Today James Edward Blakeman went to Heaven. I'm thankful that a conversation that I had with him at IHOP in Denton, Texas lets me say with assurance that Jim is with Jesus. I had a strange relationship with my dad. I don't think we really knew what to do with each other but we did care for one another. It's days like this when I am thankful for Psalm 34:18 where it says that God is close to the broken hearted. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to give thanks is all circumstances so I'd like to thank God for a few things that come to mind when I think about Jim Blakeman. First of all, he took me and my family to church. I can see from the pictures that he loved me as a baby and helped my mom take care of me and my siblings. He adopted my brother and sister and went through all the adoption process to allow us to be a family with the same last name. He was an excellent provider for my family growing up and helped me pay for college. He had the wiener mobile come to my sister's birthday, which how many people can say that? He took us on trips to meet his family. He took us tubing in the river. I get my sense of wanting order from him. I like to work because of him. He told scary stories on the way to my brother's baseball games about Marie Laveau and crocodiles. He could make some really creative dinners out left overs from the fridge not wanting anything to go to waste...hot dog burrito anyone? He let me dance on is feet and would flip me around. He could build beautiful things, he made us kids a two story fort that was the neighborhood hang out. He made me a doll house. The flag pole with our hand prints still stands around the house we lived in. He braved the undertaking of teaching my sister to drive a stick shift and the car ran over his arm. He helped me with elementary school projects, which I get to do now with my kids. He bought me dogs...bunnies, birds and rescued frogs. He taught me how to have leaf races in the curbs when it rains. I like to eat everything because of him. I am friendly from watching him interact with others at his job. He sang this song to help us remember the Old Testament Bible stories which I have been known to sing in my little class. (She danced the hoochie cooch) He was Santa Claus for David Vetter the bubble boy. He came to my dance and music recitals, high school and college graduations. I know that his father died when he was young, so it was difficult for him to be a father himself. Its one of those things in life...the heart is willing...Thank you God for giving me good memories. Thank you Dad...
