Category: family

About this time in December seventeen years ago, I went to tuck our youngest daughter Karlyn into bed. “Dad,” she said seriously, “I want to ask you a question.” “Of course,” I replied. “Is Santa Claus real?” This caught me off guard and without Susan by my side, I wanted to be careful, so I ended up stammering around with some type of non-answer.

Karlyn is just like her mother… brutally honest and quite perceptive. “Dad,” the five-year-old said firmly, “Tell me the truth; is Santa real?” I realized this was an important moment for my little girl. “Honey, your mom and I play the role of Santa Claus.” Karlyn stared at me a moment then said something I shall never forget: “Dad, don’t you ever lie to me again.”

John Turner was a little older when he asked the same question. While John has lived with us most of his life, he still has an important relationship with his mom and her ex-husband, Roger, who loves John as a son. John spends most holidays with these extended families, so we have always wanted to respect traditions and we soon learned that Santa Claus was a very important part of Christmas.

My answer to John’s question went something like this: “Do you remember the ‘Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe’ movie? (This is one of our favorites.) Do you believe Aslan is real?” John thought a minute and replied, “Well… I don’t think a lion can talk, so I don’t guess Aslan is real.” I disagreed: “Aslan is real, because in the movie and the book Aslan represents Jesus… and Jesus is real.”

“But I asked about Santa Claus,” John reminded me. “Yes. Do you remember in the movie that Santa Claus (called Father Christmas by C S Lewis) appears and gives Peter, Susan, and Lucy gifts?” “I remember,” answered John. “Well, in the same way Aslan is real as he represents Jesus, so Santa Claus is real in the way he represents moms and dads and loved ones who give gifts and spread love at Christmas time.”

Young John looked curiously into my eyes and summarized: “So… Santa Claus is real.” I thought a second and concluded: “Yes, I think Santa Claus is real.”

Taylor and Emma will get to decide how to answer the tough questions of life for little Wilkes, but until then (and beyond) I pray wonder, joy, and a big smile will rule the day.

Merry Christmas!!

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” Isaiah 9:6-7

We’ve come to the end of another school year so this will be the last writing for a while. A ‘Doxology’ is an expression of praise to our Father in Heaven. It is a beautiful thing to hear His children sing:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

We had two graduations this past week in our family. John walked across the stage as a fifth grade graduate. We are so proud of John and he is excited to enter junior high next school year. My favorite picture from Kenya could have been taken any day we were in the villages: John walking down a dirt path arm in arm with five or six African friends. I learn a lot about love from this eleven-year-old.

Taylor graduated from his Masters’ program at Georgia State University with an outstanding grade point average. Of course Taylor and Emma’s greatest blessing this year has been little Wilkes, who is already being spoiled by four grandparents who live nearby.

I praise God for a year of health. We have tried to learn to ‘seize the day’ and to be grateful. The first week of June the doctors want to put me through a couple of major medical tests as they are always concerned about multiple myeloma activity. As always, Susan and I cherish your prayers.

I’ll close with the ‘Benediction’ that God gave Moses to bless the children of Israel. May we live each day with the assurance of our Father’s love.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

One of our last days in Kenya, we were invited to visit the home of a local family. As we sat under the tree overlooking their garden, we shared life with one another.

In the circle were five Americans, a few neighbors, an older couple who owned the home and property, a daughter-in-law, and several children. One teenage boy named Benjamin was in a wheelchair due to contracting polio as a child.

The couple shared that they had nine children who had all moved away from home. Four or five lived close by and the others had gotten jobs in Nairobi. The husband and wife beamed with pride while talking about their family.

We were shown how they prepared a staple food as the daughter-in-law ground corn and taught us how. Then we went to the kitchen, which was a free-standing little hut where the fire was built. The cornmeal was mixed with beans and onions and soon we enjoyed a tasty snack.

As we were getting ready to leave, I thought of little Wilkes, our three-week-old grandson in Atlanta. With the help of an interpreter, I asked the older couple how many grandchildren they had. They talked it over for a couple of minutes and I saw them counting on their fingers. Finally, they came up with the answer: nine children, thirty-six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. Susan and I have a ways to go…

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise up early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves. Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127

And Neander begat Henry; and Henry begat Rex; and Rex begat Dana; and Dana begat Taylor; and Taylor begat Wilkes. Of course Phenie and Nola and Barbara and Susan and Emma had a big part to play, but this is a ‘biblical’ way of sharing that Susan and I are now grandparents!

Wilkes Ashton Davis was born at 5:29 Saturday morning, March 21. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 21¼ inches long. Baby, mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and Lucy the dog are doing great. My mom has been telling me for months that there is nothing like ‘seeing your child’s child.’ I think she is right!

“The Lord foils the plans of nations;
He thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of His heart through all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people He chose for His inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;
from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth –
He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
on those whose hope is in His unfailing love,
to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.
May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in You.” Psalm 33:10-22

Last year, our son Taylor led his volleyball team to the state finals and lost in the championship game. This past Saturday, his team returned to the finals and won!

I stood at the top of the bleachers most of the match, feeling the excitement and stress a coach experiences in the heat of the battle. After the last point was won, my hands shot up in the air as the celebration began. This was not a premeditated move… it was an automatic reaction to the joy I knew our son and his team was experiencing. They had quite a year.

The greatest celebrations are those fueled by love. Jesus told a story to a group of people that needed to know God better. When a wayward son came home after a season of rebellion and sin, a father not only ran to meet him, but he completely forgave him and then poured out gifts and blessings.

The father invited others to join him in the joyous occasion. “’Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:23-24)

But not all were happy. A jealous older sibling only focused on his brother’s wrongdoing. He challenged his father’s mindset and proclaimed injustice. “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:29-30)

The older son did not have the heart of the father. He was not motivated by love. He could not understand that sometimes a father cannot help but celebrate.

“We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 32:32)