"What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us." ~ Helen Keller, (1880-1968), a 20th century American author, activist, and educator who became deaf and blind after an illness at 19 months old.

Hello once again and welcome to the Christmas Week Edition emanating from the ole blogger ranch, today's version comes to you on this Monday, December 22, 2025. I didn't get one done last Friday because I, aka The Real Santa, was very busy taking photos of over 100 kids at one of the Kiddie Academy locations. That photo above is of my grandad, Andrew Rancher McMillan, (1900-1971), known to us kids as Paw Paw Mac, and, I thought about him today and especially some of his imprint on me at Christmastime. As you can see he did not have an extremely long lifespan. Given his hard work from a young age, my thought was it's a wonder he made it that long. He was a champion in our lives always, I mean always, putting his faith and his family first. He was a master carpenter and I remember how his hands were always rough. I used to go with him to work on repairs for some of the widow's houses. He was a deacon and saw that as his duty. At any rate, going with him informed me that I would not grow up to be a carpenter. I did not have the wherewithal to be good at it. When my dad suddenly passed away in January of 1954, mom and us six young children moved in with Granny and Paw Paw. They were not new to housing additional family at their place but having such a large brood was tough. For them and for us. However, my grandfather believed with all of his heart in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Therefore, he took us in and did the best he could with his changed life circumstance. Needless to say, at age seven, he became the 'father' figure in my life. What an example he was! He was not without experience in facing challenges in life. He left school with an 8th grade education and began logging to help his family. They lived off the land, killing the meat they ate and growing their own produce. He and Granny Mac had their clan of eight children. They lost their second child, a daughter, Seawillow, at age one. Paw Paw built her casket with his own hands. They endured the Great Depression. During WW2 he worked in Guam building housing for the soldiers stationed there. They sent two sons and two sons-in-law into combat during WW2, and another son to Korea during that conflict. His life was one of facing many adversities, too many to count, and some too difficult to even talk about here. However, while he never said he loved me, never, but, there was not one day of my life that I did not feel loved by him, not one. He didn't expect anything at Christmas because that's pretty much how he grew up, but, every Christmas he would make a special order through the local grocer for a wooden crate of raisins. I woke up this morning thinking about how special those raisins were to us kids, and, especially to me. Somehow, having those raisins each year, which was an above and beyond treat, well, it made Christmas a very special time. Before he left this earthly domain, I did get to honor him as much as I knew how to show my appreciation for all he had done for me. One fall, maybe a couple of years before he, like Clarence in the movie, earned his wings, (That's a joke. Why? Because for any human to become an angel would be a step down from a believer's position in Christ, trust me on that one.), Granny had told me he had become frustrated because he could no longer bring home the squirrels he loved to have her cook for him. His eyesight and his coordination wasn't as great as it had been in the past. I put him a goose gun, 36" barrel 12 gauge shotgun on layaway and gave it to him that next Christmas. Here is what he said when he opened it. "Now all I need is their name and address because I can use this gun to reach up into that tree and knock them down." That was our God loving Paw Paw Mac. So many who knew him told me over the years how that no one they knew lived out his testimony as much as my grandpa. They said this, "Mr. Mac was a man of his word and you could always count on him keeping it."  

A wee bit wordy but I am so thankful I have this memory of him at Christmastime. He loved the Savior who came into the world to save those who are lost, like you, like me, and yes, like him. Being a good man will not get anyone into heaven. Being a saved man will. I do hope you have some special memories that flood your heart at this time of year. May our Great God add His blessings is my prayer. Amen.