Maggie........

Good evening everyone. I know I've been missed so I won't ask if I have. ( :-D ) Since it's late and the kitchen has been cleaned I'm not going to offer refreshments, but you're welcome to supply your own. At any rate, pull up a chair, sit back and take in another chapter.
I've stated in past posts that I am indeed a very blessed man. Blessed, I might add, beyond what I deserve. Tonight, I talk about one of those blessings. Her name is Maggie and she's my oldest granddaughter, being ten and a half years of age. (let us not forget the half) She and her youngest brother are here visiting with me for a few days. I'm not sure I could handle Brody if Maggie were't here, so thanks Maggie. More on Brody later. Now, more on Maggie. The older Maggie gets the prettier she gets. As she grows physically she also is becoming more and more of a little lady. Also as she grows on the outside she is growing at a remarkable rate spiritually. Maggie is, without doubt, the most kind hearted and gentle young lady I know. She reminds me greatly of her Mom when her Mom was that age. Maggie is someone you just love to be around. Partly because she's just very likeable. Partly because she has just a gentle spirit and soul. Partly because she has so much compassion. I've thought the last few days about this post and how I was going to put it all down in print. The one thing one has to look out for with Maggie is the depth of the questions she poses from time to time. Sometime the questions she asks require that I give considerable thought about how to answer. The depth of the questions she asks gives me great pride in her intellect and the decernment God has put in her heart. It also tends to keep my on my toes as I endouver to give the best answer I can, and hopefully the right one. One of the things I look forward to is watching Maggie grow from the ten year old she is now to the woman of God she is to become. Watching God use the gentleness and Love that she has so much of to His own purpose. Just a bit about why I'm so greatly blessed ............And so it goes..........

Ellas......

Good evening everyone. Welcome to this chapter. Pull up a chair and place your order, remembering of course, that it's five o'clock somewhere. ( :-D ) I'm pleased that you're taking time and stopping your life briefly to catch up on this blog. I started a short while back posting on the Grandchildren. I started, of course, with Ty. Now it's time to talk a bit about Ellas. Ellas is seven years old with boundless energy, thin and wiry and with an impish grin. One thing that I find remarkable about Ellas, besides his limitless energy, is that if one slows him down long enough the reward will be a hug. He is a very affectionate little guy and a smile is never very far from his face. Don't get me wrong. He does have his moments, but that simply makes him human like the rest of us. God has, it seems, blessed him with an infectious attitude. Anyone that's around him for very long can't help but smile a bit and find their spirits lifted somewhat. Of course he has a mischievous nature too. He enjoys aggravating his cousins some. Well, a lot actually, but again, that makes him human. Albeit, a very young and small one. Let me not forget to mention also that Ellas cannot stand to eat green beans. ( :-D ) The reason for the timing of this post is that about a week ago, after having been to the Pediatrician a couple of times, He was admitted to Children's hospital in Birmingham. I'm convinced, as is everyone else, that if he'd not been admitted His young life would have ended. Many many tests were administered and the final conclusion by the Doctors was that he had Stevens Johnson syndrome, or SJS. At the risk of over simplifying, he had a massive reaction to some medication or combination of medications that he'd been prescribed. He is now at home and improving daily. I believe that the reason he's still alive is because God answered many prayers. My thanks to the professionals at children's for their dedicated and tireless work. My thanks, most of all to Kim and Scott for being loving and diligent parents. I love you guys a lot!! In conclusion let me comment that in fifty seven years of life I've rarely encountered a child that sick that recovered. I was very scared. Thank you God for bring health to him once again. ..........And so it goes..........

A little known part of me............

Good evening and welcome! I'm so very pleased to have you drop in for a visit. It flatters me that you all would take time from busy schedules to drop in. So, come in, pull up a chair and order yourself something to drink. Relax while you read. The little known part that I'm going to tell about surprises most people when they hear about it. It's a part of my life that I remember fondly. Here it is..... In nineteen seventy two, when my wife and I had been married just over three years and Kim was two years old, I'd just gotten out of the Navy and was looking for a job. As much of a relief it was being out of the Military I found myself with a family and without a job. One day I was at the church that we attended and was ask to take some stuff to the 'home for children', not to be confused with the orphanage. This home for children was for children that had parents but the parents didn't want them, for whatever "reason". It was while I was there that I was offered a job. It was a job I'd never considered so I told them that I'd have to think about it. Of course, not having a job I thought about it a lot and very quickly. The conclusion I came to was that I'd give it a try. So....Try we did. After selling our house the next week we loaded up our worldly belongings and headed east. I still have difficulty believing we'd accumulated so much. ( :-D ) Upon arriving at the home we were assigned to a 'cottage' that housed sixteen little boys ranging from the ages of six to twelve. We were house parents, bless our hearts. We were there for about three months, until a visit to a doctor, where we received the news of the pregnancy. Yep. We were once again going to have a child. Crissy is the blessed result. Having that in our future, and knowing the problems my wife had with carrying a child I decided to, once again, move. While there though, we set about making memories that have stayed with me for these many years. I can still recall many of the names of the boys. There was a Roland, Paul, Petey, Wilson, Broadus, John and I'll have to get my old list out to recall the others. Since the names won't mean anything to you all I'll refrain. While there I was in charge of the running of the farm as well as the running of the house we were in. As one can imagine, there was never a dull moment. If you all want I can recall some of the moments that were most memorable. That was a time in my life that I'll never forget and often recall. Ok, I'll stop writing so I can go to bed. Before I go though, let me say that I often wonder about those little boys. They'd long since have grown into men now and have made their way into whatever avenues of life they've chosen. Sometime I think of trying to track them down but that never gets past the thinking stage. Anyway, now you know about a part of me that until now no one has known much about. Goodnight ..................And so it went.............