Sunday, May 13, 2012

Going Home to Jesus

By Man Martin



Kathy Patrick
Karin Gillespie
When I was seven years old, my mother told me that my dog Skipper had “gone home to Jesus.” Although no one explained this at the time, I have since realized that the Lord’s calling Skipper home had something to do with his penchant for biting strangers on the ankle without provocation or warning. Since that day, much in my life has gone home to Jesus: friends – human and animal – family members, personal possessions, youth, hair. This is the way of the world we live in: everything, no matter how dear, is only ours temporarily. Life isn’t a gift; it’s a loan.


Now it’s time to send “A Good Blog is Hard to Find” home to Jesus.

A sad duty, but not without some compensating pleasure. There are so many wonderful writers who have written for this blog, I cannot thank them all for fear of leaving someone out. Many of them I have met at book festivals around the South. I will say that writers are a special and wonderful breed, Southern writers in particular, and writers of this blog most of all. Unfailingly, the bloggers I have met have not merely talented, but gracious, warm, and generous. It is a pleasure to be associated with them. I have to give a special thanks to Karin Gillepie who started this all up, and to Kathy Patrick, founder and grand pooh-bah of the Pulpwood Queens who took the tiller when Peggy stepped down.

Thanks to them, to all of our writers, and to you, our readers.

And so, farewell.

Somewhere in heaven, I know, are five cell phones I’ve dropped in swimming pools, bathtubs and toilets – the Plymouth Voyager whose radiator cracked en route to Destin – about two thousand pairs of reading glasses I’ve purchased at the Dollar Store and later stepped on or mislaid – my dog Skipper – and my Granny Barr.

Who’s reading this now.

Man Martin, the author of Days of the Endless Corvette and Paradise Dogs, has many accomplishments in which to take pride, one of which will always be this blog.

19 comments:

  1. Thank you, Man. This is a loving tribute to a blog very dear to me. I will miss having this extra deadline (not really,) but I WILL miss the heart-truths it tugged out of me over the years. Goodbye, friend!

    For the rest of you authors and readers, you're not rid of me yet. I look forward to seeing you in person for years and years to come.

    Love, Nicole

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  2. Well said, Man! Though I let my end drop towards the end of this run, I will forever be grateful to have been included in this great company of wordsmith. I came, I saw, I wrote when I remembered, but I always learned!

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  3. Thank you for beautifully saying what all of us are feeling -sadness to say goodbye and gratitude to readers and fellow bloggers who made A Good Blog is Hard to Find a great place to stop and chat about books. It has been my great pleasure to post here under my pen name (Anna Michaels) as well as my own. Till me meet again...

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  4. I was so grateful to be included her for the past two years--thanks so much to Karin Gillespie for the brilliant idea of starting this blog, and to the many talented writers who have shared so much of their inspiration with us! Also thanks to Kathy Patrick and Man Martin for their service as administrators when Karin had to move on to other things. I'll be following many of you gifted authors on your own blogs and reading your books! My first novel, "Cherry Bomb," is now in the hands of a freelance editor and I hope to make final revisions soon before beginning the agent search. You can keep up with my journey on Facebook or my personal blog, Pen and Palette.

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  6. Oh, no! I will miss this blog -- is it really over?? Thanks for all your inspiring posts!

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  7. I hate like all get-out (is that colloquial enough?) to see this blog go. I have faithfully promoted you all to my enormous blogging kingdom at villagewriter. Do let me know if you want to drop a few pearls in the village. We could use a few good writer/bloggers. love and hugs from your southern writing sistah.

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  8. Oh, no..
    I will miss your blogs.
    Thank you so much for the all inspiring post you have posted here.

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  9. This is a good post and good videos&photos.
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    ILUL

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  10. Oh Boy, I just find this blog and realize it's no more. Drats!! Why can't anything stay the same - lol.

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  11. I'm sad to say goodbye. It's been a terrific blog - thank you, everyone!!!

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  12. i will remember this blogger goood work

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  13. yes you are right it is taught to find some good blog because people are normally spamming it

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  14. Your are invited to visit my blog at Thought of the Week Devotion.

    I write weekly devotional studies to inspire fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and to encourage those yet lost to accept Him as Savior and Lord.

    I hope you will visit and perhaps even become a follower.

    Blessings!

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  15. I am really regretful that this blog will be ended. I think there are lots of great blogs here.

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