August 30,1925-December 28, 2012
Mama is Home!
H2428 chayil khah'-yil =word for virtuous probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength: - able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+) valiant (-ly), valour, virtuous (-ly), war, worthy (-ily).
God given abilities by which are the means of caring for those whom one loves.
A virtuous woman! Mama!
Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
"And that we do to our Mama!"
I have had people to show their love toward our family and we thank you so much. But there is this word "loss" that needs to be left out for me. We still have her because as a believer she's in Christ I am in Christ. The only loss is the mortal body of Mama's. But God will raise her body up to be like that of His Son and our Lord Jesus!
I. Mama's watching.
If we were sick Mama was watching. Doing all the right things that only a good Mama could do to make it better.
Mama was watching when Debbie was trying to convince a little cousin that he didn't have to be nervous while she was giving him a bath. Our sister Debbie was giving one of our cousins a bath outside in a washtub with cold water. She was saying: "Don't be nervous Peanut, it's only a bath, you don't have to be nervous." Mama said: "He's not nervous, he's turning blue! You're about to freeze him to death! Get him out of that water and dry him off!"
A bully on the playground didn't stand a chance, because "Mama's watching! One day while Mama had to go run an errand, on the way back she passed by the school playground when my sister Vickie's class was outside and she just happen to see a boy that was alot bigger than Vickie push her down to the dirt. She stopped the car and came to Vickie's rescue and told the boy that it better not happen again! Mama was watching! For a couple of days, I know that bully saw our Mama's car go by and he didn't even think of pushing anybody down!
Mama was always watching, she could see in the dark! My brother Randy and I found that out one night! One night Randy and I got the giggles and we couldn't stop. We were laughing and giggling, everything was funny! Except to Daddy who was tired and had to get up early in the morning to go to work. He'd heard about enough of our laughing. As we were laughing I felt a tug at the sheet. "Randy was that you?" I said. Randy said: "What?" I said: Was that you pulling the cover? He said,no. We giggled on and several times Daddy would holler from their bedroom for us to go to sleep. Then after a couple of easy tugs on the sheet and several times I asked Randy if it was him pulling the cover and he would say, no. Mama pulled the cover where we both could feel it. I said Randy was that you? Randy said: That was you! I said: No it wasn't! There's somebody in our room! Randy is on his back, goes up into the air with the sheet, falls back into the bed with the sheet wrap around him leaving me uncovered for the intruder to get me! Daddy!! Somebody's in our room! By this time Mama is rolling and laughing in the floor of our bedroom. Daddy realizes that Mama has slipped out of bed to make sure that we will stop our giggling and go to sleep. Daddy said: "It's your Mama!" That stopped our giggling that night.That was the same year Randy was on television! Daddy and Mama were in the kitchen/dining room drinking coffee and talking with some kin or friends and all of us kids were in and out of the kitchen and finally Daddy said: "Why don't all ya'll kids go in yonder and get on the television!" Bad choice of words! He was trying to tell us to go into the living room and watch television. Randy out runs us all and jumps up onto the television and it falls over onto the floor smashing it! Glass everywhere! Daddy said: "What in the world is going on in here!" Daddy couldn't give Randy a whoopen for something he told him to do. "I don't know if Randy has been on television since."
Mama was always watching but she did have her off days. Even then it seems like God brought help in those times. "God stopped traffic for Vickie to cross the Bessemer Super Highway 78!" Vickie in the Dobbs House at two years old! God used a hound dog to keep Vickie from falling off a high wall into a parking lot. And there was the day that Vickie rubbed off on Clyde and they decided to walk to Sister Bishop's house about three blocks away! By the way, in those days we didn't have the weather channel, we had Sister Bishop! She knew her weather!
Later on that year I believe Clyde was caught lighting the tassles around the bottom of the bed spread.
Mama was watching when Jodie tried her hand as a news reporter and went next door to report to the Raileys, our neighbors, that our house was caving in! (It was only the weight of 3 layers of ceiling paper that turned lose. Her report turned out to be a hoaks! Nobody believed it!
We moved up about three blocks higher because of the lay of the land onto the top of a hill. Where our oldest sister Sylvia led Debbie, Jodie, Randy, and myself a trip called "Kids lost in snow!" I didn't think we were going to make it out alive. We finally made it back home with fingers and toes about frozen. We didn't see snow much and I guess we got snow-blinded! We had a great eldest sister to took us out but also brought us back home. I love you , Sylvie!
Mama was watching! when the man that decided to play king of the bridge at Lake Purdy with Mama that didn't stand a chance! Mama didn't have to back up! Mama's got back-up! Daddy! Tired from a weekend at Lake Martin and almost home Mama, Sylvi, Debbie, Jodie, and Vickie are just ahead of us in the car and there's a man in car that it determined to make Mama back up off the bridge and let him pass first! My Daddy,Randy, Clyde, and me are in sight of the chicken match! Daddy got out of the truck and walked onto the bridge and told the man in a convincing tone _Back it up buddy! Mama watched Buddy back up!
I will say that Mama on one occasion almost passed a poor soul walking on the back road to Dadeville (Madwind Road). My Aunt Lorene and Mama were coming back from Dadeville and passed a man walking. Mama said to Lorene: "Who is that old man walking there with that cane?" He looked so tired. As she drove on by the weary walker, she realize it was Daddy and she said: "That's Joe Lee!" Mama stopped and backed up the car and Daddy walked over to the car and he said: "Slide over, I'll drive." He added: "If you hadn't stopped, if I had a gun I would have shot you!" Not really.
I don't know what model your mama is. But my Mama is a 1925 model and she had all the options!
That model washed clothes and hung them out to dry for 7 children, our Daddy and herself every day!
Ironed clothes, folded clothes, hung them up on a clothes line for a long time until she got her first electric dryer!
She would fry a dozen eggs with bacon, or sausage,or sometimes white meat. Or sometimes milk gravy and biscuit! (And she taught us how to do those things too!)
She would fix lunch for those that were not in school and in the summer we all had lunch.
She cook supper in the evenings for us all.
It was against the law in our house to eat without asking the Blessing for our food.
No acting up at the table was allowed while eating food that was blessed. (I feel some thoughts right now that some here might think that we were under legalism! It didn't hurt us! We're okay.) It was always a good time around the table. To claim the purdy egg at breakfast! The purdy egg is the country way of saying the pretty, or best looking egg that was fried just right! "The purdy egg!" Or to be the one that got the honor of the tenth porkchop! Nine in our family and tonight we've got ten porkchops with gravy! We would of us would eat aliitle faster without giving ourselves away. Then we would ask to have the tenth porkchop. Hallejujah!! I got the tenth porkchop! Sometimes! What a blessed time we had with Mama and Daddy and each other growing up together.
I remember that she made the best home-made biscuits, if you are among one those who have ever eaten one of her biscuits you will agree with me! She made the best Caramel Cake, it was always made for our birthdays. And later on she added the best spagetti with ground beef for each birthday dinner. "When we smelled spagetti and saw caramel cake we new it was another birthday around the Gulledge's home." The Gulledge's, that always sound good when I hear it! Because it speaks of family! A great family with lots of family! And Mama was a Gulledge, full of love for all of us in our family and all those who would be born into this family or that would become a part of this family by marriage or just by being a friend, that made you a part of the Gulledge's.
Yes, that 1925 model Mama is not disappointing at all!
That model was very comfortable to be with.
That 1925 model was loaded with plenty of love for us and also for others.
The only problem that I can find with the 1925 model Mama is , ( and it's only a slight problem I find), is that on the outside it one day wears out. This model Mama never loses the inner strength within herself from which comes from_God!
As I have watched this 1925 model Mama's outside abilities get weaker, it's amazing how this 1925 Mama never decreases in value! Remarkable, how this model keeps her worth! I'm glad to report to you all here today that in fact that this 1925 model Mama has increased daily in her inner strength. I know for a fact that this 1925 model Mama has out done many other models! This model Mama operated by the Love of God that was shed abroad in her heart!
2Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The time would fail me to tell you of all that this model has done, has endure, and has accomplished for all those that she loves!
Though the outward mans perishes__ the inward man (Jesus in us) is being renewed day by day!
Friday December 28th, 2012 I watched that 1925 model Mama's outward man perish but the 1925 model Mama continues to be renewed day by day!
1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Mama fought the good fight! She had laid hold eternal life long before she passed from death unto life!
2Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
From 4:00 a.m. to 5:20 a.m I watched that 1925 model Mama of ours run it's final course in this life. No jump starts, no tune-up, because the race is over and the 1925 model Mama gets the checkered flag! She has come in first place!
We're not surprised by the out come! We knew she would do it!
Sylvie! Debbie! Gary! Jodie! Randy! Vickie! Clyde! It's no surprise at all! Because that 1925 model Mama was loaded with the Love of God!
The Love of God! The Love of God! The Love of God!!!
There are alot of women who had more education than Mama but never!!!!! was there a Mama with more wisdom. She knew her abilities were limited but she had the wisdom to know that Jesus said: "Ask anything in My Name and I will do it."
There are many that had more in this life but none!!!!!! that gave more life from the riches of Christ dwelling in her heart!
"I want to make you jealous today!"
I've got the greatest Daddy in the whole creation of God!
I've got the greatest Mama in the whole creation of God!
I've got the greatest Wife in the whole creation of God!
I've got the greatest Brothers and Sisters in the whole creation of God!
I've got the greatest children in the whole creation of God!
I've got the greatest grand-children in the whole creation of God!
I've got the greatest friends in the whole creation of God!
I belong to the Only True God________Jesus! Who hold me and blesses me and makes me what He wants me to be by His Grace and Power!
Keep yourselves in the Love of God!
Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
(You are first, number one but you are willing to let others go before you. Therefore you place yourself behind others but being last__God says you shall be first!)
Know this today, God loves you!
That nothing is impossible with God!
Peter said to Jesus: "We have left all to follow thee."
He was saying to the Lord that they esteemed Him greater in worth than their families, their jobs, than everything or everyone else!
Jesus said: "There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Mama, to have such a one, came with such a price. But it was worth it to her, she's fought a good fight, she's kept the faith through the good times and the bad. She's now in the presence of the Lord and in that great cloud of witnesses!
As I leaned over to my Mama's ear at 4:10 a.m. Friday December 28th. Ï said: "Mama, Mama!' She opened her eyes halfway open. I said: "Mama, I love you!" She said: "I love you." I KNEW SHE RECOGNIZE MY VOICE! I love you, Mama said! It goes without saying! But God in His great mercy, gave Mama the strength to let me hear her say it for the last time in her earthly tabernacle. Thank you Jesus!
Mama's watching us with all the others there.
"Mama's Home."
I want to give my warmest thanks and appreciation, along with all of my family, to all of those who have been so gracious to give your love and acts of kindness toward our family at the passing of our Mama. May God bless you and your family and give you comfort in your times of need.
