"Gut Wrencher"

Today is a bit of a "gut wrencher". "My Boy" leaves the country headed to the "Big Sandbox" in Afghanistan. His deployment will be a year. So he will be gone till late Spring or early Summer.

Keep him in your prayers. I know he is in the Lord's hands and He has always done a better job taking care of him than we have. But it's hard knowing he will be in harms way everyday. As far as we know their will be no breaks like last time in Kuwait and Iraq. Always on guard with his head on a swivel, this time. Last time at least he got to be safe three days every now and then.

As you keep us all in your prayers especially remember his precious wife Brantley. We are so thankful for her and her love for Jonathan. He has even more to look forward to coming home to than last time.

We serve a sovereign God. I am glad that He is in charge of every bullet and bomb in Afghanistan. Nothing can touch "My Boy" unless it goes through the hand of my Father and his Father. That theology makes some folks nervous and some folks down right mad but when scripture teaches that the Lord controls the winds and the waves. He moves the hearts of kings. Then controlling a bullet or a bomb is not difficult.

We trust in the Lord.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

Family Talk

I have a couple of great son's-in-law (Don't tell Andy I said that) and a great daughter-in-law.

But this is not about the two s-i-l's but the d-i-l.

Just last week she waved Bye to "my boy" as he goes for further training to be deployed to "the big sandbox". I watched the two of them and I am so glad the Lord put them together.

He calls her his "puzzle piece" because it took her to make his life complete and I must say, I agree.

She makes him happy... happier than I have seen him since he was a little boy and killed his first two squirrels, two squirrels two shots, and that was happy. Don't take that wrong, that was a big happy day for an 8 year old.

Now I watch as she prepares to wait for him over the next months and I see the love of my son's life counting the days and waiting.

I believe the Lord gave him a Prov. 31 woman. Especially verses 10-12, "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life."

Thank you Brantley for loving "my boy" and making him happy and giving him someone to be excited about coming home to.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

Another year...

Most of my blogs are somebody else's thoughts. You know - quotes from stuff I am reading. But this time it is my thoughts.

It won't be profound but it will be true.

DeeDee and I are about to say "Bye" to our son. This "Bye" will begin a year of separation. He will be in the "sandbox" serving his country, again.

(By the way he has been back less than a year from his last deployment. Is this "change I can believe in?")

A year. Wow, that is such a long time to not see someone. I have my beautiful wife, my baby daughter and son-in-law, my two precious grandchildren. Even every now and then my oldest daughter and son-in-law, come around.

But a year with out seeing "my boy". That was tough last time and it will be hard this time.

If I told you the stuff we have done over the years you would probably look at me strange and say, "The two of you did what?"

But many of those things are the things that are going through my mind

and my heart hurts

and I have a big lump in my throat.

So if you really want to help, pray first for Jonathan's precious wife, Brantley. I can't imagine how she is feeling. Then pray for DeeDee. (see her blog here) Then before you finish - mention me.

I would appreciate it.

I am so glad I am...
Gripped by Grace,
Hal

Change in Plans

Well here is a bit of a blog afterall, and it's personal.

Last night at this time I thought I would be a "Poppa" for the second time by now (Monday night). My second Grandchild was supposed to be born this morning. But the Lord has His ways and His will and we can only follow Him and trust Him.

After Jenifer was sent home today because Barrett decided to change positions drastically, I went to the office and watched as the Lord opened some doors of ministry opportunity. He knew I would be needed and would be pulled if my grandson had been born today. The Lord is so good. He even cared that I would be conflicted if a tiny baby was born today.

Barrett will be here in the morning around 7:30 a.m., the Lord willing. But we are trusting His way and His will and the Lord never does wrong.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

No Prodigal Blog This Week...

I don't know if I will get a chance to blog this week.

I've got a new Grand-baby coming Monday and my son leaves for the first leg of his Afghanistan deployment Saturday.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

My Boy is Going Back to the "Sandbox"

Last year while having lunch with two old friends from high school, both of which are also in the ministry, I mentioned that Jonathan was deployed to Kuwait/Iraq. One looked at me and as he smiled he said, "You raised a warrior." Well, my "Warrior" will be going back to war. He is being redeployed to Afghanistan.

His Momma and I didn't intend to raise a warrior. We raised a boy/man to love the Lord, his family and life. He does love all three.

But he also loves extremes. He has ridden a tall tree down and busted his head. He has jumped ramps on his bicycle and gotten a busted lip and a black eye. He has looked down the barrel of a potato gun, he built, fired it to check for the spark and burned off his eye lashes and half an eyebrow. He killed two squirrels at 8 years old with two shots. And alot more stuff with BB guns and other guns. He rode on the back of a four-wheeler with a snake wrapped around his arm. He can suck string up his nose and make it come out his mouth. He can hammer a 16 penny nail up his nose and balance a 10 foot long 2 X 2 on his chin. And by the way he has eaten a live lizard, for money.

Yep, we raised him to be all boy and all man and now I found out we raised a warrior.

When you read all this stuff, and it's not near all, now you really know to pray for him as he goes again to "the sand box" in harms way.

I really love my boy.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

For Those Who are Wondering

It started Thursday morning. DeeDee got out of bed around 6:30 a.m., because of discomfort in her left arm and neck. I soon got up and checked on her and she was hurting seriously.

We talked about what she wanted to do and after back and forth we went to Calera Family Health. Dr. Walker and the nurses there were very helpful. But I want to talk about a short few minutes in which the Lord said much to me and caused me to live what I believe.

They had given DeeDee her third nitro pill. Her blood pressure dropped to 80 over 40. She looked at the nurses and said, "I'm going to pass out." They talked with her a minute and she said, "Really, I'm going to pass out." Then she looked at me and with tears in her eyes said, "I'm going to die." I looked back in the beautiful eyes of my bride and said, "No your not going to die." Soon they got her blood pressure stabilized and we started the trip and work at the hospital.

Someone asked me if I was afraid. The answer is, No. When DeeDee looked at me and said with fear, "I'm going to die" , the Lord assured me she could not die then. She will not have fear when she dies. God will give her dying grace when the time comes. I know that and I live everyday with that. It wasn't a dying day for DeeDee.

Some may ask why was she afraid? Because it wasn't a dying day for her. She still was clinging to me and her loved ones. When the dying day comes she will let go and die with grace.

That is why I could say, "Your not going to die." When the time comes for any one of God's children to go home it will be a time of peace not fear, a time of a home coming celebration with nothing to fear.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal