Cash Christmas Newsletter 2015
Luke 2:14
Christmas 2015 is upon us. It has been a year of prayer and seeing God’s Hand upon our family and so many others. In an amazing surprise from friends Kate and Craig Roll, we were told that we would be going on a Caribbean cruise. It was to be a gift of God’s love for us. Imagine warm waters with sunlight streaming as a respite from Winter! They gave and we received. I mentored her as a Navy wife. We rested and breathed in the goodness of God. In the Spring, our Marine Corps grandson, Caleb Cash returned from 7 1/2 months in Baghdad. Surely his homecoming was a blessing of rejoicing. At this same time, Kellye was a lead in the musical production “Ring of Fire” at Cumberland County playhouse in Crossville, TN. It is one of the top ten professional companies in our nation. The story of John and June Cash was sung with shades of truthful poignancy and faith. Kellye’s daughter Cassidy Sheppard, age 21, competed at Miss Tennessee, singing the prayer “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables. Her beauty, talent and character placed her in the top 3 which rewarded her with college scholarship monies. In July, we attended the first marriage of a grandchild. Brady Sheppard, now 24, married Lauren Harris in a glorious celebration of faith and grace. He is an electrical engineer in Nashville and she is a preschool teacher. Generational legacy in marriage was on display in purity framed by faith in Christ. What joy! Kellye’s 17-year-old daughter Tatum, a talented writer, is a high school senior. In August, a baby boy named Henry Roy was born to Carey and Charity Cash, their 9th child. Justice, the second son of Carey, is in his second year at US Naval Academy. Phoebe, age 17, is a senior at Crosspointe Academy in WA, followed by Nathanael age 16 and Ella age 15. Little girls are Bea, age 7, Mae age 5 and Lu who just turned 4. The Cash family moved to WA in late September where CDR Carey Cash, US Navy Chaplain, became Senior Command Chaplain on the nuclear aircraft carrier, USS John C. Stennis. In November Kellye, Todd and Tatum were guests at an International Conference of Evangelicals and Catholics in Rome to focus upon Family Life issues. It was a rich life-changing experience. At home, Roy continues to be in demand for God and Country and Veterans events in all kinds of venues; he also continues to serve on the Board of Directors at CTI. I was privileged to lead retreats this year at Ridgecrest NC and Charleston SC, and spoke in the Tri-Cities area for Stonecroft Women’s Connections and served as keynote devotional speaker at Eagle Forum in Nashville. I guide a God and Country prayer group monthly in my hometown which keeps me seeking repentance and hope for my nation. We pray scripture for issues which face America and also for troops by name. My writing projects on “Fruit of The Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23, “You Are God’s Masterpiece” Ephesians 2:10 and “Good To the Core” Psalm 145:7 have kept me in God’s Word…a place I love. Endorsements for others’ writings include a cancer memoir of a friend. Mentoring others in prayer will always be a forever work for me.
Christmas Blessings,
Billie – I just want to thank you for raising such a great family! I met your son Carey (too many years ago for me to remember exactly) when he was doing a PME at Quantico for his book “A Table in the Presence.” I later had Carey’s Battalion Commander (of 1st Bn, 5th Marines) Fred Padilla as a passenger in my car several times between Stafford, VA and the Pentagon. I’ve known Clebe & Deanna McClary for over 20 years and for most of the last decade cycled with Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben (currently the Navy’s Chief of Chaplains) on a charity bike ride between Arlington, VA and Gettysburg, PA. I don’t believe in coincidences (but I do believe it’s a small world, even smaller Marine Corps, and that GOD-incidences happen all the time if you are alert and looking for them). I won’t be surprised if Carey is eventually Chaplain of the Marine Corps. If you get the chance to pass on my information to Carey – I’d be honored to re-establish communication with him. I know he’s busy (with 9 children alone – let alone working on the Stennis) as my wife and I ONLY have twins graduating from H.S. next month. I’m a retired Marine Infantry Officer, who started out as a Navy Corpsman – I enlisted while pursuing my undergrad as a pre-med student at an Army military college (North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA). Prayers for you and your lovely family – I look forward to following your continued efforts and successes.