Christmas Letter by Adam - 2025
Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you for reading our Christmas letter this year. Each year one of us takes a go at writing a Guddat family Christmas letter and this year I (Adam) get the honors. A thought occurred to me while writing the previous sentence….. Geneva will be 18, Marcus 16, and Nyah 15 next time it's my turn to write this letter. Oh man…. How time flies and life changes.
As the family and I were reflecting on this last year, the conversation literally revolved around you all. We are so thankful for each of you and are thankful you allow us crazy Guddats to be a part of your lives. It is at your own risk and our benefit.
I truly hope this Christmas season is filled with Christmas cheer. May our hearts and minds reflect on the true meaning of this season and all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was born into this world to glorify His father, conquered death and sin, and He liberated those who repent of their sins and put all their trust in Him. Because of Jesus we have a relationship with God. May we forever follow Jesus with whole hearts devoted to Him in faith, love and thanksgiving for all that He has done.
This year has been filled with the smiles of God and many of those he has brought through you. We’ve got great memories of events, parties, eating meals around tables or having a simple cup of coffee with you, or working alongside you in some way. It has been a huge blessing to live life alongside you..
As the days have counted off, the kids have grown and matured. God has blessed Alisha and I with the best three kids one could have.
Nyah is 10 years old and is as full of spunk and smiles as ever. She fills her days with school, reading as many books as she can and playing with friends. Nyah is the one who likes to organize and has her mothers OCD tendencies (By the way, if you’re truly OCD it bothers you just to see those three letters out of order). Nyah related to me some of her highlights for this year were: the church camping trip (seeing Marcus get a plungy was the cheery on top); riding horses; participating in her first season of track and field; spending time with her grandparents and friends; and taking voice, piano, and ballet lessons.
Marcus is 11.5 years old and keeps us all laughing. He fills his day with school, but then disappears into the garage or backyard spending hours making knives, building forts, riding bikes, all while playing with his buddies. Marcus related his highlights this year (not necessarily in order) were: breaking his ankle on April Fools Day. I’m not sure how that is a highlight but that’s what he said. Being able to compete in discus towards the end of the track and field season, having fun with his buddies and grandparents, getting baptized “In the holy waters.” (Nacho Libre quote), getting contact lenses, and the church camping trip.
Geneva is now a teenager and blesses us all with her kitchen treats. She spends a good portion of her day with school and then the rest of it trying to weasel her way into the kitchen to make something. I am really enjoying this new found desire of hers! When mom won’t let her in the kitchen she is: playing with our dog (Maisy), riding her bike, practicing piano, voice lessons, and ballet, or spending time with her friends. Geneva related this year's highlights are as follows: her last year of middle school (mom and dad aren’t excited), church campout, riding horses, spending time with friends and grandparents, and getting braces.
Alisha is older. I fear it may not be good for my health to place her age here. I’ll let you go back and read previous Christmas letters on this website to do the math. Alisha doesn’t really do a whole lot. I mean all she does is watch Oprah reruns, drink coffee, and hang out with her friends. I guess if I thought more about it she does: keep us all alive and the house from burning down; teach three different grades to our kids, feed us incredible food at least five times a day, make sure we all get where we need to go safely and in appropriate clothing attire, help run a Bible study or three, serve alongside me as I pastor at Grace, and about a thousand other tasks which she quietly but masterfully pulls off in a given 24 hour period of time. Yeah so maybe she does do a thing or two. Honestly she is the one who makes all things possible in this family. We’d all be homeless, starving, dumb, and lost without her. When she was not watching the latest liberal TV show, she had time to enjoy: seeing Marcus baptised by dad, studying the minor prophets of the Bible, our new nephew named Jace, enjoying the sunroom addition, her parents now only five minutes away, hiking, playing music and go on dates with her mega hot husband. Alisha is my ultra hot lighting babe (Incredibles quote), best friend, and the love of my life. I couldn’t imagine an hour without her. Thank you Lord for blessing me.
Yep, I’m a year older (42). It happens. This last year flew by so fast. It has been filled with God’s innumerable blessings. Like I said in the beginning, you all are a part of those blessings. I’m so grateful to have you in my and my family's life. This year’s highlights were: baptising my son, seeing and being a part of all the things Alisha and the kids mentioned above, being ordained as a pastor at Grace Community Church (I’m blessed to serve the most amazing congregation and serve alongside four amazing men), being able to still work for the State of California, having successful back surgery (thank you Lord for answering prayer), and the church camping trip.
Again, I can’t state enough the importance of the reason for the season. Jesus Christ came to save you from your sin. You see, sin is what permanently separates us from God. It is what sends us to hell. The Bible says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits or anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Therefore God tells in the Bible,“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The most amazing thing is this, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us.” You see Jesus related while He was here on earth, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Wow, what a promise!! I truly pray and hope you turn from sin and place all you have in Jesus this Christmas season.
Merry Christmas,
Adam and the Guddat family!!
(Thank you to Jolene Peterson for taking our beautiful family photos!)
Thank you for reading our Christmas letter this year. Each year one of us takes a go at writing a Guddat family Christmas letter and this year I (Adam) get the honors. A thought occurred to me while writing the previous sentence….. Geneva will be 18, Marcus 16, and Nyah 15 next time it's my turn to write this letter. Oh man…. How time flies and life changes.
As the family and I were reflecting on this last year, the conversation literally revolved around you all. We are so thankful for each of you and are thankful you allow us crazy Guddats to be a part of your lives. It is at your own risk and our benefit.
I truly hope this Christmas season is filled with Christmas cheer. May our hearts and minds reflect on the true meaning of this season and all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was born into this world to glorify His father, conquered death and sin, and He liberated those who repent of their sins and put all their trust in Him. Because of Jesus we have a relationship with God. May we forever follow Jesus with whole hearts devoted to Him in faith, love and thanksgiving for all that He has done.
This year has been filled with the smiles of God and many of those he has brought through you. We’ve got great memories of events, parties, eating meals around tables or having a simple cup of coffee with you, or working alongside you in some way. It has been a huge blessing to live life alongside you..
As the days have counted off, the kids have grown and matured. God has blessed Alisha and I with the best three kids one could have.
Yep, I’m a year older (42). It happens. This last year flew by so fast. It has been filled with God’s innumerable blessings. Like I said in the beginning, you all are a part of those blessings. I’m so grateful to have you in my and my family's life. This year’s highlights were: baptising my son, seeing and being a part of all the things Alisha and the kids mentioned above, being ordained as a pastor at Grace Community Church (I’m blessed to serve the most amazing congregation and serve alongside four amazing men), being able to still work for the State of California, having successful back surgery (thank you Lord for answering prayer), and the church camping trip.
Again, I can’t state enough the importance of the reason for the season. Jesus Christ came to save you from your sin. You see, sin is what permanently separates us from God. It is what sends us to hell. The Bible says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits or anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Therefore God tells in the Bible,“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The most amazing thing is this, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us.” You see Jesus related while He was here on earth, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Wow, what a promise!! I truly pray and hope you turn from sin and place all you have in Jesus this Christmas season.
Merry Christmas,
Adam and the Guddat family!!
(Thank you to Jolene Peterson for taking our beautiful family photos!)
Comments
Post a Comment