2008 Christmas Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow! What a year! This has certainly been a history-making year with the campaign with one lady and one African-American running for President; and with one lady running for vice-president. Only in America could the electorate go from owning African –American slaves to electing one as President of the greatest nation on earth. God is still on the throne and He is the One who exalts and He is the one Who abases so now our responsibility is to pray for the President-elect and all our leaders. I know it is not our leaders, nor government that are the answers to our problems but only our Heavenly Father Who will be our provider, protector and sustainer in these most perilous times. He is “the Lifter of our heads,” and the “Hope” for the future, whatever it holds. He’s got the whole world in His hands! He is the REASON FOR THE SEASON and the only reason I am writing this letter.

Four family history-making events happened this year. On May 10th (my mother’s birthday), Sean, Melody and Bill’s son, married a wonderful young lady, Rebecca Bender. “Becca” graduated from ETBU last December and got a job in Tyler where Sean already was living and working. She is from Center, Texas, where her father is one of the ministers at the First Baptist Church. Sean and Becca seem perfect for each other. God is Good!

The next history-making event in our family was the birth of our fourth great-child, Hannah, on her sister’s birthday, June 16th. She is a beautiful and precocious little girl. At 5 months she is already crawling, sitting up and cutting teeth. She has a quiet, laid-back disposition and is a joy to her older sister, Lillian and mommy and daddy, Donna and Jonathan. God is good!

On August 26th Daniel, Mark’s youngest son, married a young lady he had met a year earlier in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he was stationed at Ft. Bragg. Her name is Michelle and fits perfectly into our family. Daniel wanted to get married in Texas so they came here and spent a few days with us then on to Austin to visit the rest of the family down there and married there. They took their honeymoon in Florida where Michelle’s mother lives. Daniel had to leave for Germany, where he is stationed, the day after they returned to Fayetteville. She joined him several weeks later after she got all her affairs in order. I wish they could come home for Christmas! God is good!

The fourth family history-making event was the birth of Jude Evan, Susan and Justin’s third little boy. Jude was Susan’s second home birth with a mid-wife. She did great and Jude weighed in at 9 pounds. Jeannine, Mark’s wife, kept the other two boys occupied while Susan was in her five hour labor. Ethan and Caleb wanted a little sister but once they saw Jude they forgot about a sister. God is good!

In the November election we had a history-making event here in Harrison County, a black man was elected as the first African-American District Judge, William Todd Hughey. He is a Republican, which is quite unusual here. He ran on the platform of “law and justice.” When he was asked the question, “Why are you a Republican?’ His answer was, “The values of the Republican Party are my values.” He was raised in a different party home, but as an adult his Christian values took pre-eminence over his past party affiliation. William’s story could be named, “Against All Odds.” He has only lived in Harrison for six years but has had experience all over the nation, even in Washington and even presented papers in one case in the Supreme Court. But being a black, Republican attorney running for District Judge in the town known as ‘the litigation capitol,’ made most of the local attorneys very confident of his defeat. The Democratic candidate, who is a white attorney, who was raised here in Marshall, raised $105,000, mostly from local and far and wide trial lawyers, while William raised only $32,000 from grass roots with only three attorneys among those contributing. Wendell and I got to know William and his wife, Willie Mae, at his announcement party. We have become close friends ever since and we love them dearly. They are such humble people and are so committed to the Lord. I believe this is why God has exalted William to this so very important office in our county government. Wendell worked many hours putting up signs all over the county. We had a reception for him in our home and I worked in the Republican headquarters calling for him. We had a full house at the headquarters on election night as we watched the returns come in. William won by an overwhelming majority and what a victory celebration we had. The outgoing District Judge, the District Attorney (both Democrats) and some other shocked Democrats were also there to congratulate him. While the other side is still scratching their heads, William quickly confesses that his victory was only by the hand of God. God is Good!

While the election certainly was a big focus, we are glad it has come and gone. We are now focusing on this most special season for a Christian. We have decorated our Christmas tree, put out our candles and nativity sets, hung our garlands, put our lights in the windows and down the driveway and put up our 20’ star, and all this time, energy and money was done in celebration of that “one solitary life,” Probably our Savior was not born on December 25, but we have chosen that date to celebrate, and celebrate we will with singing, rejoicing, bowing at His table and giving gifts. All this in remembrance of the fact that we have a “living Savior” Who was born to die for our sins!

Here is a young man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to a college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.

While He was still a young man, the tide of public opinions turned against Him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross, between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth, and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries wide have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race and the leader for the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that ONE SOLITARY LIFE!
(Anon)

Merry Christmas!

Mary and Wendell