Dear John,

As we gather with our loved ones, sing carols, enjoy a special Christmas meal, and share gifts, I want to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I also want to share a personal reflection, because every Christmas I remember the men and women in uniform spending this holiday far from home, standing watch so the rest of us can celebrate in peace.

During my 36 years in the U.S. Army, I spent holidays away from my family on occasion, and I know first-hand the quiet sacrifices that military families make. Christmas, especially, is a time when family traditions are formed as we gather to remember that the Son of God came in the flesh to save the world. Knowing my wife and kids were celebrating without me was difficult, but I always made sure to celebrate Christmas with my troops no matter the circumstances. I still remember sharing MREs on Christmas Eve in a tent with my troops in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Balkan War. We were cold and tired, but grateful to be together nonetheless, to bow our heads together and thank God for sending His Son into a dark and broken world.

That is the heart of Christmas: not presents, not parties, but the birth of Jesus Christ -- God in the flesh, come to save sinners like you and me. Isaiah tells us, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." In a world torn by war, confusion, and moral compromise, that child in the manger is still the only true source of hope.

After I retired from the military, I did not plan to come back to Washington, D.C. To be honest, I had seen enough of bureaucracy and politics to last a lifetime. But as I watched what was happening to our military, the erosion of standards, the loss of moral clarity -- and as I saw compromise creep into too many of our churches, I knew God was calling me to continue the fight, this time on a different battlefield.

That is why I answered the call to serve with FRC Action. I believed then, and I believe now, that this ministry is a beacon of truth in our nation's capital -- standing without apology for faith, family, and freedom, and shining the light of Christ in a town that desperately needs it. Here, battles are fought in committee rooms instead of combat zones, but the stakes are still eternal: the hearts and minds of our children, the freedom of the church, and the future of our country.

These days, my wife and I cherish every Christmas I have with my kids and grandkids. We gather, tell old family stories, and thank the Lord for His faithfulness through every deployment, every separation, every answered prayer. One tradition I especially treasure is the time I take around the holidays to go hunting with friends. Those trips are seasoned in prayer and soaked in the Word of God. Time in the woods, talking to the Lord, reminds us that Christmas is not about us at all -- it is about what Christ has done for us, and what He is still doing in our nation.

Tradition matters because it prompts us to pause from constant demands of work, news, and politics, and fixes our thoughts on family and the faithfulness of God. When my children were young, we would pack up and go to my parents' home for Christmas. As the years went by and grandchildren came along, everyone started coming to us. We have savored every moment together, retelling family stories, laughing, praying, and recounting the ways the Lord has carried us through everything.

In all those gatherings, one truth has anchored us: the baby in Bethlehem did not stay in the manger. He grew, lived a sinless life, and went to the cross to bear our sins. He rose again in victory over death, and one day He will return to establish a kingdom of perfect justice and unending peace. Emmanuel -- God with us -- was just as present in a cold tent in Sarajevo as in a warm living room back home in the States.

This Christmas, would you join me in a special commitment? As you gather with your family, take time to pray for the men and women serving in our armed forces who will not be home this year. Pray for the young private on night duty at a remote post, for the mom in uniform missing her child's first Christmas, for the chaplain sharing the gospel in a tent instead of a sanctuary. Their sacrifice secures the freedom we enjoy -- and they deserve to be covered in the prayers of God's people.

And as you pray for them, I ask you to also remember the mission of FRC Action. Just as our troops stand guard on foreign soil, this ministry stands guard in our nation's capital -- defending religious liberty, protecting the unborn, mobilizing the Body of Christ to action, and speaking biblical truth into policies that shape daily life for military families and civilians alike. Your faithful partnership makes it possible for our work to guard the military from social experimentation to continue, not just at Christmas, but all year long.

Your generosity helps ensure that the light of Christ continues to shine on Capitol Hill, and across the country -- so that the freedoms our service members defend with their lives are used to advance God's truth, not suppress it.

From one grateful veteran, thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your courage to stand. And whether you are celebrating with family or are far from home, may the Prince of Peace guard your heart, bless your family, and draw you closer to Himself this Christmas -- until the day He returns and peace on earth is not just a Christmas carol, but a glorious reality.

Then peeled the bells, more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Merry Christmas!

FRC Action is a tax-exempt corporation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Financial contributions to FRC Action are not tax-deductible.