Me and Papa have a million memories its so hard to pick one so ill just say the thing ill remeber the most about Papa was his huge heart, he made room in his heart for anyone and everyone he met. I will remember how he would of gave his very last dollar up to make someone smile. After 18 years i can say turthfully that I have never seen my Papa let his wants come before other needs he has never been selfish about anything. 2 years ago when the Dr. diagnosed my Papa with cancer he gave him around six months to live his response was ok thats fine he never asked why him he never argued it and the biggest thing was he never gave up faith.he knew his THe lord was with him he also knew where he was going and had no fear about it. he gave that cancer a fight it wasnt expecting he made it the six months and he kept going he beat cancer in my eyes because he lived 4x as long as they said he would. i know hes dancing with the angels up stairs with our savior hes waited 76 years to meet jesus christ and he finally got too. i can see him now smilling from ear to ear having the best time of his life dancing in his new body. its hard for me to be sad when i know hes the happiest hes ever been. Papa if the good lord will bless me with what it takes to be half the man you were i would be satisfied. my dream was always to become a fire fighter but i think ill put that on hold for a bit. my new dream is to be as amazing as you were first and then i will go on to be a fire fighter. i want to follow the lord the way you did i want to love every aspect of life like you did i want to be have no worries like you did so i can sit around watching football with my grandkids and go throw the football with them just like you did with me.i remeber how you would huslte me in a way so i would pick the bad teams when we would make bets on games and until this day i believe you did it so you could say your saying when i lost you knew it made me mad to lose but you always said in a sarcastic tone right when i would lose "Turn out the lights, the party is over!!" sometimes your team would be kicking my but so bad at half time you wouldnt even wait till the end you would say it bc you knew my team wouldnt come back. i do want to say that sunday wasnt right i kept looking over to your chair as we watched Ryders stinking bengals play and it brought tears to my eyes bc that is my greatest memory with you sunday football and this is was the first time in 18 years you just couldnt be there no mateer what we did. some one told me the other day if i want to make a difference in the world i need to live like my Mapa because my papa lived like Jesus Christ and that is true he would die for a complete stranger he would do anything in his power to make the world a place worth living. i seen this the day you passed papa and i love it "Those who walk with God, always reach their destination" you walked with christ all your life and you have reached heaven and im so happy for you. one thing i havent told you yet papa the friday mornig around 4am i woke up sad for you i couldnt get my football coach of my mind either hes a very godly man like you also (i had let my faith go to nothing and i didnt even believe in christ anymore) so i decided to pray thinking i would be ignored like always but this is what i said and im sorry i did not pray for you to do a 360 and be healed i aske dthe lord to use that coach in some way to assure me that go would take care of me granny dad all of the family i ended my prayer and got on my phone the first thing i seen was a picture that said "if god brings you too it he will bring you through it" then it took me to a christian page and normally im like forget this stuff its dumb but i actually looked at the pics and they all fit into our situation. then my body got tingly and went completely numb and all my stress and sadness went away and i fell asleep i woke up a few hours later and went to the bathroom when i closed the door my phone went off i opened it and it was a message from my coaches wife saying she had been praying for me the best part is she had no clue you was sick papa she said she just thought i needed to know i broke down and cried tears of joy and amazment for over an hour i felt god wrap me up and it was like he told me we was going to make things better i felt the lord around me i also seen a misty thing by the door. i believe 110% that i seen God that morning i told this lady and she was so shocked and so was everyone else i have told well i told dad and i even said daddy god i feel like god is about to do something huge i wasnt sure what it was but i knew it would happen i figured there was two options 1 god would heal you enough to let you stay a little longer or 2 i figured he would show you what he showed me it was the best feeling ever when i felt that so i knew you would feel perfect up stairs with Jesus Christ. and because of that parayer and me feeling him with me i spent friday by your side for like 8 hours straight and i just called people and tried to give them a chance to say bye and i did i got mom over there and you looked like you was about to smile when she said she was there god is using me in some way papa and i pray he uses me in a way that makes you proud i pray i can learn to live like jesus and make you proud. i will never for get you papa i will always think about you and i will always be here to take care of granny you continue your vacation in paradise and ill do my best to keep the fort held down until we meet again..... you will always be my hero and youll also always be my best friend....I love you papa R.I.P.
-Jordan McConnell
Your coolest Grandson :)