Miller Family Christmas Card 2024
This year brought one of our greatest heartaches. In May, just days after returning home from wintering in Lake Havasu City, AZ, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given only a few months to live. Though we had hoped to have more years with him, God’s goodness and mercy were evident in my dad’s life and even in the timing and way of his death. While I don’t have room to list them all, among the many blessings were his faithful wife of 51 years, his family, a successful veterinary practice, and countless opportunities to be outdoors doing the things he loved with people he cherished. Following his diagnosis, we were able to prioritize time together—enjoying mornings over coffee and multiple visits from friends and family—including several visits from my brother and his family. We were able to go to Challis for our annual camping trip, enjoy golfing and fishing excursions, help get things in order for his passing, and say the things we wanted to say to each other.
The last days of dad’s life were difficult. We struggled to help manage his pain; he was agitated, and we all desired for him to experience release from his physical suffering. Near the end, his body calmed, and he died peacefully with Luke, me, my brother, and mom around him. His last audible sentence before passing was, “Lift my eyes.” We do not know for sure who dad was talking to or what specifically he was asking for. He could have merely been having trouble seeing. But, these words were a sweet sound to our ears, as they are the first line of Psalm 121—a favorite Bible passage, song, and even the saying written on my favorite picture in our room. “I lift my eyes up to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber...The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (vs. 1-4 & 7-8).
Perhaps my dad’s last words were just a gift from the Lord to point us to Him, reminding us that He has and always will be our help and the keeper of our lives. Or perhaps they meant even more. My dad spent much of his life vacillating between apathy, unbelief, and sometimes anger toward God. We never knew his whole story or heart or why he felt the way he did, but I am confident God knew and cared deeply for him. My dad was an incredible man—generous, hardworking, caring, and accomplished. Yet, like all of us, he fell short of God’s glory and was a perishing sinner in need of new life and salvation found only in Jesus (Acts 4:12). We prayed until his final breath that he would recognize this. And, if indeed his last words were a cry to have his eyes lifted to see and know Jesus, we are confident God was faithful to answer, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Regardless, we trust my dad’s life and what follows in his death into the Lord’s hands. God is the perfect judge of hearts, and His love for my dad and good purposes in all He does are undeniable. We will miss my dad, but we are very thankful for God’s gift of him in our lives. He was a good father, husband, brother, and friend. We are also thankful for the many, many people who showed their love to my dad throughout his life both physically, by being there for him, and spiritually, through prayer—especially in his last days. We have been grateful for the support of so many after his passing. Prayers for comfort have surrounded us, and God has been answering in abundance—bringing peace in His presence and confidence in His goodness.
As I move into sharing updates on our family, it feels fitting to reflect on how each of us has lifted our eyes to the Lord this year to find help in times of need. For Luke, many of his cries for help came in navigating a difficult situation involving false accusations made against him and others in our church. In seeking to walk humbly, love his enemies, and resist the temptation to return evil for evil, Luke relied on countless measures of God’s grace and strength. The Lord’s help was also evident through the gift of our church family who walked alongside him, carefully examined the claims, offered encouragement, and continually pointed him to Christ. Despite the weight of these challenges, the Lord sustained Luke, enabling him to remain engaged with our family, committed to his work with Boise Fire, able to teach Launch Pad, and even to enjoy fly fishing, woodworking, Fortnite, playing bagpipes, and working on various projects around our home and our church, Table Rock.
With a stable but slower housing market this year, managing TripleCord Real Estate required less of my time. This provided opportunities to volunteer more hours supporting the administrative needs of our growing church and to spend quality time with my dad. At times, I still felt overwhelmed by the weight of life’s challenges—the demands of work, needs of a busy household, and emotional toll of events around me. So, I very much leaned into the Lord to be my help, strength, and comforter, and was continually pleased to find overwhelming joy in the incredible gift of Christ’s love and grace toward me. Amidst everything, I was thankful to still enjoy walks along the river with Mazie and friends, several good audiobooks, and precious time in the Word preparing for Life Group, Launch Pad, Children’s Ministry, or just my own study of my good God.
Hadley is in 11th grade and will turn 17 in January. The highlight of her year was serving on staff at Camp Perkins as a photographer and camp assistant, where she forged meaningful friendships and soaked in the beauty of God’s creation in the Sawtooth Mountains. As she has navigated her first real job, the academic rigor of her junior year, and questions about life after graduation, Hadley has turned to the Lord frequently for peace and guidance, finding strength and clarity in His presence.
Taylor is thriving in 9th grade and will turn 15 in March. After obtaining her driver’s permit last month, she is eager to begin working toward her license and continues to enjoy playing piano, baking, puzzles, art, downtime, Hallmark movies, and walks with friends. This year, we’ve witnessed her deepen her understanding of her daily need for Jesus as she’s developed a meaningful habit of reading her Bible and journaling each night—nurturing her own personal relationship with the Lord.
Hutch turns 13 on the 21st of this month and is loving being a 7th grader in junior high. He continues to enjoy baseball, riding his bike, youth group, video games, and time with friends. He also recently added snowboarding to the mix. Using his savings, he bought a Bogus pass and is eager to join anyone heading up the mountain. Amidst his many interests and desires for activity, he’s realizing he can’t do everything and has needed to seek the Lord’s guidance in deciding where to focus his time.
Ellie will be 11 in March and is in 5th grade. She is kind and organized and enjoys a variety of activities, including school, art, watching Project Bakeover, choir, playing clarinet, swimming, bike riding, and soccer. She especially loves when she can share these activities with friends. This year, she’s faced significant anxiety around sleep—worrying about tomorrow and not getting enough rest. She has been nightly lifting her eyes to the Lord to calm her fears, find peace, and trust Him for the day ahead.
Brooks, now 6½, started kindergarten this year and wakes up each day eager for new adventures. He loves talking about all the things he’s into—though his passions shift often! Currently, he’s all about S.W.A.T., military, police, and the occasional ninja. This year, he has faced challenges with obedience, often tempted to believe that following his own way brings the most happiness. We’ve been guiding him to see the joy in seeking the Lord’s help to both discern and choose what he knows is right.
Despite everything going on this year, we were still afforded the gift of some wonderful family adventures. For her 16th birthday, Hadley and I traveled to San Diego and enjoyed the zoo, Coronado Island, delicious food, and exploring downtown. In February, which now feels like forever ago, we returned to one of our beloved vacation spots in Puerto Vallarta for a few days of rest, sunshine, and playing in the ocean. In April, Luke and I took a quick trip to Texas to witness the total solar eclipse, joining a friend from home and a few friends who recently moved there. Though the skies were overcast throughout the day, the Lord graciously answered our prayers—parting the clouds at just the right moment to give us an awe-inspiring 4½ minutes of totality. The collective cheers combined with the wonderstruck silence of the many people who experienced it with us seemed such a fitting response to this grand display of God’s glory! The summer brought many more opportunities to relish in the majesty of His creation as camping, Hadley’s job, separate weeks of camp for our three middle kids, and our participation in family camp brought us to the Sawtooth Mountains on multiple occasions. Also, though we hung around Boise to be close to Dad during their stay, we enjoyed several fun local outings with my brother and his family during their visits.
As we close out this year, we find ourselves more deeply aware of the depths of our sin and our desperate need for a Savior. This awareness fills us with even greater awe at God’s grace and renewed gratitude that He has saved us and called us His own. How incredible it is that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8), securing the gift of eternal life for all who trust in Him. So, with that hope before us, we are eager to continue the work He has given us to do for as long as He keeps us here, all the while longing for the day we’ll see Him face to face and rejoice in His presence forever!
Thank you for showing your care for us by taking the time to read this letter. Your presence in our lives is a blessing. If you’re sending Christmas cards this season, we’d love to be on your list, as we cherish staying connected through shared memories. And if cards aren’t your thing, a simple text or email would mean just as much. As we move into the new year with its joys and challenges, we pray you will lift your eyes to Jesus in every season—trusting Him to provide all you need and remembering that “the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made” (Psalm 145:8-9).
With Love--Luke, Katie, Hadley, Taylor, Hutch, Ellie & Brooks
