Rough Draft of our Christmas Letter

This was the rough draft of our Christmas letter this year. My wife suggested to me that my illustration of the Camaro is more lengthy than my description of our family. Also I seem to suggest that our children are nothing more that a beat up old 1967 Camaro (which I did not fully intend to do). I think she is right, but I thought I would share it anyway...what do you think?


Friends and Family,

Psalm 127:3 (NASB)
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward.

The season of Christmas is upon us again, and it has me thinking about gifts. Many of us will gather together in the homes of loved ones. We will spend time sharing a meal and many memories together. No doubt many will find some time to huddle near a green pine tree with gifts below as plentiful as the needles we pick off the carpet come January. 

We call these things under the tree “gifts,” but are they? I am not suggesting for a moment that the things under your trees are not gifts, they are. But do we call a gift a gift only by the immediate pleasure they give us the moment we open the package? Let me ask it another way. If you were told your gift was too big to fit under the tree, and you had to go outside to get it; and when you went outside, the gift was a red 2012 Chevy Camaro; would that be a good gift? Now what if it was a scrapped out 1967 Camaro? The engine, doors, tires, hood, and seats were all gone. The thing was a total rust bucket. Would this be as good of a gift? I think not, because of the work required to enjoy your new gift. The 2012 Camaro would bring instant pleasure. I would not have any pleasure or gratification in the 1967 model for many years, and many, many hours of labor. 

The Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord. The fruitful womb of a woman, brings forth a reward. Do children bring instant pleasure and gratification? Maybe for a season, but then you will soon find that the Camaro will need many hours of labor to function properly. 

The God of Heaven and Earth has blessed us with our fourth gift this year. Elsa Joy was born on October 18th. Samuel our son is a 1 1/2, Rylee is 10 and Ali is 12. We still home educate our children, and live in Harris. 

There are many blessings we experienced this year. One is that our oldest daughter Ali was baptized in May. She not only wrote and memorized her own testimony, she had to speak it in front of a congregation of on lookers. We are very thankful for the grace she received from God to make it through. Rylee has been excelling in school this year and we also are thankful for this. Samuel of corse has made huge steps of growth this year. He is "all boy;" he loves cars, tractors and our dog Buddy. And last of all, the new life of our newest David member Elsa Joy. 

All children are a gift from the Lord, and this especially includes the first gift which made this season called Christmas. The gift to this world of the baby born in a manger, the baby Jesus.

May Jesus find each of you searching for Him this season, as he will never cast out one who comes to Him in repentance and faith.

Love, 
The Davids