Click here to see Philip's Photo Gallery
Click here to see my dad's poem to Philip
Philip Jared was added to our home on July 23, 1998. Going from two to three children
is always a big step in the life of a young family. Rebecca was very
concerned that this child would lack for attention because of having two
siblings already. So after his birth, she stayed up holding Philip all
night long to bond with him and make him feel special.
It must have worked!! The boy we called "Digger" because of the cute way he ran was as outgoing as he could be, and therefore never lacked for attention. Quite the little Casanova, when he heard that Solomon had 1,000 wives he thought that sounded like a great idea, so he planned to follow suit!
Far from his place in the family being diminished as first the little brother and later the middle child, Philip stole our hearts immediately and completely. Perhaps my most vivid memory of my little "Felipe" is first thing in the morning. He would come up to my leg and give me what we called a "comfortable hug" (not too hard, not too soft!) and say "Daddy, I love you from here to...<insert some faraway place like Alaska, Australia, infinity, or even Heaven)."
There was no question that Phil was a mischievous child. Recently at Vacation Bible School at one of our local churches, there was a little store where tickets could be redeemed for prizes. Philip wanted a nine-ticket prize, but he had only eight tickets. So he presented the teacher with eight tickets plus a tree frog he had caught, thinking this was a great deal (after all, he could always catch another frog!). Of course, the teacher agreed to this bargain, and did not rescind the transaction when it was discovered later that this was his sister's frog, and she expected it back!
His ability to negotiate extended to the administration of discipline. If he had earned punishment and was about to get it, I would hear something like..."Daddy, I just need to tell you one more thing," or "Actually...it was Sara that did it."
Always a compassionate big brother, we would often hear him say "Joshua is SO cute," or "I just LOVE Caleb," or if Joseph had done something new..."Now that's just amazing!"
No matter how you look at it, Philip was a special child. But I haven't even gone into my favorite memory of Philip's life. One day last summer (2002), he made the greatest decision anyone can make when he asked Jesus Christ to come into his heart. With lots of encouragement from his brother PJ and sister Sara, it was a decision he still had to make for himself.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
What was different about Philip's salvation experience is that he wanted the entire family to kneel with him as he prayed.
Then afterwards, he felt so good about things, that he sat down and made a list of everyone he was inviting into his "club." God was at the top of the list, then Mommy, Daddy, Preacher Teague, Preacher Zane, grandparents, sister and brothers, etc. He also added Claudia and Olivia to the list after deciding that 1,000 wives were too many, so they were going to be his wife and girlfriend. (I never did have a chance to set him straight on that one.)
For all the comfortable hugs, piggyback rides, "tickle tortures", silly songs, and just time spent together loving this boy...let me say I will miss him so much I can hardly stand it. But, folks, I know I will see this boy again. I have God's promise that death will only separate us temporarily.
So, "Digger", Daddy's coming! You and Sara just play, sing, and sit on Jesus' lap till I get there, I love you, buddy.