Our Christmas message

Abby's update from Saturday and Sunday is posted below, but we also wanted to share our Christmas letter with all of you. We tried to find addresses for those of you who have contacted us, who have given gifts to us, who helped with the benefit or our house, or who reached out to us in various ways, but we know that we were not able to mail it to everyone. There are so many more of you that we would like to receive this letter--people who have helped us through your medical care for Abby, who gave in ways that were anonymous (or who are still giving), people for whom we were unable to find addresses, or simply people who have been reading this blog and praying. We want to thank you all--we appreciate you all so much! Below is our expression of thanks, praise, and blessing for all of you...

"This has been a different kind of holiday season for our family. On the evening of October 3 Abby was involved in an accident that left her with a serious head injury. We spent three weeks in pediatric ICU in Austin and eight weeks in inpatient rehabilitation in San Antonio, but, as I write this, we are scheduled to return home on December 20—a wonderful Christmas present for our family. It has been a very frightening, stressful, and emotional period, but I can honestly say that it has been a period that has brought us together as a family, increased our faith in God and in our fellow man, and made us appreciate so much more the meaning of the Christmas season.

This Christmas I feel like we more deeply understand what peace is. The first few hours after Abby’s accident we didn’t know how we could go on, how we could face the uncertainties that lay ahead, but many, many people were praying for us and Abby. We believe those prayers helped heal Abby and brought us the peace that we needed to face each day with hope. It was the Peace that Jesus spoke of in John 14—peace that comes from Him, that is greater than the peace of the world, that could help our hearts overcome their trouble and fear. It is a peace that can give hope in the darkest hours—a Hope that we clung to and has not disappointed us.

This Christmas we also have a deeper appreciation of what it means to give. Our hearts have been touched by the outpouring of love and gifts that flowed to us in the days and weeks following the accident. The cards, phone calls, food, gifts, money, time spent with Frank and Abby, work on our home, care for our animals, and many other ways people tangibly reached out to us covered us with a blanket of generosity, including the overwhelming outpouring at the Wimberley benefit. So many of you have given of your money, talents, and time to care for us and try to give us some security for the future, and that giving has been an illustration of God’s love to us.

Peace, hope, and gifts of love—that is what we are thinking of this Christmas. Those gifts were most fully embodied in a baby born in a manger over 2000 years ago. Though Abby still has far to go in her recovery, God’s peace, hope, and gifts of love are three reasons that we feel we can continue. We pray those three blessings for you and for the world this Christmas.

It feels good to say it: Merry Christmas!"