My Testimony

I was asked to give my testimony to our Sunday School class last Sunday (Palm Sunday).  Here is the text of the testiimony.

 

My father-in-law was George Hawkes.  He had a motto about hospital visits:

Be bright, be brief, and be gone.  I share the same motto regarding testimonies.

My testimony is very simple.  It is built on a simple faith in God, trusting Him, and trying to listen to his calling.

First some background.  I came to this church as a 1-year old baby.  Kay Ellen and I shared a nursery bed, so I tell folks we slept together long before we were married.  We started dating some during my junior year in high school and got more serious during the latter part of my freshman year in college.  We were married when I was a junior in college.  We were both 20 years old.  It’s been a very nice 43 years, at least for me.

I mentioned earlier “a simple faith in God”.  In April 1957 we had a revival in our church.  During one of the services I was convicted of my sin and knew I needed Jesus as my Savior.  I didn’t walk down the aisle, I ran.  Later in the week my brother also accepted Christ and we were both baptized by Dr. East (he was still Brother East at that time) the following Sunday.  From that time on I’ve truly tried to listen to God’s direction and put my faith in him to lead me where I should go.

Verne and some of the others can tell you many stories about me as I was growing up and some of them are true.  While I sang in the Youth Choir, I was no “choir boy”. I got into my share of mischief.  Still, I tried to listen to God and follow His lead in my life. Let me share some of those times.

At 8^th grade youth camp I had a dream that Kay Ellen and I were going to get married.  At that time I hardly knew her and the dream seemed to be more of a nightmare, but I really think it was God talking to me.  She was prim and proper and I was not.  She was musically gifted and I was into sports, primarily basketball. 

It wasn’t until youth camp of my junior year that we began dating.  She asked me to be her “date” for the Sadie Hawkins’ evening at youth camp.  We continued to date over the summer and at the start of the school year.  However, I was going to school at Fort Worth Eastern Hills and she was at Arlington High, so we agreed to date other folks from our respective schools.  Still, I wanted her to go to one of my basketball games.

I selected the game when we would be playing Arlington Sam Houston in our gym.  Another Arlington couple was supposed to with us but they backed out the day of the game.  Still, Kay agreed to go.  I had one of the best games of my career.  I scored 17 points and didn’t miss a shot all night.  At that game was the son-in-law of the President of East Texas Baptist College.  He told ETBC they needed to get me to play basketball there.  That is how I was introduced to the school and why I went there as a freshman.  I’ve always felt God had a hand in this.

My roommate was a preacher.  He had been an All State basketball player but quit another college after a salvation experience and came to ETBC to prepare himself for seminary.  On Sundays he pastored a small church 100 or so miles away.  We played a lot of basketball together and he saw all my home games.  One day he asked me, “Are you a better player when you get mad?”  I was hot tempered and blew up rather quickly.  It was expressed with cursing, mostly under my breath, and some physical hard play – fouls that the referees didn’t catch.  I thought about it and responded, “No, not really.  I’m probably a poorer player when I’m mad.”  He suggested responding with a scripture verse rather than a curse.  I adopted John 14: 1-3.  “Let not your heart be troubled.  You believe in God, believe in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions.  If it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you and if I go I will come again, that where I am there you may be also.”  When I get angry or face trials I remember that verse, do what I can do, and trust God for the rest: Simple trust, Simple faith.

While at ETBC I took some music courses to enable me to appreciate and discuss classical music.  I realized, I think this was God talking to me, that Kay would be my wife.  She was prepared to come to ETBC for college but I knew she was not cut out to be a coach’s wife; and, being a preacher or a teacher were the only real degree options at that time at ETBC.  I decided to come back to UTA and get an accounting degree.

We got married in the summer of 1971, the summer after my junior year.  We were both 20.  That fall we started teaching a co-ed class of high school seniors in Sunday School.  That started a 30-year SS teaching career for me.  Kay was the church pianist, a job she had begun when she was 16, so she didn’t continue teaching after that first year.  I spent most of the remaining 29 years teaching 7^th grade or sophomores.  The last year I taught was the year we started this class.

Throughout the ensuing years I continued to try to follow God’s direction.  I was ordained as a deacon and served as Chairman one year. I also served on numerous Finance and Budget committees as well as a sponsor for many Youth Choir trips.  We have 3 kids and 7 grandkids.  Emily is the associate Minister of Music here at FBC, Jack is the Dean of Humanities at Dallas Baptist University, and Ben is the Controller of a very successful oil and gas company.  All attend FBC.  Our grandkids range from 1½ to 17 and I make sure they come and see me each Sunday by providing them some donut holes.

Listening to God’s call is why Kay and I agreed to help when Verne came to us to 12 years ago or so to start this class.  I think God’s blessings on this class are proof that the calling was real.  As I close, let me share a couple of other more recent times when I’ve exercised my simple faith.

Early last year I discovered a small lump in my cheek.  My GP took an X-ray, saw a growth, and sent me to an ENT.  The ENT took an MRI, saw a couple of growths in my salivary gland and sent me for a biopsy.  The biopsy was “troubling” but inconclusive.  The ENT recommended a surgeon in his office and scheduled a surgery.  Our lifelong friend, Jean Cagle, runs the Mission Arlington Dental Clinic.  Concerned, she talked to an oral surgeon who volunteers at the clinic.  He scheduled an appointment for me the very next morning.  That was God working.  He looked at all the reports and said, “I refer patients to your surgeon all the time, but not for this type of work.  This is malignant and for that you need a specialist in Dallas.  He’s the best in the west.”  Again, I think that was God’s leading.  I scheduled an appointment and went to see the specialist.  When I told him of the oral surgeon’s “best in the west” label he said, “No, I’m the best”, period.  I believed God directed me to this surgeon and I simply trusted that all would go well.

The surgery was a difficult surgery and I could have ended up with a Frankenstein face.  Immediately after the surgery, the surgeon met with Kay and the kids.  He was very concerned and said he was afraid he’d had to beat up the major facial nerve.  Jack and Ben nearly passed out listening to him tell about the procedure and its possible consequences.  Then he came in to see me as I was coming out of the anesthesia.  His assistant surgeon was with him.  He said, “You probably won’t remember this conversation.  The surgery was rough, but I need you to try to smile.”  When I responded and smiled he was obviously surprised and pleased.  He had me do some other facial exercises.  He couldn’t believe I was responding so well.  I think that was God at work.

A day or two after the surgery, as I as trying to sleep, I had a severe pain in my ear on the side of my surgery.  I wanted to slit my throat but that had already been done.  You see, I had been cut from my ear to the middle of my neck.  As I was lying there my Mom came to see me.  As you know, she had passed away 2 years earlier.  She shooed everyone else out of the room and said, “Let’s talk.”  I don’t remember anything we talked about but we laughed and she said, “Go to sleep now.”  And, I did.  I believe God sent her to comfort me.  She was always the best nurse I ever had.

A few weeks later I had to start radiation.  The radiologist affirmed my choice of surgeon.  He said he sees hundreds of folks with my type of surgery.  Many patients of other surgeons experience serious facial flaws.  “Your face looks great.”  I believe that was God’s hand.

I never worried about my surgery.  I simply trusted God to take care of me as I have throughout the years.  I don’t have the scriptural depth and knowledge of Dr. Bob and Dr. Wade. I just have a simple faith and trust in God.  I know it is real and try to follow where He leads.

 

 

Grandkids are geat!

We had all six of our gandkids over Thursday night. First, Ben brought over 2 month old Jack and we got to play wih him. What joy, especially when he smiles at you. They stayed about an hour and it was time to take him home and put him to bed.

Then came the next crew. The older grandkids were going to spend the night. We expected Abby, Grant, Claire, and Tessa but Ben surprised us and came, too. I don't know if it was the promise of chocolate chip cookies or the fact that the A/C was on the blink at his house, but 13 year old Ben joined the 3 through 9 year olds for the evening. We played games (Grant killed us at Flinch), watched a movie, ate cookies, and then got ready for bed.

Ben slept in great grandma's (Kay's great) bed while the other kids slept in the den - Abby and Grant on couches and Claire an Tessa on an egg crate on the floor.

As the lights were going off Tessa said sadly, "I'm scared. My mommy always cuddles me before I go to bed." So, I crawled down on the floor and laid down beside her. She reached out and put one hand on my hand and the other on my cheek. I put my free hand around her and hugged her and we laid there, me waiting for everyone to go to sleep and enjoying the time with my grandkids. Claire and Grant were gone in a flash while Abby continued to talk to anyone who would listen. Very shortly, she was asleep too. Tessa's eyes were closed and I felt her hand slide limply off my cheek. I moved her hand off mine and laid there a little while longer, savoring the moment and thanking God for these precious gifts in my life.

After being assured that everyone was asleep I got up off the floor and went to bed, totally blessed. Grandkids are grea!

Our Cabin - Goodyear Getaway Glorieta, NM

For many years we've wanted a cabin of our own in the mountains. My folks have a couple of cabins in the Pecos widerness, one of which I helped build when I was 19 and have always been told it would be mine one day. While I have always liked the cabins in the widerness Kay Ellen has always wanted a cabin in Glorieta on the ground of the Glorieta Baptist Assembly.

Both of us have attended conferences at Glorieta in our childhood and as young adults. Kay Ellen was even the pianist for a week during one of the conferences. We have many fond memories. The grounds are gated with controlled access. There are many recreational opportunities. It is easily accessible year round and is just off Interstate 25, 15 miles east of Santa Fe. And, it is simply a beautiful place to visit with well tended gardens and both the mountains and Santa Fe close by.

While we've always wanted a cabin, buying one was a problem. The prices were very high and you had to pay cash. No liens are allowed on any of the properties. This summer Dallas Baptist University decided to sell their cabin and was doing so at a very attractive price. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a kitchen, large living room, carport, and a 40 foot long covered porch with rocking chairs and a great view. While we were very interested, we didn't have the money. My Dad solved that by loaning us the money with no lien on the property. Thanks, Dad!

The cabin came with all the furniture including a new leather couch and chair, beds with all the sheets, pillows, blankets, etc, a fully equipped kitchen, central heat and air, carport, piano, 4 rocking chairs, TV, and a game/dining table. It is really great! One of the bathrooms has 2 showers and 2 toilet cubicles while another has a single toilet with a separate shower and bathtub. It had been configured to sleep 14, primarily in bunks. We've changed the configuration to sleep 10. Bunk beds sleep 4 in one room, a queen size bed sleeps 2 in another, and in the large master bedroom is a king size bed and set of bunk beds at the other end for the grandkids.

We are loooking forward to using it often and renting it to friends and DBU faculty and staff. If you are interested in renting it let us know.

Our Cabin - Pictures

Grandkids, aren't they great!

Grandkids are great. Nothing warms my heart more than one of my grandkids saying "Papa". Whatever follows is just icing on the cake.

Yesterday I was pulling Abby and Tessa in the wagon. When Abby was younger the phrase to get me to run was "Go Papa, go!" So, she was saying "go Papa, go." I tried telling her Papa was too old and it was too hot for me to run, so she told Tessa to say it. Tessa looks up at me, smiles and says"Go Papa, go." What else could I do? I started runnning. They happily continued calling "Go Papa, go" for a block or so until I had to quit running. Abby's little mischievous eyes and Tessa's sweet little smile were simply too much for me. Their wish was my command.

And then there is little Claire bear. I love it when she comes up to me and says, "Papa may I have some gum?" Of course, I give her some gum, but first we have to play a game. I shake the gum in my hands, close both fists, cross my hands and put them out for her to choose a hand. We continue this until she picks the right hand. While we were on vacation Jack brought the kids over to water the plants and let Mikey out. Claire asked for some gum and Jack got it from the drawer. He tried to hand it to Claire but she said "No, you have to cross your hands like Papa." Priceless.

Every Sunday morning I have donut holes ready in a cup for Grant and Claire. They come by our department and get the doughnuts. Of course they don't simply get the doughnuts. They always say "thank you Papa" and give me a hug. Today Claire brought both Kay and me a card. On mine she had written "I love you. Claire." Grant is always very shy but I love it when he smiles at me. There are also times when I can tell he wants to play and want me to tickle him. It is so much fun. It was also great when we went to the mountains last week and found the flowers that Tessa and Claire had picked and the notes Grant had written to us. We kept them as the centerpiece on the dining table while we were there.

Abby, oh sweet Abby. There are so many Abby stories. I need to write a post made up simply of Abby stories and sayings. "You have to share." "That's the deal. Take it or leave it." Those are the punch lines of a couple of my favorites, but the best is any time she says "Papa" even when it's followed with a request like take us swimming or to get a snowcone or something.

Ben is special, too. We've bonded quite a bit more over the last 3 years with Highlander football. I went to a lot of his practices and every game exept maybe one. I scheduled my business trips around his football games and went to all 3 of his football banquets. I can't remember the particular event but there was one time when he told his mom that he didn't care as much if his mom or dad were there but wanted to make sure I could come. Of course, I was there. I couldn't disappoint him.

Grandkids are so much fun. I love to play with them. I love to watch them play. I'm happy when they're happy and hurt when they are sad. I have 5 and hope to add a couple of more with Ben and Cindy in the next few years. Each one is a special joy with more to come. I love you Ben, Abby, Grant, Claire, Tessa, and the others to come!

Bathroom Humor

Kay Ellen says that I will laugh at any story, joke, or whatever that includes bathroom smells, noises, etc. There is one particular book that I re-read often, probably once a year, that has a chapter in it describing a guy on a submarine with terrible gas and bowel functions and the reaction to him by the other sailors. I laugh uncontrollably every time I read it. Tears stream down my face, I am laughing so hard. Mom always knows "it's that book again." So, with that in mind I thought I'd share some of my favorite bathroom humor stories involving the kids.

We were on vacation at Disneyworld and had driven back to the room to rest a little bit. After lying down for 30 minutes or so KLN says, "I'm so glad we came back to the room. I have my second wind." To which 10-yr old Jack responds, "I did mine in the car."

This isn't bathroom humor, but on the same trip, we were driving through Forida in our blue Chevy station wagon. Florida has a law that 4 and under kids had to be in a child's seat which we didn't have. We had the back seat down and a large area for the kids to crawl around in. We told Ben that if a policeman was driving by he had to lie down so no one would see him. They kids were all playing a board game or something and looking down when I saw a police car approaching. "Duck, duck, a police car," I called out. Ben pops up his head, looking around and asks, "Where, where!" Jack promptly puts both hands on his head and shoves him down.

On another vacation we were driving through Tennessee headed to Washington, DC, Philly, and New York. We stopped at a truck stop to get gas and go to the bathroom. The men's bathroom was on the 2nd floor and, as we walked up the stairs, we saw 2 great big truckers at the top of the stairs going into the restroom. When we got upstairs we saw that it was a 2-hole facility and these 2 guys had deposited themselves on the porcelain thrones. The area with the commodes were actually on a raised area so it gave it even more an imprssion of a throne. As we were waiting for our turn thesed 2 guys began grunting and moaning and grunting some more. It was almost as if they were having a contest to see who could grunt the loudest. Ben, Jack, and I looked a one another and started laughing. No way were we going tostay here and go into those stalls when the guys got finished. We were laughing so hard we almost fell down the stairs.

We had gone to the movies at the Parks Mall and stopped in the restroom before the movie. We thought we were the only ones in there. Jack and I went to the only 2 urinals and 4 or 5-year old Ben went to one of the stalls. A few moments later we heard a loud, ripping fart coming from the stalls. "Ben, is that you?", I asked. "Un unh," he replied. Jack looked own and saw another set of feet in the stalls and we all burst out laughing. We quickly left so that the guy wouldn't see us and we wouldn't see him.

One Saturday morning KLN and I were still sleeping, it was still dark outside, and the hallway was dark. Jack and Ben were coming down the hall to see us but knew they were not allowed to turn on the lights and wake us up too much. Jack came down the hall first and was already in our room when we heard 3-4 year-old Ben wail, "There's something squishy in the hall!" I got up, turned on the light in the hallway, and saw Ben standing with one foot up in the air with a piece of dog doo-doo stuck to his heel. KLN and I still laugh about Ben's "squishy" comment.

Earlier in my post I used the word "fart", a word Jack was not allowed to say when he was younger. There was a popular TV show that we would watch called "Hart to Hart". One night Jack repeated what I'm sure he'd heard me say before, "It's time for Fart to Fart." KLN was indignant and sent him to his room. I felt badly for him. Jack remembers it well becasue he brings it up to us whenever Ben or Abby say something like that now.

One last story, this one involving KLN. We were on a Youth Choir Tour in some little town in Georgia on a Sunday morning. They had a large women's restroom on the main floor and a very small one in the basement. Someone had really stunk up the place! Whew, it was bad! This proper southern lady in her deep southern accent turned to KLN and said, "Ooh, it's very unpleasant in here." Whenever we go somewhere and it stinks we will repeat to one another, "It's very unpleasant in here."

That's all for today. I'll try to write a few more stories on my lunch breaks in the future.

2008 Recap

Well, after 4 stories in January 08, I stopped posting. Why? Because I had a major change in my job situation.

In January, my boss Don Turner came to me and said, "As you know, the Company isn't growing the way we had planned. Credit is hard to find, the move-ins have lost their value, and we're giving you the one-year notice called for in your contract." So, I would continue to work for a month or so and then sit at home and collect a year's severance.

I didn't like the prospect of being without a job for a year, even if I was going to be paid. Tejas Broadcasting had been tring to get Sunburst to let me be their Controller as well as the Sunburst Controller for the past year, but they couldn't agree on a division of my salary. Tejas thought I made too much. They wanted and need half or more of my time but they didn't wnat to pay half my salary. The owners of Tejas also owned a portion of Sunburst.

With the news from Don, I gave Tejas a call to see if we could work something out. I agreed to less overall money, agreed to convert to an accounting system housed in the Tejas corporate offices, work out of Fort Worth several days a week, and waive the year's severance. I really thought I would be able to get everything done for both Sunburst and Tejas in 4 days and cut back my work week accordingly. It hasn't worked out that way, but I'm not complaining.

It's been a fun and very busy year. The Tejas stations were in Amarillo and Corpus Christi and were essentially the same stations that I worked with at Rodriguez/Amigo. There was a lot to clean up and catch up with their books, but it was fun. Some of the same people still worked at the stations that I'd worked with 6-7 years earlier, so that was good. The drive to Fort Worth is far more pleasant than the drive to Dallas and I can work from my home almost as if I was working in the Fort Worth office. The only thing is I can't print checks and a lot of accounting reports from anywhere but the Fort Worth office.

All the work kept me from posting, but I'll resume soon, I hope.