Go Get 'em Girl

We asked for it.

In fact, we raised our hand and willingly volunteered. “Nothing to it,” we said. We had done it three times before.

This time, it actually happened at a local BBQ restaurant. We knew the teenage waitress and her family through our church. We knew her mom and step dad were moving to Florida and we knew the girl would soon begin her senior year here. We also knew all were trying to figure out a way for the girl to stay here and not disrupt her senior year in high school.

We asked her a few questions while she was taking our order. While the ribs were being prepared, my wife and I talked. By the time she brought the food to the table, we popped the question. "Why don’t you live with us this year,” I think is how the question was asked.

Long story short, she did. Kylee Gallavan moved in with us in June 2011. A week from today, she graduates from high school. The following Monday the gig is over. Kylee will move to Florida for the summer and then on to college.

To say the year has been eventful would be an understatement. We are not as young as we once were. There have been some great times for sure. I don’t think Kathy and I would have ever gone to a Taylor Swift concert, if it weren’t for Kylee living with us. What a blast we had that night! We have met a lot of great teenagers that have been in and out of the house this year, causing us to have a new faith in the next generation that will be taking over when folks like us fade away. And the great memories go on and on.

But there have also been a few of what the Bible calls, “trials and tribulations,” along the way. There have been boyfriends and break-ups , long talks about life and the future and shorter normal teenager talks about cleaning your room and getting out of bed. There has been cozy love and there has been tough love. She’s seen us at our best and she has seen us at our worst. And we have had the same opportunity.

Our goal was a simple one. We strongly believe the greatest investments in life have nothing to do with money. We simply chose to invest a year of our lives in Kylee. As in all long term investments, potential dividends will come later.

Our prayer as she leaves is also a simple one. That she would know more and more as she lives out her life how high and wide and long and deep is the love of God.

I put this little slideshow together as a parting gift to Kylee.

We love you Kylee and wish you the very best life has to offer. Go get 'em girl.

This Miracle is Growing

Kathy and I celebrated the 4th of July and our 32nd wedding anniversary with David and Holly and our brand new grand baby girl this weekend at their home in Roswell, GA.

Actually we haven't actually met our new grand baby yet but I did get to pat her several times. We are planning on her arrival in early November. And there was strong evidence little baby Goddard is getting ready for the big day.

I couldn't help but notice the expansion in her mommy's tummy.

It seems like just yesterday this new grand baby's dad was growing in his mom's tummy. Back then we didn't know if it was a boy or a girl until the day the baby arrived. I can vividly remember the night of Dec 6, 1979 walking out in the waiting room and announcing, "It's a boy!" to family and friends who had gathered there.

These days we know that kind of stuff way ahead of time. And yes they already have a beautiful name picked out.

But the neat thing is this beautiful little baby girl growing in her mommy's tummy doesn't know it yet but she already has a Papa picked out.

That would be me.

And that would also be me smiling as I type this.

Actually there are at least three other grandparents who are rightfully making the same claim. And I can promise you they are smiling just as much as me.

I don't think I have ever seen a couple who is more ready to become parents than David and Holly.

They fully realize they are about to receive a true gift from God.

There are some things man can explain but I can tell you no man has figured out how a sperm and an egg can join together to produce another life. If there was ever a God thing, this is it.

In case you are wondering, it's called a miracle. And this miracle is growing.

In fact this miracle is getting bigger and bigger every day.

Not Bad for a White Boy

The first video is from 1983 and I believe it is the first time Michael Jackson did the moonwalk on stage and you will see he brought the house down.

The King of Pop was was obviously a troubled man at the end and was about as weird as weird can get.

But in spite of all his personal problems, he might have been the greatest entertainer of my lifetime.

Maybe this is how he should be remembered.

The second video is my youngest son Luke impersonating him.

Not bad for a white boy.

Nothing Better Than Family

Here's the first of a couple of a videos I put together for the family from our beach trip last week in St. Augustine Beach FL. This will become more valuable to our family as the years go by.

Only one of our sons and his family could make the trip. Sure is hard to get everybody together these days.

Jim and Lynn Whatley (Kathy's sister) had all three of their children and their families there.

Tom and Mia O'Malley (Kathy's other sister) had their children and a girlfriend with them. Even Tom's dad joined us for a few days.

Much fun and great memories were created.

Nothing better than spending time with family.

Thanks for indulging me.

St Augustine Beach FL from Bruce Goddard on Vimeo.

The Dream of Yesterday

When Alan Dobbins graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham in 1993, he had plans to become a professional baseball player. He had dreamed about such lofty things since he was a little boy.

He had the credentials too.

Alan was the middle infielder for two state championship baseball teams and also played on a state championship basketball team at the 6A Vestavia. He was recruited by several major colleges including the University of Alabama and Auburn University to play baseball until a stress fracture in his back limited his playing time his senior year.

Things have a way of working out though.

Alan received a baseball scholarship at Samford University in Birmingham and had a great college career as a 3rd Baseman and Closer for the Samford Bulldogs. More importantly he met Jessica Whatley, the girl who would eventually become his wife and the mother of his children. Jessica happens to be my wife’s niece.


Although his dream didn’t exactly turn out the way he first saw it, Alan would not change places with any baseball player these days. After spending four years in the corporate banking world, Alan has been employed for the past nine years with the church development company Myrick, Gurosky and Associates in Birmingham and is now Director of Business Development. Alan and Jessica have been married for nine years and have two beautiful children and another on the way.

The reality of today has a way of being much better than the dream of yesterday.


Since we have been vacationing together this week, I have also learned something else about Alan. He is a connoisseur of fine fried shrimp. The best fried shrimp in the world, by the way, are found at Osteen’s in St. Augustine Beach, FL. We ordered 17 dozen fried shrimp (not kidding) from Osteen’s tonight and we had an old fashioned shrimp eating contest.

Alan, the baseball player and church builder, took the grand prize. He ate 20 of Osteen’s finest along with all the trimmings. He broke the record he set last year by one.

Like I said, the reality of today is much better than the dream of yesterday.

Beach Pics

(St Augustine Beach, FL) In case you haven't noticed, I am on vacation this week at the beach. Been here since Saturday and incredibly today was the first day I took pictures.

I promised my grandbaby girl before we came that I would catch her when she jumped to me in the pool. We even practiced on our staircase at home.

We did it today.

Way too much fun. Here are a few pics to let you know we are alive and well. More to come in the next few days.

Right Place at the Right Time

We saw Santa Claus yesterday.

He left the land of perpetual snow earlier in the week and was heading to Florida for a few days of rest and relaxation. He stopped in a local restaurant to grab him something to eat.

During Christmas time he wears his famous red velvety outfit. In the summertime he wears shorts and sandals.

Our little Taylor recognized him before we did. She saw him as soon as he and Mrs. Claus walked in the door. I was surprised he didn’t use the chimney. Taylor got him to come over to our table so she could talk to him and give him a hug. She feels fairly confident she got a head start on all the other little boys and girls who will have to wait to see him when he shows up at the local mall a few weeks before Christmas.

Talk about being at the right place at the right time.


I overheard part of the conversation Santa had with Taylor. He was asking her if she has been a good little girl. Of course she explained to him she has been mostly perfect.

Santa is planning on taking a few days off and then he will be heading back to the North Pole to join his elves in his workshop. He has a lot of work to do between now and Christmas.

But Santa sure did make one little girl happy yesterday.

Oh My!

And to think I have another one of these on the way... Oh my!

He Actually Laughed Out Loud

Tonight would be a good time to catch you up on some folks I have written about recently. You can click the link on their name to jog your memory of recent articles.

Callie Toms: I was in church this past Sunday and looked across the church building and up into the balcony at the end of the service and saw a sight that made me smile and have a lump in my throat at the same time. Randy Toms and his daughter, Callie, were standing next to each other at the end of the service and were holding hands. This Saturday Randy will walk his beautiful daughter down the aisle to give her hand in marriage. I couldn’t tell from where I was sitting but something tells me he was holding on tight.

Luke and Drew: They will be married in just four short months. In the meantime they continue to get attention with their music and their proposal video. They were interviewed recently by a writer from a Minnesota newspaper. The YouTube video is at 61,700 hits and counting. A version of their video will be featured on TLC this Friday May 15 at 7PM. The nationally televised show is called Wild Weddings which will feature outrageous proposals this week. Be sure to check them out or DVR it so you can watch it later.

Hannah Kasulka: I wrote about her when she appeared on a recent television show and I am as proud of her as anybody I know. Hannah landed a summer intern job in New York City but decided to take another job at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta instead. She will soon graduate from Georgia Tech. I called this gal that I have known since she was born yesterday to wish her a happy 21st birthday.

Papa’s Precious Princess: Due to the illness of her great grandmother who kept her a few days a week, little Taylor is now in day care. She has been there a couple of weeks now and things are going well. But I have to tell you – although I was in another state, this Papa didn’t sleep a wink the night before her first day. Papa’s don’t even like to think about the prospect of their grandbaby crying and being scared. But Taylor made it and so did I.

Jimmy Childre, Jr. I was speaking near Sandersville, GA a few weeks ago and unbeknownst to Jimmy a little bird told me he would be honored that night as Citizen of the Year for Washington County. I got finished with my speaking engagement and made it to their Chamber banquet just as people were leaving but just in time to speak to his family and congratulate my lifelong friend and give him a bear hug. My friend has accomplished a lot and he makes me very proud. He did not know he was going to win that award and he certainly didn’t expect me to show up. Great stuff.

David and Holly: They were here for Mother's day and Holly is now close to 15 weeks pregnant. She is starting to show a little and her face ia glowing a lot. She will be one gorgeous pregnant lady. David smiles all the time.

This papa is giddy.

Other Tidbits: On April 14, I decided to start exercising again. Since then I have started my day virtually every morning by walking – in the neighborhood at home or wherever I happen to be. A couple of weeks after I began I joined a gym. The trainer almost killed me a few days ago but I am determined to stay with some resemblance of an exercise program.

I may not live longer but I will look much better in the casket.

The resistance training has not helped my golf game though.

I played in a legislative golf tournament the other day with my brother in law, who is a lobbyist. I went to the first tee without having hit a practice shot or even taking a practice swing. In front of some folks I had never met in my life until then, I whiffed the ball on the first tee. This is someone who has played hundreds and hundreds if not thousands rounds of golf. I don’t play golf much anymore and I am liable to hit it in any direction, but whiffing the ball is something I don’t think I’ve ever done. It didn’t help that my playing partner and brother in law laughed.

He actually laughed out loud.

The sapsucker.

When Mama is Happy

I approach Mother’s Day with mixed feelings these days.

There is a sense of sadness because I think of my own mother. I have more memories than I can begin to mention here. I’ll just say this - I had one incredible mother and I have been blessed so much that words would never do justice as to what I feel.

The pastor always says something on Mother’s Day Sunday to cause my eyes to fill up with tears. And he did today.


I also think of my mother in law. She has been my mother in law for almost 32 years now and I have been part of her family for 38 years – which is most of my life. She is now suffering through the ravages of Alzheimer’s. Actually she is not suffering – it’s her children who are suffering. Unless you have been through this, you would never understand. Even so, we have much to be thankful. She is perfectly content and never complains. Thankfully some days are better than others. And this Mother’s Day weekend brought good days.

Then there is the fun I have watching my own sons show up on this special weekend to honor their mother. It seems like just yesterday they were little boys running from one thing to the next and reaching up for their mama when they skinned their knee.

Now she has to reach up to them.


I think the greatest tribute they have paid their mom is the girls they have chosen to spend their lives with. My goodness they did well. Saturday night we had the entire crew together. There was a daddy and a mama, three sons, two daughters in law, one soon to be daughter in law, a beautiful grandbaby girl and another baby growing in a womb.

As you might imagine there was a lot of laughter. Right dab in the middle of it all, there was one happy Mama.

And when Mama is happy, everybody is happy.

I hope there were a lot of happy Mamas today.

Oh Baby!

There are so many good sayings that help us express what we are trying to say. For instance, when a person is loose as a goose, he is about as relaxed as it gets.

A man who is drunk as a skunk has a difficult time walking straight. I have never seen a drunk skunk but I’m sure it’s not a pretty sight. If you are high as a kite, you are not staggering but I suppose you are just over enjoying the moment.

If someone tells you that you are tight as Dick’s hat band, you must be one of the stingiest folks around. I never knew who Dick was but he must have worn a hat that was at least a few sizes too small.

If someone says you are fat as a hog, you are not only overweight but the insinuation is you have a little odor along with the extra pounds.

A person who is sly like a fox is much smarter than he appears to be. He will slip up on you with his smartness.

If you are meek as a lamb you will most likely be quiet as a mouse.

If a man is wild as a buck, he doesn’t play by the rules most others play by. He stays out late, hangs around wild women and enjoys much strong drink. And he doesn’t stay in one place very long.

If a person is sick as a dog, he is more than just not feeling well. He is seriously hugging the porcelain and will find himself going back to the same porcelain over and over. He needs a doctor.


And if a young lady is pregnant as a jaybird, she is really pregnant. That means a new human life is really growing in her tummy and in just a few short months the beautiful little baby will make its grand entrance.

And if a fifty something year old man is happy as a lark, that means he is whistling most everywhere he goes. No matter what he has to deal with, there is a song in his heart and a spring in his step.

And when the fifty something year old man happens to be me, and the pregnant jaybird happens to be my gorgeous daughter in law, the song in his heart is just about to turn into a symphony.

I just did the moonwalk in my kitchen just thinking about it.

David and Holly Goddard are having a baby.

And this Papa is beside himself.

Oh baby!

Real Proud

Last Friday afternoon I left my office early and headed over to Wesleyan College in Macon to attend a Phi Kappa Phi induction ceremony.

It was not just any ole induction ceremony either. Drew Watkins (shown here with her mom) was being inducted in this elite honor society. The membership is by invitation only to the upper 7.5 percent of last-term juniors (which applies to Drew) and the upper 10 percent of seniors.

Drew has made an A in every single course she has taken since she has been enrolled in college. I don’t think she had any trouble making the top 7.5 percent.

It should be noted that Drew never attended a public or private school in her life until she entered Wesleyan. She was homeschooled by her mom. I couldn’t help but notice that Drew’s mom, Melanie, had a tear in her eye as she watched Drew receive this honor.

That would be a tear of pride – not sadness.

I didn’t ask but I’m sure a few times during Drew’s first 12 years of education, Drew’s parents took some criticism for homeschooling their daughter. I’m sure they were told Drew would miss interaction with other kids and would end up lacking in social skills. And she would be behind academically when she went to college.

Well, she obviously is not behind in college. I also happen to know she has more social skills of any 20 year old I have ever known. And she can talk intelligently about any subject you can name. She studied dance and I have seen her perform on stage doing ballet, tap and modern dance. (She even taught me how to do the electric slide a few years ago – which may be her greatest accomplishment). Drew is also an accomplished pianist.

For all those folks out there who say homeschooling does not work – Drew Watkins is proof it can work. In fact in can work beyond one's wildest dreams.

Somehow by the goodness and grace of God this incredible young lady will become my daughter in law in less than five months.

I’m proud Mark and Melanie didn’t listen to the folks who said it wouldn’t work.

Real proud.

Let 'em Sing it To Ya

After watching this fun LukeandDrew video below, I am sure every one of you will want to go to their online store and purchase the newly released LukeandDrew CD, "Our Own Little World."

Their music is fun. The lyrics will make you smile.

Disclaimer: All proceeds from the sale of "Our Own Little World" will go to financially help a young couple who is getting married on September 19 of this year.

OK - the young couple getting married is Luke and Drew. And Luke is my youngest son. But they are having the time of their lives.

And what they are doing sure beats government assistance.

So let 'em sing it to ya. You'll be glad you did.

Watch video and then click here to order your CD today!



Let Me Sing It to Ya from Luke and Drew on Vimeo.

68 Years Ago Today

I suppose it doesn’t matter at this point how they met. I know a young Ed Goddard met Naia Gonzales in her hometown of Fort Myers Florida. Naia worked for the local newspaper and Ed had moved to Fort Myers with a hardware company. They met when Ed walked in the Fort Myers News Press office one morning and the beautiful young Naia was sitting at the desk. I think it was love at first sight. But again, at this point, it really doesn’t matter.

I know Naia’s mother, Mabel, was none too excited about this tall, dashing, muscular Georgia boy with whom her daughter fell in love. And she was not excited at all when he later took her daughter back to the “God forsaken” little town of Reynolds, Ga. Mabel eventually worshiped the ground Ed Goddard walked on but at first she wanted nothing to do with him. But at this point, what Mabel Gonzales thought almost 70 years ago doesn’t matter either.

What does matter is they built a home in Reynolds Georgia. I’m not talking about a house of brick and mortar, though they built one of those too. But I’m talking a home - as in a family. And the four folks pictured above were the beneficiaries of their architectural prowess.

When I look back, I’m not sure what they did to build such a home.

I know a lot of family time took place around the table where we all took our time eating together. And we would move from the table to the den and the conversation would continue. I’m not sure many folks do that sort of mundane stuff very often anymore.

I know we could get only three channels on the television and two of those were fuzzy. So we didn’t spend a lot of time in silence watching such things as reality shows on TV. Our reality show was happening real time every day with each other.

I know the kids spent a lot of time in the yard playing with each other and with other kids. And a lot of life-long relationships were built in the process. I also know my parents had close friends who came over often. And there was always a lot of laughter.

I also know this couple had family devotions at night before everybody went to bed. The kids would gather in their bedroom. Someone would read something out of the Bible and everybody would pray. I’m sure we learned a lot at Sunday school and church - where we were every time the doors were open. But we all learned to pray in our parent’s bedroom. And when I look back I think that is probably the best place to learn.

And I also know these parents were not perfect and the neat thing is they never pretended to be. They were transparent and real at home, at church, at work, in their place of service in the community and wherever else you might find them.

Thank God you don’t have to be perfect parents to build a home. But because of what my parents taught me by their lives, I happen to think being “real” is a good place to start.

This past Saturday Kathy and I went to an Easter Egg hunt with our little grandbaby girl. I couldn’t help but think about my parents and my siblings and a few Easter Egg hunts of our own in our backyard many moons ago.

The first part of this little family video clip below was filmed Easter Sunday 1955. About halfway it moves into 1957 footage. I am the baby - the youngest of four. At one point in the video you will notice my brother George kissing me.

He hasn't kissed me since.

But I post it with a grateful heart - and in memory of Ed and Naia Goddard, who were married exactly 68 years ago today.

Fun Stuff!

Our grandbaby, Taylor, enjoying her first Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday.

Fun stuff!!

Never Never Never

This video is inspiration in its purest form. Never let someone tell you that you can't.

Never.

Never.

Never.

Dawn Has Arrived

Dawn has arrived at the Goddard house this week. And if there has ever been a more beautiful one, I haven’t seen it yet.

From my perspective our nephew Hoke has hit himself a homerun.

This gorgeous gal came to Georgia this week from West Haven Connecticut by way of Chattanooga Tennessee. The more I talk to her, the more impressed I become. And the more I am impressed with her parents for the way they raised her.

And the more impressed I am with Sydney Hoke Bryan, IV for finding her.

Dawn is a junior at Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga and is on an academic scholarship. When she was 14 years old, this incredible home schooler began taking college courses and getting college credits. She began her college career in Chattanooga at the age of 16 - as a sophomore. She will graduate with a degree in Psychology next year at age 19.

Obviously Dawn is very smart. But I also think she is quickly becoming a Southern Belle.

As you might imagine, Dawn experienced a little culture shock when she arrived in Chattanooga in the fall of 2007. I’m sure there was more culture shock when she arrived at our house last Sunday afternoon.

She says things are a little slower and more laid back in this part of the world.

Although Dawn is a major UCon Huskie basketball fan (her mom is a Ucon alumnus), she has already begun checking out how to become a naturalized citizen of the Georgia Bulldog Nation.

Hoke and Dawn have only been seeing each other about six weeks. They officially became a couple about three weeks ago.

I am officially writing my first blog about her now. Hopefully there will be many more blogs to come

I do think she is fitting in very nicely though.

I heard her say “y’all” on at least two occasions tonight.

My Dancing Grandbaby Girl

Taylor likes her some Luke & Drew music. Watch this!

Standing Room Only

Luke and Drew had their coming out party to a standing room only crowd on Saturday night. It doesn’t matter the room was rather small. It just matters that it was packed out.

I predict one of these days this very unique couple will look back on the night as a turning point in their lives. It will be the night they took the big chance. The night they went way out on a limb. A night they could have failed miserably and made themselves look like fools.

But didn’t.

On March 14, 2009 Luke and Drew boldly walked on a stage and did something they never have done before. Backed by a very talented band, they performed seven of their very original songs in front of a live audience.

And as they say in baseball, they knocked the doggoned cover off the ball.

Using the power of technology, this incredible duo mixed a little (okay a lot) of humor along with their great music. Most of their songs were introduced by such characters as Happy Harriett, Emotional Terry, Darlene Wiggington and LaKeisha.


But in spite of the laughter, everyone in the audience was reminded of the innocence and power of love. And that is exactly what their music does.

But the lesson here is not about entertainment but rather much more about life.
Not many people figure out that in order to achieve excellence you have to put yourself out on a limb. Out there where you know it could break.

In order to grow you have to be stretched.

In order to win you have to be willing to lose.

Luke and Drew put themselves in that position last night. And in the process they took a giant step on the path to winning in life.

And they took that step in front of a standing room only audience.

It just don’t get any better than that.

Homes Are Forever

Our phone started ringing early at our house today. Friends from our hometown of Reynolds were letting us know that the house in which we raised our family had burned to the ground. Thankfully nobody was hurt or killed.

But at least a thousand memories ran through my mind as I drove to my office in Macon this morning. And a huge lump was in my throat when I drove over this afternoon to visit my friends, the Barrow’s, and to see what’s left of the place where we raised our family.

I was playing golf one afternoon in the fall of 1987 and was driving in a golf cart down number 9 fairway when I saw my friend and realtor Pete Ayers putting a For Sale sign in the yard of that house. I finished playing golf that day and went straight home and told my wife the house we had always wanted was for sale. In a matter of weeks we sold our house and purchased the beautiful house that sat next to Number 9 fairway.

I can tell you there was a lot of living in that house before we ever bought it. In fact, the Bond family lived there for 38 years. Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Bond and family were there long before we took over. I remember being very proud to be moving in the Bond home. And I think Mrs. Bond was proud as well.


When we moved in, I was only 33 years old and Kathy was 32. Our boys were 7, 6 and 2. When we moved to Warner Robins 16 years later, Kathy and I were both 48 – the boys were 23, 21, and 17. I can tell you we did a lot of living in that house. And a whole lot of learning. There was also a lot of praying when our boys got older and were out and about and doing who knows what. Thankfully the praying paid off. They never got killed or killed anyone else and they all turned out fine. But I have to admit I did wonder a time or two if they would make it.

About three months after we moved in, we bought a yellow lab and named her Abby. She was a part of our family the entire 16 years we were there. To say Abby was known by all the golfers would be a huge understatement. She became an institution at the Reynolds Golf Club.

The house was always full of boys. I remember literally stepping over kids sleeping all over the floor of the den on a weekend when I would leave in the middle of the night to go on a death call. The Johnson girls lived across the golf course and they came in and out as much as our own boys. And there were the cousins who came on many weekends and spent weeks at a time in the summer…and the Harrell cousins who visited their grandparents next door.

My goodness there was a lot of living in that house.

For some of you golfers who are reading this who thought you were stung by a wasp when you bent over to tee up your ball, I have come to find out later in life it wasn’t a wasp. You probably were shot by a BB gun by one of my boys with their cousins and/or friends dressed in camouflage hiding in the bushes.


Later the girlfriends came. And my goodness they were cute and I had so much fun. But sometimes I wondered if my boys knew it. I was sitting in the den one night listening to one of my sons break up with his very cute girlfriend. I almost fainted when he told her he felt like he needed to spend more time with his truck.

There were times in the later years when we would have girl spend the night parties. And I would step over girls when I left the house in the middle of the night.

I thought today of the time I drove up and thought there had been a murder. There was blood all under the carport and on the brick walls. My heart dropped to my stomach. I remember being relieved when I discovered John and his friend Syd had picked up a possum on the highway and skinned it under our carport.

I also remember driving up one afternoon and seeing my mother fall as she was walking in the side door. I got her up off the floor and took her to her doctor in Macon that day. He admitted her and she died less than a week later. I also remember my dad eating his last meal in the dining room of that house. I took him back home that night and found him dead the next morning.

When I stood this afternoon looking at the remnants of the place we once called home, I swallowed hard.

But I was reminded of something very important.

Houses can be destroyed overnight.

But homes are forever.