Trying to Age Gracefully….(emphasis on trying!)

In July, we traveled to Georgia to welcome another precious grandchild into the world. There’s just something magical about grandchildren. Maybe it’s the flood of memories from days gone by, or the joy of watching your own babies holding babies of their own. Whatever it is, it’s an overwhelming, heart-filling kind of love—one that’s hard to put into words, but impossible to forget.

Another thing that is impossible to forget? We’re still in the Army — and miss all of it. We know it every single day, but one morning on our trip, that truth hit especially hard. So, in true southern fashion, we did the only reasonable thing: headed straight to Waffle House to commiserate over coffee and pecan waffles.

Sitting there feeling sorry for ourselves…It hits us — our little tribe has grown their own tribes, built their own villages, and now we’re not the heartbeat of the campfire anymore. We’re the ones standing just outside the circle, peeking in at the glow, wondering when we became the outsiders in a world we helped create.

In that moment—when we were quietly questioning if we had made the right life choices— we experienced a total, undeniable God moment.

A man approached our table and said, “Excuse me, sir…but we served in Iraq together.”

He began to share his story: after leaving the military, he went through a divorce, his life unraveled, and he found himself battling alcohol, drug addiction, and homelessness. But then, he told us, one of Tim’s sermons had stuck with him. That message became a turning point.

Today, he’s sober. He’s drug-free. He’s studying Theology and helping others in recovery from substance abuse.

When he walked away, we just sat there — speechless. One minute, we were questioning everything. The next, it felt like the very hand of God was resting on our backs, whispering, “Stay the course. I’m here.”

Just like that, we felt complete peace. We realized our tribe is no longer just our kids and grandkids— it’s our Army friends who have become family, and the people the Lord so perfectly places along our path…a path He so lovingly has us on.

Pro Deo et Patria

Victoria