Category Archives: Gracie

Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival

Great Weekend Weather

This was the 29th annual fall Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival. Trudie had done this show since the first year it was held. It was good to go back and spend time with Avery, Lewis, & Gracie. Avery has been an exhibitor for a number of years. Now, the promoters have given Avery the spot that Trudie used to be in. It was great weather all weekend and it was fun to see some of our friends.

It’s a Tough Job but Somebody Has to Do It

That is being a grandPop to Gracie. She is now 2 3/4 years old and very much in the throws of the terrible-twos. The screaming show she put forth when she DID NOT WANT to take a nap yesterday was truly three-booths-down head-turning. I did take Gracie to the petting zoo. We had lots of fun together.

We’re Leaving on a Jet Plane

Off to Bosnia

Tomorrow we head off to Bosnia. You can follow our adventures on the trip blog site.

Prayer Helps

I’ve sent a couple of e-mails asking people to pray for me and for our trip. I believe it working. This week I’ve felt much more serene than I have been before. Thank you all who are praying. I REALLY appreciate it.

Gracie Cuteness

This photo was sent by Avery of Gracie. A grandPOP can’t help himself…

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Christmas Day, 2007

For Christmas, my sister and brother-in-law, Millie and Drew, invited us up to their house.

They live a little north of Charlotte, NC and it took me less than five hours to drive there. Last night I made us all chicken and dumplins the way Grandma taught me how to make them. They turned out very good. I made a mess making them but they were so good. Besides, we have a saying in our family, “He who cooks doesn’t do dishes.”

A Tough Celebration

This was a tough time for me; I’ve been very sad. The toughest part for me was wrapping my gifts. The wrapping paper is stored in the closed in which Trudie would stash the gifts that she bought throughout the year for various people. When I went in the “magic closet” to get the wrapping paper I came across some gifts that she had bought for Gracie. I lost it. It’s hard to even write about it. I got through that and I got through today pretty well.

God’s Gift

Then driving home today, I remembered that we are celebrating God’s gift to us. Himself! As a Christian, I believe that on Christmas God became like one of us. God became man so that he could make a way for us to have a intimate relationship with Him. This gift cost Him dearly but He did it so that we could be friends with him FOREVER. I believe that Trudie is now directly enjoying that friendship and I too am enjoying it just in a different way.

So in Christmas, I believe that we celebrate that God has given us a wrapped gift. We can’t tell what the real gift is inside because it is wrapped up as a baby. During His life, Jesus tried to explain what God’s gift was, but few would hear it. It wasn’t until Easter that God’s gift was fully exposed that Jesus was who He said He was – that He was God – and that He had come to give men who would believe on Him the gift of eternal life and right fellowship with Him.

So even though I ‘m dealing with my sadness, I can think about the wonderful relationship I have with my Father. He has given me a gift that I didn’t do anything to earn yet He still has shown me His love by giving me Jesus’ redemptive work.