Realize Hope  -  A Tribute to My Mom and Dad, and Jean!

 

 

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This page is a tribute to my Dad, James Loyd Jolly.  He has brought Hope to our family for many years.  Dad has been a preacher since 1956 when I was two years of age.  Dad worked at Murray, Inc. during those early years and there are more stories relating to him on that page as well.  Dad preached at five different Southern Baptist Churches before he retired.

My mother, Betty Lois Hardiman Jolly, died in 2000.  Mom was a quiet lady who loved the Lord God with all her heart, soul, mind, and spirit.  She also loved God's nature.  The picture to the left is of a wild bird that would stop by and feed directly from her hand.  His name was "Fussy Britches."

 There is not enough room on any Website to share all the Love and Godly devotion that Mom taught me.  My earliest memory of Mom was when I was two years old.  She was taking a nap on the couch, and had told me to stay in the bedroom and take a nap too.  I was crawling past her on the couch heading for the kitchen.  Her hand fell off the couch on top of me and I froze!  For two hours or more.  I must have took my nap there, but I wasn't about to wake her up.  I know, she was probably already awake, laughing at me silently.

Together, Mom and Dad raised us five children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, just like God told them to in the Bible.  I owe my very life to them, naturally, but more than that, I owe them unspeakable gratitude for the quality of life they taught me.

One thing that we always had growing up was a garden.  We were taught from childhood about growing plants and waiting for the harvest by working up the ground so the most rain water could get to the roots best, removing rocks, pulling weeds, spraying for insect protection, and waiting for God to work his miracles of growth until the harvest.

Dad still grows the garden today.  He uses the exercise from working in the garden to help him stay healthy.  The hard work helps him not to be so dependant on prescription medicines, which helps him financially as well.  We don't suggest people not take medicine, it just helps my dad to not need medication as much.

You saw some pictures from our garden this year, 2005, on the home page.  I think those pictures show how Hope works in our lives as well.  When you work-up a garden spot, you can't physically see the mature garden.  Yet when you are plowing, laying off rows, planting the seeds you do see the finished garden in your mind.  How, Because you have seen the results of previous gardens and you know, without any doubt, what it is going to look like in a few weeks or months.

If you will, notice the beautiful green garden is quickly thinning down and going back to simple dirt.  That is the way life is.  To every thing there is a season.  A time for planting, a time for waiting, and a time for harvest.  One could be tempted to look at the garden just after harvest and say, "Look at how terrible my garden looks now!"  But wait, Now it is time to thank God for the bountiful ways he has blessed our lives, not only with the food, but with endless memories of tired bones, sweat, bug bites, and food put-up for winter.  It's also time to think about the future, beginning with evaluating the years hard work and planning how to make it better next year.

Thanks for stopping by,

I hope the garden of your life is bountiful.

Davey

P.S.  We Have a new friend in our family.  I call her "My Ms. Jean."  More Later!