Cindi and I, along with our children and grandchildren and family just returned from the funeral of my grandmother, Loie Williford Avery Emerson. We are so very blessed to have had her with us for so long. She was my mother’s mother. She lived a good long life (92 years) and is now resting in Christ. Thank you to our friends all around the country for your love for us and your generous affection during our time of loss. We will miss our grandmother. She is gone but not forgotten. In times of sorrow we often remember. Granny married our grandfather, Papa Avery. Just now it took me a few minutes to remember his name: Raymond. One of my cousins is named after him. They married when she was only 14 and gave birth to the first of five children, my uncle Clyde when she was only 15. My mother was next, then two more sons, and a daughter. She became a grandmother at age 36 when my cousin Denise was born and then again when my sister was born. I came four years later in 1959, the oldest grandson. Papa died when Granny was only 52. There are 15 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren. I have been blessed. I am blessed.

What are some of the things I remember about Granny? Naps! As a child, I never liked to take a nap. Things are a little different now. At Granny’s everyone takes a nap, including Granny. I remember lying on the floor of her house on a pallet, my brothers and most of the time a few cousins around me, with an oscillating fan slowly moving over the air over us: air conditioning. I remember breakfast: fresh eggs right out of the nest, big, warm, biscuits covered with butter and chocolate gravy we called “coco” and fresh country ham. Speaking of eggs; I remember actually “gathering” those fresh eggs when I was a boy by following the hen and crawling under the house to the nest. At Granny’s house I was free, free to explore the world around me, to run, climb, play, sing, swing, and laugh without fear. Life was simple. The days were long and filled with love, joy, and peace. I could go on and on, but I believe you get the picture. I had a wonderful childhood because I had a wonderful grandmother; perfect through the eyes of her grandson.

Thank you: To my Christian brothers and sisters at Enola for allowing me to be away for the funeral and then to “summarize” our house in South Carolina. Yes. Our house hasn’t sold yet, but we remain hopeful that it will sell before too much longer. Please pray for us as we live a little tighter until it sells. The house and property is in good shape and move-in ready. All we need is a buyer. God always provides for our needs sufficiently and completely. I’ll be preaching on this subject this coming Sunday evening at 5:00 at Enola – “God is Able to Provide for Our Needs Sufficiently and Completely.” We must remain faithful. God is always faithful in everything.

We will begin a new series of sermons this Sunday, April 1st entitled “Growing in Gladness.” We will take a look at how we can grow in gladness when it comes to our assembly together, then how we can grow in gladness through prayer, the Lord’s Supper, singing, giving, and studying God’s word. I hope you will be here for every lesson.

Did you enjoy your “Spring Break?” It will be good to have everyone together again for worship, fellowship, and study this Sunday. God bless you and us as we grow in gladness!