Mary’s Mother, played by Debbie Garrett (by Marla Carter)

If Debbie Garrett could give one piece of advice to those around her, it would be to rely on God for every detail of life. Debbie has experienced enough mountains and valleys with God to know that His timing is always perfect and that she can do all things with His strength. Originally from Hancock county, Debbie has lived in numerous cities across the United States and has been in several churches as her husband was once in music ministry. After having gone through “a very deep valley,” God worked out every little detail to move her and her family to Owensboro in 2005.

Debbie is a legal assistant at Yewell Law and her husband Ron is an assistant program director at Wendell Foster, as well as a part time substitute teacher. They have three children—Brett, in the Navy and stationed in Virginia; Brittany, who works part time and goes to college part time; and Bryce, a junior at Daviess County High School. Debbie and her family attend Church For All where she and her husband sing with the praise team. Debbie’s best friend since the sixth grade is Donna Dooley, a member at OCC, who informed Debbie of the auditions for “A Time For Christmas.” Debbie has a long list of experience when it comes to music and drama. She even remembers her very first solo, which was the Christmas song, “I Wonder As I Wander.”

Debbie’s favorite Christmas memory is that of her father’s last Christmas, 1996. She and her husband desperately wanted to come home for Christmas but didn’t think they’d be able to because the house was going to be so full of family members that there wouldn’t be any room for them to sleep. Debbie’s father gave up his bed and slept in a chair so they could come home. He had cancer at the time, but was undergoing treatment. No one knew that would be his last Christmas.

In “A Time For Christmas,” Debbie plays Mary’s mother, a character who worries about her daughter and offers her advice about mending her broken heart. After talking with Debbie, you realize she is aptly chosen for such a role. Her wealth of experience enables her to both encourage and challenge the rest of us to walk with God through every valley and let Him take you to the top of the mountain.