Happy Birthday Jimmy!

Today is Friday, April 29, 2011, and I bid you welcome to the end of the work week for many, although there are plenty of folks who will be working tomorrow, and even some will begin a brand new week by working on Sunday. April is a big month in our family for birthdays. I've mentioned some to you but there are many others. Nieces, nephews, grandparents, close family and extended family, April may be the biggest in terms of births. Tomorrow, the 30th, we will be celebrating the 43rd year of our middle son, Jimmy, in his sojourn here on the planet. I well remember his birth date back in 1968. He picked up that olive complexion from my wife's people and he was a spindly little fellow as he struggled to get going. That early struggling pretty much has defined his life but we are thankful that today he is doing as well as he is. No one except those who live with it knows how it is to deal with a severe bipolar disorder. Jimmy has that as well as numerous other health issues that presents many challenges. Rarely does anyone's life read like a fairy tale and Jimmy would be the first to admit that many of his troubles were brought on by his own actions. Yet, we live in the world where God's grace is there to help each one to deal with the good and the bad that defines life in this fallen world.

Jimmy has been blessed with some precious children. We get to be with them fairly often and like all kids they can be rambunctious, but on balance, they are a joy to be around. Jimmy need only to look at his offspring in looking for blessings to count. Jimmy Jr., the twins, Alesha and Amanda, and Alexander Benjamin reflect God's handfuls on purpose. Jimmy is a very capable person. He has proven himself in the past in doing skilled technical work and he is able to tackle many home improvement projects. Unfortunately, his illness does not at this time permit him to hold a full time job, but he does what he can do. While not every day can be a great day, with God's help he continues to persevere. We, as his parents, pray each day for him that God will provide the sustaining strength he needs. None of us live in a perfect world, but we thank God that He is always there for us and we thank God for Jimmy and his life. Happy Birthday son, and may God bless. Amen. Love, mom and dad.                            ......More later.