Memoirs of a New Grand-Parent

Worth a Thousand Words

2010-06-13T13:29:00.007-04:00

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, I caution you, the images you are about to see will profoundly change your standard of beauty.

We have all heard the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." I fully understand the depth of that saying. When I was young, I found that I could best express myself through art. I would spend hours in my room drawing. I found that a picture really could express my words.
Yesterday, I was reminded of this expression, and it was affirmed when I saw the pictures.
Like any good Grandparent, I believe that my Granddaughter is by far the most beautiful child I have ever seen. Each time I look at her, I am mesmerized, rapt, enthralled and spellbound. Her beauty is beyond description, even a thousand words could not relay the sight, so I will post the pictures and let you decide.
I want to give a special thanks to Sarah, please check her out at
www.MomentsbySarah.com she did an awesome job taking these photos. Of course she had an incredible subject!

P.S.
It has been a while since I posted anything.
Please be in prayer for the survivors of the Haiti Earthquake, the Flooding in Tenn, and Arkansas. The Florida Baptist Disaster Relief Ministry has been very involved in these events this year.
Hurricane Season has begun, so please pray as we prepare here in Florida.
I do not know what we did before all this tech stuff.
So, forgive me for not posting here as much as I should. Apart from the responsibilities of Disaster relief I also attempt to keep up with several sites.
I post on
www.gatherinhisname.com
Keep up with the Disaster scene at:
www.flbaptistdisaster.org
I have this blog here and I have a Facebook page as well.

Shamed into it.

2010-01-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been a long time since I posted. Man the Holidays are so busy. I know that these are just excuses. Today as I was surfing the net, I read my daughters blog. She posted a similar post to this one. Her post is better! So, I will post some pictures of my Granddaughter and keep the random thoughts to a minimum.

2009-11-25T19:41:00.002-05:00

Well here we are, it is the night before Thanksgiving. This is one of my favorite holidays and not just because of the food. On this day we give thanks for all we have been blessed with. Originally "Thanksgiving Day" was to give thanks for the safe arrival to this land and all the bounty of resources it possessed.

So, in keeping with the tradition of Thanksgiving I will reflect on this last year and the thing(s) I have to be thankful for.

Lets get the obvious out of the way first, my new Granddaughter.
Yep, she is by far the greatest thing that has happened to me, especially in the last year. However, not just because she is beautiful, or sweet or that she smells just perfect. I am thankful for all of those but there is something even more unique and personal.
The world is a busy place. We all seem to have more to do than we have time to do it. We over schedule, get overwhelmed becoming over worked and this causes us to become overstressed. The events that cause this overload go by many different labels. For some of us it could be a job, sometimes we call them ministry or charity. Others may even find family overloads us. Why does it sometimes seem that even good things overload us?
The answer to this is where my Granddaughter comes in. When she was born, it got me thinking. Why or how can the good things in life i.e. our jobs, ministries or family sometimes wear on us. Looking at my beautiful Grandchild it came to me.
Motivation. When I am motivated properly I can and have achieved amazing things. Motivation impacts the way we do our jobs, our ministries and how we relate to our family. Motivation can also change the way the issues of life wear on us.
So, what does my little precious Grandchild have to do with this? She reminded my about what our motivation should be...love! Now I am not talking about what passes for love these days. I am talking about old fashion love. The kind of love that has existed since the beginning of time. You see I love ice cream, but it doesn't motivate me to achieve or to any real action.
You see I love my Granddaughter, and I can say with out reservation that I would give my life to protect hers. There is literally nothing I would not do to provide for her safety. But, lets put this is perspective. My Granddaughter does not love me. She really does not even recognize who I am. If she was being threatened with harm, I would give my life to protect her. Why would I do such a thing? If she thought I was a fool to do that would I still sacrifice for her? Of coarse I would. What if her parents never told her of my sacrifice for her? Would I still sacrifice if I knew that they would not tell her about me? Yes I would! What if I could see what she would become, and if she doesn't fulfill her potential? I would still die for her!
You see 2000 years ago a man lived and like us faced all the same trials and struggles we do today. And in his early 30's was killed. Since his death some have called him a fool. Others have called him a liar. He said of himself, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) There have been people since the time of Jesus who have denied him as the Christ, others have refused to tell their children of his sacrifice.
So, what was the motivation of Christ? LOVE!!!
You see, Christ knew that some would deny him, others would lie about him and others would call him a fool, but it was love that motivated him. It was not what would we do with the information that motivated him. It was not our acts of kindness, our family or job that moved him to act, it was love.
This year as I hold my Granddaughter it will not matter what her future holds or what she thinks of me that will cause me to sacrifice for her, it will be love that motivates me. A pure love, a Godly love.
You see there are no guarantees that she will love me or even claim me as her family. In the same way Christ died for us! Many not loving him or claiming him, yet he went to the cross to die in our place. Why would he do that? What motivated Him? LOVE!

So, I will love my Granddaughter and be thankful that I understand real love, the kind of love that sacrifices, the kind of love that is without condition and never looks for a payback. And my prayer for each of you is that you will experience and understand this kind of love.

What Poppy saw!

2009-11-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

Today I read my daughters blog. She wrote about her impressions of the day Dallas was born. My son also, wrote about that day. I have addressed some of my impressions of that day already. However, reading their blogs has helped me to remember some of the precious events of that day.
I am still amazed at how I could see the love rush over my son and daughter as they held that little child.
Over the last several weeks that love has only grown. Several times each day my son or daughter will send us pictures of our little angel. With each picture I can see "love" on the faces of our children. One of the greatest honors, as I am finding out, of being a grandparent is seeing your children love their children in the way you have prayed they would. To see the look in my son's eyes as he holds his baby is incredible. My daughter is a wonder mother, she is a natural. As I watch them with their child, I am filled with joy.
Being a Grandparent is wonderful because of the little life that has entered our family, but also because I see my children being great parents as they love their child.

A Whole New World

2009-10-10T16:37:00.003-04:00

It is amazing to watch a baby grow. They seem to grow so fast. One of the great joys of life is to see a new born begin to connect with the world around them. It is as if you can almost see them learning as they look at a whole new world.
Everything is new!
In the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis Chapter One when speaking of His Creation God calls it "good"
Gen 1:31 And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
I think that as we grow, sometimes we lose the wonder of it all. Children help us to be reminded of the beauty of the creation around us. What a wonderful thing it is to see a child be amazed by the simplest of thing. It is sad to think that we often forget and lose that wonder. In the opening verse of Matthew Eighteen the Disciples ask, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus responds in the next several verses to address Child like faith. In a child we can see the "faith of a Child" which some call "naivete" but I call a blessing. As we grow we can be come jaded by life turning us into a cynic. The real challenge is to keep the eyes of a child, a child like wonder and a child like faith while we grow to understand the challenges and traps of life.
What a wonder it is to see a child as she sees a whole new world. I am blessed to be reminded of the creation that surrounds me and it is "good".

Every Good and Perfect Gift

2009-10-04T21:51:00.002-04:00

Last week I changed the header of my blog. After I changed it, I thought I should tell everyone what the picture is of, but than I realized that no one is reading my blog. But, I will write it anyway.

The new picture is of the wall in my Grand daughters room. My Son and daughter put it there as a reminder and testimony of the blessings from God.

The End of Week One.

2009-09-28T21:13:00.008-04:00

Well, it has been a little over a week, and I think I am getting this Grandpa thing down.

Here are three things I have learned this week:
1. You must be able to stare for extended periods of time at a sleeping baby (after all, She is perfect especially while sleeping).
2. You must be able to maintain a complete stillness in what ever position the baby falls asleep in while you are holding her. (after all, she is perfect especially in my arms).
3. You must love the color pink (after all she is perfect, especially in pink).

He's In Love with The Girl!

2009-09-20T20:55:00.005-04:00

He's In Love with the Girl!

What a blessing a child is. My children have blessed me in many ways. I was there with my wife when our first son was born and I will never forget the sight of that newborn. I was overseas when my second son was born and the first time I saw him was at the airport. I remember that image and He was beautiful. As I sit here and reflect on the many blessings God has given me I am overwhelmed with God's mercy and grace toward me.
This past Friday I received one of the greatest blessings I have ever received. I really desire for my words here to be able to convey the depth of emotions, the strength of the experience and the intensity of the situation but alas I know that I will fall painfully short in the limited way I must describe what happened.
For the last nine months my eldest Son and His wife have been expecting their first child. As a parent I was very excited for them because I knew the joy of the experience already, but I was not prepared for what I was to experience with the birth of their child. Friday morning my daughter went into the hospital to deliver the newest member of the family, and that she did.
Friday night we welcomed the most perfect child I have ever seen into our family. I cannot express the depth of the blessing it is to have the daughter (In law) I have. She has given us (Yes I know God did it, but He used her) the most precious gift ever. I praise God for her, the love she shows my son, and the love she shows her husbands parents. She is a woman of great worth and through her God has blessed us with a Granddaughter.
Friday, we where able to welcome a precious child, 7lbs and 2 oz. of joy. My son was able to be by his wife's side during the birth and was the first one to bring the baby to show us. The flood of emotions I experienced is indescribable. Not just the emotions and love for my new Granddaughter, but for my son and his wife. I witnessed a young man totally swept away by love. My son is not a small man, but I witnessed a 7lb 2oz baby take total control of his every action. The look on his face the sound of his voice all said one thing and one thing only, He's in love with the girl! And that is the part that I was totally unprepared for, the joy I felt as I watched my son being totally consumed by the love of his child it was overwhelming. He's in love with the girl! It is amazing to watch, she has Daddy wrapped around her finger, and Poppy too.
When the little bundle of joy was brought to see Mommy, the same thing happened again, she was totally swept away by love. She's in love with the girl too!
I do not know what the future holds but I know this, the newest member of our family is loved. Loved, love with a pure love, a true love and a consuming love. She has her whole life ahead, and her Grandmother and I will do all to make sure she knows how special she is.
Because we are in love with the girl too!

Alone Again, Un-naturally!

2009-08-28T22:08:00.001-04:00

Have you ever met someone who is afraid of clowns? There was that one Seinfeld episode. I knew a kid in school who didn't like watermelon. Who doesn't like watermelon? I know we are all individuals and to be stereotypical is bad, but there are generalities that generally speaking we are all subject to.
Hence, the subject of this post. The last several entries have been lesson I have learned (sort of) so today will be an insightful look at one of my views and another lesson.
I would say, generally speaking, that most men would verbally claim to look forward to a weekend alone (the wife away), just the boys (me and the cat). However, just as Seinfeld taught us, some people do not like clowns. In other words, I do not like being at home alone. Now understand, I am not afraid of the dark and the bumps in the night do not bother me because those are normal. However, my wife not being here is not normal. I do not consider myself "whipped" but I am in love. I believe that our marriage is awesome, I love my wife and she loves me. Moreover, I really enjoy her company, much more than the company of any other person I know. Therefore, while I encourage her to go visit her Mother (because we love her mother and she should visit often) I do not enjoy being here alone.
As I sat here today I thought about what was different with her not here. It is hard to put my finger on but, the house is not alive when she is not here. Everything here looks, feels and sounds different. My wife and I know many couples who enjoy time away from each other, I know my wife enjoys her time with her mother but, it is just that, she enjoys her time with her mother not her time away from me. I enjoy her spending time with her mother but not her time away from me. When I hear a couple say they enjoy time apart from each other part of me feels sad for them. When I hear couples say, they enjoy seperattion I realize that they are not completely connected to each other. I accept and admit that I need to be able to survive by myself, and I can do that however, I chose not be by myself, in fact I have determined to commit all I am or will be to my wife. I have counseled with many couples and in doing so I attempt to relay to the men that one of the things we (men) need to do is to convince our wife that we would die for her (As Christ Died for the Church). You cannot be willing to die for someone and yet need or want to have time away from them. One young man told me one time, "I feel like throwing up my hands and giving up" and then told me he was willing to die for his wife. No, he wasn't willing to die for her. How do I know? You can't be ready to quit on a marriage and at the same to be willing to die for it.
One thing I want my sons to know, prove to your wife that you are totally committed to her, meet her needs totally, unselfishly and without reservation. If we as Husbands will strive to "Know" our wife, and not just in a physical way but really know her! Know her fears, desires and dreams our marriage will not fail. So, what is the lesson here?
First, marriage is a serious decision, do not go into it lightly.
Secondly, Love is not just an emotion, it does carry the deepest emotions you will ever sense, but love is a decision. There will be many days when your mate is unlovable and many days you will be as well but that does not change the commitment.
Third, the decision to love someone is for life, no way out, no do over, no other option. Never allow divorce to enter into your thought process.
Now, for those of you who are wondering, "what is he afraid of?" Nothing! Well, lets be honest. The Bible tells us to "Fear Not" (Isa. 41:10, 1John4:18), so I can say that I am not afraid of things, but I have sense enough to be cautious at certain times. And, around Horses is one of those times. For some reason, I have had issues with horses. Now in defense of the horse, I know that they have been fine servants and assistance to us over thousands of years and for that many have enjoyed the wind in their hair as they have galloped across the open range. I however, did not grow up around horses, I have been on a horse successfully, but I also had an issue once. Now I know again that the issue was with me and not necessarily the horse, so to avoid my weakness I choose not to ride.
So, love your spouse with all you have and if you ride a horse do not ride with a clown while eating watermelon and do not ride alone!

Chewing the Fat

2009-08-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a dog person. My wife and I have three Chihuahuas and yes a cat. So, I guess I am a dog person and a cat person in one. Some of my earliest memories are of my dogs. I have had many different breeds and can say I have never owned a bad dog.
One of the wonderful things about a dog is that they love you unconditionally. Everyday when I come home our three dogs seem to beg for me to sit down so they can jump up in my lap to greet me. I guess we could really learn a lot from a dog.
When I was in High School (yes they had high school back then) I lived in the home of my wife's parents. They had taken me in for the last year of high school and treated me like their own child. My wife's sister had a small dog, a Pomeranian to be exact. Precious was the dogs name and she had a big personality. I know that dogs just like people really want to be accepted. Each personality will demonstrate the desire for acceptance in a unique way. Some dogs will beg, some will whine, others will bring you gifts. Precious had determined the best way to my heart was with gifts.
Now, I love a thoughtful gift as much as anyone. Moreover, I know that Precious put a lot of thought into the gift she got for me.
What gift could a dog possibly give? The previously mentioned "love" comes to mind immediately as I am sure it did for you as well. Certainly Precious always offered that, except for the time I tried to move her food dish, then she offered correction and guidance. The gift I speak of here is not the unconditional love nor the correction and guidance.
Precious was a lap dog, she would jump into your lap each time you would sit down. Moreover, like many dogs, OK well, all dogs she loved table hand outs. So, she often would get a taste of what ever we were having for dinner. I never really thought about what she was doing with these little tasty bits of handouts. I assumed she was eating them all, after all that is what dogs do. But Precious had far to much love to be so selfish.
My bedroom was the closest bedroom to the kitchen. Each member of the family was on a different schedule therefore there was times when I could sleep in when others had to get up earlier. When those days came at times Precious would come and sleep in with me. As a typical guy, I would make my bed the "guy way". Which is to say, I would throw the sheet and comforter up and kinda straiten them.
One night I went to bed and fell asleep rather quickly. I am not sure what time it was, but everyone was already in bed when I found the gift. I remember rolling over and feeling this lump, something in the middle of my back between me and the bed. My first thought was that the sheet had come off the mattress and knotted up some way, so in the dark I reached behind me to smooth the sheet. And there it was, the gift.
As I touched it I felt a small greasy blob. Ahhhh! was my response. What in the world was this, this thing. So I turned on the light. Precious really did love me, she had taken one of her table tidbits and left it for me in the middle of the bed, it was a 1/2 inch cube of beef fat. Yep! and it was only mildly chewed on, so I am sure that most of the flavor was still there.
So, what is the lesson here. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. I could not be mad at Precious because clearly she loved me.

Am I really a Dinosaur? Ask my Wife!

2009-08-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

When our sons where very young they had a fascination with Dinosaurs. We would go to the local museums for such things as "Dino-Roar" which was a dinosaur exhibit in the Dallas Metroplex area. We had all the dinosaurs a house could hold. My wife and I had to learn to pronounce all the names as each night we would read to the boys books about our old friends, it was a wonderful challenge. Our older son decided early on that he wanted to be a Paleontologist. We had to first learn what that was, this was before the hit movie Jurassic Park. One of the interesting facts we learned was, one species of dinosaur had a helper brain. This species because of its extreme size had a small repeater located in the pelvic area to help with the brain signal which had to travel very far from the head to the tail. It is one of those facts that seem to stick with you once you learn it. Now, as a man I think I understand the thought process of my wife as much as any man can, but she still is wonderfully mysterious to me. So, one night armed with this new knowledge (the Dinosaur Brain thing) she decided to experiment. I know that to some I may be old but I am no where near Dinosaur age! Moreover, at the time I was even younger.
Every experiment begins with a desire to determine some fact or prove some hypothesis. Here is where my clarity fades. Evidently my wife, decided that it would be interesting to determine how long it took for a signal to travel from one end of my body to my brain. The end she choose was my hind end.
It was like any other night. She lay in bed cross stitching and I read before falling asleep. It has always amazed me how we incorporate the sounds and sensations of our surroundings into our dreams. I wish I could tell you that I was dreaming about being stab in some epic battle as I saved the world, but I really do not remember what I was dreaming. All I know is I felt a pain like a needle being viciously and violently stabbed into my hind end, OK, maybe it wasn't vicious or violent, but it was a needle, a cross stitch needle to be exact. I heard hilarious laughter and rolled over to see my wife almost in tears laughing trying to get the words out, "it took you at least 10 seconds to respond" In a sleepy daze I said, "What", "It took you a long time, you're like a dinosaur". So, I guess it is official, I am a Dinosaur. And in case you are wondering, Yes! She stuck me with a needle in the, well we will end it there!

Trust and Vic's Vapor Rub, a Lethal Combination

2009-08-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

We live in a dangerous world. The potential for disaster is all around us, and typically in the most unlikely places and from the most unlikely sources. Case in point, Vic's Vapor Rub!
I figure that I have cheated death as much as the average guy, if cheating death is such a thing. Over the years I have realized that I will probably not be killed during some overtly dangerous situation. But, never the less I can't let my guard down, 'cause danger is everywhere. Moreover, since my Granddaughter has not arrived yet, I will continue to post some of the "life Lessons" I have learned, in order to help others in my condition to avoid these dangers and to give my Grandchildren insight into our life.
Once when I was younger, not as in yesterday, but when I was much younger I had a chest cold. Or at least I think that was what I had to be honest I do not really remember what my ailment was. Our mind has a wonderful way of blocking certain memories to protect us. During this time I was just learning to be a husband and freshly experiencing the frugality's and desire that my wife had for the wonder cure(s) of the world.
We where in College and lived at that time with my In Laws. Once again, just as I do not like to call my son's wives my daughter in laws, I do not like to call my wife's parents my in laws. They are much more to me than that. My Wife's Father was like a Father to me and her Mother is like a mother to me and I love them both very much. OK, on to the Vic's Vapor Rub.
Our neighbor was a wonderful elderly lady, Mrs. Kittrell. Mrs. Kittrell was a kind and caring woman, who I feel really would never had harmed a fly. Because of my upper respiratory issues, my wife, as is her nature, looked for all the input and advice she could to get me cured. I still do not really know why, chicken soup seems to never be to solution. Chicken Soup never harmed anyone, I think. Anyway, Mrs. Kittrell suggested Vic's Vapor Rub. Vic's had a history of being very affective helping clear sinus issues, and I am sure still does. Well, Mrs. Kittrell suggest that I take Vic's Vapor Rub and, yes rub some on my chest, but also rub it into each nostril. As I write this I am thinking, "what was I thinking!" Well, that is where the trust comes in, trust is a wonderful thing. I trust my wife, her Mother, and Mrs. Kittrell and I know that they would never actively seek to harm me, but passive damage has ruined many a day. So, being the trust worthy young husband that I was, I put Vic's Vapor Rub inside each of my nostrils. Now, like most people I have two nostrils and that is good, cause four nostrils and this would be twice as bad.
Well, first let me tell you. My sinus issues immediately disappeared. So, as my wife would say, "mission accomplished". Now I have not looked at a jar of Vic's Vapor Rub in years, in fact I may not have looked at one since that day. But, at that time, the singular warning in bold letters stated, "Do not place into Nostrils". Now, in my lovely wife's defense, she trusted Mrs. Kittrell just as I did, and we where young so it is not a case of her trying to destroy my ability to smell. Nor, was Mrs. Kittrell attempting to permanently remove any nose hair I had or hoped to grow. Although that would have been a nice reward.
Vic's Vapor Rub is fine product one which I fully endorse, sort of. I spent the rest of the next hour cleaning each nostril. It is all a little fuzzy now. I am not sure if that is because of the time lapse since the event or the before mentioned mental block, but take it from me: "DO NOT PLACE (Vic's Vapor Rub) INTO NOSTRILS".

My Girl's Poppy

Listerine, great breath and repels insects!

2009-08-19T23:10:00.000-04:00

After 28 years of marriage not everything I know was learned in a formal setting. In fact, I will say this if you promise not to let my wife know, I have learned a lot from her. I live with one of those women who is always looking for a frugal alternative to what ever ails you.
I have learned, when she ask me, "How does your (salad, peas, casserole etc.) taste?" this really means, "I have added squash to it, can you taste it?" She has also helped me in the garage, I have to admit, she came up with the idea for the liner of my tool box. Maybe I will share that with you later. One time she decided that it would be a great idea to give me a glass of water with baking soda in it to help with an upset stomach. Let me warn you, if you have ever had a gas bubble or ever hope to have a gas bubble, do not drank 8 ounces of water with baking soda in it. My grandchild will not have gas because of that.
I have a lot of interesting experiences because of my wife's unique frugal ways. One of the neatest things she taught me, I really didn't believe when she told me what I am about to share with you. Now to give credit where it is due, my wife got this jewel of information from her Mother, in fact each time I burp I get flashes of her mother actually telling her to give me the water and baking soda!
Anyway, the little tidbit is this, Listerine makes a great insect repellent. Yep! It is true. Now I didn't believe it at first either, but it is true. Walking through the kitchen one evening I saw a little spray bottle, the kind you can buy at any general store. You know the ones, like you would use to mist a plant or mix some cleaning stuff in. On this day the bottle contained a gold colored liquid. When I asked my lovely wife, what was in it, she told me, "Listerine" "Why is it in the kitchen?" was the follow up question. She began to tell me, that she had learned that if you will spray Listerine around the entrances of your home, insects will stay away, even in the dark with the porch light on. "No way" I thought. Nothing keeps bugs away from the porch light! It was already dark out, and she told me she had sprayed this stuff around the back porch a few days earlier. So, we walked out and sure enough the porch light was on and to my amazement, as we walked out, NO BUGS!
It is amazing, we now spray this stuff around all the exterior doors of our home and it keeps the bugs away. Now, I think you must use the Listerine that is the gold color, not the green kind. I do not know why, I didn't ask. So, give Listerine a try and let me know what happens.
Have great breath and repel them bugs!

The Good News!

2009-08-15T19:54:00.000-04:00

Today, to start I will post my initial feelings to the Good News. Now for those who know me, and for most of my friends I am not talking about the "real" Good News, which is of course the story of Jesus. As a Minister I have strong feelings about the role God has played in my life and continues to play. I know that some who read this may dismiss what I write because of the clear Christian slant I will take. I am sorry if you let the hinder your enjoyment of this, that would be a shame. I am who I am, I do not ask you to see everything the way I do. I am only writing my impressions and feelings as my wife and I experience this new stage of life. As such, know this I believe that God has played the lead role in all of this.
The good news of this blog is about my son and his lovely wife having their first child. It is funny, before I had children I understood that I would love them. Although I did not fully understand love. Once we had children, I was not prepared for the depth and power of that love. As I have aged that love has grown. I was equally caught off guard by the depth of love I have for both of my daughter in laws. I do not like the term "daughter in law" so from here on out I will refer to both my son's wives as my daughters. Now I have never really asked them (my daughter's) if they mind that, I guess I should. I do not intend for them to feel that I am in anyway trying to replace their Biological Father, I know for a fact that they both love their Father very much, and that is a blessing to me. Any how, I was amazed how much love I developed for them as they joined our family. Love is an interesting thing. I have found it to be so much more than a feeling, while it carries deep feelings, it is more than emotions. I love to read and have as of yet not discovered an adequate definition for love. I experience it everyday when I see my wife as she awakes, or in the sound of one of my Children's voice as I answer the phone to hear, "Hey Dad!" I even experience it when I sit in my easy chair and the dogs jump up in my lap to help me take a nap. It is therefore, needless to say, that when my son and daughter told us we would be Grandparents, the love, feelings and thoughts defy description. Having experienced the love of a child as a parent I immediately connected to this new family member. It almost doesn't seem fair, it is like a roller coaster, once you ride it you know the thrill and excitement. As I try to tell my children how intense the ride will be I know they have no reference.
The only way the news could have been better is if we could have received it in person. I know that they couldn't wait to tell us and since we live a couple of hours away we got the phone call and the other set of Grandparents got the inperson "here's a bib" surprise. It was some of the best news I have ever received. My wife and I both cried, I am a crybaby anyway. What a blessing a Grandchild is.

Soon to be "Poppy"

A New Beginning - A New Life

2009-08-14T20:09:00.000-04:00

For several months now I have had this blog and to be honest I just have not been able to get into it. My post have been, in a word pretty lame. Therefore, I have been thinking "whats the point?" and I concluded that there was not point. So, why continue?
Then I thought, what do I have to share with the world that can really benefit anyone, what are my interest, what do I know that is helpful? Then it came to me, the same type of question I had 25 years ago. I soon will have a role (responsibility) in the raising of a child. Twenty five years ago, I had some serious misgivings about being a father. My wife was carrying our first child and at times the weight of the responsibility was over whelming. I had so many questions and fears. It was a blessing to have a strong family there to guide my wife and I. Their guidance, encouragement and experience where a God send, literally I believe.
Now, that baby boy born 25 years ago is having his first child and my first Grandchild. Therefore, this blog will focus on the lessons my wife and I learn as we try to be the best Grandparents we can be for our Grandchild and her parents. The adventures begins!

(If you have followed this blog up to now, I have changed the purpose and point of it. I started it as an off chute of my involvement in the Baptist Disaster Relief Ministry. I hope you will continue to follow now as both my wife and I post what we learn and feel as we experience Grand-parenthood.)

Posted By: Poppy (we think that is what she will call me)

2009-05-23T23:59:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is another weekend. But, this weekend is different, it is Memorial Day weekend! There are several important things about this years Memorial Day Weekend. I was blessed this year to perform a Wedding for a couple who where apart of the youth group at the church I was youth minister for. It was wonderful.
Also, this week was my daughters (In Law) birthday, and this monday is my other daughters (In Law) birthday, and my sisters birthday. WOW, a lot happened in May for the family.

But, the real reason to remember this weekend is to honor the Men and Women who have given so much so that goons like me (and you) can write blogs and silly things like that.

Over the history of this country, men and women have given all to ensure that individuals would have the freedom to pursue happiness. I really like the way the founding Fathers said it, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I think over time we have forgotten these words or have redefined them to mean something the writers did not intend.
First, we see that the founders of this great nation believed that there was a "truth". By definition a truth is something that never changes, is eternal. The founding Fathers understood that "truth" was permanent.
Secondly, these "truths" were and are self evident. What does that mean? These truths are without debate. The "truth" while it can be questioned, was been, is and will always be found to be true.
What "truths" did the founding Fathers see as so plain that they declared them "self-evident" or as needing no other defense or proof? That all men are created equal.
Equal, is that true? What does equal mean? If I am 6'4" and my neighbor is 6' are we equal? No we are not, it that sense. If I weight 245lbs and my neighbor weights 195lbs are we equal? Again, the answer is no. So, did our founding Fathers intend for the words, "all men are created equal" to have a relationship to our physical persons, our intellect, or our gender? What about our mental makeup? Surely, they didn't think that all men had the same intellectual abilities or were the same height, did they? Of course not! They go on to tell us.
We have been shown these truths, these truths that need no other defense or proof, that the Creator has "endowed" man (mankind) with certain inalienable rights.
So, are we to beleive that "the Creator" gave men something? You mean it isn't the Government that give us things? What a concept. So, the Creator gave men. endowed us, which is to say made it a part of who we are. For Him to do that we would have to believe that He made us. That in making us, he included these inalienable rights into the very fiber of who we are. It is interesting that the men who penned the Declaration of Indenpendence would write such a thing. Especially considering how a very small yet loud few seem to think the Creator, has no place in our Government.
So, lets review. So, far we have seen that the founding Fathers understood that truth existed. That a Creator in making man, incorporated within him inalienable rights.
Ok, so far so good.
What were these rights.
The first is life. Ok, so the Creator gave us life. Do you think the Founding Fathers maybe just didn't understand? Isn't life a choice? I mean, surely in this modern time, we understand that life is a choice. It seems that we either have forgotten what the Fathers wrote or we have changed the meaning to suit our own selfishness. When a child is conceived do we or can we really even begin to think that we have given life? We are fools to think that we have the power to give life. We are only vessels, it is the Creator who gives life. Each of us has the right to life according to our most revered documents. Yet, now we have changed the meaning to suit our own ignorance and selfish desires.
The second right is liberty. Did this mean that we all have our individual right to do what ever we want too? Of course it can't meant that, for that would override the rights of others. So, what could they have meant by "liberty". It means a basic freedom, not a total freedom. It meant that we are not "owned" by anyone or anything. In fact I think we fought a war (amonst ourselves) over this one. It does not mean I can do what ever I want to do, as some would now say.
The third right and this is the one we have really screwed up, is the pursuit of Happiness. How many times have I heard someone say, "I have the right to be happy" well that is just not true, you have the right to pursue happiness, but what if you just never catch it? Who's fault is it when someone is not happy? We are now experts at blaming others when we are not happy about something. Our founding Fathers did not promise happiness, they declared that the ability to seek, desire, search for and pursue happiness was our inalienable right. But, what if my happiness make someone else sad? Oh no, we can't have that now can we? It is amazing to me to see so many law suites based on this very principle. If you, make me sad I will sue! That is crazy. Or, moreover, if I feel that you make others sad, I will sue for them. What happens if my pursuit of happiness causes your pursuit to be cut off? Well, if that is the case, than it really only matters who has the better legal team or the loudest voice.

I think our founding Fathers had some timely and timeless ideals. They voiced them well and understood the meaning of each word. We would do well, to get back to those ideals, to once again live the dream they shared with us.

Over the history of this country many have died or been wounded to defend your "right" to think, speak or act the way you want too. The founding Fathers did the same to start this great Nation. We however, have lost the mental stamina and guts to fight for what they believed in and instead we let a vocal few, scream not for the right to life but for a choice to take a life if it doesn't fit into our plan, not for liberty of the unborn or the religious but for liberty to pervert, not for the pursuit of Happiness but for only the few to pursue their happiness regardless of everyone else.

We have lost our way and unless we go back to the basic, the Creator may remove the rights which He has given, and the Government will not be able to help one bit.

God Bless America and to all who have defended my "right" to say this, Thank you, you are a true America Hero.

2009-05-10T19:06:00.000-04:00

WOW! It has been a while since I have posted anything...hmmm well I have been very busy.
This weekend was full of excitement and first. On Friday my youngest son was married to a wonderful young lady. I had the honor of preforming the ceremony, it was a beautiful wedding. They looked so in love and excited and Kelly (God Bless Her) was so nervous.
What an honor it is as a Father to be able to play such a role in the life of your child.
I have been blessed to perform the wedding Ceremonies for both our sons, I am so blessed.
Both my sons have chosen wonderful woman, woman of beauty and grace, Godly women who show the love for their husband that I know makes God smile ( it does me).
Then Saturday my wife and I traveled to Jacksonville to see a 3-D Image of our new Grand-baby, who is due in September. What a blessing it was. That little Peanut, was kicking and waving. I am sure she was waving at me (she already loves her Poppy!) And Poppy loves her too!
We have had a couple of hectic weeks and I look forward to a bit of a rest.
So, for now I will say, so long.

God Bless you all

Another Day in Paradise

2009-04-01T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a few days since I post anything. It has been busy since the last post, but in an effort to not post stuff about work I will not post any of that.

So here we have it.

This year will bring big changes for our family. A baby has a way of reorienting your priorities. Even if that Baby will be our Grandbaby, it still will bring with him/her big changes. The responsibilities that come with parenthood or in my case Grandparenthood can at times seem over whelming. I think of what the world will hold for this new little person, what will they encounter as they travel out into the big world. How can I help guide, teach, nuture and love this precious little one so that he/she will be ready for all the challenges that will come? It can be considered a daunting task.

That is if I choose to look at it that way.

I choose, that's right I choose. When I got married, it was because my wife and I chose to get married. I had no reservations or worries about wether it would work. I knew it would.
When we (my wife and I) decided to have children, we choose to begin trying (the Trying is the fun part) and God blessed us with our first son. And yes, I had all the same concerns about that Child that every parent would have. Yet, again I choose not to worry. Would the child grow strong, smart and loving? I knew He would.
My wife and I enjoyed that so much we had another Son two years later, would this child be strong, loving and someone we could be proud of. Of course he would be. And He is!

I have learned something, the things I can change, I have no need to worry over because I can change them. The things I can not change, I have no need to worry over those because I can not do anything about those things. I can worry and fret or I can choose not to.

So, as I await the birth of my first Grandchild, I choose. I choose to do everything I can to Love, Nurture and Guide this child with everything I am and with all I have. And I know, just as I knew before, this child will be a miracle, a child of honor, grace and intergrity. He/she will be loved and will learn how to love. How do I know this?

First, God doesn't want us to be afraid, just the opposite.
2Ti 1:7 For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

Therefore, by faith, I will dedicate the rest of my life to positively impact this young life, and when I am old(er) I know I will watch God work Himself out in that life, and I will smile.
2Ti 1:12 ... for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I am blessed!

2009-03-21T22:21:00.000-04:00

Ok. Maybe song writing is not my thing. However, when my boys where young I would make up songs and stories. They loved it, I think. They may have just been being patronizing, WOW, my 5 year olds, being patronizing. That is a humbling thought.
I remember, making up stories for those little fellows. I would act them out, using funny voices and real dramatic motions. Each night at dinner, I would tell them how I saved the world. That story would usually start like this:

Dad, what happened at work today? One of the boys would ask, knowing exactly what would happen. I would start the story. "Today while I was flying over town ( I was in the Navy), I noticed something amiss." The story would continue, it would involve some battle of good verse evil (me being the good). Each story would continue to build, until the evil would attempt something that would end the world, then I "would SAVE THE WORLD!!!!" The boys loved it. They knew it was silly, but listened each night.
I can't wait for my first Grandchild. He or She will get a whole new line of stories, where together we "WILL SAVE THE WORLD!!!!" And I will sing to Him or Her, (even though I have zero musical talent) silly songs and we will laugh. A real laugh, one of those deep laughs that makes you cry. And we will talk about Jesus. I will tell Him or Her, how Jesus is the only one who could possible love them more than me. What a time, that Kid and Poppy will have together.

Well, I hope no one is disappointed that I have not posted a new song. I will post one later, maybe I will post the "I'm a Goat" or "The SillyBillyCrocodilly" song.

2009-03-17T22:02:00.000-04:00

I have read the comments from my second post, and in an effort to keep from "being boo'ed off stage" and since some of you have "cut me some slack" I pledge to do better.

So here it goes....

All the little peguins walking in the snow
Walking in a line, up the hill they go
Weeble Wobble Weeble Wobble
Weeble Wobble Weeeee

Over the hill and down the other side
All the little peguins love to slide
Weebel Wobble Weeble Wobble
Weeble Wobble Weeeee

Sliding to sea, splish splash splish
All the little peguins get a fish
Weeble Wobble Weeble Wobble
Weeble Wobble Weeeee

Sea Lions, Orcas, Sharks oh me
Time to jump out of the sea
Weeble Wobble Weeble Wobble
Weeble Wobble Weeeee

Safe at home, Peguin bed time
Sleep little Peguins, safe in line
Weeble Wobble Weeble Wobble
Weeble Wobble, ZZZZZZZZZ

I will be singing this song to my new Grandchild, soon!

lol I know my wife will love this....

2009-03-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

Well, today is Sunday and I thought I should put something, just so my daughter doesn't put me in the flizzy, or fuzzy category.

The men and women of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief are currently gearing up for a new season of training. The first training event is this Saturday March 21 in Quincy Florida. If you have any friends or family who are interested in attending check out the details @

Flbaptistdisaster.org

click on the "Training Events" link for the location and directions to a training event near you.

Ok, so that is it for now. See you later.

This is a test, well sort of...

2009-03-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

My son and daughter (daughter-in-law, but I don't like to call her that, cause she is more a daughter, daugher-in-law seems less loving, and we love her) both started a blog so I thought I would give it a try. I really am doing this so that I can learn enough to incorporate an updatable note area into a web site we have. So that is one reason I am doing this.

But for the really cool stuff...

My wife and I are going to be grandparents. Yep the above mentioned son and daughter are going to have a baby! How cool is that. Don't answer, I'll tell you, it is the best! We already have pictures of the little sweet pea on the frig'. What a wonderful miracle it is to see a baby growing in the womb. Life has begun, no matter what anyone else says.

Our younger son, is getting married! That is way cool as well. He has become engaged with a wonderful woman. (I hope she knows what she is getting into) The wedding is schedule for May, man that is soon. We are looking forward to having another daughter in the family.

Well, that is a start. I will see how this blog stuff works out.

See you all later