Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to spend with family,friends and, loved ones. Today, I spent it with my wife's family. Her sister, her nephew and his wife and my wife's brother Our youngest daughter came to be with us too.
On my side of the family, i have 1 brother and 1 sister left. My brother has not said 100 words to me since a year ago last June. He will not speak unless I do, he will not offer his hand unless I extend mine first. He is my twin brother.
My sister is 78 yrs. old. She is in a Nursing home here in town. I went by to see her this morning before going to my sister-in-laws for dinner. She was in bed, asleep and I had to wake her up.
My Oldest son, I haven't talked to in almost 2 yrs. My oldest daughter went to her mom's for Thanksgiving. My middle son was killed in 2005 and my youngest son has not spoken, called, or written since July. He is mad and his mother and I because of a fight he and his sister had and we will not take sides in this matter. My wife and I had birthdays in Sept. and Oct., and we never got a card, a call, nothing.
All my half-sisters (4) and my half-brothers, (3) have all passed away, as have my mom and dad.
My grand-kids went to their other spouses families today for Thanksgiving. I am glad they could go where they could ride their 4 wheelers and they had a great day to do it. My oldest grand-daughter is married with a daughter of her own and she does not speak to me either. I have not got to see her daughter, only from a distance and she is almost 2 yrs. old. She wants nothing to do with me and I do not know why. She sent me a scathing letter about 2 yrs. ago and has ignored me ever since. Her mother does not know why she treats me this way
My youngest son, who is a cop, is not my biological son. He is my wife's son but, I adopted him when he was 5 yrs. old, raised him in church, supported him in school, in sports, paid for his college education, married he and his first wife, moved him twice, went to his Police academy graduation, married he and his second wife, worked on his house for him.
My oldest son and daughter were raised by their mother. She hated me, was very vindictive of me and made things very difficult for me to see them when they were small. We divorced when my son was 8 and my daughter was 6. I paid child support for 14 years. When they became teenagers, they had friends where they lived and they did not know anyone in the town I lived in. They had activities with their friends and after they got to be teens, their visits with me were less and less frequent. I got my oldest son a job where I worked and he lived with me for a while. My oldest daughter married a fine guy and they moved about 70 miles from me. She and I still have a good relationship.
My son who was killed, was a lot like I was, when I was young. He drank, had run-ins with the law. He worked in the oilfields and the crowd he ran with were a bad influence on him. His drunk friend killed him in a car wreck, in July of 2005. His friend survived. I visited my son's grave, last week. I do this often.
Today, has a lot of memories. We would all go to mom's house, My twin brother, his kids would all be there, my sister and her kids would be there. My wife, all my kids and their kids would be there. We would visit, laugh and just enjoy being with each other. All that changed when mom died in 1999. Her home was sold in 2002. My son died in 2005, my brother turned against me in 2010. My sister had a stroke in 2011. Things just kind of came unwound.
Now, my wife's family are about all we have left that associates with us much. My wife and her sister are very, very close and I am so glad they are. My wife is 64 her sister is 60.
I spend most of my time, working at the church I pastor. I visit nursing homes, play piano at 4 different nursing homes every month. I visit local hospitals, and shut-ins who seldom get out much to socialize. I do my best to show the love of Jesus to all. I have been criticized for some of the things I do but, I do what I do because that's what I believe the Lord wants me to do. I could write a book about the adversity I have had in my Christian walk and in the ministry, these past 37 yrs.
Regardless of all these things, I am blessed beyond anything I deserve. I am blessed to be an American, A Christian, a dad, a grand-dad and a great-grand-dad. I love what I do as a Pastor even though, it gets tough at times. I have had a wide scope of life. From a preacher's kid, to a Biker, a drug user, an alcoholic, running with 2 biker gangs, shot at by Police, had attempts on my life, and now, a Minister and Pastor for 37 yrs. Man, what a ride!!!!! In spite of it all, I am blessed.
On my side of the family, i have 1 brother and 1 sister left. My brother has not said 100 words to me since a year ago last June. He will not speak unless I do, he will not offer his hand unless I extend mine first. He is my twin brother.
My sister is 78 yrs. old. She is in a Nursing home here in town. I went by to see her this morning before going to my sister-in-laws for dinner. She was in bed, asleep and I had to wake her up.
My Oldest son, I haven't talked to in almost 2 yrs. My oldest daughter went to her mom's for Thanksgiving. My middle son was killed in 2005 and my youngest son has not spoken, called, or written since July. He is mad and his mother and I because of a fight he and his sister had and we will not take sides in this matter. My wife and I had birthdays in Sept. and Oct., and we never got a card, a call, nothing.
All my half-sisters (4) and my half-brothers, (3) have all passed away, as have my mom and dad.
My grand-kids went to their other spouses families today for Thanksgiving. I am glad they could go where they could ride their 4 wheelers and they had a great day to do it. My oldest grand-daughter is married with a daughter of her own and she does not speak to me either. I have not got to see her daughter, only from a distance and she is almost 2 yrs. old. She wants nothing to do with me and I do not know why. She sent me a scathing letter about 2 yrs. ago and has ignored me ever since. Her mother does not know why she treats me this way
My youngest son, who is a cop, is not my biological son. He is my wife's son but, I adopted him when he was 5 yrs. old, raised him in church, supported him in school, in sports, paid for his college education, married he and his first wife, moved him twice, went to his Police academy graduation, married he and his second wife, worked on his house for him.
My oldest son and daughter were raised by their mother. She hated me, was very vindictive of me and made things very difficult for me to see them when they were small. We divorced when my son was 8 and my daughter was 6. I paid child support for 14 years. When they became teenagers, they had friends where they lived and they did not know anyone in the town I lived in. They had activities with their friends and after they got to be teens, their visits with me were less and less frequent. I got my oldest son a job where I worked and he lived with me for a while. My oldest daughter married a fine guy and they moved about 70 miles from me. She and I still have a good relationship.
My son who was killed, was a lot like I was, when I was young. He drank, had run-ins with the law. He worked in the oilfields and the crowd he ran with were a bad influence on him. His drunk friend killed him in a car wreck, in July of 2005. His friend survived. I visited my son's grave, last week. I do this often.
Today, has a lot of memories. We would all go to mom's house, My twin brother, his kids would all be there, my sister and her kids would be there. My wife, all my kids and their kids would be there. We would visit, laugh and just enjoy being with each other. All that changed when mom died in 1999. Her home was sold in 2002. My son died in 2005, my brother turned against me in 2010. My sister had a stroke in 2011. Things just kind of came unwound.
Now, my wife's family are about all we have left that associates with us much. My wife and her sister are very, very close and I am so glad they are. My wife is 64 her sister is 60.
I spend most of my time, working at the church I pastor. I visit nursing homes, play piano at 4 different nursing homes every month. I visit local hospitals, and shut-ins who seldom get out much to socialize. I do my best to show the love of Jesus to all. I have been criticized for some of the things I do but, I do what I do because that's what I believe the Lord wants me to do. I could write a book about the adversity I have had in my Christian walk and in the ministry, these past 37 yrs.
Regardless of all these things, I am blessed beyond anything I deserve. I am blessed to be an American, A Christian, a dad, a grand-dad and a great-grand-dad. I love what I do as a Pastor even though, it gets tough at times. I have had a wide scope of life. From a preacher's kid, to a Biker, a drug user, an alcoholic, running with 2 biker gangs, shot at by Police, had attempts on my life, and now, a Minister and Pastor for 37 yrs. Man, what a ride!!!!! In spite of it all, I am blessed.
Replies
What a beautiful journal PeeWee. I know all you have been through and I know you count your Blessings you have . You are such an inspiration to me. You are a Blessing to me. What a ride you\'ve had and it all brought you to where you are now..
Remember this:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ~~ Phillippians 6-7
It\'s going to be okay. I know it.
~ P