We Are So Blessed and Grateful

I would like for this blog to serve as my belated “thank you” for one of the nicest gifts I have ever received.  (It’s a poor excuse, but the kids had a professional photographer take photographs of our family while we were together, and I wanted to be able to publish one of the pictures of the entire family with this “thank you.” The photographer was backlogged, but we have the pictures now. One of them accompanies this blog.) Many of you are aware, but in case you are not, the church gifted Diane and me with a family vacation in honor of our 30 years of service at Madison.  It was amazing.

We spent the time at Lakeside, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie.  The first time we ever went there was with my parents.  (To give perspective on that, my dad will be with the Lord for 29 years in a few days, and we went there a number of years before he died. Suffice it to say that we have a good deal of experience at Lakeside.)  It is a wholesome, family-oriented place where your kids are safe, the lake is beautiful, and the ice cream is great.  All of that is fine – but the real draw was the fact that 100% of our family was there.  Because of the busyness of all of us, jobs, commitments, camps, athletic pursuits, lots of moving parts, etc., an extended Memorial Day weekend was when we were able to do this.  On several of the days there was rain, wind, and cold temperatures – but every family member was there and that was what mattered.  There are not a large number of places at Lakeside that sleep 14 people, but one of those places was secured. It was a great family time.

Anyone who knows me understands the value of this gift to me personally. The church could not have given us anything more meaningful than extended time with our precious family.  Diane and I are very proud of our two sons, David and Jonathon.  When David married Joy and Jonathon married Heather our family got better instantly.  I thank the Lord daily that I get to be grandpa to Nehemiah, Caleb, Nate, Zeke, Grace, Delaney, Silas, and Titus. Whoever said, “Grandchildren are what makes life grand” is 100% right on. My job description as grandpa is exactly what it says about fathers in Colossians 3:21. I strive to never discourage them, and certainly never to embitter them. There’s a picture in my office that says, “My favorite people call me grandpa.”  Above everything else, we are so grateful that they all love the Lord and serve him faithfully.

So, my message to all of you is simple:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  We appreciate the thoughtfulness more than you will ever know.