Dear Friends,
It has not been long enough since I last sat down to pen (i.e., type) a Christmas letter. As the boys get bigger and I get older, the years go by faster. But even with a year that has felt too short, as we look back, a lot has happened in the Hambrick household this year.
Lawson is in 6th grade, so we have officially started the adventure known as “Middle School.” While he embarked on this adventure with a good bit of fear and trepidation, he has started to enjoy it (a fact he will firmly deny if asked directly). This Fall, Lawson switched back from baseball to football; doing a great job on the D-Line and O-Line for the North Raleigh Bulldogs.
Marshall is in 4th grade and is full-on ready to conquer the world. Marshall finally made it to kid-pitch level in baseball and loved getting to be in complete control of the game. As a left-handed pitcher with above-average control and velocity, he did a great job (his below-average stature made him quite cute to the opposing teams until they stepped in the batter’s box). Marshall wants run a marathon with Brad before he graduates high school. They completed a 10K (which accidentally became an 11K… the race was non-euphemistically named “The Extra Mile” #NotABargain) and are working towards a half marathon.
This summer the boys and I took our #ManTrip7, intended to be a white water adventure (bradhambrick.com/mantrip7). But there were brain eating amebas in the water (no joke), so it became a high ropes course and mountain-top zip lining adventure. A fire in our hotel at 2am in the morning added to the adventure stories that can be told.
Sallie is still “the best Mama ever” as both boys are fond of telling her and subs frequently at the elementary school, but Lawson is no longer sure it’s a good idea for her to be at the middle school (ahh, the drama). She started a project to “paint one wall” in our living room; now with six walls painted, two sets of new curtains, and a new rug, both our living room and kitchen look amazing.
Brad finished the seminar series he began at Summit 5 years ago with programs for addiction (bradhambrick.com/addiction) and codependency (bradhambrick.com/codependency). He’s very excited about the opportunity to partner with SEBTS in 2017 to develop a program where the recovery-support group and marriage mentoring ministries will become much more replicable for other churches. As always, his favorite thing to do is coaching Lawson and Marshall’s ball teams.
Over the next year we would appreciate your prayers that we will (1) fully enjoy this sweet season when our boys are young and lay a good foundation for their future, (2) prioritize marriage and family during a very busy season of life and ministry, and (3) grow in our trust in God’s character and effectiveness at sharing His hope with others.
We want to thank you for your friendship and the unique role you have played in the life of our family. Our prayer is that this Christmas you will experience the power, peace, and joy of Immanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23) – and have the opportunity to multiply that hope by sharing it with others.
Merry Christmas!
The Hambrick Family