To our friends in the Hewitt-Miller BFG,
The one thing we know in this life, is that we will all face changes throughout our lives. Some changes are easy, while some are hard and heart-rending. Anita and I are facing one of those hard changes in our lives. Sunday was really our last "official" day to be in our Bible Fellowship Group (Sunday School to the uninitiated!) We will be moving to San Antonio, where I am working on a new hospital tower at Brooke Army Medical Center. We will be listing our home for sale shortly and we will live in San Antonio until we see where God leads us next. However, one of the changes that we are making will be to leave our church home and find a new one in San Antonio. Of all the changes we face in our move, this is the one I really do not look forward to. Yes, I know all the theological answers...and I accept the fact that God will have a place for us. However, I still do not like leaving the church where my children came to follow the Lord or where they grew up and where we saw so many of their friends grow up as well. I especially don't like leaving the "family" that we have in this church. Over the past few months, we have been encouraged and blessed by the friends that we have come to know and love at this church. Last year we were blessed to be part of a small group that began a new BFG and I was blessed to be part of a team that taught this class. Together, we have grown close to each other as we laughed and smiled and celebrated the marriages of children and the births of grandchildren (we are all about the grandchildren in this BFG!) We have walked beside each other as we have mourned the deaths of parents and loved ones, and we have been devastated by the loss of one of our own. Through all of this, you wonderful friends have walked beside each other and "have been the church" to each other. I can never tell them all how much you mean to Anita and to me. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life to be a part of this...and I do not want to leave!
However, we will leave and we will be grateful that God will show us where He wants us to be and we will make new friends and family at a new church...but...we will never forget the friends and family we will leave here in Allen! And in case anyone thinks they are rid of us for good...we will be back! As the apostle Paul said of the believers at Colossi, "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives" (Colossians 1:9) We too will continue to pray for this church and for all of our loved ones in the Hewitt-Miller BFG! Please know that you are all welcome to visit us in San Antonio...in fact, we will be disappointed if you do not! We love you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love and friendship.
In His Strength and Love,
Clint
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Welcome, Caroline Grace Williamson!
Over the past nine months, we have grown more and more excited as our daughter, Alicia has carried a precious life within her. In April, we learned that this baby would be Tim and Alicia's first daughter and Mimi and papaw's first granddaughter. Well, last night Alicia and Tim went to the hospital and this afternoon, we welcomed our newest family member, Miss Caroline Grace Williamson! We are thrilled! First of all, we are so thankful to God for this precious blessing and for her good health and the health of her mother. You all can read this, but it is really for my grandaughter, Caroline Grace!
Oh precious little one, you cannot know how much you are already loved! Your mommy and daddy and your big brothers, your aunts and uncles and especially your Mimi and Papaw have been looking forward to meeting you since the day we knew found out you would be born. I want to tell you some things that you will need to know about your family and how much they love you!
First of all, your Mommy is my little girl and at one time, a long time ago, she was not really much bigger than you. You will learn that you have the best Mommy in the world, your brothers will tell you that! Your Daddy will love you the same way I loved your Mommy. Both of them will love you no matter what happens. That is one thing that you can always know! They will teach you many things as you grow, how to dress your dollies, how to have tea parties, how to ride a bicycle, but the most important thing they will teach you is that God loves you and that He can do anything! Don't ever forget that, little one!
You will soon get to meet two of my very favorite people in all the world, your big brothers, Mark Garrett and Luke Patton. They are the best. They have also been excited to meet you and have lots of fun planned with you. Most of that fun will have to wait until you are a little older. Always remember that Mark and Luke will watch out for you. Since they are a little older than you, they know a few more things than you. They will show you their favorite books and I'll bet they even let you play with their trains when you are a little bigger. I think Luke may have a bit of a hard time saying your name. As your brother Mark would say, "That might be a little bit tricky for him!" But always know that they will love you...even when it might not seem that way!
In a few months you will get to meet Aunt Meghan and Uncle Mark. Uncle Mark is your Mommy's brother and he is the one your brother Mark is named for. Aunt Meghan will read to you and have lots of fun with you. She has been waiting to meet you just like the rest of us. Uncle Mark will love on you and hug you and he will seem really silly sometimes, but always know that Uncle Mark and Aunt Meghan love you sooooo much!
Now, let me tell you about a very special lady that will be waiting for you at your house, when you come home from the hospital...Mimi! Mark and Luke think that she is the best Mimi ever! And I think they are right. Your Mimi has been waiting for you for quite some time. She has already bought you books and cuddly animals and dolls that you will love! Mark and Luke can tell you that she has a whole closet full of toys at her house, just for you and your brothers to play with! Mimi is one of the wisest people you will ever meet. She loves God and loves to tell your brothers about Him and I know she will tell you also!
That leaves me, your Papaw! Mark and Luke will tell you that there is one thing that you can know...you have a Papaw who loves you more than life! I can tell you one thing I already know about you. You already have your Papaw wrapped around your little finger (that just means that you can pretty much get Papaw to do anything you want!) Oh Caroline, I am so excited about going for walks with you, and reading bedtime stories (Mark and Luke are pretty big fans of my bedtime stories!), rocking you and loving on you! I want you to know that Mimi and I will always love you no matter what! Well, I can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks! I love you, baby girl!
Papaw
Oh precious little one, you cannot know how much you are already loved! Your mommy and daddy and your big brothers, your aunts and uncles and especially your Mimi and Papaw have been looking forward to meeting you since the day we knew found out you would be born. I want to tell you some things that you will need to know about your family and how much they love you!
First of all, your Mommy is my little girl and at one time, a long time ago, she was not really much bigger than you. You will learn that you have the best Mommy in the world, your brothers will tell you that! Your Daddy will love you the same way I loved your Mommy. Both of them will love you no matter what happens. That is one thing that you can always know! They will teach you many things as you grow, how to dress your dollies, how to have tea parties, how to ride a bicycle, but the most important thing they will teach you is that God loves you and that He can do anything! Don't ever forget that, little one!
You will soon get to meet two of my very favorite people in all the world, your big brothers, Mark Garrett and Luke Patton. They are the best. They have also been excited to meet you and have lots of fun planned with you. Most of that fun will have to wait until you are a little older. Always remember that Mark and Luke will watch out for you. Since they are a little older than you, they know a few more things than you. They will show you their favorite books and I'll bet they even let you play with their trains when you are a little bigger. I think Luke may have a bit of a hard time saying your name. As your brother Mark would say, "That might be a little bit tricky for him!" But always know that they will love you...even when it might not seem that way!
In a few months you will get to meet Aunt Meghan and Uncle Mark. Uncle Mark is your Mommy's brother and he is the one your brother Mark is named for. Aunt Meghan will read to you and have lots of fun with you. She has been waiting to meet you just like the rest of us. Uncle Mark will love on you and hug you and he will seem really silly sometimes, but always know that Uncle Mark and Aunt Meghan love you sooooo much!
Now, let me tell you about a very special lady that will be waiting for you at your house, when you come home from the hospital...Mimi! Mark and Luke think that she is the best Mimi ever! And I think they are right. Your Mimi has been waiting for you for quite some time. She has already bought you books and cuddly animals and dolls that you will love! Mark and Luke can tell you that she has a whole closet full of toys at her house, just for you and your brothers to play with! Mimi is one of the wisest people you will ever meet. She loves God and loves to tell your brothers about Him and I know she will tell you also!
That leaves me, your Papaw! Mark and Luke will tell you that there is one thing that you can know...you have a Papaw who loves you more than life! I can tell you one thing I already know about you. You already have your Papaw wrapped around your little finger (that just means that you can pretty much get Papaw to do anything you want!) Oh Caroline, I am so excited about going for walks with you, and reading bedtime stories (Mark and Luke are pretty big fans of my bedtime stories!), rocking you and loving on you! I want you to know that Mimi and I will always love you no matter what! Well, I can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks! I love you, baby girl!
Papaw
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Confusion Over Obama's Faith
In one of the most recent survey efforts by the Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the American public has indicated some confusion over the President's faith. Apparently, more than 40% of the American public does not know what the President believes. This is up significantly from last year's survey. I could probably offer a number of reasons for the change and for the confusion about the President's faith. However, that is not my point today. Suffice to say that there are questions and confusion that centers around his beliefs. And, it is probably true that his actions and words have done nothing to clarify his belief system. However, the deeper question for you and me is not whether the American people know what the President believes, but rather the real question is whether my circle of family, friends and acquaintances can look at me and know what I believe?
I profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ, but does this belief system drive what my life looks like? How would the people around me respond if asked about my beliefs? Would they be able to say without question that he is a follower of Jesus Christ, no matter what or would they respond by saying that I was a Christ-follower except when life got hard? Would they say that he really stands out as an honest, dependable employee who always gives more than others? Would my family say, he would give up his life for his beliefs and for us? Would my church family agree that I have a passion for God's Word and His work?
The worst possible answer I can imagine, to the question about my beliefs, would be "We are confused about his beliefs!" Wouldn't that really be an indictment of my lack of trust and obedience to God? It would be much like the indictment of the church at Laodicea "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)" It is my prayer that we always live so that there is no confusion about our faith!
I profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ, but does this belief system drive what my life looks like? How would the people around me respond if asked about my beliefs? Would they be able to say without question that he is a follower of Jesus Christ, no matter what or would they respond by saying that I was a Christ-follower except when life got hard? Would they say that he really stands out as an honest, dependable employee who always gives more than others? Would my family say, he would give up his life for his beliefs and for us? Would my church family agree that I have a passion for God's Word and His work?
The worst possible answer I can imagine, to the question about my beliefs, would be "We are confused about his beliefs!" Wouldn't that really be an indictment of my lack of trust and obedience to God? It would be much like the indictment of the church at Laodicea "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)" It is my prayer that we always live so that there is no confusion about our faith!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Great Time!
Well, summer has almost come and gone and with it vacations and family trips too! Our summer was relatively eventful. Mark and Meghan celebrated their 1st anniversary and have weathered the first year of marriage quite well. Anita and I, along with Meghan's mom and dad, Steve and Donna, are all so glad they "found" each other! The summer also saw me start a new job in San Antonio, as a senior project manager on the renovation of the existing Brook Army medical Center and the addition of a new 8-story hospital tower. I love the job, but do not enjoy being away from Anita all week. We are pretty unsettled about what we should do and where we should live. With our financial situation, we will be looking to sell the house and downsize this fall/winter. So we await what God has for us. He has led us through some amazing paths over the past several months, reinforcing what Anita says, "Life is hard, but God is good!"
I think Anita would agree, that the best part of our summer was the visit by our daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons. They spent a little over 2 weeks with us and we had lots of fun and made lots of memories! Alicia decided to drive out to our home, from King's Bay, Georgia and she asked Meghan to come and travel with she and the boys. Tim was limited in the time he could spend away from the Navy. Meghan and Alicia drove for two days and arrived at our house on a Saturday afternoon, with two little boys who were ready to be out of their car seats! The good news was that Aunt Meghan probably loved Mark and Luke even more after her trip than before! Over the next two weeks, we had lots of good bedtime stories, trips to the pool, fun with the pellet gun, an outing to the lake with Papaw and Uncle Mark, a ride on the light rail and visit to the aquarium, snow cones and ice cream! Best of all, I got to spend pretty much all day and evening on the weekends, with all of them. One of the best times of the day for Papaw is bath-time and bed-time! It is interesting that when they are at Mimi's house, they believe that Papaw is the one who should bathe them and put them to bed...so I do! As Mark would say, they have both gotten a little bit tricky now. They know which stories take longer to read and they also know that Papaw will read until Mimi or Mommy tells him to stop, which usually happens after the fourth or fifth story! We also usually have to sing a song for each of them. Sometimes Mark will choose a hymn, but sometimes he will ask for the "Aggie song" (for the non-Aggies, that means the Spirit of Aggieland!) He will sing along with me and never miss a word. He also knows and sings all the hymns he requests. Luke is not quite up to Carnegie Hall performance standards yet, but he does know "Nothing But The Blood!" and he sings it with gusto! After reading and prayers (Mark prays that God will take away "mine and Lukie's heart of stone and give us a new heart of flesh!") each one gets tucked in. Luke likes to have me tuck in "Jake, Big Monkey and Widdle Monkey" and then he likes to have his back rubbed for just a minute. Mark sleeps with Jake (yes they each have a Jake bear) and usually a car if he can get it past Mom or Mimi. He also sleeps with an iPod playing his "night-nights music." He likes for Papaw to "lie down and snuggle with me for just a minute or two." As I leave, I always tell him, "No matter what happens, always remember that you had a Papaw who loved you no matter what!" He responds the same way, every night...he looks at me and smiles and says, "Me too, Papaw!" I can't resist either one of them!
I also got to spend time with my daughter and son-in-law and we all got to "meet" our soon-to-be-born grand-daughter. She is not a big fan of her two big brothers climbing all over her Mommy's tummy and she usually responds by kicking back! September should be interesting around the Williamson house!
All in all, it was a great time and we fell blessed beyond measure! We Love you Mark and Meghan! We love you Alicia and Tim! And, Mark and Luke and Baby Girl Williamson, always remember that you have a Mimi and Papaw that love you no matter what!
I think Anita would agree, that the best part of our summer was the visit by our daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons. They spent a little over 2 weeks with us and we had lots of fun and made lots of memories! Alicia decided to drive out to our home, from King's Bay, Georgia and she asked Meghan to come and travel with she and the boys. Tim was limited in the time he could spend away from the Navy. Meghan and Alicia drove for two days and arrived at our house on a Saturday afternoon, with two little boys who were ready to be out of their car seats! The good news was that Aunt Meghan probably loved Mark and Luke even more after her trip than before! Over the next two weeks, we had lots of good bedtime stories, trips to the pool, fun with the pellet gun, an outing to the lake with Papaw and Uncle Mark, a ride on the light rail and visit to the aquarium, snow cones and ice cream! Best of all, I got to spend pretty much all day and evening on the weekends, with all of them. One of the best times of the day for Papaw is bath-time and bed-time! It is interesting that when they are at Mimi's house, they believe that Papaw is the one who should bathe them and put them to bed...so I do! As Mark would say, they have both gotten a little bit tricky now. They know which stories take longer to read and they also know that Papaw will read until Mimi or Mommy tells him to stop, which usually happens after the fourth or fifth story! We also usually have to sing a song for each of them. Sometimes Mark will choose a hymn, but sometimes he will ask for the "Aggie song" (for the non-Aggies, that means the Spirit of Aggieland!) He will sing along with me and never miss a word. He also knows and sings all the hymns he requests. Luke is not quite up to Carnegie Hall performance standards yet, but he does know "Nothing But The Blood!" and he sings it with gusto! After reading and prayers (Mark prays that God will take away "mine and Lukie's heart of stone and give us a new heart of flesh!") each one gets tucked in. Luke likes to have me tuck in "Jake, Big Monkey and Widdle Monkey" and then he likes to have his back rubbed for just a minute. Mark sleeps with Jake (yes they each have a Jake bear) and usually a car if he can get it past Mom or Mimi. He also sleeps with an iPod playing his "night-nights music." He likes for Papaw to "lie down and snuggle with me for just a minute or two." As I leave, I always tell him, "No matter what happens, always remember that you had a Papaw who loved you no matter what!" He responds the same way, every night...he looks at me and smiles and says, "Me too, Papaw!" I can't resist either one of them!
I also got to spend time with my daughter and son-in-law and we all got to "meet" our soon-to-be-born grand-daughter. She is not a big fan of her two big brothers climbing all over her Mommy's tummy and she usually responds by kicking back! September should be interesting around the Williamson house!
All in all, it was a great time and we fell blessed beyond measure! We Love you Mark and Meghan! We love you Alicia and Tim! And, Mark and Luke and Baby Girl Williamson, always remember that you have a Mimi and Papaw that love you no matter what!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Giving Away Your Heart
Yesterday, I received a voicemail from my daughter, who called to say, "Well, just in case Mark Garrett didn't have your heart already, just wait until you hear him sing "the Spirit of Aggieland!" Now, she knows a lot about me giving my heart away, because I gave it to her one Sunday morning, in September of 1978. As I thought about her voicemail, I began to realize that there were a number of times I have given my heart away, to different people and what that meant.
I remember a Christmas season, in 1974, when I realized that a young lady named Anita, had taken my heart, almost before I knew it. What had been a good friendship had become the beginning of a lifelong love. Over the past 36 years, I have never regretted giving her my heart and I would do it over again every day!
In 1978, I met a little girl named Alicia, who with one little quiver of her bottom lip, stole my heart away. For the next 25 years, she continued to own my heart and then, even after she stole another man's heart (sorry, Tim!) she has always known she had mine as well. Two years after she was born, I once again gave my heart away to her brother. I knew the minute I saw him and held him that he too would own my heart. Through all the days since, he has had my heart, to carry around with him.
In September of 2005, I met a little boy named Mark Garrett and held him for the first time. He definitely stole my heart and I didn't even mind. I don't know if he even knows it yet, but he will always have my heart and there is nothing that could ever change that. Two years later, at a pay phone in Malindi, Kenya, I knew that once again, I would be giving my heart away to another little grandson. This time, it would be to Luke Patton. He has, like his brother before him, completely captured my heart! I think the real trouble lies in the fact that in September, I will be giving my heart away again...to a little granddaughter that will be just as wonderful as her brothers. I can't wait!
Over the years, I have realized that God intended for us to develop the kind of relationships where we give our hearts away to those we love. In fact, it was so important that he gave us a model, in His Son. You see, the most important time I gave my heart away was a summer night in Irving, Texas, when I gave my heart of stone to Jesus and He gave me His heart of flesh. As the poet said, "...that has made all the difference!"
I have no idea what your life is like. You may be lonely and have not a single person to whom you have given your heart. Or you may have lots of people in your life. Either way, I can tell you that if you have not given your heart to the Lord and Savior of the world, you are not complete. Unless that heart give-away has taken place, you are just going through the motions of life...without purpose and without hope!
I would love to sit down and tell you how that heart transplant can take place. If you would like to know more, just post a comment for me and I will get back to you. In the meantime, I just would like to keep giving my heart away...it's the only way to really live!
I remember a Christmas season, in 1974, when I realized that a young lady named Anita, had taken my heart, almost before I knew it. What had been a good friendship had become the beginning of a lifelong love. Over the past 36 years, I have never regretted giving her my heart and I would do it over again every day!
In 1978, I met a little girl named Alicia, who with one little quiver of her bottom lip, stole my heart away. For the next 25 years, she continued to own my heart and then, even after she stole another man's heart (sorry, Tim!) she has always known she had mine as well. Two years after she was born, I once again gave my heart away to her brother. I knew the minute I saw him and held him that he too would own my heart. Through all the days since, he has had my heart, to carry around with him.
In September of 2005, I met a little boy named Mark Garrett and held him for the first time. He definitely stole my heart and I didn't even mind. I don't know if he even knows it yet, but he will always have my heart and there is nothing that could ever change that. Two years later, at a pay phone in Malindi, Kenya, I knew that once again, I would be giving my heart away to another little grandson. This time, it would be to Luke Patton. He has, like his brother before him, completely captured my heart! I think the real trouble lies in the fact that in September, I will be giving my heart away again...to a little granddaughter that will be just as wonderful as her brothers. I can't wait!
Over the years, I have realized that God intended for us to develop the kind of relationships where we give our hearts away to those we love. In fact, it was so important that he gave us a model, in His Son. You see, the most important time I gave my heart away was a summer night in Irving, Texas, when I gave my heart of stone to Jesus and He gave me His heart of flesh. As the poet said, "...that has made all the difference!"
I have no idea what your life is like. You may be lonely and have not a single person to whom you have given your heart. Or you may have lots of people in your life. Either way, I can tell you that if you have not given your heart to the Lord and Savior of the world, you are not complete. Unless that heart give-away has taken place, you are just going through the motions of life...without purpose and without hope!
I would love to sit down and tell you how that heart transplant can take place. If you would like to know more, just post a comment for me and I will get back to you. In the meantime, I just would like to keep giving my heart away...it's the only way to really live!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
For Alicia, Mark, Tim, Meghan, Mark Garrett and Luke Patton (and a grandaughter to be named later!)
Throughout my life, I have been blessed to have had several great "dad" role models. I have had two grandfathers, Papa and Papaw, who left no room for doubt about whether they loved me. I had a father who, though he is no longer here, is by my side every day. And, I have a father-in-law, who showed me what the phrase "Duty, Honor, Country" was all about! I believe that there have been no greater influences on my life, by anyone on this earth, than these men. So, what did I learn from them? I am glad you asked.
My Papa was my mother's dad. He had coal black hair and had a 1948 Jeepster that he drove. I remember thinking that I would really like to have a red Jeepster when I got big. His was filled with all sorts of tools, most of which I had no idea even what they were. However, I knew they had to be cool! It seemed to me that even though he was retired when I came along, he always had some job to do around the house or at church. I don't know if he knew it (now that I am a grandfather, I am actually sure that what he did and what he said to me, were very deliberate) but to a 5-year old boy, there is nothing that means more than for a grandfather to take him and show him how to use a tool...especially ones that required electricity, gasoline or acetylene to run! I remember to this day that after we would eat breakfast (usually biscuits, gravy, eggs and bacon; old men and young boys require lots of calories for work purposes!) we would go out to his old garage. His garage was an old dirty, musty structure, with dirt floors and cobwebs all around. It was amazing to my small self! He would then lay out a few tools and tell me to take them to the chicken coop or the garden fence or any number of locations where a minor construction project awaited us. I seriously doubt that I did anything helpful for him, but I can never thank him enough for spending those mornings with me and teaching me how to work with my hands. I can probably trace some of my love of tools and building to my Papa. By the way, he was the first person to ever "let" me use a gasoline-powered tiller! I remember thinking, when he died, that the world would never be the same...and I was right. However, I have my memories and I never see an antique Jeepster without smiling and thinking of him!
Another role model in my life was my Papaw. When I think of him, I think about the Brad Paisley song, "When I Get Where I'm Going." There is a line in that song that says, "I want to walk beside my grandaddy and match him step for step and tell him how I missed him every minute since he left!" I always tell my grandson, Mark Garrett and Luke Patton, that no matter what happens to me or to them, to always remember that they had a Papaw that loved them more than his own life. I tell them that because it is what I know about my Papaw and it has carried me through some hard days. My Papaw believed that a boy was never too young to learn how to run an outboard motor on the back of a small fishing boat. Later, I did learn that he had an ulterior motive for teaching me how to run an outboard by the time I was 5-years old! He knew I would be willing to run the motor all day and he could fish! As Mark Garrett says, "That would be pretty tricky!" He also taught me how to finish concrete, put on shingles, cut and lay building stone. I think the most valuable thing he taught me was simply that spending time with a child is really the only way to show them how much they are loved.
I met my father-in-law, Charlie Horton, in 1975, almost a year before I married his daughter. From the first time I met Charlie, he treated me like a son. He recruited me on many a crazy trip to the dump, to scavenge building material..."perfectly good lumber, after you remove the nails, cut off the rotten parts and scrape all the concrete off!" I remember the Christmas after Anita and I married, when we had no money and were going to have to borrow money for me to finish my last semester of college. He called and said if I wanted to earn a little bit of money, he could set up a couple of odd jobs. I readily agreed and he told me to come to Abilene as soon as I finished the semester. When I arrived in Abilene in mid-December, he had lined up a "couple of jobs!" Apparently in "Charlie speak" that meant as many as we could do working 12 hour days for three weeks. I never knew how much he would pay me, but we figured anything would help. However, when Anita and I got ready to go back to Arlington, Charlie gave me an envelope that had more than enough money to pay for my tuition, fees and books! I learned the value of helping someone while letting them keep their dignity. To this day, I never think about Charlie, that I am not grateful to the Lord for bringing him into my life (along with Anita, of course!)
The fourth man that molded my life was my Dad, G.C. Miller. I am amazed every day that I am still learning from the things he taught me and told me and showed me throughout my life. With Dad, he never made a big outward show that he was teaching you something, he just did it and expected it to stick. My Dad taught me that loving the Lord was more important than anything you could ever accomplish and that loving your wife and family came next. He also taught me, by years of being a living example, that because God and Christ loved the Church, we needed to love it too. The Church was the only organization that was given the charge of spreading the Gospel...and, is there anything more important? My Dad also taught me how to appreciate and care for God's creation. He always taught my brother and me to make sure when you left a deer lease or a ranch or farm, to leave it in better condition than when you arrived. However, the one thing I know from my Dad, is that there is ONE THING...to live life by looking through the eyes of eternity! For that I will be thankful every day of eternity!
This Father's Day is the first without my Dad and I cannot begin to tell you how hard that is! This Saturday, several children, grandchildren and my Mom will all go to the DFW National Cemetery, where we will see his burial place. We will laugh and tell good "Papaw" stories and yes, I will admit we will cry, but here is what my Dad would tell us. If he could, he would use the words of the angel who said to the followers of Jesus, on that resurrection morning almost 2,000 years ago, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is risen, he is not here!" You see, my Dad will not meet us at the cemetery on Saturday. He will be spending his first Father's Day with His Heavenly Father and with his Savior and Lord! There is one more thing he would tell all of us and all of you, "BE THERE!" When the day dawns that you and I cross over that river or if the Lord returns first, my Dad would want you to be there in heaven with him! He would ask for no better Father's Day gift!
I don't believe I could tell you anything more important...just be there! And I will see you there! If you don't see me when you first get there, just find Jesus and I will be the one holding His hand and touching His side!
My Papa was my mother's dad. He had coal black hair and had a 1948 Jeepster that he drove. I remember thinking that I would really like to have a red Jeepster when I got big. His was filled with all sorts of tools, most of which I had no idea even what they were. However, I knew they had to be cool! It seemed to me that even though he was retired when I came along, he always had some job to do around the house or at church. I don't know if he knew it (now that I am a grandfather, I am actually sure that what he did and what he said to me, were very deliberate) but to a 5-year old boy, there is nothing that means more than for a grandfather to take him and show him how to use a tool...especially ones that required electricity, gasoline or acetylene to run! I remember to this day that after we would eat breakfast (usually biscuits, gravy, eggs and bacon; old men and young boys require lots of calories for work purposes!) we would go out to his old garage. His garage was an old dirty, musty structure, with dirt floors and cobwebs all around. It was amazing to my small self! He would then lay out a few tools and tell me to take them to the chicken coop or the garden fence or any number of locations where a minor construction project awaited us. I seriously doubt that I did anything helpful for him, but I can never thank him enough for spending those mornings with me and teaching me how to work with my hands. I can probably trace some of my love of tools and building to my Papa. By the way, he was the first person to ever "let" me use a gasoline-powered tiller! I remember thinking, when he died, that the world would never be the same...and I was right. However, I have my memories and I never see an antique Jeepster without smiling and thinking of him!
Another role model in my life was my Papaw. When I think of him, I think about the Brad Paisley song, "When I Get Where I'm Going." There is a line in that song that says, "I want to walk beside my grandaddy and match him step for step and tell him how I missed him every minute since he left!" I always tell my grandson, Mark Garrett and Luke Patton, that no matter what happens to me or to them, to always remember that they had a Papaw that loved them more than his own life. I tell them that because it is what I know about my Papaw and it has carried me through some hard days. My Papaw believed that a boy was never too young to learn how to run an outboard motor on the back of a small fishing boat. Later, I did learn that he had an ulterior motive for teaching me how to run an outboard by the time I was 5-years old! He knew I would be willing to run the motor all day and he could fish! As Mark Garrett says, "That would be pretty tricky!" He also taught me how to finish concrete, put on shingles, cut and lay building stone. I think the most valuable thing he taught me was simply that spending time with a child is really the only way to show them how much they are loved.
I met my father-in-law, Charlie Horton, in 1975, almost a year before I married his daughter. From the first time I met Charlie, he treated me like a son. He recruited me on many a crazy trip to the dump, to scavenge building material..."perfectly good lumber, after you remove the nails, cut off the rotten parts and scrape all the concrete off!" I remember the Christmas after Anita and I married, when we had no money and were going to have to borrow money for me to finish my last semester of college. He called and said if I wanted to earn a little bit of money, he could set up a couple of odd jobs. I readily agreed and he told me to come to Abilene as soon as I finished the semester. When I arrived in Abilene in mid-December, he had lined up a "couple of jobs!" Apparently in "Charlie speak" that meant as many as we could do working 12 hour days for three weeks. I never knew how much he would pay me, but we figured anything would help. However, when Anita and I got ready to go back to Arlington, Charlie gave me an envelope that had more than enough money to pay for my tuition, fees and books! I learned the value of helping someone while letting them keep their dignity. To this day, I never think about Charlie, that I am not grateful to the Lord for bringing him into my life (along with Anita, of course!)
The fourth man that molded my life was my Dad, G.C. Miller. I am amazed every day that I am still learning from the things he taught me and told me and showed me throughout my life. With Dad, he never made a big outward show that he was teaching you something, he just did it and expected it to stick. My Dad taught me that loving the Lord was more important than anything you could ever accomplish and that loving your wife and family came next. He also taught me, by years of being a living example, that because God and Christ loved the Church, we needed to love it too. The Church was the only organization that was given the charge of spreading the Gospel...and, is there anything more important? My Dad also taught me how to appreciate and care for God's creation. He always taught my brother and me to make sure when you left a deer lease or a ranch or farm, to leave it in better condition than when you arrived. However, the one thing I know from my Dad, is that there is ONE THING...to live life by looking through the eyes of eternity! For that I will be thankful every day of eternity!
This Father's Day is the first without my Dad and I cannot begin to tell you how hard that is! This Saturday, several children, grandchildren and my Mom will all go to the DFW National Cemetery, where we will see his burial place. We will laugh and tell good "Papaw" stories and yes, I will admit we will cry, but here is what my Dad would tell us. If he could, he would use the words of the angel who said to the followers of Jesus, on that resurrection morning almost 2,000 years ago, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is risen, he is not here!" You see, my Dad will not meet us at the cemetery on Saturday. He will be spending his first Father's Day with His Heavenly Father and with his Savior and Lord! There is one more thing he would tell all of us and all of you, "BE THERE!" When the day dawns that you and I cross over that river or if the Lord returns first, my Dad would want you to be there in heaven with him! He would ask for no better Father's Day gift!
I don't believe I could tell you anything more important...just be there! And I will see you there! If you don't see me when you first get there, just find Jesus and I will be the one holding His hand and touching His side!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The Road Taken
Anita has been one of two anchor points in my life. The other is my relationship with Jesus Christ. Through the mountain-top experiences, as well as the deep valleys of life, she has stood by me and given me the kind of unconditional love that most people only dream of. She has never wavered in her commitment to her Lord and Savior or to me and her family. She has always had one goal in her life...to see as many family members and friends know Jesus Christ as possible! I have come to love her wit and sense of humor. She can laugh at herself and can cry with a friend who is hurting. I admire her determination to stand for what is right, no matter the personal cost. I think there is no one I personally know that has a heart more attuned to truth.
However, my favorite side of Anita is the one she reserved for her two grandsons. She loves them both and they know it. They both consider her "their own personal Mimi!" And, they are right. Whether it is making a hand print wreath or reading a Bible story, they know that Mimi loves them. As with our own children, she prays for these two little boys every day, just like she prays for their mom and dad and their uncle and aunt!
As I contemplate the last almost 35 years I have been privileged to spend with her, I am humbled by her love, for me and others and especially her Lord. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without her, but to paraphrase the poet, "she has made all the difference!"
I love you, Anita! Happy anniversary!
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