What's in a Pocket Knife?

I couldn't find dad's knife, but it was like the

picture above other than time had shown it's

use. Dad's knife now missed the red coverings

and more. The following is a letter to my

nephew.

*

Dear Scotty,

This is a gift from Grandpa and me.

While I combing through things in his workshop, I came across his old pocket knife. That knife had seen a lot of years. I remember when I was sixteen (and older) seeing Grandpa use his knife to fix a leader on the end of my fishing line. If it were not because I cast my line into the mangroves, it would be because the groupers would run under the coral rocks and tangle the line. Either way, he'd have to cut it. One of my favorite memories is when I cast my line into the trees (unknowingly, the bait on the hook dangled below the water's surface about a foot.) Grandpa had just painstakingly gotten the boat anchored the right distance from the overhanging limbs and water's edge. I don't know if it was from embarrassment or the dread of getting yelled at, but I sat about fifteen minutes before I said anything. As he pulled anchor and let the boat drift back, his words clearly ring, "THIS IS GOING TO SCARE ALL OF THE FISH AWAY!" All was not lost. The LORD blessed anyway. When Grandpa lifted the line to cut it, there was a twelve pound grouper on the other end! The grin on his face and the sparkle in his eyes let me know he was no longer angry. After all, he hadn't caught anything as yet!

Not far from where I found his pocket knife, there was an old Tiki head he had carved out of mahogany. Grandpa loved to whittle. His knife was especially good for hewing out the finer details, which gave the face its character, particularly the lips! He liked to create LARGE lips on his Tiki heads. The blade had been sharpened down to not having much left. It had seen many wooden faces in its lifetime.

*

As I looked into the inner cavity, there were some missing parts. I guess use and time had taken its toll. One other blade was left. Upon extracting it, I noticed the blade had been broken off at mid-point. I don't know the story behind it, but I guess there has to be some mystery to keep the heart eager!

I had heard Grandpa say he'd like to give you a pocket knife when you were old enough. He's not here now to do that, so I will...for him.

*

Scotty, Grandpa loved you with all of his heart. He wasn't one much for words. There were many things he wanted to do with you and for you, but was unable due to his mind-set being many more years ahead of yours; and his ability no longer able to keep in stride.

*

There's a special bond with dads, no matter if you are a son or a daughter. Your dad is your best buddy. Grandpa was mine even up to the moment he died. If there were one thing I could have changed for dad, it would have been for me not to disrespect his directions because of my own selfishness. "Do I have to! Gee...Dad, give me a break!" Of course, usually the break I got definitely wasn't what I intended!

*

Grandpa's pocket knife has seen the end of its usefulness. Just as the LORD saw it was time for Grandpa to change the Old for the New, I want to replace the old pocket knife for a new one. Scotty, this isn't just a pocket knife. It's a memory maker. If the LORD doesn't return soon, you may be able to pass it, as well as a lifetime of memories onto your grandson.

*

In the love and grace of Jesus our LORD and Savior,

Love, Aunt Susan...and Grandpa.

What's in a Pocket Knife?

I'm about to have a really neat post ready to go. I'm still locating some more pictures to put in it. So, don't fret, Susie's post you're about to get!

Who is Man That God is Mindful of Him?

I pass by these beauties every morning when I

leave for work. Today as I pondered about the

things in my life; the beautiful colors, shapes,

and strength of their stalks reminded me of the

verse in Matthew 6:28, "...See how the lilies of

the field grow. They do not labor nor spin. Yet I

tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor

was dressed as one of these."

*

God spoke in Genesis saying, "Let there be..." to

all life, but man. God Himself formed man

from the dust, then He breathed His Breath into

man, and man became a living soul!

How much more our God cares for us than the

flowers He has created that are here today and gone tomorrow.

No matter what imperfections there are in my

life while in this world, God has a purpose for

them. The weaknesses are meant to make me

strong in faith knowing that everything has a

purpose and is not just happening by random

chance. "The weak shall become strong."

*

I can't understand those who refuse to even

listen to the reasoning of the Word of God. I

guess in doing so, they will have to admit their

apostasy. I pray for so many that I feel guilty

that I don't have enough time in the day to

pray for everyone. If my heart aches at the

denial so many have for God, I can't believe the

Heartache our Awesome Creator has for His

Creation.

*

Is this a form of worry I have brought upon

myself? God's Word says worry is sin. Then

His Word also says, "Bring your burdens to Him

for He cares for you." I then realize that many

things I concern myself with, are my God's

business and not mine. We are here to sow

His Word. The Holy Spirit will draw them...

or give them over to their reprobate minds.

*

So, I come back to the title of this blog and I

question. Who is man that he is not mindful

of God! For many ARE as the flowers that

neither labor or toil. And even more disheartening,

they are here today and gone tomorrow...into

Everlasting Eternity without God.

I pray the Holy Spirit will live through me and

that He will be the witness to the people I come

into contact with. And as the beauty of His flowers

are for all to see; I pray that I am worthy to

be a vessel God will use to see His Beauty -

the Great I Am, who is our Awesome, Holy,

Almighty, Creator, Savior God.

My Tribute to Mom and Dad Epilogue

I am so thrilled to know and be reassured by

my Savior that I will again be with my parents

in our Holy God's Eternal Kingdom. We are

promised New Bodies fashioned as Christ's

Resurrected Body. My amazement comes

when we shall meet our loved ones and we

all will have the same youthful bodies as

is Christ's. No more wrinkles, aches, pains,

over weight, tiredness; but Glorious,

energetic, never ending, full of perfect praise

for our Awesome, Holy, Almighty, Creator,

Savior God!

My Tribute to Mom and Dad Part 4

Over the next decade, mom and I would share a life completely devoid of the things I shared with dad. Girl things, like buying clothes at Martha's store (her cousin-in-law), eating out together, going to the mall, going to gospel concerts, buying a new car, and driving her out-of-state to visit relatives.

*

At church mom got involved with different fashion shows for the "older" ladies. She and her granddaughter were in the one pictured below.

Other times of fun involved mom and her friends supporting the foreign missions with their "Global Babes" program. The picture below was after the program. (Mom is the far right Babe.)

My prayer was for the LORD to take us both in the Rapture. Maybe that was my mistake for her having to suffer for so long; my selfishness, the one prayer God allowed to be answered.

*

Mom began to get tired. Her legs began to give out on her. After extensive tests, mom was diagnosed with arterial blockage. She went through having several stints put in to finally by-pass surgery. Mom never seemed to make a come back from the latter surgery.

The doctors switched her to insulin instead of the pills. She never liked the idea of needles, but soon it became a matter of habit. This is when mom retired from bookkeeping at the church. The year that followed was a year of misery for her. She didn't know what to do with herself. She had no hobbies but reading. She was bored to tears. She didn't have the strength to do anything even if she wanted to. Numerous times in the wee hours of the morning, I would wake up to hear her quietly crying as she lay in her bed. She was continually tired. She began sleeping in to 10:30 or later; not even realizing it was that late.

*

One day when I came home from work she was asleep in her chair and had forgotten to take some of her medications. The doctors had her on so many pills a day, I don't even know how she previously had kept up with them all. She had gotten to where she would hardly eat during the day. For dinner, I would fix foods she liked, but she ate very little.

*

Christmas 2001, Mom got up tired as usual. We were to have breakfast at our house with Jim, Nellie, and mom's grandchildren. She really didn't feel well. Christmas came and went. Mom had made it through the holiday. Then three days later, it happened.

*

Mom had gone into her bedroom to change her clothes to go get her hair done. The phone rang. I had talked a while when I realized mom had not asked who it was on the phone. I said good-bye and went in to check on her. She stood in a stupor not knowing how to put on her clothes. As I spotted the still filled needle of insulin on the counter, I first thought she was going into insulin shock. But then, the tale-tell signs of a stroke began to show. Her lip drooped with drool coming out. Her right hand was limp and her speech was slurred as she told me she wasn't ready yet. She didn't even realize anything was wrong.

*

I called our neighbors who were a nurse and paramedic. The phone line was busy, so I ran over to their house to get help. Alice had already gone to work. Boddy called 911 on the way back to the house. We came in to find mom had herself dressed, but the signs of stroke had worsened. It seemed an eternity between that time and the time mom was transported to the hospital.

*

It was the weekend. That Saturday mom went from being able to move a little and slurred speech to a deep coma. She had had a massive stroke, which the doctors had labeled "pretty significant." Her kidneys had stopped and needed to be jump started by dialysis.

For a year and a half mom would go two steps forward and three back. She fought like a trooper. But the roller coaster ride we felt we were on, soon had mom give in to its tedious exhaustion. I didn't know what to pray for anymore. The previous prayers for better health seemed to not have had any response from the LORD. I gave in and recanted my prayer for us going together in the Rapture. I gave her up to the LORD. I ask the LORD to take her Home with Him. Still, there was no response from the LORD. I began to question if there was something in my life that was the cause for mom not being released from her agonizing suffering. Again, there was no response from the LORD. I began to get angry and lash out, "God, are you there! Don't do this to me again!" No sooner had the words come out of my mouth, my mind began to be flooded with the scriptures of God putting Job in his place, "Where were you when I formed the world..." Who are you to question my timing...

*

The proverbial little bird that was never kicked out of the nest, now finds the nest and itself abandoned...but only by my earthly parents. In Hebrews 13:5 my Heavenly Father has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." My heart has such release to know that mom and dad don't have to struggle with the things of this world anymore. Now God says, "Susan, cling unto Me. Get on with the life I have planned for you."

As for my original question, "What can I say about my mom?" She was a mom who was nurturing, caring, loving, and sharing. I'll remember always, her gentleness, kindness, patience, and especially her long-suffering. I'll never forget the times she was in deep study of God's Word with her Bible, dictionaries, references, and commentaries. Fond memories will include her laughter, joy, and the plain giddiness of us both from sitting up so late our overtired minds could only respond with giggles. But most of all, I'll remember from now right on into Eternity that she is my mom who loves the LORD with all her heart, soul, and mind.

*

I love you, mom.

My Tribute to Mom and Dad Part 3

We moved from the Keys in 1984 due to

the change that came about in fishing. The

state had set a cost on saltwater fishing by

having to get a license. I remember, in the past

dad saying the day that came, he would move.

We moved from south Florida to central Florida.

It was the first house I had ever lived in. We had

always lived in trailers. I had never given it any

thought until we moved into our new home.

Wow! The space was so big.

*

The years moved along pretty quickly with

contentment until February 1991. Dad had

exploratory surgery, which brought about

our greatest fears; pancreatic cancer. It was

so advanced the doctors just closed him back up

and gave him 3 -4 months to live. Because of

his strong heart and lungs due to all of the

skin diving he had done for years in the Keys,

he lived for thirteen months. During this time

mom was the prominent person in his life.

Day in and day out, she spent every moment

with dad. If she wasn't there, he was asking

for her. When I came home from work, I'd

take over caring for dad so mom could go to

work at the church (she was the bookkeeper)

sometimes working on into the evening hours

after others had left and gone home.

*

While in my care, dad would wander to his

work building looking for things he thought

he needed to do. He just knew something

wasn't right (although it was) with the

tractor mower's carburetor. There was

nothing I could do but let him take it apart

right down to the engine block. When mom

would get home, I went to work on the

carburetor reassembling the parts back to

its original whole again. It was like putting

a three dimensional puzzle together.

Soon my brother had to disconnect the table

saws, band saws, and drill presses by taking

out the microchips to prevent any catastrophes

from happening.

*

The weight of the load began to take toll on mom.

She had placed a pallet on the floor by the bed to

sleep due to dad's thrashing. The LORD began

His work in dad. Dad continually asked us to

pray for him. He continually asked us to forgive

him for things he did in his life. The LORD was

Spiritually getting our house in order.

Dad's pain became so unbearable, the doctors

had to do a nerve block to give him relief. The

process brought about paralysis from his

waist down. It was at this time the LORD's

presence was so close. Sitting in the living

room, (right next to the bedroom's door)

when family and visitors alike would be in

conversation we would get a peripheral

vision of someone passing toward the

bedroom where dad rested. When we

would turn our head in natural response,

there was no one there. The angels were

busily taking care of their tasks.

*

Mom now stayed by dad's side continually.

Then it happened. Dad asked for us. I

called my brother and Nellie and told them

dad's time had come. Dad's sight was now

gone. He called for me. I took his hand and

told him, "I'm here, dad." He asked for mom.

She touched his feet and said she was there.

He asked for my brother and Nellie. I told him

they were on their way. The water began to

pour out through his pores. He began to have

visions of the angels coming to get him, even to the

point of counting them! His eyes pinpointed

them as mom and I looked to the ceiling longing

to see what he saw! Then Heaven opened up to

him! The sparkle in his eyes was like diamonds

reflecting the Pure Light of Glory! He pushed

us away, no longer wanting the comfort of our

touch. His Joy became verbal, but the LORD

only allowed a gleeful outcry like a young

toddler seeing his mom first thing in the

morning coming in to release him from his crib.

It was at this point dad's eyes closed, his head

turned aside, and he went into a deep coma.

I clung onto mom feeling such a loss, but in

turn feeling a release of dad's pain as well as

wishing for the Joy he had begun to experience.

*

Dad died March 5, 1992. An empty void hit me

like a black hole in my heart. I attached myself

to mom as I had never done before. The loss

of dad was worse than any waterspout,

hurricane, or tornado in my life.

*

Dad was a 20 year Navy veteran. He was

given a military funeral and now; he is

in the presence of our Awesome, Holy, Almighty,

Creator, Savior God!

I love you, dad.

More to come...

My Tribute to Mom and Dad Part 2

There's nothing like a reptile!!

One day I had rescued an escaped iguana. He

appeared to be lethargic. He didn't even move

that much when I held him under his front

legs and tail. We put water over him and it

seemed to bring him back to life! None of

the neighbors knew who he belonged to.

Dad welded what he thought was an escape

proof cage. The next morning he was gone

(to mom's great joy!) For all I know, she

went out in the night and let him go!

Nah, in the process she would have been

too afraid he would come after her!

Monster Garage and Backyard Wars is the

only thing to which I can compare our

backyard in the Keys. It was a montage of

scrap metal, angle iron, welding rods,

oxygen bottles, just to mention a few

things. Mom gladly initiated me to another

helper position. Whenever dad needed an

extra pair of hands mom would conveniently

push me out the back door to assist him

and whatever task he had taken on. He

seemed to never have enough clamps to

finish the job. One day when heading back

inside from a welding experience, I by-passed

the charcoal grill. "Why not?" I thought. I

was already greasy and dirty. I splattered

some of the coal dust onto my sweaty arms,

not realizing the fine dust had also stuck to

my face. Upon entering the house, I let out

an enormous yell not realizing mom was

right around the corner! I can only describe

the massive shriek that followed was louder

than my yell! So loud, within a few micro-

seconds, dad was in the back door! All I

will say is that's the first and last practical

joke I'd ever pull on mom...or dad for that

matter! On some of these kinds of occasions,

mom would make the comment, "You're just

like your father!" It was like dejavue when

dad repeated at other times, "You're just like

your mother!" I never had that question kids

ask about adoption.

(Dad filing some metal he had welded earlier)

*

Waterspouts, hurricanes, tornadoes! The

weather is something that none of us can

always get away from. While living in the

Florida Keys, I had seen some ferocious

waterspouts. One in particular was about

a mile wide out in the Gulf of Mexico. From

the funnel's powerful entrance into the water,

you could see the outward spray shooting above

the height of the tallest trees on the island

before it and almost as wide as the island! Another

waterspout in particular, occurred one day while

we were out in the boat. The sky had really turned

dark all around us. The wind had picked up, making

the water so choppy, it was hard to travel at any

great speed in the boat. Then a mile or so behind

us a funnel went down into the water. The rain

came down in sheets. The lightening crackled

across the sky as the thunder boomed in close

proximity. The wind literally blew up a gale. The

homemade canvas top on the boat collapsed,

tangling me up inside of it. I let out a cry of

anguish thinking surely the waterspout had

gotten us! All I could hear was the laughter

of mom, dad, and my brother. (I didn't think it

was so funny!) Helping me out of the twisted

mess, my first glimpse was mom with that

beautiful smile, reaching out to me with one

hand while the other held her straw hat to her

head (even though it was tied under her chin.)

It's amazing how calming a mother's smile is to a

frightened child. (The picture below is one from

a better day out in the boat.)

Hurricanes

*

We returned to the lower Florida Keys just after

hurricane Donna had pretty much devastated them.

Everything was in shambles including mom after

seeing all of the damage. The closer to Key West we

got, the more destruction we saw. If it had been

left up to mom, we would have turned around and

lived anywhere else but the Florida Keys. One of the

five hurricanes we went through was hurricane

Betsy. It was packing 125 mile an hour winds

with gusts up to 155. A couple of years earlier,

dad had jack hammered into the cap rock and

cemented the tie downs to our trailer. Upon the

hurricane's approach, we couldn't leave. Our dog,

Skeeter was in the middle of having her puppies.

She had already lost one to still birth. By

the time her last pup was born, the blunt of

the storm was upon us. The electricity had

already gone off due to blown transformers.

I sat on the couch lying up against mom.

Skeeter lay at our feet nursing her babies.

The rain beat upon the roof like the sound

of hundreds of hammers. The wailing and

howling of the wind was just as deafening.

I watched as the walls of the trailer bowed

out and then back in. Even in the mist of the

storm I remember we all were comforted by

an inner peace that can only come from God!

Then came the silence.......total silence! It

was just as deafening as the previous noise

we had been listening to from the storm that

seemed as though it would never end.

The eye of the storm had come over us. In a

split second mom gathered Skeeter's pups

and we headed out the door behind dad up

the street to a vacant rental house they took

care of. Upon leaving, we witnessed the shredded

tree debris, bits and pieces of wood, plastic,

insulation, broken glass, aluminum siding,

and paper trash. But most of all, the eerie sight

of the Gulf waters began surging up the street.

The backside of the hurricane was quickly

approaching. I remember the return of the

wailing wind and rain; this time more violent

than before. But the memory I carry most of

all is being in the loving arms of a caring mom

and the strong leadership of a loving father

in care for his family. If they had any fear, I

didn't feel or see it in them; only a strong

sense of survival instinct led by the Hand of

our Almighty God.

Tornadoes

*

In past history, there had never been

a tornado recorded in the Keys.

Never say never!

In the summer of 1972, a tornado, not a

waterspout coming onto shore, but a real

tornado struck the Key we lived on. I was

away at college. When I heard what had

happened, I was allowed to go home from

the summer program. As I approached the

turn-off, I was required to show ID of my

residence. I couldn't believe the destruction.

I couldn't identify anything except the Methodist

church on the corner of our street. A narrow

drive through had been cleared for entrances

and exits. When I reached where I lived, to

my surprise, the trailer was still intact. The

added aluminum room had disappeared and

a new trailer from the park behind us, lay upon

the back of ours (it had not yet been tied down.)

Only the floor of it was left. The four tires lay

at our back door. The debris was so thick in the

back yard, you couldn't see the ground. I

think this is the first time I had seen mom

distraught. She lost an enormous and rare

bottle collection that took her years to collect.

The mess looked like it would take months of

clean up to clear it all away. Earthly possessions,

even though she had few, didn't seem to care to

her anymore. So goes the storms of life.
*

More to come

My Tribute to Mom and Dad

(Beginning with mom)

*

What can I say about my mom? There are

so many things. First and foremost, she

loves the LORD with all her heart, soul,

and mind; especially now, for 2 Cor. 5:8

says, "To be absent from the body is to be

present with the LORD." There is no longer

the influence of Satan and the struggle with

the flesh as Paul mentions in Eph. 6:12.

*

From my earliest memory there were

some times we didn't go to church, but

mom started us out young. That's my only

reason as a four year old to know how to

pray to Jesus to get me out of a neighbor's

metal Navy footlocker. I had climbed inside

and shut the top not knowing the latch would

fall over, locking me inside. At that time in the

Keys, all of the trailers in the park had their

air conditioners going. No one could hear my

banging and cries for help...except Jesus. The

Christian mom inside was moved to check and

see if I had gone home. When she opened the

door, the first thing in sight was the locker!

Our God works in Mysterious Ways!

When I was eight, we attended a church mission

newly located on the Key. The pastor made a

request of need from the congregation for

anyone who knew how to play the piano. Right

away I volunteered mom, to her great surprise!

And there, started our growth in the LORD for

over twenty years.

This is a picture of my brother who went

into the Air Force when I went into 9th

grade. At that time the Vietnam War was

at its height of fighting. Being in the Air

Force, he later went to Germany for

his duty.

(Secondly, dad)
At sixteen I became dad's 1st mate on our

boat, as mom was perfectly satisified to

give the position over to me. I became dad's

fishing and skin diving partner as well as

"navigator." Pulling dad behind the boat

allowed him to locate the lobsters and fish.

As for mom driving the boat, she was too

short to see over the bow and once or twice

came too close for comfort with running over

the large brain coral that grew up to within

a few inches to a foot from the surface.

That was not something you would want

to run over with the keel or motor. Mom

always had a healthy fear of water. She

could swim, but it wasn't her first choice of

activity. Mom enjoyed fishing, but not the

slicky, slimy critters she would catch.

We would get anything from a few pounds

to 30-50 pound groupers dad would spear.

She lost all care for deep-sea fishing when

they went out in the Atlantic Gulf Stream on

one of their friends' large cabin cruisers.

The motor konked out and there they were,

this minute speck of a boat in the mist of

hugh tankers and cargo ships passing by

them like a freight train non-stop! Night

fishing ? Forget it! Mom wanted no part of

it. Even my initiation added some extra chum

to the batch. Beach combing? Now that was

one of mom's favorite enjoyments! She

loved going to the uninhabited islands

searching for "treasure." You know the old

adage, "What's one man's junk is another

man's treasure!" That was until one day they

returned to the boat to find the tide had gone

out leaving the boat high and dry on the

sandbar! In those days there were no cell

phones. So, no one knew where they were or

what had happened. Six long hours of waiting

finally brought the tide back in and they

returned home about 10:30 p.m. Suffice it

to say, beach combing became another of

mom's hobbies she would pass on to me.

I think mom enjoyed more, the thrill of dad and I

bringing back things we found when beach

combing. She never knew what we were

coming home with! As you can see, mom and

dad had collected many rare and unusual

bottles.

Many of the bottles had been classified as

old and over 100 years old! Some were just

bottles with notes from people in other

countries to which mom and dad replied

with where their bottle was found.

Some pieces of pottery were found on wreck

sites from old sailing ships back in the 1800's.

Dad had located these when he was skin diving.

The jug on the back left was dated at 110

years old (and that was back in 1968!) I still

have it! Below is a picture of a demy john

jug I still have from when dad found it in

the mangroves with just 2 or 3 inches of the

neck sticking out! The sand in the bottom

is Mississippi sand we collected from bottles

that were sent out from an institute in

Mississippi. They were tracking where the

tides would take the bottles.

More to come...

A Tribute to My Mom and Dad.

Mom and dad were married in 1947. This picture

was taken shortly after they became husband and wife.

*

45 years of marriage!

This is mom and dad shortly before the LORD

took dad Home to be with Him.

*

The following chapters will be an account of my

loving parents lives and that of their children.

*

Through the good times and bad; in having

hind sight, I can see where my Almighty God

has always had His Hand in the Way we

have gone. How Blessed it is to belong to Him.

I'm busy buzzzzzzzzz.

I have been gathering my pictures for my next post which will be done in "chapters." Talk to you soon.
Susie

I didn't see it!

When I pull up the blind in the birds'

room, there was a straight, thick line

of white in the sunrise. I didn't even

think about the shuttle taking off!

When I left the house to go to work,

this was what the upper jet stream

had done to that "straight" line!