In Case You Missed The Email

To Those I Love - Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays! How are you guys? I am doing great. I hope this email finds you well, and hopefully warm (or at the least, cozy). It’s crazy to think that Christmas is tomorrow for us here in America. Maybe I’m just a big procrastinator, but the holiday season always finds it’s way upon me in an increasingly rapid fashion. Each year that goes by, the time goes by so much faster. I guess that’s just getting older. I think I say that in every email I send out on Christmas Eve. Oh well, that line is a tradition. And this is too.

This is the 6th year I’ve done this email. I don’t know why it feels important, but it does. I suppose I do not get to expound upon the many reasons I love each of you as much I as would like to throughout the year. So that is why this is such a big deal for me. The sentiments behind this note are that of care and concern. I hope that this past few weeks and the rest of the year are a time for you to reflect on the beauty of life, the brilliance of creation and our gracious Creator.

For some of you, I’m sure you are wondering why you are getting an email from me. For others (Carrie), I know you are looking forward to this email with expectatious wonder. It gives me great joy to type these words because you are getting to see a piece of my heart that I do not share often. Not for spite or resolve, but for the simplistic reason that it makes people happy to know their loved ones are of cheer. And maybe that can be my New Year’s resolution because I do not express my happiness everyday. But know that I am happy and I hope you guys and gals are too.

For the past year, I have been working at Laurel Oaks Behavioral Health Center in Dothan, Alabama. It’s a psychiatric and behavioral hospital for children and teenagers. I was a mental health technician working, mentoring, teaching, and helping treat nine children, ages 7-12, on the child residential unit. It was great experience and an abundance of stress as well. Besides the experience I have gained from working there, the benefit of this job was to pay off some debt and save for graduate school, which is what I will be starting in January. I will be moving to New Orleans, Louisiana to start a MA in Christian Education at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I’m really excited about this new journey and being back in school.

I imagine from the start of this I wanted to say more, but now I’m sort of out of words. Please just know I love and cherish all of you. I hope that this holiday season is wonderful for you and yours.

Merry Christmas,

Jeff Watkins