Memories of Daddy

I added a few more stories but I read most of the following tribute at Daddy's funeral...I believe it paints an accurate picture of Daddy's legacy.

My Daddy: Jim T Gillis

On behalf of our family, thank you so very much for taking time to be here today.  Life, for the living, continues to march on, never missing a beat but today we pause to honor and reminisce about my Daddy, Jim Gillis.  On Monday night several of us sat down and began to relive some of those good times we had together.  Oh how we laughed and cried…but I know that if Daddy had been there he would've laughed the hardest, enjoying being together with his family. 

Daddy was equal parts outlaw and saint, grizzly bear and teddy bear, generous to a fault, ornery as the day is long, and 100% pure gold.  My mental picture of my Daddy is of him picking on me about something with that little crooked, smirky grin and a twinkle in his eye.  And oh, how Daddy loved to pick!  He started training early with Aunt Donna and perfected his skill on his granddaughters, nieces, and poor, unsuspecting waitresses.  Remember how he used to tease Aunt Donna, saying, “I’d rather be dead than red on the head!”  Aunt Donna, if you’d only known that one day you’d be able to say, “I’d rather be red on the head than bald on the head!”

Oh, Daddy’s bald head!  He blamed that on me, of course.  For some reason, as a child, I took great delight in standing behind his seat in the car and rubbing that little bald head…he says I rubbed all the hair off.  And remember that crazy comb over?  We begged him to just cut that off and be done with it.  When he would take off his ever present cap to pray over his food that thing would just stand up and salute the entire restaurant as if it were the guest of honor.  Whoever finally convinced him to cut it off, thank you.  It created the perfect, kissable spot.  I can still hear him ask me if I brought a towel.

If you would humor me for a few minutes this afternoon, I’d like to share some of our most favorite memories of Daddy.

One time he had a date at 7pm.  At 9pm Granny asked him about it.  Yes, he had a date and he was going right then.  Granny told him that if she (his date) had been her daughter he wouldn’t be picking her up at 9pm.  His response was “Oh it don’t make no difference she’ll be waiting for me when I get there.” And after seeing pictures of him at that age, I have no doubt she was doing just that.

When Daddy was very small, Papaw set out to teach him to remember to say, "Yes sir!"  So he took Daddy into the bathroom and had him stand on one leg and repeat, "Yes sir!" over and over again.  Then switch to the other leg and repeat.  After doing this for a while, Papaw asked, "Now, do you think you can remember to say, "Yes sir?" Daddy happily replied, "Yep!"

One time daddy was trying to start a fire.  He had Linda hold the funnel because he was going to pour some oil down the funnel to help the fire along.  Something went wrong and the fire came back up the hose and through the funnel and burnt all the hair off Linda’s face.  Her face was solid black and smoking from the black soot.  Linda learned her lesson to never hold anything for him again.

All us kids, Linda and daddy went on a drive thru safari.  We went in a white pickup called “the white elephant”.  It broke down in the middle of the zebras.  Daddy would get out and try to fix the truck and then the zebras would come and chase him to the back of the truck.  He would wait until they left and then work on the truck some more.  Then they would come back and chase him again and he would jump in the back of the truck again and wait till they left again.  Then it broke down again in the middle of the ostriches.  There was always something wrong with our vehicles.

Shannon recalled going on a trip with Daddy taking a load through some mountains.  As they were coming off the mountain, a brake line came loose.  Shannon had been asleep in the sleeper when he heard Daddy on the CB saying, “Clear the way I’m coming down fast with no brakes!”  Shannon asked, “What’s going on??” Daddy replied, “Nothing! Get back in the sleeper and go to sleep!”  Incredibly, he did get it down the mountain and stopped.  He re-attached the brake line and they continued on their merry way.  Nobody could drive like my Daddy.

Daddy had a unique way of dealing with partying teenagers.  One time Tina and a friend went partying and Daddy made them dig a septic hole and lateral lines on about 3-5 acres.

His chair.  Not just a chair, but HIS chair.  How many of you guys have “a chair”? And pity the fool that carelessly settled his backside into Daddy’s chair.  It was not public property.  If a man’s home is his castle, then Daddy’s chair was certainly his throne.  And no, you may NOT have the remote.

Daddy's CB handle was "Midnight Special".  Once, as a child, Shannon was trying to reach him on the CB.  In his sweet, little boy voice he put the call out, "Hey Midnight Special, you got your ears on?"  After a few seconds, a voice came back over the speaker, "I don't know who you're trying to call, but if you'll meet me down at the truck stop tonight we'll have a midnight special!"  It was a long time before Shannon used the CB to call Daddy again!

As far as material things, Daddy really didn't have much that was his own, personal possession.  Things just weren't that important to him.  However, he did seem to collect one thing: strays.  Stray animals, stray people, stray hearts...Daddy was tender hearted and would take in any helpless being.  He couldn't stand to see something or someone suffer if he could help in any way.  Over the years, his collection of animals and sometimes people became legendary...if you didn't want it, take it to Jim!  He'll take care of it!

When Hurricane Rita came through Texas, Daddy was really worried about my husband and me.  He called and checked on us several times and then called and said, "I'm coming to see you and I've got a generator for you!"  He drove 8 hours one way, dropped it off, kissed me, told me he loved me, then got back into the truck and drove home that same night.  He was always there when I needed him.

One time he and pawpaw were on a trip to Texas and got pulled over for expired license plates.  He had never had them updated and it had been about 5 years.  The officer kept trying to find the vehicle in the system and could not find it anywhere.  He decided that there was something wrong with the computer and let Daddy go without a ticket…moral of the story…He was the luckiest man alive.

About 12 years ago, Daddy and Linda gave their lives back to God and today I am more thankful for that than I could ever say.  To know that Daddy is OK and that we will see him again is such a relief to me and to the rest of the family.  As King David said, I may not be able to bring him back here, but I can go to where he is.  But in the beginning, I wondered a little bit about whether or not He was really serious about living for God.  At least until he called me one day to make sure I understood a very important principle of the Word of God: tithes and offerings.  He wanted to make sure that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing so that I could enjoy the blessings that he had discovered.  For several minutes, he testified to me about how God was blessing him and his business and how excited he was about giving back to God and to the Kingdom of God.  He shared with me that he had a new goal in life: to give a million dollars to the church.  I’m not sure that he reached that goal but the church got something even more precious: him.

As I've walked through this New Life campus for the past few days, I have fully expected to see Daddy at any time.  If his spirit lingers anywhere I believe it’s here.  This church and this church family were his heart and soul.  For generations, my family has either been in the ministry or they have been a friend to the ministry and Daddy was no exception.  When we would talk on the phone he wasn't really interested in talking about his health, his job, things like that.  He wanted to talk about his church and the things of God.  He loved his Pastor, first Bro. Anderson and then Bro. Dunn.  He was loyal.  He was all in.  To this church family, I know that you grieve today just as much as we, his biological family grieve.  Thank you for loving and supporting my family the way you have, not just this week, but for all these years.  Thank you for praying for them and believing in them when they didn't believe in themselves.  Thank you for always honoring my grandparents; it meant so much to Daddy the way you all have loved them. 

One of the last times I talked to him is a very special memory for me.  My husband and I were dealing with something at the church we pastor and our conversation found me with heaviness in my spirit.  Towards the end of the conversation, after he had testified about some incredible miracles that were taking place here, he made this statement:  The Good Lord don’t ask my permission He just does what He’s gonna do, His way.  And that’s OK because it always turns out right and He gets the glory.  When he said that to me I felt the Holy Ghost settle over me and peace began to fill my spirit.  My eyes filled with tears and I barely croaked out a thank you for ministering to me.  Today, that statement means so much more to me than it did then.

I’ll leave you with one final memory.  If you knew Daddy for any length of time you know that punctuality was not his strong suit.  Oh, he would get there, but it most certainly would not be on time.  But early Sunday morning, March 24, 2013, for the first time in his life he was on time…a little early, if you ask me.  It’s a bit ironic but we've all spent a lot of time waiting on him over the years and I guess the Good Lord decided that it wouldn't hurt him a bit to wait on all of us for a change…

I love you, Daddy….I’ll see you in the morning.

Easy Corn Chowder

This is the easiest, and oh, so yummy corn chowder that I discovered on the back of a Del Monte can a few years ago. Forget taking all day to make it, you can get this and a pan of corn bread done within 30-45 minutes. The best part is that it tastes like you worked much harder! Enjoy!

You will need:

1 1/2 cups milk

1 can (14 3/4 oz) cream style corn

6 oz cubed cooked ham, or sausage

1 can (14 1/2 oz) new potatoes

1 can (15 1/4 oz) sweet kernel corn

1 cup shredded smoked cheddar, swiss or gouda cheese

green onion slivers (for garnish)

2 oz cream cheese

1tsp butter

sugar, pepper, garlic salt, and salt free seasoning to taste

Stir all ingredients together in large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, continuing to stir regularly.

serves 4

Asian Chicken and Rice Recipe

Here's the stir-fry recipe I tried tonight. It was so easy and yummy that I know my husband won't ever let me go back to the way I used to do my stir-fry! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. soy sauce

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 tsp. paprika

1 can (10 1/2) oz. condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/4 cups water

2 cups minute rice

2 cups frozen stir fry vegetables (thawed)

1. Heat oil in 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet.

2. Stir soup, water, soy sauce, paprika, black pepper and ginger in skillet. Heat to a boil.

3. Add rice and vegetables to skillet. Stir. Reduce heat to low. Return chicken to skillet. Sprinkle additional paprika and black pepper, if desired, over chicken. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Here are the changes I made:

I used frozen chicken breast...they're easier to just pull out as much as I need for a recipe. I defrosted them in the microwave, cut them in bite sized chunks, and then browned them in olive oil, not vegetable oil.

Happy Cooking!

Bon Appetite!

Thanks, But No Thanks!

Ok, so this morning while hubby is getting dressed for work, I sat on the couch to finish my coffee and look at the new JCPenney summer catalog that came in the mail yesterday. As I'm looking through the catalog a particular set of "paintings" caught my attention. They were just my style so I thought I'd read a little more about them and see how they were described. Here's a peek:

"Set of hand-painted wall decor with crackle finish. Lust floral designs add rich color and an elegant touch of nature..."

Ehhhh? Well, I THOUGHT they were just my style, but I think I'll pass on the lust!!!!

Hope this gives you a little laugh and that you're all having a wonderful day!

Dinner Table Philosophers

I wrote this several months ago but I wanted to let it simmer for a while before I posted it...I think it burns stronger in my spirit today than it did back then...

At a meeting not too long ago, my husband and I sat in a restaurant eating our dinner.  The meeting consisted of many Pentecostals and there were several other tables filled with brothers and sisters.  Over my right shoulder, a group of men were seated at a table that was so close that I could not help but overhear their conversation (you know they had to be loud because I have a hard time hearing in crowded, loud situations).  They began to discuss some “hot button” issues that the UPCI is facing right now.  They went back and forth for a while and I had the privilege of being an outside observer.  I did not know anyone in the group, nor did I even get a good look at them to see if I knew them by sight.  But in listening to the things they had to say I felt something rise up in my spirit.  I asked my husband if he could hear the topic of conversation.  He had caught a few words and I explained what I was hearing. 

As we talked, it occurred to me that if anything is wrong in our churches it is because there are too many who are making decisions about what is right and what is wrong - what it takes and what it doesn’t take – in the wrong places.  We have misunderstood Paul’s words that we should, “Work out our own salvation...”  The dinner table, the living room, the coffee house, etc., has never been where God intended these decisions to be made…He intended these things to be worked out at an altar and with the word of God in full view.  We have become too wise in our own eyes.  Our education has replaced consecration; our blessings have become our curse.  We believe we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; yet we do not realize that we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked!  I know who my friends are.  I know what they believe.  If I am looking for someone to agree with a “liberal” idea I have had, I know who to call.  If I want someone to pat me on the back for my “conservative” view, I know who to talk to.  However, the Word of God never changes.    In the end, it is His word that will judge us.  With that in mind, we should examine our lives in the light of His word to see “what it takes”.  As we do this, I believe that the Holy Ghost will lead and guide us into all truth.  There is no new truth revealed outside of the word of God; there is only undiscovered (and sometimes unlived) truth in the word of God.

 Recently, one of my precious speech students gave a devotion that included the following quote:

The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!"
--A.W. Tozer

“This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!”  When we walk close to Him, no price will be too high.  “What must I do to be saved” is entry-level Christianity and not at all appropriate for someone who claims to know Him.  When we love Him, we will keep His commandments…regardless of the cost.  And yes, it will cost. Today, however, I encourage you to stop fixating on the cost of discipleship.  Instead, Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

My prayers lately have turned in this direction: Lord, help me to walk in your ways and to live a life that honors you.  Give me a spirit of purity and submission that I may be pleasing to you.  Change my desires to reflect your desires.  Fill me with the desire to live according to your commandments.  Forgive me for being guilty of dinner table philosophies and help me to live according to your word.

 

Ken Lee

This video made me laugh so hard I cried!  But not because I think I could do it better...because I know that anytime I try to sing a song in Spanish this is probably what I sound like to people who actually speak it (and understand it)! LOL