Tag: Pap-paw

My Pap-paw

My Pap-paw, my mom’s dad, was an angry alcoholic who was hard on his family and his wife, my Granny. Although he was originally from Kentucky, his family sent him to Oklahoma to live with his older brother Ed. They were concerned, since he was the youngest son, that he would be killed in all the feuding there in Kentucky. His mom died young, and his sister was the one who had to raise all the children. Pap-Paw was severely depressed and tried to self-medicate with alcohol. At times, my Pap-paw would just disappear from his family. He would hop on a freight train and ride it back to Kentucky. His family there would call my Granny and let her know he was there and that he was ok. When my mom visited their home place in Kentucky, they had to park the car and walk back into the woods. She said there were bullet holes in the house, and she was afraid to stay there as a child.

My mom and her siblings lived in fear of him, and once he even had a gun and told them if they did something, he would kill them. They hid out in the barn for a while. Their mom, my Granny, took the brunt of his anger, and they never knew when they came home from school what they would find.

Three men from the Baptist church in Blackburn, OK kept inviting Pap-Paw to church, and one evening he went as they were having revival services. A miracle took place in his life, and Pap-paw surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and took Jesus as his Savior. He never drank alcohol again. He totally changed in a moment. My Pap-paw was the Treasurer of that church when I came to know him, and he rarely missed a service there. Now in that church, the men had to sit on one side of the church and the women on the other. There were a few times in his later years that my Granny sure wished she could elbow him as he slipped into a deep sleep and began to snore.

My Pap-paw wrote in my little autograph book that he hoped someday I would receive Jesus as my Savior. When I was born, he gave me a little Bible with verses marked in it for me to read when I was old enough. He said to start with the book of John. His message to me in that little autograph book helped me make the decision to follow Jesus and be baptized. We lived in Cuba, NM when I was in the sixth grade, and I was baptized in a little Baptist church there.

Some day when I get to heaven, I am going to look up those three men from that little Baptist church in Blackburn, OK and tell them thank you! Thank you for caring enough to rescue my family from the pit of despair. Thank you for inviting my Pap-paw to church, so I could know to give my life to Jesus, so that I could raise my kids to know to give their lives to Jesus and so that my grandchildren could know how important it is to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

If you desire to know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, I will tell you. First in Romans 3:23 it says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We need to know that we are all sinners. The Word says all have sinned. We need to ask God for forgiveness for our sins.

Romans 6:23 says that the wage of sin is death; BUT the gift of God is eternal life. (I just love those BUTS in the Bible.)  Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ died for our sins. Jesus paid the price on the cross for our sins. This is a gift from Jesus. All we must do is receive this gift by repenting of our sins, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross, and three days later, He arose. Romans 10:13 says for whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Here is a prayer to pray if you would like to receive the free gift of eternal salvation.  Dear Jesus, As your word says, I have sinned and I ask for your forgiveness.  I confess with my mouth that you are the Son of God and you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose again. My desire is to accept your free gift of salvation and let you be the Lord of my life. Thank you for saving me.  In Jesus name.  Amen.  Pretty simple and amazingly easy to do. If you need any help, contact me and I will show you the way.

     “Grandfathers are just antique little boys.”  –Unknown

My Granny and Pap-paw were always incredibly special to me. My Granny took me to Vacation Bible School as much as she could and to Sunday School. I loved going to church, and I still do. Both sets of my grandparents were very influential in my life. They both showed me the love of Jesus and how through the most tragic times of life, Jesus will carry you through.

     “Grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.”—Joyce Allston

Stairway to Christmas at Granny’s

Granny was a very special person in my life.  She lived in Blackburn, Oklahoma.  Of course I loved Pap-paw too.  He always had a job for us grandkids.  They owned a ranch with several ponds and raised cotton, hogs and beef cattle.  He fed out hogs and called them to the trough each morning.  He would yell, “Soouueee, soouuee, pig, pig, pig!”  Those pigs would come running.  One time he had us count out the wheat kernels in a sample of feed and the vetch seeds.  I think maybe he was trying to keep us busy so we wouldn’t be in his way, but I’m not sure. 

Granny would come out the door of the house on a run when we drove in her yard.  She always had an apron tied around her middle.  She would run out the door like she had been waiting for us to drive in.  We couldn’t wait to get out of the car to get one of her hugs. 

Granny and Pap-paw’s house was an old two story house with a smoke house nearby.  They did their own meat processing and had a large garden and chickens for eggs and meals.  They were the real homesteader type of people and self-sufficient.  They had to be.  The second story of the house was not heated.  But there was a transom window you could open.  That would give you some hope of some heat.  A trip up the stairs in the winter was a quick one.  You would fly under the covers and deep breathe so that your breath would warm the bed some. 

Christmas was a very special time there.  By the time all the grandchildren arrived the tree had been selected from the ranch and was decorated with bubble lights, popcorn and other ornaments.  Tinsel covered the tree from top to bottom.  There were many presents under the tree.  Many were homemade as money was tight. 

“Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth, sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.” – Richelle E. Goodrich

Granny out did herself with her delights she made each Christmas.  That stairway was filled with candy that she had made and was keeping cold until everyone arrived.  There were tins of fudge, peanut brittle, divinity, peanut patties and cookies.  I’m afraid that on those quick trips up the stairs to bed, there might have been some stops to open a can and sneak a treat!  Granny never seemed to be concerned about the missing candy.  I’ve never had any divinity quite like her divinity. 

Here is her recipe for Granny’s Peanut Patties:

  • 2 1/2 cups of sugar
  • 2/3 cup of white syrup
  • ½ cup of cream or evaporated milk
  • 3 cups of raw peanuts
  • Dash of salt

Place all of the ingredients in a deep skillet over low heat, stirring constantly.  Cook for one hour or until it reaches 234 to 240 degrees, then add 1 Tablespoon of butter and a Tablespoon of vanilla.  Mix, then spoon out onto buttered sheet. 

You must place it in a Christmas tin and put it on a cold stairway to really experience this delight.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.