Dear Family & Friends,

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

I am so thankful for this time of year that we have set aside to celebrate the birth of our Lord! In the midst of the hustle and bustle we can stop and reflect upon God’s greatest gift to mankind – His Son. Where would we be without Him?

 The Lord has certainly given us another joyful year. We were extremely blessed with the birth of my sister’s son, Landon on March 1st. It has been several years since we have had a baby in the family and he is a joy. The children and I were able to go visit toward the end of March. Our friends, the Gilmore’s, were heading that way and we rode along with them. I surprised my sister and we had a tearful reunion.

Abigail turned 11 in March. We celebrated our birthday’s the same as always, with shopping and Chinese. I remind her often that her name means “Father’s Joy”. She truly is, not only to her daddy but also to her Heavenly Father. I have no greater joy than to see all of my children walking in truth.

In April I finished my second book, “Living Out the Word”. I thank the Lord for the ability to write and my husband for the encouragement. I have several book projects for next year so please keep me in your prayers as I endeavor to follow God’s will. The children were able to spend a week with their grandparents in April while Dana and I attended the National Meeting in Fort Smith. They usually go to all the meetings with us so this was a blessing for them.

May marked a special month for our family. The children finished up school for the year and Dana graduated from Tennessee Temple with his Masters of Ministry degree. Seven years earlier Dana began his journey to get an education. It has not been easy. The children and I are so proud of him. We thank God for giving him the wisdom and strength to endure college full-time while providing for his family and pastoring the Lord’s church. We celebrated our 17th Honeymoon that month and enjoyed a weekend homeschool conference in north Mississippi. We ended the month with a 3 day visit from our dear friends, the Clarks, and five of their children.

We had a wonderful summer break. The highlight was our family trip to Cozumel, Mexico in August. In celebration of my father and mother’s retirement, they took the entire family (all 14 of us) on a 7 day all-inclusive vacation. It was a happy and restful time filled with memories we will cherish the rest of our lives. Thank you Dad and Mom!

 We began September celebrating Aaron’s 14th birthday down on the coast with several friends. His father and I are very proud of the young man he is becoming. We see him growing in the Lord and using his talents. We started school the following week. Aaron is in 8th grade, Abigail is in 6th grade, and Andrew is in 2nd grade. I cannot even express what a blessing it has been to be able to teach my children. God has been so good to us and I know that these years of discipleship with our children can never be replaced.

Andrew turned 8 in October. He is such a delight to his father and I.  We spent the weekend with homeschooling families all over Mississippi camping at a place called Camp Dixon. He said that it was the best birthday EVER! The children began a new experience in October as well. We have a friend that has written a southern re-telling of the Cinderella story (with a Christian twist at the end). A Christian independent movie company is making it into a film and they have been asked to participate. They have had a blast filming. The project will take about a year to complete.

We were once again blessed to be able to spend the Thanksgiving holidays in Arkansas. This year has been unusual in that we have been able to take several trips this year. We thank the Lord for providing in such marvelous ways. And Lord willing, we will be able to conclude the year once again for Christmas with our family.

My husband often tells me, Tempus Fugit. In Latin it means, time flies. How true it is! This year has certainly flown by. As I look back over it I am filled with gratitude for all that the Lord has given and done in our lives. And my prayer is that of the psalmist in Psalms 90, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Time is short. Our lives are but a vapor. So let me encourage you. Reflect upon your life this holiday season. As we celebrate the Christmas season, are we celebrating the true meaning of Christmas? As we give gifts this year, do we ask the Lord what He wants us to give Him? And as we pray for God to shower His blessings upon us, is our hearts desire to be a blessing to Him? These are the things that will matter in eternity.

To our family in Arkansas and across the country, to our Tiger Creek family, and to all of our friends we wish each of you a very Merry Christmas! We love you! May the Lord bless you and your family!

Love,  The Williams