14

He is not little anymore and he is a constant reminder of how that little cliche "time flies" is so very true.  Children do that. They grow up so fast. They change a little bit every day.   How is it that he can be 14 today?  He is finishing up middle school and ready to head into those very busy, exciting, and fast...high school years.

My little sidekick. Or as Jim calls us, "two peas in a pod."  We like a lot of the same things. Travel. Smithsonian. History. Nonsense little things that no one else seems to care about. DIY. FYI. Smithsonian Channel. History. ......yep, this kiddo is a wealth of knowledge.....and oh, so interesting.

For years, he has been my great little traveling companion. I shall never, ever forget the year I decided that we could save $12 on a flight if we took Delta through Atlanta rather than Southwest, direct to Nashville.  He navigated that Atlanta airport like he lived there. If not for his guidance, and the help of some amazing soldiers, we would have missed our connecting flight.      "Run, Jacob, Run" I told him when the gate was in sight.  "Tell them we are here and your grandmother is running as fast as she can!"  (Ok, it was not shuffling, but it definitely was not running either - but he got the idea!)

Whew....thanks to Jacob, we made the connection, and when I stepped on that airplane, the door closed right behind me. NEVER want to experience that again!   But, it was definitely memorable.

The next year I picked a flight where we would not have long lines in security. Something like a 6 am flight....which meant leaving home closer to 4:30 am.   "JUCI, WHAT were you thinking?!"   he said at the end of it all.    He does like his morning sleep, after all.

Jacob, I can hardly wait to take you to Europe. Such fun we will have!

I love your laugher, I love love love your hugs, and most of all, I love that every time you see me, you do not leave without saying I love you and giving me a great hug.

Even though you are almost as tall as me now...two inches to go....I hope you never forget the things that matter the most.

You love God, you love family, you love all the people you ever meet. You are one of the most polite middle school young men that I have ever met.   (And I remember telling a whole lot of challenging middle school boys that if they will remember to use manners, those times when someone just wants to lock them up til they grow up will just fade away because their manners are so great!)


I do miss those days when you were little and we did projects in the garden a lot. But I love the way to find other projects that involve serving others. I love that as a middle school student, you already have your eye on the future and a career .... and that you are already taking steps to prepare yourself for what you feel like God is leading you to do. He is leading you to serve and I know you will do it.

Roger's Lesson:  Ro-Ro loved you sooooo much, but Jesus loves you so much more. Remember that above all else, and do what HE leads you to do with your life. Listen to family, get good guidance from others, but never forget that Jesus already knows the plans that He has for you.  And life will be ever more exciting if you follow them! 

Yes, Jacob....that is exactly what he would have told you. He would have been so proud of his 14 year old grandson who was one of the joys of his life.  You have that same desire to serve as your dad, and Ro-Ro, yet you are definitely growing to be your own man.

And here is   A great link to the meaning of your name! 
I like the part that says "One Closely Following"     meaning of course that Jacob followed Esau when they were born, and as you know, he was holding onto Esau's heel.  Of course, this also follows the prophecy that says that the elder (Esau) shall serve the younger (Jacob) - and only God knows the reason that it was prophesied this way....but it surely has made for a most interesting story throughout history of the Hebrew people!      So - you keep following closely to the Lord and He will allow your time on earth to be filled with wondrous things!  He knows the end of it all, and the reasons for all the things that we can not even comprehend, and in Him, you can always trust.  
He answers the prayers of those who deeply love and serve Him

And that is exactly what Ro-Ro would have told you!  

Happy 14th birthday, Jacob

I love you so much and I thank God every single day that you are in my life!

In fact......

I love you more than you can ever comprehend!



Juci