what we build

When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, “See! This our father did for us.” __John Ruskin There are many things that a parent “builds” for a child…a physical edifice, I believe, the least of them. Our faith, belief, and love are at the top of the list. Anything we invest time and treasure into, will take root and grow. May our investments be those of eternal value, and not the things that can rust, rot, or be stolen from us. May those who come behind us find us faithful. g

silence

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King Jr.

with you

“when the layers subside
and the fortune is empty
the pigment of our days
will echo pure
and I will be nowhere
if not with you”

Kylie Johnson,
Australian potter/poet

bridges

My daddy built a bridge. It is a strong bridge with many yards of concrete, poured into its large forms; steel; and thick planks of wood treated to last a lifetime. My daddy built a bridge, a bridge to help us get to the other side of a creek that has the potential of raging like a river.

My daddy built a bridge. It was a strong bridge. It took years to build. It was made of faith, hard work, and self-sacrifice. It bridged from an old way of life (that had generations of poverty and addiction) to a new way of life (that centers on God, and education, and dreams).

My daddy has spent his life building bridges, and I am so thankful that he did.

g

happy anniversary, jon and em

My Jon and Em,
Happy, happy anniversary! I can’t believe that you are celebrating two years together today. Time flies. We’ll be saying the very same thing in ten years, twenty years, or thirty…time flies.

You’ve had two eventful years. You have already gone through many things that long-timed married couples have not had to face. In the years to come, who knows what will happen to the two of you…there will be very good times, and there will be unbelievably bad times, but I want you to remember that, through it all, you have each other and you have God. With that kind of support, you can face anything!

I hope your day has been lovely. I hope your next month will be better than you are anticipating, and I hope the next years will bring you, and those who are around you, great love and joy. Remember…true love never fails.

mom

in praise of moms

Today, I bless my mom, and every mom, who has/have:
* lived and died making life better for her children;
* stayed when staying is not the easiest thing to do;
* wished her children well…giving them permission to explore and grow;
* lived a life of purity and honor;
* made mistakes, and were quick to say, “I’m sorry;”
* mourned children lost and children found;
* seen potential in the tiniest of things;
* loves when loving hurts; and
* kept baking brownies to the very end.

I love you, Mom. Thank you for supporting me and loving me, no matter what,
g

love never fails

Our Emily and Jon have been married for nearly two years. Like all life events of great consequence, it seems like yesterday that Jon joined our family…but it also seems as if he has been a part of us forever.

I have to be honest, I was not very excited (or supportive) when the two of them announced their intention to marry in just a few months time. Emily had so many plans for her life (many that would take her far away), and I just didn’t see a man (husband) dropping his life and helping her achieve those dreams. I thought it would better to get all of that out of the way and then get married, but they didn’t see it my way at all…and in a few months’ time, they were married.

It was a beautiful day…the day they were married….God blessed it with family and friends. This was the song Emily walked down the aisle to…with Loyd and me on each side, “giving her away”:

Love Never Fails
Brandon Heath

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you.

Jon and Emily are about to finish a year in Phillidelphia…the place she wanted to go to work on her master’s degree. They are looking for a place to go for her internship (probably Haiti or Rwuanda). She is realizing her goals, and Jon has been with her every step of the way. He left his life…for a much more difficult life…and he has done it with the grace of God’s love…that Love that never fails….

Thank you, Lord, for sending Jon our Emily’s way. Thank you for giving her someone who wants to share in her life, in such a way, that is helping her become what you created her to be. Thank you for the way your love is, at times, so unexpected, but just exactly what we need…you never fail.

g