Dear Granny and Papaw,

        Thank you so much for visiting this weekend, and being able to attend Audri's first birthday party.  Papaw, I am so thankful to God that He has allowed you to regain your health and be with us here on earth for a longer time.  One day, you (and Granny) won't be here anymore, and I don't want to wait until after you are gone to tell everyone how important you have been in my life.  You have left such a legacy of Christ-centered living for everyone around you.  I can look at your children, and they have all grown up to be independent people, selfless parents, constantly ready to serve others and be obedient to God.  They have, in turn, taught their kids to be independent people, selfless parents, and constantly ready to serve others and be obedient to God.  Joe and I talk a lot about the idea of generational patterns in families (we have seen them too many times in a negative way in youth ministry), and I am so extremely blessed to know that I am a part of a generational pattern that has been for living a life worthy of God's calling.  You two are the reason why I believe in the power of prayer.  Whenever something is wrong, I know that if I tell Granny, y'all will be praying about it out loud every morning during your bible study.  Your morning bible studies have had the most impact on me, and they are the clearest memories I have of spending time with y'all.  As a kid staying with you overnight, I could wake up knowing that breakfast was ready for me on the kitchen counter, but I normally would wait and sit listening to you taking turns ready the scripture passage for the morning and the bible study that went with it.
        On father's day, our pastor had a sermon on Titus 2:2, and afterwards, Joe and I talked about how Papaw has lived a life outlined in that passage and that when your day comes, you can go knowing that you have left an amazing legacy and should not look back with any regret.  Christ is my foundation, but you two are my cornerstone of becoming a godly woman.  Thank you both for living a life worthy of imitating for Christ's glory.  We don't live close by, and so it is hard for Audri to personally see yall much, but know that you still have so much influence in her life because of the influence you had on mom and me.  She will grow up knowing Christ and what a godly woman should be because of the example you helped mold mom to be to me and the example I hope to show to help mold her.  I pray one day that Audri and any other of our future children, and hopefully grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren can look at Joe and me with the same love, respect, and pride that I feel for the two of you.  I love you two so much!