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March 26, 1998. Mississippi . "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Perfect verse for today. Daddy is in the presence of the Lord. We buried him today under blue skies. After all was said and done, we—the children, Mother, and our extended families—sang over Daddy's grave, as we picked flowers for ourselves, a constant reminder of the resurrection of the body. We would see him again. A thousand images of Daddy raced through my mind. He was a giant of a man. A prince, loving, carring. A hard worker, but never a slave to anything or anyone but the Lord and his family. He had no enemies. His presence filled a room. His laughter was contagious. His compassion, unsurpassed. The sting of death did not touch him, though it left us aching inside. From HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS, published 2007. Jane Bennett Gaddy Daddy, I will miss you till the day I die, and I love you even more— Charlie Patterson Bennett, Sr. February 3, 1910—March 24, 19
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GRACE-FILLED "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." II Corinthians 5:1-2   On Sunday afternoon, September 11, 2016—compelled by some strong move of God's Spirit, we loaded up Mike and Gloria's SUV and drove across the hills of three counties in Northeast Mississippi to just a few miles from Bruce—Charlie and Mary Clark's homeplace. Oh, we had been there many times, always received with such gracious hospitality. This time was a little different. In the past, we roamed the countryside with Charlie in his big truck or on four-wheelers, or just sat comfortably in the beautifully decorated cottage, listening to Charlie weave stories and share memories of our ancestors who courageously defended the Old South in the War Between th
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Game On! First signing at Atlanta Bread Cherrydale Point in Greenville, SC was awesome! Thank you, Jeff and Amber Massey for hosting us! It was great to see old friends from the past, new ones I had never met in person, and those that have kept in touch through the years. From as far away as Waynesville and Hendersonville, NC they came! And locals from Simpsonville, Easley, Piedmont, Travelers Rest, Greenville, Taylors—I couldn't believe it. I started signing at a little past 5:00 and hubs and I didn't leave until 9:00. I was able to get a few pictures, but if you were there and you have some to send me, please email to janegaddywrites@gmail.com . I will love you for that!   Thanks to Claudia Burns for assisting me with this first signing. She is an incredible friend and stuck right with me till the end. She used her power and influence to get us in the TR electronic paper. They ran a great ad with a photo of the book cover. Travelers Rest is such a grand place to b