Today is my Daddy's birthday...

Hi, Ethan. Today I thought I'd tell you about my Daddy, your Mommy's Granddaddy and your Great Granddaddy. Today would have been his 93rd birthday. He was born on May 31, 1916 in McCool, Mississippi.The name on his birth certificate was J. D. Drane Mauldin. He was the only child of Lester Colby Mauldin (October 12, 1889 - May 11, 1948) and Ada Belle Drane Mauldin (September 18, 1891 - September, 1970). For some reason his Mommy (my Grandmama) wanted to have a "June baby" so she told everyone that my Daddy's birthday was June 1st even though it was May 31st.
During the excitement of Daddy 's birth the hospital didn't know what to put down as his name on the birth certificate. Someone said, "just name the baby for his grandfather." This didn't help much because - like everyone - he had two grand fathers: James Andrew Mauldin (October 1, 1845 - March 24, 1924) and Jefferson Davis Drane, M.D. & D.D.S. To solve the problem they used initials and let the family fill in the blanks later. His name could have been either Jefferson Davis Drane Mauldin or James Davis Drane Mauldin. As the years went by they settled on James Davis Drane Mauldin and he was called "Drane" Mauldin. It wasn't until World War II that the U. S. Marine Corps dropped Drane as his first name and for the rest of his life he was known as Jim Mauldin.
Daddy spent most of his career working for the Boy Scouts of America. He started in Nashville, Tennessee as a District Executive and was promoted in 1957 to the position of Scout Executive in the Middle Georgia Council in Macon, Georgia. From there he was promoted again and we moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1964 for 3 years. His final major promotion was to Oklahoma City's Last Frontier Council in 1967. Daddy should have stayed in OKC but eventually retired in 1978 from the Middle Tennessee Council in Nashville. He came full circle back to Nashville where he had started.
Over and above all the wonderful scouting experiences that he was responsible for providing to thousands of boys in Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Alabama, Daddy's main accomplishment was the acquisition of Slippery Falls Scout Ranch for the Oklahoma City scouts. It had hundreds of acres and was located south of OKC about 60 miles. It provided a great "roughin' it" camping experience for the boys during summer camp.
Daddy never made any significant money working for a non-profit organization like the Boy Scouts but he did a lot of good for a lot of boys. His life made a difference. He accepted Jesus as his Savior just before he died in 1999. I can remember Aunt Mimzie and me praying for him in the emergency room the day he died in the afternoon. He was unconscious and his breathing was very labored but as we prayed a tear welled up in his eye... I'll never forget that.
I don't know where my pictures of Daddy are because they are still packed away in boxes but when I find some of them I'll scan them and post them here so you can see what your Great Granddaddy looked like. He would have been very proud of you, Ethan.
Oh, I forgot to mention... when he was a boy, Daddy became an Eagle Scout.I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160
PSS. Be on the lookout for a package addressed to you!

I took a picture of myself tonight on my iMac

Ethan, I was playing around tonight with my iMac (I LOVE MACs!) and discovered how to take a picture of myself. I don't think you've ever seen a close up picture of me so HERE I AM (I'd sure like to borrow some of your hair!... you inherited your thick head of hair from your Mommy's Mommy).
Be on the lookout for a package from me.
I love you, baby boy,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160

Marty was your Great Grandmama

Ethan, my Mama's maiden name was Martha Ann Davenport (Marty). She passed away in February, 2006 at the age of 85 (September 21, 1920 - February 24, 2006). She was a wonderful Mommy like yours... she REALLY loved me and I REALLY miss her. For the last 7 years of her life we talked on the phone at least once every day. We got to be very good friends. I lived with her in Oklahoma City and took care of her the last 2 1/2 years of her life so she wouldn't have to go into a nursing home. Being her caregiver was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. People would say to me, "Dave, you'll look back and you'll be so glad you took care of your Mama." I'd reply... "You don't understand, I'm right smack dab in the middle of a BLESSING and I know it!"
I'll tell you more about Marty in another post but I thought you'd like to see and hear two songs from her era. This is a video clip of the Ross Sisters... MAN are they athletic and FLEXIBLE:

These are the Andrew Sisters singing a song with a real catchy beat... they were very popular during World War II (1941 - 1945):

I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160.

The Honorable Spence Dry

Ethan, this is a sad story about a very close friend of mine. Spence and I were classmates at the Naval Academy and spent our four years there together. His full name was Melvin Spence Dry... he really hated the name Melvin so we - as guys do - teased him by calling him Melvin some of the time. Spence was a really great fellow. He made good grades, was our Midshipman Company Commander (a "three stripper") and was well liked by everybody.
This is a picture of us during our junior year (2nd Class) summer. We spent a month at Little Creek, Virginia learning about the Marine Corps (Little Creek is not far from where you, your Mommy and Daddy live). In this picture we had just made an amphibious landing (in very rough seas). That means we had scaled down rope netting hung from the side of a troop transport ship and jumped into small boats that had a drop-down front. These "landing craft" took us onto the beach where the front flopped down and we ran out like we were attacking the enemy who was in control of the beach. In this picture we were dressed in fatigues, helmets and had rifles (M-1s). We were wet and cold so don't be fooled by the smiles. We were miserable. I am kneeling in the center of the picture and Spence is standing over my left shoulder.
When we graduated, we both went to destroyers (I've told you about the U.S.S. Nicholas in an earlier post). Spence and I were both deployed to Vietnam in June of 1969 and we ran into each other in Subic Bay in the Philippines. One afternoon we were jogging around the naval base talking about what options we had to finish out our four more year commitment (minimum) in the Navy. We started to talk about becoming Navy SEALs and Spence said, "yeah, that would be more fun than being on a ship... I think I'll apply to be on the teams!"
Well, he did just that and was the last Navy SEAL killed in Vietnam (June 5, 1972). He broke his neck jumping out of a helicopter at night... the chopper was flying too fast and the pilot told Spence they were at the proper altitude for him to safely jump into the water. It was pitch black dark and Spence couldn't tell how high they were so he exited the aircraft. His death was a tragic loss especially since our involvement in that war was questionable at best.
Spence was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for his actions. This is a poster about him:

Here is a short video about Navy SEALs... they are fierce warriors:

I love you, little man,
Granddaddy
PS. Give me a call sometime 931-598-9160.

Ethan, this fellow's CRAZY!

Ethan, this fellow wades into murky farm ponds that are so muddy that you can't see through the water and grabs snapping turtles with his BARE hands. Snapping turtles are pretty dangerous because they will bite and HOLD ON! They're REALLY ugly too. Over the years he has been bitten 17 times but has harvested HUNDREDS of snappers to eat. He says they taste good. I thought you'd like to hear his "rebel yell" when he jerks them out of the water.

People do some nutty things... I wouldn't do this... would you!?
This is REALLY funny... a motorized LazyBoy recliner:

Gas Powered La-Z-Boy At Oshkosh Flyin 2005 from Hafast on Vimeo.

Ethan is:

I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160

Ethan, you'll love this web site from the Netherlands

It has LOTS of action and is VERY LOUD... your Mommy says you like LOUD things (click on the picture and wait a few seconds for the cup to fall over):I love you, baby boy!
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160.

Tea Party... April 15th 2009

Ethan, this is a photograph of your Granddaddy speaking at the Monteagle, Tennessee "Tea Party" on April 15th 2009. I have been interested in politics since I got out of college 41 years ago and I worked full-time as a political activist for almost 8 years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I was the editor of a monthly tabloid-type magazine called the Freeman Letter. You are too little now to know about the state of our present economy but on the front page of our paper we always had an article called "Countdown to Depression." We were forecasting exactly what is happening right now over 20 years ago. We were also concerned that the federal government was usurping the authority granted by the U. S. Constitution while ignoring the Bill of Rights especially the 10th Amendment. At the time I thought the state of national affairs couldn't get any worse but I was sadly mistaken. I'm afraid the country can't recover from what has happened since you were born. I pray that you will have a good and happy life unfortunately America will be far different than during the last century. My methods and choices were not always effective but I hope and pray that one day you will be proud of what your Granddaddy tried to do... for your Mommy and for you.
I love you,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160.

Ethan, here's a neat story about a Mama dog

You have a WONDERFUL Mommy too!
Here's an animal sounds game you might enjoy... click on this picture to play:
I love you, Ethan!
Granddaddy
P.S. Call me sometime 931-598-9160

Yep... I dew...

Ethan, click on "Popeye" to see some of the things (toys, cereal, etc.) that were popular during my childhood.
I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160

AMAZING... Christian remembered

This is good story about Christian, the lion, that points out the fact that animals are much smarter than we give them credit:

I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160.

Dogs are GREAT

Dogs are such a gift from God! They are the ultimate example of "unconditional love"... they love you no matter what. TOTAL and PURE love!
I think there are a number of things God wants us to learn from dogs and begin to live out in our own lives:

• They never worry about getting fed or what they will wear (Biblical)
• They are always happy with what you give them (they don't covet)
• They are completely loyal and would die for you (like Jesus did)
• They want to be with you (God wants us to love being with Him)
• They are totally forgiving (like Jesus)
• They never hold a grudge (like Jesus)
• No matter who their master is dogs think their's is wonderful (God doesn't make junk)
  
• They love simple things like going for a walk or taking a nap

There just ain't nuttin' like a dog!
They are also patient with us and let us dress them up in crazy hats and outfits:I hope you enjoyed these pictures, Ethan... your Granddaddy loves dogs more and more every day!
... and I love you!
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime: 931-598-9160

Two very different renditions of a classic song

I think this is one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Although these are completely different arrangements, I like both... I hope you do too.
This is the classic version:

This is the rock version (this video has 59,290,803 views):

I love you, baby boy,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160

Duane Allman

Hey, baby boy. Today I want to tell you about a childhood friend of mine, Duane Allman. We were best friends when my family lived in Nashville, Tennessee near the Belle Meade Mansion in the early to mid 1950s. You may remember that I showed you a picture of our house and the Mansion in a previous post.
Anyway Duane and I were friends when we were 5, 6, 7 & 8 years old. We were in the first, second and third grade together... here are class pictures from those years:
First grade (Duane is the 4th little boy from the left and I'm the 5th boy sitting on the ground):Here is our second grade picture (Duane is the 3rd boy from the left sitting on the ground... I am the 3rd boy from the right standing in the back row):This is our 3rd grade picture (Duane is the 3rd boy from the left sitting on the ground... I am the first boy standing on the right):
This is the back of that photo where we all signed our names:In the 4th grade, Duane and his younger brother Gregg were sent to Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee. Their Daddy had been killed by a hitch-hiker in Norfolk, Virginia and their Mama felt like they needed to have some male influence in their lives so she sent them away to military school. I only saw Duane a few times after they went away to school but I remember one day when he was home he showed me his Castle Heights uniform. Here is a picture I found on the Allman Brothers' web site of them in their uniforms (the Allman Brothers' Band is to this day an active and successful Southern rock group):My dear Mama (your Great Grandmama, 1920 - 2006) was very proud of having had both Duane and Gregg in her Cub Scout den. The reason for her pride was that the Allman brothers went on to become famous Southern Rock & Roll musicians in a band that Duane started call the Allman Brothers' Band. Sadly, Duane was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 29, 1971 in Macon, Georgia... he was only 25 years old (remember my family lived in Macon, Georgia for 6 years after we moved from Nashville. Unbelievably, although I hadn't seen Duane since the mid-50s, I was in visiting in Macon the week Duane was killed... but I'll tell you that story in another post).
Here is a picture of Duane before his death:In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Duane as number two on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Here is an anthology of his short career with him playing in the background:

Duane had firey red hair. Mama used to always say how clean and well-groomed Mrs. Allman kept both her little boys. I remember us having lots of fun playing in the neighborhood and across the street on the playground at Palmer School. I never saw Duane again after we moved to Macon in 1957.
I love you, Ethan!
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime: 931-598-9160

I got to thinking about cars...

Ethan, the previous post got me to thinking about cars that I have owned. In the spring of my First Class (senior) year at the Naval Academy, I bought a brand new 1968 Ford Torino ($3,400). It was beautiful... white with a red stripe down the side, red bucket seats and an automatic transmission. It was loaded... everything except air conditioning. Here is a picture of one just like it:Unfortunately, I was smoking at the time (I quit FOREVER on December 28, 1985... my 39th birthday)... and when I reached for a cigarette in the console, I lost control, hit a concrete culvert and flipped the car over which totaled it. PTL I was buckled in and as the car rolled over I just watched everything happen around me. When the car finally came to a rest, I released the buckle and stepped out unhurt. ALWAYS wear your seat belt!
I replaced the Torino with a 1967 VW "bug." It was light blue... just a normal bare-bones "beetle" like this one (mine didn't have the sun roof or the fancy wheels): I drove it from Annapolis, Maryland to San Diego, California the summer of 1968 following graduation and being commissioned an officer (Ensign) in the Navy. This is what my Ensign shoulder boards looked like:Following Communication Officer school in San Diego, I flew to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and met my first ship, the USS Nicholas (DD-449). The Navy shipped the car out to Hawaii for me. I left it there when I went to my next ship which was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina. My friend Bob Wisberg sold it for me and sent me the money.
Following the light blue VW, I had two more "bugs"... one was a 1964 (beige) model and the other was a light green one (1966). I could fill either with gas for $2.00 and drive for a week but that was when gas was less than 30 cents/gallon.
When Mamee (my Mama's Mama... your great-great grandmother... circa 1894 - 1982) quit driving about 1972, she sold me her 1964 Ford Falcon for $400... it only had 25,000 miles on it so I got a REALLY good deal. I drove it for years... probably until your Mommy was born in 1979. Here's a picture of a 1964 Ford Falcon:I love you, Ethan... I hope you like your blog... it's fun for me to do it for you.
Granddaddy
931-598-9160

Cars from my childhood

Ethan, the cars we had when I was growing up were very different from the ones today. They were much larger and the styling used a lot of chrome and (in the late 1950s) tail fins. Here is a picture of a Ford Mustang. It was introduced in 1964 about the time I graduated from high school at St. Andrews. It was EXTREMELY popular and almost everyone my age dreamed of having one. My Uncle Charlie (my dear Mama's youngest brother) had a 1964 Mustang like this one. I'm not exactly sure how much they cost but I suspect you could buy a brand new one that was LOADED for less than $2,000. Things and prices are quite different now!
Click here and see a bunch of other cars from when I was a little boy.
When we lived in Macon, Georgia (1957 - 1963), my Mama (1920 - 2006) had a 1954 Chevrolet like this one (ours was light green and white). We had a huge yard on Colaparchee Road (probably 2 acres in front and 11 acres total) and Mama would let me drive her car around in the yard when I was about 14 years old before I got my driver's license. This is a picture of our front yard (the house has been added on to and there are "new" trees in the yard).I love my little man!
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime: 931-598-9160... did you like your orange shirt?... did it fit?

Your picture makes me smile

Ethan, this picture of you grinning and swinging makes me SMILE from ear-to-ear. I love this picture so much that I made it my computer desktop background.
I love you, baby boy,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime: 931-598-9160

There's a man's face in these beans

Ethan, can you find the man's face in the coffee beans?Yes, the man is really there! Did you find him?
I love you, little boy!
Granddaddy
PS. Call me: 931-598-9160

"Tie me kangaroo (washer) down, sport"

Ethan, on Thursday afternoon I drove to McMinnville, Tennessee, a picturesque little middle-Tennessee town, which is located about 40 miles from Sewanee to purchase a new washing machine for our Irish cottage. Our "magic box" had given up the ghost and I needed to get us a more reliable machine than the one we were using (I called it the magic box because it didn't have an agitator and I was NEVER able to quite figure out how it washed the clothes... if I opened the lid while it was washing and tried to peek in to see what was going on, the machine INSTANTLY stopped?).
Back to my story... I ended up buying an almost new Kenmore repo for $300 less than retail... it WAS a beautiful machine with ALL the bells & whistles ("WAS" being the operative word). Before I got to McMinnville I stopped by my friend Tink Driver's salvage yard on "Possum Paw Road" and bought two 4' X 8' sheets of 3/4" plywood which wouldn't allow me to close the tailgate of the truck (before retirement Tink had been a VP for Reader's Digest... interesting guy... I'll write about his "dirt overcoat" and 15 Corvettes some other time).
We loaded the machine onto the plywood and pushed it tight against the cab/back window. They suggested that I tie it down but "Mr Know-it-all" declined, thinking it would ride safely right there. Twenty-five minutes later while speeding down I-24 at 75 miles per hour in HEAVY interstate traffic, I looked in my rear view mirror and watched the washer shoot out the back of the truck into an oncoming $50,000 Infinity automobile followed closely by a cavalcade of 18 wheelers also going 75 MPH (why couldn't it have been a $200 1962 Ford Fairlane). I watched in horror as the machine slid down the pavement with sparks shooting out in every direction. The good Lord had his hand on me because the Infinity was able to stop on a dime and actually pushed the washer off the road onto the shoulder like a bull dozier. The big trucks changed lanes without slowing down and what could have been a catastrophe was averted! PTL!
I checked with the lady in the Infinity to see if she was alright... she was and drove off looking a little annoyed. I spent the next 20 minutes picking up broken pieces on both sides of the east bound Interstate.
Baxter, my Cedar-Crest-Velvet-Earred-Nucklehead, was with me and he would have helped me lift the washer into the back of the truck if he had had thumbs. I was able to get it back on by myself (adrenalin I guess?)... and tie it down this time.
Looking for a silver lining to my Thursday afternoon cloud, I realized that I had developed and perfected a new way to sand down the front of any kitchen appliance in preparation for repainting. Just get a friend to push the subject appliance out the back of the truck at 75 MPH.
Actually the story has a relatively happy ending. I took the washer back to McMinnville Friday and the appliance guy fixed the machine for free and tested it while I waited (I offered to pay him but he was having too much fun making jokes about my misfortune). I thought I'd contact Whirlpool (Kenmore) to see if they'd like to buy my story as a testimony to the durability of their appliances. Here's the washer after I repainted it:I love you, Ethan!
Granddaddy
PS. Call me: 931-598-9160

Some good advice from a ninety-year-old lady

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of Cleveland, Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote some lessons life taught me..."

• Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
• When in doubt, just take the next small step.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
• Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
• Pay off your credit cards every month.
• You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
• Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
• It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
• Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
• Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
• It's OK to let your children see you cry.
• Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
• Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
• Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
• Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
• It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
• Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
• Over prepare, then go with the flow.
• Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
• No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
• Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
• Always choose life.
• Forgive everyone everything.
• What other people think of you is none of your business.
• Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Believe in miracles.
• God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
• Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
• Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
• Your children get only one childhood.
• All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
• Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• The best is yet to come.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
• Yield.
• Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Remember that I will always share my spoon with you!

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

I love you, little man,
Granddaddy
PS. Give me a call sometime... I'd love to hear from you: 931-598-9160

Dolphins blowing bubbles and some good advice

Ethan, dolphins are such neat mammals (you might think they are fish but they are air breathing animals... and VERY smart)... they are almost like humans. Here is a really cool video that shows you something they do to amuse themselves:

Some people like him... some people hate him. In any event here is some good advice from Pastor Rick Warren, the author of A Purpose Driven Life:
"You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:"
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

• Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
• Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
• Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
• Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
• Every moment, THANK GOD.

I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime: 931-598-9160

United States Naval Academy

Ethan, when I finished high school at St. Andrews School in Sewanee, Tennessee where I live now, I entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. 10,000 other young men applied to be a member of the class of 1968 (there were no girls going there back then) and only 1,350 were accepted and were sworn in with me on June 30, 1964. The first year (4th Class year) is known as Plebe year. The upper class were very hard on us mentally and physically in order to mold us into Naval officers. The academics were also very difficult so the first year was extremely hard in every way. I graduated on June 5, 1968... after four years we had lost 500 of those that were sworn in that first day in 1964. My class company started with 36 young men and when we graduated we had lost all but 22. Some couldn't take the hazing & 24/7 pressure... several flunked out... one was thrown out because of an honor violation and one got married. All in all it was a very demanding four years. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Regular Navy. After commissioning I reported to my first ship, the U.S.S. Nicholas (DD-449) which was home ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Here is a picture of me taken my senior year at St. Andrews... I was 17 years old:Here's a picture of me during one summer at the Academy. I think I was 20 years old and on a summer training cruise to the Mediterranean Sea.This is a video about the Academy:

I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Give me a call sometime 931-598-9160
PSS. I hope your Orange Tennessee shirt fits and you like it.

Ethan, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine

Ethan, I want to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Darryl Sartwell. We became friends when I lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Darryl had many good qualities... he loved Jesus with all his heart... he was the most creative person I have ever known... he was a GREAT story teller... he had a wonderful sense of humor and was TONS of fun to be with... he was simply a very good friend. Probably the thing that Darryl was most proud of was his four years in the Marine Corps and his one year in Vietnam (1966) (your great uncle Chris and your Great-Granddaddy Mauldin were both Marines). Darryl continued to volunteer with the Marine Corps Reserve's Toys-for-Tots Christmas program each year where the Marines collect toys for under privileged children. For his efforts the Marines invited him to Washington, D. C. several years ago to thank him for all he did for the program. He took his Mama (Georgia) with him and there are really funny stories I can tell you some other time about that trip. Darryl was four months younger than me... sadly he died last May 12th... he was buried in his Marine dress uniform. I miss him a lot. This is a picture of him:I'll tell you something my Daddy (your Great-Granddaddy) told me... "If in your life you can have five really good friends, you are blessed." Darryl was one of mine. Cherish friends in your life, Ethan.
I love you, baby boy,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160
PSS. Be looking for another package I sent to you last week.