Morgen Gave Me A Hug

Morgen gave me a hug. It was a simple act. It only took a moment.

I was sitting in a devotional at church tonight when my brother’s grandson, Morgen, walked by me. He stopped, turned around, and walked over to me. With a big smile on his face he just reached out and hugged my neck. He didn’t say a word. He just gave me a hug and walked away.

I was touched. Maybe he sensed I needed a little hug. Maybe he was just being nice to Pappy’s brother. Regardless of the reason, I needed and enjoyed that hug.

I can’t help but remember when my own little men would do the say thing: just give me hug without word or warning.

I miss those hugs.

Amazing Things Over The Years

Throughout the years, I have marveled at the ingenuity and imaginations of my sons. These boys have never ceased to amaze me by the things they have said and done. Here are some things I thought I would share.

No sleep before moving a cemetery.
A knife and an electrical outlet.
Catching fish while breaking all the fishing rules.
Burning marshmallows to flannel shirts
Kitty Cat football
Wrestling in the living room
Singing contests won
Football practices and games played (wins or losses doesn’t matter)
Wisdom beyond your years
Laughter above measure
Long walks and equally long talks
Shooting the Clicker
Semi-automatic pistols
Beautiful wives (physically, emotionally, spiritually)
Driving lessons
Car accidents
Moon Pie bribes to Police Officers
Driving without headlights and getting caught

I guess all I am trying to say is, I love you guys…a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.

I Miss My Sons

I miss my sons. I miss their laughs. I miss their smiles. I miss our quiet talks and our lively debates. I miss getting to watch football with them. I miss their wives, too. I miss seeing their interactions with my sons. I miss getting the opportunity to see how they have grown alongside their wives. I miss playing games with them, telling them jokes, and playing tricks on them. I miss going camping with them, and to choir concerts, and to singing competitions. I miss getting to worship God with them. I miss getting to put my arms around them. And, I miss getting the opportunity to tell them everyday that I love them. I miss my sons.

Slow, Easy Changes

Teaching your sons to drive a car is often a very scary endeavor. I taught both my sons to drive. We would get in the car and drive down a country road very slowly. The boys face’s crinkled with concern. I tried to act more confidently than I actually was. In a veiled attempt to calm my own nerves, I repeated softly to them over and over, “Slow, easy changes. Slow, easy changes.”

I think the same advice I gave them so many years ago is good advice still. The Road of Life requires “slow, easy changes.” Like getting behind the wheel of a car, we become more confident the more we do it. The more confident we become, the faster we go. The faster we go, the less of life we will be able to notice. And, if we get going too fast, we may end up in a ditch...stuck.

I remember the stories. There is the I-wasn’t-going-very-fast-but-I-slid-25-feet-across-the-grass-and-into-a-ditch story. Then, there is the spider-got-on-my-chest-and-I-drove-into-the-ditch-trying-to-get-rid-of-the-spider story. By the way, that last story about the spider ended with my son trying to give the investigating Police officer Twinkies from his now popped open trunk.

The fact is I would not trade anything for my experience teaching my sons to drive, not one bruise to my head from being thrown into the passenger window because we were going around a curve to fast and my son slammed on the brakes, nor one whip-lash from teaching them to drive a stick shift.

My sons are good drivers now. I just hope they will always remember that whether driving or living “slow, easy changes” are most often the best course of action. With that in mind, let’s get on the road.

My Sons

I've lived on this earth now for 50 years, 31 of those years married to the most beautiful woman on earth. Before marriage we discussed children, you know stuff like how many children we want to have and when to have them. Although I can't remember how many we said we would have, I do remember saying we wanted to wait 3 to 5 years before becoming parents. Six months into our marriage, I was ready to have kids. So we did. Over the next three years my beautiful wife gave me two sons.

As time flew past us, our little boys grew into good men...great men! I always told them "You are more son than any man has a right to have." And, they are. I admit it freely. My sons didn't grow up like me, they became better than me...better than I could have ever imagined. My oldest son is married and lives in Tennessee. My youngest son is also married and lives in South Carolina. While I don't get to see either one of them as much as I would like, I know our love for one another runs deep.

So in this post, I want to thank them and praise them for all they have been, are, and will become.

I give them praise and thank them for many reasons. They love the Lord and serve him faithfully. They love their wives and are true to their vows. They love their parents and give us great respect. All of their lives they have been a blessing to their parents. They care about people...the poor, the homeless, the rich...it doesn't matter. They are loyal men in all their relationships. They tell the truth. They are free from the vices that capture the hearts and lives of lesser men. They speak out against injustice and stand for what they believe is right. They use their God-given talents. They work hard to provide for their wives. They laugh when something is funny, and they cry when something is sad. They are good men...great men!

I know some may read this is and say, "He is just a proud poppa." But I assure you if you knew my boys, you would be singing their praises as loudly and with as much enthusiasm as I do.

My boys are good men...great men!

Our Dad, the Superhero

I'm laying in a bed in Paris, TN, at the Paris Landing State Park listening to a storm pass over the lodge. I'm speaking in the morning to a men's retreat, and I'm hungry.


Being at this park makes me think of camping with Shane and Dad.

I'm not sure why, but Dad always liked to figure out new stories that would make Shane and me feel like he was some kind of superhero. Like that time when we went to Boonesboro, KY, and he had us believing there was an indian family watching us from across the water. I could have peed my pants all day and night just thinking about being scalped in my sleep!

Or, on the same trip, when he made us believe that he had some kind of sixth sense that allowed him super-directional senses. It was flat nuts! We looked up onto a ridge and, just like he said, there sat the primitive fort. Dad could have started flying and it wouldn't have impressed us any more than we were at that moment.

Good stuff.

E Unum Pluribus

I've learned a lot from my dad and my brother.

• coolers are only cooler if your hand is lower
• hard cow patties only
• it is better to enter a graveyard naturally
• plant your garden on clear days
• don't leave corn in the car too long
• let your brother sing it the way he wants to
• if you set your mind's alarm, it will still blow your mind when it works

There's so much more. We'd like to share with you what we've learned. You may already know it all, but if you've learned anything at all then you know reminiscing never hurt anyone, so stick around.