How Blessed We Are!

Dearest Georgia,


Well, I just returned from spending my first weekend with you…and I loved it! You see, last week, you made your appearance in this world and you were welcomed by Mommy and Daddy, by your Grandma and Pop-pops and by Mimi! Your Papaw (that’s me!) was not there until you came home a few days after you were born. When I came to your house, you were sleeping (you do that a lot, since you are such a little baby!) but your Daddy went into your room and brought you to me and put you in my arms. Georgia, I already knew that I would love you, but when I looked at your perfect little mouth and nose, your dark blue eyes and your soft skin, I realized that not only did I love you, but that there was nothing that I would not do for you. I have heard people say, that a child is someone who carries your heart around with them! I believe that from the moment I held you, you owned Papaw’s heart!



I was able to spend the next three days with you, your Mommy and Daddy and with Mimi, before I had to return to work. I loved every minute of it, but I especially liked holding you in your little swaddling blanket and watching you sleep. I enjoyed singing to you to soothe you, when you cried. In fact, I sang a lullaby to you that my Papaw sang to me, when I was a baby and that your Daddy’s Papaw sang to him when he was a baby. For three generations, Papaw’s in our family have sung “A Little Brown Bear With Wings” to the babies who were born into our family. In fact, your Daddy’s cousin Jeff has written a song about that lullaby, but mostly it is about the men who have sung that song to their grandchildren! You see, Georgia, it is a very special little song, but the people like my Papaw and your Daddy’s Papaw GC were very special men who loved each one of their grandchildren very much. That is no different for you or your cousins, Mark, Luke and Caroline! I love all of you very much!



I also want you to understand that all of my grandchildren are special to me. Your cousin Mark Garrett was my first grandchild to be born and just like you, I fell in love with him the minute I saw him and his Daddy placed him in my arms. He is special because he was my first grandchild. Later, his brother Luke was born. When Luke was born, I was in a place called Africa. Your Mimi called me there to tell me that baby Luke had been born and I was very excited. A few weeks later, I returned to this country and was introduced to my newest grandson, Luke Patton! The amazing thing was that I loved him just as much as I loved his brother! Luke is very special to me because he showed me that God made Papaw’s to be able to love all of their grandchildren. He is also special to me because he liked to sleep on Papaw’s chest when he was little! Almost four years later, your cousin Caroline was born. Once again, I fell in love with a grandchild, the second I met her! Caroline was special because she was the first precious little girl that God blessed us with! Papaw loves Caroline and I am pretty sure she loves her Papaw too! So, you probably wonder if I love you the way I love your cousins. Well, the answer to that is YES!!!! You are special for several reasons. First, you are special, because God made you that way and He made you just as He wanted you…perfect! Second, you are special because your Mommy and Daddy love you. But you are special to Mimi and Papaw too! You are the first grandchild that your Daddy gave to us and that will always mean you are special! I can also tell you that when you hear your Papaw’s voice, even though you are a tiny baby, you turn your head to see me and when you do, your Papaw almost melts!



I am looking forward to so many things with you, Georgia! I am looking forward to your first crawl, your first steps, you first day of school and so many other firsts. I hope I am around to see all of those special times. But, if I am not, I want you to remember what I have told your cousins, Mark, Luke and Caroline…over and over again! You will always be able to say, “I had a Papaw who loved me more than anything!” And I do!



Love, Papaw

A Real Legacy

I have known a number of individuals who have through their lives touched my life and the lives of others.  Any of you who have read my blog know that my dad was such a man, but this post is about two men who have not only touched my life, but the lives of thousands.  They are building a legacy that will last through all eternity.

A little more than a week ago, Anita and I had the opportunity to celebrate an anniversary...not ours, but the 15th anniversary of Chad Selph being called to come to First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  Chad was his usual modest self, who was probably not as comfortable in the "spotlight" as he is in the pulpit where he shines the spotlight on our Lord and Savior.  In honor of Chad, the church asked another pastor to speak from the pulpit, Jack Riddlehoover.  As I celebrated this special time with Chad, the Lord impressed again on my heart how He uses His people to impact the lives of others.  You see, both Chad and Brother Jack have had an amazing impact on my life.

In 1976, Brother Jack stood in front of me and a beautiful, godly young woman and pronounced us man and wife.  Anita and I have always said that the choice of your spouse is the second most important decision you will ever make.  In my case, it was a great decision (hers...probably not so much!)  I can remember almost every word that Brother Jack told us during our counseling session with him.  He offered Biblical advice on marriage that has served us both very well.  Now, that would certainly be enough impact for anyone to make my top 5 list, but it goes on!  What I did not know was that the first full-time ministry position my good friend and former pastor, Chad, held was under Brother Jack.  I do not believe in coincidence like this!  I should have realized the same qualities that draw people to Brother Jack are also evident in Chad.  You might ask what those qualities would be.  Well, I am glad you asked!  When I look at these two men, I see:

• A dependence on their Father and a love for Him that controls their entire lives;
• A love for their families that is an example of Christ's love for the church;
• A heart for bringing people to the Gospel;
• A heart for ministering to God's people; and
• An ability and desire to see everything through an eternal perspective.

Chad and Brother Jack have impacted people throughout the world, by bringing them the message of the Gopsel.  They have mentored others who have done the same, thereby extending their own impacts to many other lives!

I have heard Chad say that at the end of his life, he wants his family to know that he loved God and loved them and that the best he can pray for them is that they do the same.  I believe that is an impact we would all do well to desire!  Anita and I love both of these men dearly and we are blessed and honored to have been two of the lives they have impacted!

Dear Miss Georgia!

Many of you who know me are acutely aware that I love all children, but I especially love my grandchildren.  I cannot tell you how much those three little ones mean to me.  I have always written letters to them, beginning even before they were born and I plan to continue as long as I am around.  However, my letter/blog writing is about to make a 33% jump.  Our son Mark and his lovely wife, Meghan are expecting their first baby, in late March.  We are all very excited and we already know that this little one will be a girl and her name will be Georgia!  As the time is approaching, I need  make sure that Miss Georgia knows how much she will be loved and how we can't wait to meet her.  I thought it might be good for Georgia to know a few things about our family.  So, the rest of this post is really for you, Georgia!

The very first people you will meet after you are born, will be your Mommy and Daddy.  You will love them for all of your life and just as important, they will love you!  Your Mommy is named Meghan and she is wonderful.  She will take care of you when you are a baby and a little girl, but she won't stop taking care of you even after you are grown up!  She will teach you so many things, like how to read and play games, how to take care of your baby dolls and how to be a little lady.  She won't be the only one who takes care of you, though.  Your Daddy will also take care of you.  I have known your Daddy his whole life.  His name is Mark and he is my little boy...only he is big now!  Your Daddy will tickle you and play games with you.  He will teach you to ride your first bicycle and he will be there to pick you up, when you fall down.  He will also put mud on your nose when he comes home from duck hunting!  I want you to always remember that your Mommy and Daddy love you more than anyone and they will always want what is best for you...even when you think they don't!  The most important thing your Mommy and Daddy will do though, is to tell you about God and His Son, Jesus.  You see, you are going to be part of a family that loves God and they will teach you about Him and how much He loves you.  He will always love you, more than you will ever be able to know!

You will also get to meet your aunt and uncle, Aunt Alicia and Uncle Tim.  Your aunt is my little girl and just like your Daddy, I have known her for her whole life.  Aunt Alicia will be coming to Texas to help your Mommy after you are born.  You will find out that like your Mommy, she loves babies and children.  She is married to your uncle, Tim.  Uncle Tim also loves babies (in fact, they both love babies so much, that they have three of their own!)  Uncle Tim will be the best "baby swaddler" you will ever have!  He is also a pretty good guy to know, because he will let you ride on his shoulders!  Along with your Aunt Alicia and Uncle Tim, you will meet three people who are so excited that you are being born, your cousins, Mark Garrett, Luke and Caroline.  You will love them and I am sure you will think they are super fun!  Mark is named after your Daddy and he is the oldest, so I am sure he will boss you a little, but he will also make sure you get a turn at whatever game you are playing.  Luke is also probably going to boss you a little, but he is a really funny little boy and he will probably even let you play with Big Monkey and Widdle Monkey!  Now you also have a cousin who is a girl, just like you!  You and Caroline will love each other and I think you will also have lots of fun with her.  I know she will let you play with her dolls and you can have tea parties and play games and have all kinds of fun together!

One of the best things that will happen when you are born is that you get to meet your Mimi!  Mark and Luke and Caroline will tell you that Mimi is the best.  First of all, she will love...no matter what!  That means that she will love just as much when you are not being nice as she does when you are behaving very well!  No matter what!  Mimi loves little girls and she has already been buying you clothes and books and toys!  But do you know what else she has been doing for you?  She has been praying that God will always watch over you and take care of you and that you will always love Him!  Mimi will take you to tea parties (real tea parties!), to the park, to the zoo and many other fun places.  She can't wait to meet you!  When you meet Mimi, remember that she loves God more than anyone else I know and she will teach you to love Him too!

Last, you will meet me, your Papaw.  You will learn very quickly, that your Papaw is a softy, especially where little girls are concerned!  I will take you to the park and to the zoo with Mimi.  I will take you to eat ice cream and snow cones...you will love them!  I will also be there just to talk and to read books to you and anything else we might think of.  I guess the best thing I can tell you is that I will be there for you...no matter what!  I can't wait to tell you the story of Christmas and Easter and how God loved you even before you were born and I want you to love Him just as much as I do.  Your love for God will be the most important relationship you ever have!

Georgia, we already love you and can hardly wait for you to arrive!  Baby girl, you are already loved more than you will ever know! 

I love you,
Papaw

Sad Anniversary!

This next Sunday, January 22nd, marks perhaps the saddest anniversary in the history of this country.  On that day, there will be a number of groups who celebrate the 39th anniversary of an activist U.S. Supreme Court decision that said that a woman's right to an abortion was a "fundamental constitutional right."  There will perhaps be impassioned speeches about the right of a woman to choose to end a pregnancy.  There will be any number of media news stories about how far women have come as a result of this "landmark decision."  However, let us stop the obfuscation and really be clear about the anniversary we "celebrate!"

On January 22nd, what we will actually be celebrating is the sacrifice of more than 50 million unborn babies on the altar of self and convenience!  The number catches in my throat and tears come to my eyes every single time I speak of it.  As the father of two wonderful children and the father-in-law of two more, equally precious young people and the grandfather to three, soon to be four precious grandchildren, I cannot imagine what life would be like without a single one of these eight souls. 

So, this week, I will not be praying for God to strike all abortionists with some terrible plague.  I will be praying that we will turn from our wicked ways and that God will hear our prayers and heal our land.  In the end, it is not a pro-choice or pro-life decision...it is a decision to rebel against God or not, and that is the only choice!

Homeless...at 5!

Tonight I met a young man who is five-years old.  John (not his real name) looks very much like most of the five-year old boys I know.  He had short blond hair and a clean-scrubbed face and wore a pair of khaki pants and a little white Polo shirt.  The big difference between John and most of the five-year olds that I know and you know, is that John is homeless. 

Tonight, I had the blessing of working at Church Under the Bridge, in downtown San Antonio.  Church Under the Bridge is a ministry of a group of local churches, to the homeless population in central San Antonio.  We have the opportunity to serve these precious ones with a meal and a smile and most importantly with an opportunity to hear the Gospel.  In addition, we get to show them the love of Christ and the fact that they are not nameless and faceless, but that they matter.  For years, I confess that homeless people made me uncomfortable and my main objective was to walk past them with as little interaction as possible!  If you are honest, that probably describes most of you reading this blog too.  You see, I wanted to pretend that everyone looked and smelled like me and the people I sat next to in a pew on Sunday's.  Over the past four years God has been working in my life to show me that not only does He love the unlovable people, but He expects me to love them too and to show that love in a tangible way.  Oh, and He has been teaching me that sometimes, I am one of those unlovable people!

In the course of serving the meal tonight, God brought me face-to-face with "one of those homeless, unlovable ones."  The only problem was that he was five-years old and he reminded me more of my grandsons than he did a homeless person!  Just like my grandsons, he was a little quiet at first, but eventually was smiling and telling me that he was "doing real good" in school.  I also learned that he liked chocolate cake.  He showed me his backpack that contained not only his "school stuff", but also everything he owned!  I learned that he used to have a dog and that he had his own bed.  I learned that he did not know who his daddy was, but his mommy was really nice and took care of him and that she used to work for General Motors but lost her job and they moved to San Antonio.  I learned that he and his mom had been turned away from 5 homeless shelters tonight...I guess homeless people don't like being out in the rain anymore than you or me.  You see, tonight, I saw the face of homelessness and he smiled at me with chocolate icing on his face!  After that, I could see the face of the man who had a lame arm, the Army veteran with PTSD who continues to remember the ones he left behind in Iraq, the young pregnant teenager whose parents threw her out of the house or any number of the precious "unlovable souls" who blessed me by letting me see God do a great work in that place.

And if you don't realize it, it wasn't what I saw God do in the lives of these homeless ones tonight.  It was what He did in my life and the way that He showed me what they look like to Him!

Oh God, let me see things as You see them!  Let the things that bring you joy, bring me joy and let the things that break your heart, break mine too, Father.  In the name of the One who saw my unlovableness and still died for me, Amen!

I Wish You Had Known Him!

Dearest Princess Caroline,
It is so hard for your Papaw to believe that you are now six months old!  I hope you know how much we all love you.  I know your Mommy and Daddy feel so blessed to have you as part of their family.  I also know that your big brothers love you...even when they lick you!  By the way, what's up with that?!?  And, of course, Mimi thinks you are the best little girl ever.  I hope you also know that Papaw would probably do anything you wanted him to!  However, there is someone I want to tell you about that you don't know...your Papaw G.C.

You see, Caroline, your Papaw G.C. died about six months before you were born.  He was your Mommy's Papaw and your Papaw's Daddy.  I know that sounds kind of confusing for a little girl, but it will not be long before you understand it.  In fact, I'll bet that Mark Garrett can tell you something about Papaw G.C.  I wanted to tell you somethings about your Papaw G.C.  First, he was a man who loved Jesus and he loved his family.  When I was little, I always knew he loved me very much.  The way I knew that was because he spent time teaching all the things that he thought I should know.  He taught me that Sundays were the days we spent worshiping God.  He taught me how to hunt and fish and how to work hard and enjoy it.  He also taught me that a man should love his family more than himself.  He taught me that having fun was important too!

When your Mommy was born, I got to see how he would do as her Papaw!  In my eyes, he had pretty big shoes to fill...those of my Papaw!  And as Mark Garrett would say, "My Papaw was amazing!"  When you are a little bigger, I will tell you about my Papaw!  I think your Mommy would tell you that Papaw G.C. was a pretty amazing Papaw for her and Uncle Mark.  If Papaw G.C. were here, I am sure he would tell you the "Tomato Rabbit Story!"  You'll have to hear that one from your Mommy!  He would tell you about growing up in a small town in Texas.  He might also tell you about a very cold place in another part of the world, called the Chosin Reservoir, a place where he served his country and didn't think he did anything special...but I did!  You see, Caroline not only was he my Daddy, he was my hero too!  And I really miss him a lot.  I would always call him and tell him about the things that your brothers were doing and saying and I would sure have called him to tell him about you.  When I told him about your brothers, he would always laugh and say, "Those little hammerheads!"  But, I know he would not call you a hammerhead!

I really wish you had known Papaw G.C.!  However, I know that one day in the future, you will get to meet him, just like I will see him again!  On that day, he will want to hear all about you and I am sure he will tell you the story of the "Tomato Rabbit!"  I love you Caroline!

Papaw

One More Papaw!

This has been a hard year...a year filled with changes.  There have been so many changes that I sometimes have to stop and realize that all of this has happened in less than a year.  If you pinned me down, I guess I would have to tell you that the biggest change was the loss of my Dad, in March.  Sometimes, I still can't believe that I can no longer pick up the phone and tell him about the latest escapade of his two great-grandsons or how beautiful his great-granddaughter is.  I knew him as my Dad, but all of his grandchildren and great grandchildren knew him as their Papaw or Papaw G.C.  So, when I met my first grandson, I knew I would be his Papaw!  All of these thoughts hit me this week, as I remembered that this week would have been my Dad's birthday.

As I thought about these memories this week, another thought struck me...that through the sadness and loss of my Dad, I have a new appreciation and love for my brother.  You see, I have always loved Rusty, but he was my kid brother who hung around with Freeman and me, playing Sports Illustrated Baseball (if you have to ask, you will never "get it!")  This past year, though, I have realized that not only do I love him, but I like him a lot and respect him even more!  We have cried and laughed through all of it and yes, I am even sorry for most of the things I did to him when he was younger...although I am sure that his service as a homemade go-cart crash dummy advanced automotive science by years!  Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Rusty found out that his son, Jeff and his wife, Courtney, were expecting his first grandchild!  We were all very excited and even though I already knew the answer, I had to ask, "What do you want the baby to call you?"  His answer was, "Papaw."  All I can say is, welcome to the Papaw club...you'll be great!   After all, you had a good example!

I love you, Bud!