Family – Page 4 – Jacksonville Blogger

Live For Jesus

My Mother died at the early age of 49. She was born a twin, October 20, 1924 and died September 5, 1974. I was attending Florida State University at the time and came home for a visit when my Mom couldn’t stay awake. We took her to the St. Luke’s Hospital which was on 8th Street at the time and she never returned home. It was a devastating loss for all of our family.

My Mother was a true Christian. John MacArthur has a comment about a “true Christian” and my Mother exemplified his statement.

“I’m going to give you a description of a Christian.

It means that we trust His wisdom beyond all other wisdom. It means that we believe that everything that He says and everything that is said in the Bible about Him is absolutely true and anything that contradicts any of it is wrong.

It means that we desire to know His thoughts above all thoughts as supreme. It means that we long to hear and obey His Word over all other words. It means that we give Him our lives now and forever, we entrust Him not only with our time but with our eternity, believing firmly in a person and a reality that we have never seen, but the testimony of Scripture is sufficient to verify. It means we obey His commandments with joy.

It means we love Him supremely and we love people who love Him and we even love people He loves who don’t love Him. It means we give our lives to proclaim His gospel, the gospel of salvation. To say that Jesus is Lord, which is the Christian confession, is to say that we accept Jesus as our absolute authority and source for all that is true. It means that we desire always to do what pleases Him, though we fail.

It means we fear Him, we worship Him, we obey Him and we proclaim Him above all others. To confess Jesus as Lord means that no area of our lives is unaffected by our relationship to Him. Our relationship to Him defines what we think. It defines our attitudes, it defines our emotions. It defines what we say. It defines how we act in every area of life. Our relationship to Him pervades all our being. To confess Jesus as Lord means that we trust His purpose for our lives and we trust His utter, sovereign control over all aspects of our lives including our failures and our successes, our blessings and our sorrows, our sickness and even our death.

To confess Jesus as Lord means that we count Him as the source of all that is good and all that is right and all that is blessed, and therefore He is to be thanked for everything. To confess Him as Lord means that we believe that He created and controls the entire universe, that He has pre-written all history so that it is directed in its course toward perfect fulfillment of His intended desire when He re-wrote…when he pre-wrote it.

To confess Jesus as Lord, to be a Christian, means to give our souls to Him, our bodies to Him as living sacrifices, our minds to Him, our time to Him, our abilities to Him, our money to Him, our prayers to Him. It means to dedicate our children to Him and to pray that everyone we know may love Him the way we love Him.

To confess Jesus as Lord means to give our lives in service to Him, fellowship in the church, to engage ourselves in ministries of all kinds to the honor of His name and the spread of His gospel.

To confess Jesus as Lord means that we are willing to live for Him no matter what it requires, and if asked to die for Him with an affirmation of His glory on our lips as our life leaves us.

We have never seen Him but we talk to Him every day. We have never heard an audible voice, but He speaks to us through His Word every day. We haven’t seen His face, He is to us invisible and His Kingdom is not material. And even the heaven He promises to which we look we have never visited, nor has anyone else who can tell us about it. Only two apostles had a glimpse and struggled to explain what they saw.

You ask about what it means to be a Christian? That’s what it means.”

—John MacArthur

My Mother lived for Jesus every day. She was a great example of what it means to be a Christian.

See you tomorrow,

Category: Faith, Family | LEAVE A COMMENT

August 18

Pandemic 2020 in Jacksonville

In February of 2020 the news media began stories about COVID-19. Words like COVID, pandemic, medicines, sickness, world-wide, virus spread, “Center of Disease Control and Prevention” and the like were being talked about. Experts were being brought into news stations to talk about virus spread, SARS-CoV-2 and such. Many of those experts knew absolutely nothing about this virus.

By March 2020, many business, churches and families began to restrict activity in their lives. Some churches and businesses completely shut down narrowing their activities to online only events. In Florida , Governor Ron DeSantis gave an executive order that restricted all activities except for those considered “essential”. People stayed in their homes and did not even go to their family members homes during this time for fear of disease spread.

By September of 2020, many restrictions were rescinded, however the public was well aware of the possible dangers and in Florida, sought to manage within safety conditions. DeSantis encouraged wise decision and allowed the people of Florida to live their lives while the Federal Government in many cases took liberty and freedoms from the people.

Those who kept the records completely failed the American public, counting those who had the actual sickness with those who were in the hospital with other conditions so we will never really know the extent of the number of cases. The news media, particularly, CNN played eerie music during their showing of virus cases, with a sidebar ticking away virus case numbers which were not even true numbers. This proved to be a tactic that caused much fear among those watching these programs.

The Center of Disease Control pushed vaccines, and serious mask-wearing for even young children. Certainly, a lot of the restrictions, school board decisions and business regulations were controversial. Considering the numbers, which more than likely are not even correct, depending on who collected them and how, Florida choices during the pandemic proved to be more positive overall than others with complete lock downs.

Now that the virus is considered under basic control, there are a lot of businesses offering sale items of masks and other pandemic things. We as a people are still all affected by this world-wide pandemic but we try to move forward.

In Jacksonville and I’m sure the world, the pandemic changed everything. I do believe every part of our lives were affected by this virus often called the “China Virus”. It is believed that the virus began in Wuhan, China.

From the loss of seeing our family members for weeks and weeks and weeks, to the loss of work which affected our financial situations, this sickness changed even our mind-set. The way business is done, our personal actions and behaviors have been changed.

Even the Church and the way the fellowship of believers meet has had an impact. During the pandemic, the number of people were restricted as to how many could gather in a room affected membership roles. Chairs were closed off and covered, ropes were places on designated areas for seating and online services were enhanced which even affected followers today. There are some members who have not returned to church using the online programs as their church service. For sure, the financial situation has been impacted at the fellowship with many do not see the importance of keeping open the doors of the church.

As we all rebuild after this horrible pandemic event, we observe many of the see-through plastic walls in front of registers come down, no masked faces and less hand sanitisers on counters. We’re now over two years out and things seem to be getting more normal. I say “more normal” because things will never be the same. I wonder about your thoughts concerning the pandemic of 2020. 8-18-22

See you tomorrow,

Category: Churches, Family, Health | LEAVE A COMMENT

August 17

Our Old Country Barn

We could not save the barn of our childhood. It was built about 1963 using railroad cross ties and tin. My Father had a way with putting things together, using the old and creating a new look. The old barn held up until about 2001 when it began to show serious disrepair. At that time, my Father, in his 90’s, was not going out to the barn area much and no attention was being paid to the lagging sides and caving-in roof.

In 2021, we finally came to the realization that it could not be pulled, pushed or braced enough to save it so, we took it down with an excavator, burned the wood, and removed the brick flooring. We are now in the process of repurposing the camper barn instead.

Many memories are attached to that old barn even though it is gone and almost no evidence of it once being on the 10 acre property. We spent many days playing on the 75 bales of hay that would be delivered for our horse and cows. While we only had one horse, Smokey, and 2 cows, Betsy and Lambert. It was still a farm; a small one, but a farm. We milked Betsy, rode Smokey and Lambert was a prize cow so that was our animal fix.

Over the years, we had chickens, geese and of course, dogs and cats. We once had a weasel and certainly saw snakes a-plenty.

Those were the days. 8-16-22

See you tomorrow,

Category: Buildings, Family | LEAVE A COMMENT

August 15

My Parents Were Married in RBC

Today, I left my church, the FBC of Jacksonville, a little early and headed to the St. Vincent’s Hospital to visit a 96 year old friend. As I rode past the Riverside Baptist Church I noticed the front doors open wide. Pulling over, I decided to drop in to see where my parents were married in 1945.

It’s actually jaw-dropping to walk into that beautiful sanctuary. The 11:00 am service was at a close so I sat on the back pew and just marvelled at the beauty of that space. In looking it up, it is on the United States National Register of Historic Places since 1972 and won a spot on the Florida Arcitechture: 100 Year. 100 Places.

Riverside Baptist Church. Ramey Collection

The architect was Addison Mizner of The Winter White House fame.( President John F. Kennedy’s place). He had also designed work in Boca Raton and the Everglades.

This church was completed in 1926. My parents were married in 1945 just after WWII. The best man was Tommy Thompson and the Maid of Honor was my Mother’s twin sister, Geneer. It is interesting to note that Tommy Thompson and my Mother’s twin, Geneer, married in this same church in January of 1946 with my parents being their support system.

Geneva and Alec in front of the Aberdeen home in Riverside

See you tomorrow,

Sources: Google, Wikipedia, RBC, 8-13-22

Category: Churches, Family, Visit This | LEAVE A COMMENT

August 13

“Love, Love”

Our family is originally from the low country, South Carolina. They were from a family of farmers, living off of the land, and worshipping God in a tiny wooden church in the back woods of Estill. For the most part, family members were both their friends and relatives. They could hardly see the shadow of their neighbor’s homes due to the distance from property to property. These working people planted their own seeds, worked the land and enjoyed the harvest.

My Mother, Geneva, passed away in 1974 leaving her siblings, Dorris, Dennis and twin sister, Geneer behind. After the loss of my Mother’s twin; Geneer, over 20 years later, her daughter, my “twin cousin” sent a few things found among her belongings:

The funeral home information for my Mother’s Mother, Lula Hoover Long-

A poem read by Pastor King at my Mother’s funeral-

Tatting for a pillow or pillow case done by my Grandmother, Lula-

“Love, Love”, as our family saying would go.

See you tomorrow,

Oh, and just for the sake of Jacksonville history… My Grandparents, Clifford and Lula Long came to Jacksonville in the 1940’s. They lived first on Aberdeen Street in Riverside and then bought a home on Fitzgerald Street in the Lackawana area. 8-13-22

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August 12

The Tree Trunk

As I’ve been saying, there are many trees on our parent’s property. With that and trying to make changes, some have had to come down. While we’ve tried to get up most roots, some are in places that digging is not a good idea so we’ve had to improvise.

As you perhaps are ( or not?), you may see things on the side of the road and think…”I could do this or that with that piece”. If you’re like me, you heave-ho it onto the back of your truck or in the trunk of your car and off you go. That’s me.

I push, shove, grunt and groan to get whatever it is onto my truck bed, tie it down and off I go. When I get where I’m going, I figure out a way to use it. Such was the case for this slay bed that I found some months ago.

With the help of a friend, it is now a birdhouse slash tree trunk cover. I’m just waiting for a bird family. I already have lizards occupying it.

See you tomorrow,

Category: Family, Flora and Fauna, Random Posts | LEAVE A COMMENT

August 10

My Dad, the Arborist

My Father was a tree hugger. He was. When he visited his home in Hampton, South Carolina, he would return to Florida with a bag of seeds, seedlings, potted plants and the like. He loved flora and fauna and he and my Mother’s ten acres proved it. The entire property has been filled with plants large and small and mostly large.

In the front yard there are trees; huge and so big they are not even huggable. Many are live oaks, magnolias and cedars. On the corners of the land area there are the large, large trees. Down each property line, cedar trees stretch from one end to the other and this, so he would know his parameters, side lines and middle area.

In 2019 the state of Florida banned local governments from regulation regarding tree removal on private properties. Fees and the need for a permit was stopped and private owners could manage their own properties. My Father needed no such ruling. He would hardly trim the bushes, he was so driven by green growth.

So, today, over 50 years later, my parents property is full and green and that is to say full and green. We can hardly move. As a result, we have, by no choice of our own had to cut and trim in order to do some things to the property.

With little restriction, I find that I still have a huge restriction….my Dad. The “permit” in my mind is definitely my Dad. Before I trim too much or cut down a tree or really even a twig, my Dad lives in my head about it and I carefully make a choice.

We have, of late removed some of the old buildings, barn and swimming pool on the property in a way of sprucing up the land and adding new features. It’s been very difficult in that I really have to think twice before cutting or trimming.

And, yes, as we remove, we’re already in a mode to replant new trees and bushes. It would make my Daddy happy.

See you tomorrow,

Category: Country Life, Family, Flora and Fauna | LEAVE A COMMENT

August 6

Swimming Pool- Part 2

As kids, we had an olympic sized swimming pool. We dug it ourselves and in time ended up with a 20 x 40 area with cinder block sides, brick inlaid top and a liner for keeping the water contained. It was genius! My parents had no real money so to do the best that they could and still get what the rich folk got, they figured out ways to make it happened. There we were with a swimming pool where we had huge parties and events and had as much fun as could be expected.

Over 55 years have come and gone and the old’ pool is dilapidated and in disrepair. Our family has done what it can to save different and various structures on the homestead, but some things cannot be saved. The pool, unfortunately is one of them so…

Today, we will take time pulling down the past with heartfelt effort. Stay tuned… There is more…

See you tomorrow,

8-6-22

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August 5

The Swimming Pool

Somewhere about the age of 7 we moved into our Crystal Springs home. Our parents were the kind that would do what they could do themselves to save money. They were not people of means so saving money was important. They both wanted more not less in life so they both equally worked hard to do themselves what many would have the money to do using contractors and the like.

Alec and Geneva Vaughan bought the property on Crystal Springs road in the 1960’s. It was a 10 acre undeveloped plot on the Westside of the city. My father worked as a Civil Service worker so he didn’t make more than government wages. Mama was a stay-at-home Mom; totally her focus.

She was known to shop at the thrift stores and could be found on the bent aisle area trying to save a buck. The thing was, that both of my parents had visions of grandeur. They both wanted certain things in life and besides a Christian home, which was number one, it was to live life to the fullest.

Sometime after purchasing the land, building a home(Jim Walter) and starting a tiny( 2 cows, 1 horse, 5 chickens) farm, they decided to build their own pool and all this while Daddy worked full time with the Navy. With shovel in hand for every member of the family, we dug our own pool. We did. Over time, we carved out of the soil of Duval County property, a 20 x 40 sized Olympic pool with filter and all. It was rectangle, built directly behind our home and had a depth from 3-6 1/2 feet.

Many parties and events were held with that swimming pool. Stay tuned because there is more.

See you tomorrow,

8-5-22

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July 29

“Nanville” of Picketville

Beginning in 1984, I began purchasing at least 7 pieces of the Seymour and Maria Pickett land grant dating back to 1808. In a matter of time, I had my own “Ville”; “Nanville”. At this time, it is still in existence with population, 29.

Mr. Pickett was at the right place at the right time. Land was being given alway in the 1800’s. According to Jean Mizell, writer of “The Pickett Family”, Seymour had a way of “petitioning” to the government and being awarded land grants. He had already received a grant in 1803 after his former wife had been lost in a shipwreck. Then he purchased land in Fernandina somewhere around 1804 and was living in East Florida . By the time Jacksonville became a town in 1821 he was again petitioning the government again, as the Indians were pillaging and burning down the countryside and he had been affected.

Specialty Tree on Pickettville- Nanville property-Ramey land(Sibbald Land Grant)

Somewhere around 1812, due to this loss at the hands of Indians he received 640 acres on Sibbald’s Tract in Duval County, Florida. He and his family settled there and it became what we know as Picketville. That brings us to Nanville, which is located near the crossroads of Old Kings Road and Lane Avenue.

In 1984, I decided to purchase an almost 3 acre piece of this beautiful, majestic land. It was full of oak trees, flora and fauna and was located south of Lane Avenue on Jacks Road. It was the beginning of Nanville which would grow to at least 9 parcels by 2022.

While Nanville is a small area, it is significant and part of the Sibbald Tract as well, with 7 small purchases bounded by Lane Avenue, McDuff, Interstate 10 and Old Kings Road. My neighbor on the Jacks Road property was Cecil Overton Pickett, also known as “Gator”. On his tomb stone it is written of him: “The last of a rare breed. A man of integrity whose word was his bond. He was loved and will forever be remembered”. He was born in June of 1926 and died November 9, 2005 at the age of 79. You can see his old Pickett house in the background.

Left- Gator Pickett’s-Right-Ramey Rental(Both vacant)

In 2022, a portion of the property was sold to a land developer who is currently clearning the area, cutting the majestic trees and making way for a full neighbourhood of homes. The Picketville and Nanville area is certain to change as Jacks Road and Old Kings are making way to the loss of the old way of life which included barns, cows, livestock, farms and wagons, to the hustle and bustle of this new century with automobiles including the new electric ones, cell phones and security cameras. I do hope those people plant trees, flora and fauna and keep their dogs and cats. We need something of the old way of life. Oh, and I hope they trust God too. He will be needed going forward.

I still own parcels of the Sibbald land grant but none as beautiful as the land Gator Pickett and I managed on Jacks Road. Notice the tree tags which will bring a pretty penny to the buyer. The tag says, “Specialty”. Indeed.

See you tomorrow,

Category: Family, Neighborhoods, People, Random Posts | LEAVE A COMMENT