giggling, great shows, and good food. We even taught Grammy how to do “hashtag”. It was an unforgettable bonding time and we certainly plan to do it again. Tim and I had special times in Shawnee Pennsylvania in July and North Conway New Hampshire in September. We experienced so many new things and enjoyed every moment of just being alone together! We also LOVE Broadway! Our favorite Broadway shows this year were After Midnight and Beautiful. When I was a young mom, I practically wore out my Carole King Tapestry album and my children know every word to every song from hearing it so much!
Christopher continues to work at St. Rose of Lima in Massapequa as the Assistant to the Director of Outreach. Chris has a heart that loves to serve others so it is a great fit. Having Father Ken and Danielle as not only his bosses but also his mentors is a blessing. Chris also continues to volunteer on the Core Team of Life Teen Youth Ministry with a brand new Youth Minister who he loves to work with! Every year he accompanies the teens to Steubenville East and Life Teen weekend retreats and loves to watch the teens grow in their faith. On the third Friday of each month, Chris plays violin and sings at the Holy Hour for Vocations at St. Ignatius in Hicksville where hundreds of young people worship. Chris also plays violin and sings at the 5:15 Life Teen Mass on Sunday at St. Rose. He embraces his faith and his love of God every day, and is always anxious to share that and a smile with everyone he meets.
It’s so hard to believe it, but Elizabeth will be entering her last semester of college at Hofstra! She works so hard and has been on the Dean’s List every semester! Elizabeth is a member of the incredible Hofstra Chorale, the fun-filled Makin’ Treble (an all women a cappella group where she is the beat boxer), and the beautiful Newman Club. She continues to be the Music Minister for the Hofstra Campus Parish as well as a musician on call at St. Anthony’s High School, St. Raphael’s, St. Anne’s, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. This year she attended the two day American Choral Directors Association Conference at Vassar College, worked at the NYSSMA Majors Festival, and toured the Steinway Piano Factory with her amazing piano teacher Professor Lehman. Elizabeth also took some organ lessons and will continue to work on her playing skills. She attended two beautiful weekend retreats with her Newman Club at the Seminary in Huntington and on Shelter Island. She always enjoys taking the time to stop and refocus. We feel so proud that Elizabeth is using all of her God given talents for His glory and to help God’s family to worship through music.
Together, Chris and Elizabeth are Woods Worship and are working on their first joint CD. Woods Worship plays and sings all over our diocese for Holy Hours, Masses, prayer groups, weddings, funerals, youth ministry events, retreats, etc. They even do bilingual PFI Masses! They also led all of the Life Teen Masses over the summer at
St. Rose. One of their favorite places to share their music is at the Padre Pio Prayer Group on the First Friday of every month at Holy Name of Jesus in Woodbury. We love worshiping there every month together with some of the holiest people we have ever met. St. Padre Pio has really been a spiritual father to us. Chris & Elizabeth truly view their music as a prayer and a way to lead hearts to Christ through music and worship. These two precious souls that try to bring the Light of Christ to everyone they meet are our greatest blessings!
Both Chris and Elizabeth have already released their own CD’s. Christopher’s is an instrumental CD of sacred violin music with piano. It is a great background CD for prayer services, retreats, and personal prayer. It is very calming and holy. Elizabeth’s CD is filled with original Catholic songs written and arranged by Elizabeth herself. They touch your heart, make you laugh, bring a tear to your eyes, and inspire.
Tim and I are concentrating on our personal prayer lives and enjoy worshipping at St. Rose and Curé of Ars. Tim is the light of my life and my greatest treasure. He is still a substitute musician at St. Raphael’s which he loves! I am still doing the homilies for the little ones at St. Frances which is such a blessing. Nothing warms your heart like witnessing little children who are so excited to learn about their faith! I had a bad fall on All Saints Day and have been recuperating ever since. I hurt my neck, back, right ankle and left knee. I am so much better now but can’t wait until I’m fully recovered! Tim and I both continue to recruit for the Bishop Molloy Retreats; the Men’s is in January and the Women’s is in April. Won’t you consider joining us this year?
Our Ministry as a family continues to be Evangelization through love, warmth, caring, service, and good example. We want others to be blessed with what we have…the peace of knowing that we are loved unconditionally! We would be honored to walk your faith journey with you. We care so much about your relationship with God. Feel free to come to us any time with your joys or burdens or just to spend time with people who really care about you and your future. We are always here for you. Thank you for always being there for us.
As the snow gently falls to the ground, may God’s hand gently touch your hearts and bring you closer to Him. As the laughter echoes through your holiday celebrations, may you hear God’s voice calling your name. As the glittering lights illuminate the darkness, may you see God’s bright and beautiful plan for your life. And, as the brightly wrapped presents are torn open, may you open your mind and welcome God’s presence in your life. God bless you all with the inexpressible peace that only God can give.
Please connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, on the web, or by e-mail! You can find links to all our 2014 adventures at www.WoodsWorship.com/christmas. We can’t wait to hear from you!
One of the Woods family’s true loves is travelling together. In June we travelled by car to Branson Missouri. The entire trip was 3400 miles!! That’s a lot of time for singing, laughing, and praying in the car! We made stops in Indianapolis Indiana, at the St. Louis Arch, Cleveland Ohio, and Rochester New York (where we visited Aunt Evie, Uncle Bill, Stephen, & Aiden). We travelled to the top of the St. Louis Arch and then saw fourteen shows while in Branson! Branson was filled with Christians who loved God and their country. We were like celebrities when they heard we were from New York. Not many people travel to Branson from this area. They absolutely LOVED our accents (and we loved theirs). We had lots of fun making a video diary of our trip and were so surprised by how many people followed our antics! [See below for the complete list of videos!] In June we initiated the first annual Girl’s Week!! My Mom (Grammy), my sister Maria, my Elizabeth and I all travelled to the Berkshires in Massachusetts for a week of girls, games, giggling, great shows, and good food. We even taught Grammy how to do “hashtag”. It was an unforgettable bonding time and we certainly plan to do it again. Tim and I had special times in Shawnee Pennsylvania in July and North Conway New Hampshire in September. We experienced so many new things and enjoyed every moment of just being alone together! We also LOVE Broadway! Our favorite Broadway shows this year were After Midnight and Beautiful. When I was a young mom, I practically wore out my Carole King Tapestry album and my children know every word to every song from hearing it so much!
Christopher continues to work at St. Rose of Lima in Massapequa as the Assistant to the Director of Outreach. Chris has a heart that loves to serve others so it is a great fit. Having Father Ken and Danielle as not only his bosses but also his mentors is a blessing. Chris also continues to volunteer on the Core Team of Life Teen Youth Ministry with a brand new Youth Minister who he loves to work with! Every year he accompanies the teens to Steubenville East and Life Teen weekend retreats and loves to watch the teens grow in their faith. On the third Friday of each month, Chris plays violin and sings at the Holy Hour for Vocations at St. Ignatius in Hicksville where hundreds of young people worship. Chris also plays violin and sings at the 5:15 Life Teen Mass on Sunday at St. Rose. He embraces his faith and his love of God every day, and is always anxious to share that and a smile with everyone he meets.
It’s so hard to believe it, but Elizabeth will be entering her last semester of college at Hofstra! She works so hard and has been on the Dean’s List every semester! Elizabeth is a member of the incredible Hofstra Chorale, the fun-filled Makin’ Treble (an all women a cappella group where she is the beat boxer), and the beautiful Newman Club. She continues to be the Music Minister for the Hofstra Campus Parish as well as a musician on call at St. Anthony’s High School, St. Raphael’s, St. Anne’s, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. This year she attended the two day American Choral Directors Association Conference at Vassar College, worked at the NYSSMA Majors Festival, and toured the Steinway Piano Factory with her amazing piano teacher Professor Lehman. Elizabeth also took some organ lessons and will continue to work on her playing skills. She attended two beautiful weekend retreats with her Newman Club at the Seminary in Huntington and on Shelter Island. She always enjoys taking the time to stop and refocus. We feel so proud that Elizabeth is using all of her God given talents for His glory and to help God’s family to worship through music.
Together, Chris and Elizabeth are Woods Worship and are working on their first joint CD. Woods Worship plays and sings all over our diocese for Holy Hours, Masses, prayer groups, weddings, funerals, youth ministry events, retreats, etc. They even do bilingual PFI Masses! They also led all of the Life Teen Masses over the summer at
St. Rose. One of their favorite places to share their music is at the Padre Pio Prayer Group on the First Friday of every month at Holy Name of Jesus in Woodbury. We love worshiping there every month together with some of the holiest people we have ever met. St. Padre Pio has really been a spiritual father to us. Chris & Elizabeth truly view their music as a prayer and a way to lead hearts to Christ through music and worship. These two precious souls that try to bring the Light of Christ to everyone they meet are our greatest blessings!
Both Chris and Elizabeth have already released their own CD’s. Christopher’s is an instrumental CD of sacred violin music with piano. It is a great background CD for prayer services, retreats, and personal prayer. It is very calming and holy. Elizabeth’s CD is filled with original Catholic songs written and arranged by Elizabeth herself. They touch your heart, make you laugh, bring a tear to your eyes, and inspire.
Tim and I are concentrating on our personal prayer lives and enjoy worshipping at St. Rose and Curé of Ars. Tim is the light of my life and my greatest treasure. He is still a substitute musician at St. Raphael’s which he loves! I am still doing the homilies for the little ones at St. Frances which is such a blessing. Nothing warms your heart like witnessing little children who are so excited to learn about their faith! I had a bad fall on All Saints Day and have been recuperating ever since. I hurt my neck, back, right ankle and left knee. I am so much better now but can’t wait until I’m fully recovered! Tim and I both continue to recruit for the Bishop Molloy Retreats; the Men’s is in January and the Women’s is in April. Won’t you consider joining us this year?
Our Ministry as a family continues to be Evangelization through love, warmth, caring, service, and good example. We want others to be blessed with what we have…the peace of knowing that we are loved unconditionally! We would be honored to walk your faith journey with you. We care so much about your relationship with God. Feel free to come to us any time with your joys or burdens or just to spend time with people who really care about you and your future. We are always here for you. Thank you for always being there for us.
As the snow gently falls to the ground, may God’s hand gently touch your hearts and bring you closer to Him. As the laughter echoes through your holiday celebrations, may you hear God’s voice calling your name. As the glittering lights illuminate the darkness, may you see God’s bright and beautiful plan for your life. And, as the brightly wrapped presents are torn open, may you open your mind and welcome God’s presence in your life. God bless you all with the inexpressible peace that only God can give.
Please connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, on the web, or by e-mail! You can find links to all our 2014 adventures at www.WoodsWorship.com/christmas. We can’t wait to hear from you!