AllisonTimes 2021-2022

Contributors: Caleb (33), Bethany (30), Timothy (forever 28), Joseph (27), Hannah Grace (25), Jubilee (16), G3’s: Brantley (6), Baylor (4), Bella (2)

                                   Let’s Talk

***I actually started this newsletter in March of 2022, then everything turned upside down again in April, so it had to all be changed. I’m hesitant to begin again, not knowing what might happen before I get it mailed… 

   Where to start? What to say? Looking back at our last newsletter, published in March of 2021, some of the articles seem almost prophetic. Like this little gem: “there is a day appointed for each of us to meet our Maker, and it could be very soon.” And this: “ …we are indestructible until our purpose on this planet is finished. God's plans for us cannot be thwarted by the whims of the enemy.” I was so sure of myself and my beliefs a year ago; but these beliefs were shaken to the core on April 23, 2021, when the wing broke off of the plane that Timothy was piloting, and he flew to Heaven. Our world exploded, and our hearts were shattered, but our faith is still solid, and God is still good.

   It’s hard to believe we made it a year, when we didn’t really want to and didn’t believe we could – only by the mercy and grace of God.

   Handling Timothy’s estate became my full-time job for the year and beyond, which I was honored to try to do. I only wish I had become his secretary years ago – then I might have known where to look for everything we needed to know! It is similar to wading into an ocean and trying to walk to the other side. Thank God for some wonderful new friends at the airport who have taken us under their “wing” and spent countless hours helping us get Timothy’s plane ready to sell and on the market.

   Tragedy again struck our family on April 5, 2022, when Herb “ran ahead of us” into eternity. He wasn’t depressed or despondent, but appeared to have some sort of biochemical “short-circuit,” possibly linked to his Type 1 diabetes. We are awaiting the results of several post-mortem tests that might provide some closure.  In the meantime, we have had to give the unanswerable questions to God, which is exactly where they belong: “He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” (Isaiah 53:4)

   I’m sharing some articles that were posted on Facebook throughout the year, for those who don’t do social media. It is very hard to pick which ones to print! Writing the stories is redemptive and therapeutic for us. If you have internet, we would be honored for you to visit timothyallisonaviation.org, where we have posted Timothy’s memorial service, pictures, tributes, and especially the blog posts. It’s another way of honoring his legacy and using his life to share the gospel (Herb, like me, didn’t travel the world, learn multiple languages, or leap tall buildings, so his eulogy takes a quieter sideline, as he would have wanted.).   

Enjoying Life

   Timothy was arguably the busiest man in the state, yet when Brantley asked him to play Chutes and Ladders with him one morning (as Timothy was passing through to grab his cup of hot chai) he played 3 games in a row! He laughed so hard at Brantley's overt attempts to cheat, he was practically wheezing! I had not seen him laugh that hard in years, so I motioned to Jubilee to take a picture (I didn't know it would be the last time I would ever see him in this life).

   It takes a special person to enter into a child's world and truly enjoy them. Timothy was always down to play with the nieces, nephews, cousins, and little friends. He didn't endure them - he enjoyed them - with bright eyes and a happy heart; such a rare gift.

   Even as a youngster, he would laugh at the clumsy antics of his little siblings. He would often remark, "Isn't Joseph cute with those little bulldog cheeks?"

   For many years (until it fell apart!) I had a poster hanging in my dining room that read:

"Enjoying. Paying attention.

No hurry to get on to something more important.

What you are doing is important.

Treasuring every moment along the way.

Time is a gift.

...

 Maybe Timothy took it to heart.

Meanwhile… 

     Hannah Grace signed on her first home in April 2021 in Broken Arrow. She bought a fixer-upper, anticipating the family projects her dad and brother would help her complete. As with every other event since April of last year, it was a bittersweet success. The bright side: Maggie, the dog, finally has a back yard to dig in! She has already unearthed a myriad of treasures from the Byzantine era and continues to dig. Check with the National Archives for updates on her finds.

                                *******

   Joseph came in off the road and off the crane last fall and is living in Timothy’s double-wide in McLain. He started working for Brannon Plumbing and is also following his dad’s footsteps as a handyman. We are grateful to have someone taking care of Timothy’s place and filling the rooms with the sounds of children playing (or arguing, as the case may be).

                                 ******

   With a little help from Uncle Bill, Caleb has passed his bail bondsman test and hung his shingle at the jail. He can do this part-time, while he still keeps an eye on Uncle Nub, as his live-in helper. Too bad Caleb can't recruit his siblings for bounty hunters! 

                                ******

   Bethany is living in the Bixby area and pursuing her master’s degree in order to advance her paycheck as a deputy sheriff. For 2 years, her finals have been disrupted by major family catastrophes which make it very hard to keep up with assignments. But Bethany wrote the book on determination! Never quit!

                                ******

   Jubilee graduated with her CNA from Vo-tech in May of 2022, but at 16, she is too young to enroll in/graduate from their LPN program, so her senior year is still up in the air. She only needs 2 classes to graduate, so it would be easy to do school on the road to wherever the Lord leads! Stay tuned!

                                 ******

   After a quick trip to Belize, Hannah Grace boarded the “traveling nurse” train, and is currently serving a 3 month contract at a hospital in North Carolina (till August 20). She is renting a room from a couple who serve as her surrogate parents, even offering to help her work on her car! Win-win! 

An Unlikely Prophetess 

   "Why are you crying, *Amy?”

   Amy has cerebral palsy and carries her feelings on her shoulders. She cries very loudly about pretty much everything, good or bad.

   “I don’t want to go home early!” she wailed. Her entire body was heaving with the sobs.

   “You aren’t going home early,” I explained. “This is the time I had planned for you to go home because I’m going caroling tonight. I knew when I invited you that we would have to leave at 5:00, so it’s not early – it’s the plan.”

   My logic was falling on deaf ears. New tactic: I got the calendar off the wall and showed her that almost every day and evening in December was filled in. “I wanted you to be able to come and visit this month, so I penciled you in this afternoon, right before caroling. Would you rather I hadn’t invited you at all? What if I had said, ‘Amy won’t like it if we leave at 5:00, so I had better not have her come over.’?”

   Amy looked forward to her visits at my house like most kids look forward to a trip to Disney. She paused her sobbing and slowly answered, “Noooo.”

   “Ok, then, let’s get started toward the door.” Amy uses a walker, and has to start moving well ahead of time to actually leave. But she still wasn’t budging. She started wailing again and blubbered, “I might not get to see Herb!”

   For some reason, Herb was Amy’s super-hero, and she was terrified she might not get to see him. Minutes were ticking away while she bawled, and I tried in vain to get her to co-operate with the plan. I was beginning to frazzle.

   “Let’s not worry about what we might miss. Let’s look at what you got to do today!” I listed in my most enthusiastic voice all the fun she had had: “You got to decorate cookies! You got to have a tea party with your friends (we invite the church ladies on ‘Amy Day’ for coffee and snacks – it’s a big event)! You got to rub *Miss Evie’s arm (a favorite activity, which most people don’t appreciate); you got to drink 3 cups of coffee and eat all the food you wanted! You even got a Christmas gift! Let’s be grateful for what you did get to do, instead of crying about what you might miss!”

   At that moment, the Lord spoke to my heart, “Really? Are you seriously going to tell her that - when you are just like her?”

   All of my conversation with Amy came tumbling back to me in an instant as if from God Himself:

   “Timothy didn’t go home early, it was the plan... I knew the number of his days before he was ever born. Would you rather I wouldn’t have invited you into his life because it would be too painful when it was time for him to go home?... Let’s not focus on the years you didn't get with him and the things you might miss ... Let’s be grateful for all the things you got to do with him while he was here ...”

   Silence.

   I forced myself to think of all the things I was privileged to do with Timothy. I got to nurse him, rock him, and pray with him. I got to homeschool him, teach him to read, encourage his business adventures, and listen to his heart. I got to participate in his joys and sorrows, successes and failures. I laughed with him, cried with him, and watched him grow and take flight. I wouldn't trade being his mom for anything in the world, even if the party was to end much sooner than I expected. Being grateful doesn’t eliminate the tears, it balances them.

   Knowing it was God's plan releases so much of the anxiety and the questions. I don’t have to understand. I can rest.

Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him."

*Names changed

 Ruined? 

   For many years, we had celebrated Passover with all the pomp and ceremony we could muster: fine china, candles, linens, and lots o’ matzo! Our family filled our table as we bumbled through the Seder meal, reading the traditional blessings and prayers, lighting the candles, and always ending the meal with the hopeful refrain, “Next year, Jerusalem!”

   But the night that Herb passed (April 5), our home was filled with police officers, sheriff deputies, pastors, and nameless others, all wanting statements. The darkness told me, “Passover is ruined. Easter is ruined. You’ll be planning another funeral.” The thoughts came from the enemy, but I believed them. Everything in the future looked dismal and bleak. Ruined. How could this happen? How could we ever get through this?

   We didn’t celebrate Passover this year, but we lived it. The sad part that the disciples experienced - death and grief, confusion, and hopelessness – we lived that part. No eggs, no bunnies, no new Easter dresses; don't think, just breathe.

   Easter morning, Jubilee and I decided to go to a church we had never set foot in, and where Herb nor Timothy had ever gone, so we wouldn’t be carrying any memories with us.

   The huge choir enthusiastically sang, “Death has died! Hope has won! Jesus Christ has overcome! He has risen from the grave!” Song after song shouted, “Christ has conquered the grave!” 

There in the ground, his body lay, Light of the world, by darkness, slain.

Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave, he rose again!

And as he stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me!

For I am his and he is mine - Bought with the precious blood of Christ!

No guilt in life, no fear in death - This is the power of Christ in me.

From life's first cry, to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from his hand

'Til he returns or calls me home... Here, in the power of Christ, I stand.

   While listening to the songs, Hope rose up and assured me, “Nothing can ruin Easter! Easter ruined death! Easter ruined the funeral! Jesus is Victor! Death is defeated! Easter wins!”

   Satan thought he had won when Jesus was crucified and buried, but he was oh, so sadly mistaken! His short-lived celebration became his demise when Jesus walked out of the tomb! There is no place for despair or self-pity when death has lost! Life wins! That is the message of Easter - the one holiday that nothing can ruin!

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?”

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55, 57)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39) 

Giving Around the World 

   Timothy came in one day years ago and enthusiastically announced: “I’m going to write a book called ‘How I Bought a Villa in France’!” This idea was hatched after Tim read how a young man named Kyle MacDonald had bartered his way from a red paper-clip to a house in a series of 14 trades.

   Timothy then showed his dad pictures of a tractor and a truck on E-bay that were selling dirt cheap. He explained they could be bought, fixed, and sold for a huge profit, then… buy something bigger and sell it for a bigger profit, and so on. Looking at the pictures, Herb said, “That’s a really good deal … I might need that tractor myself… And you could use that truck…” Timothy stared at the pictures with his dad for a second, shrugged, and laughed, “Well, I’ll have to change the name of that book --- from "How I Bought a Villa in France" to “How I Bought a Truck and Tractor on E-bay!”

   Many of the “goals lists” Timothy left behind included giving away a million dollars (or even billions!), and givers are always on the lookout for resources! He really enjoyed the challenge of finding unique ways to make dollars from dimes, and occasionally (okay, rarely), his efforts paid off!

   One day, as Timothy ran through for breakfast, I read him some highlights of “Giving it All Away and Getting it Back Again” by David Green (Hobby Lobby’s founder). The book explained that God can use a businessman just as much as He can use a minister. The “deal-sealer” for Tim was when Mr. Green wrote out a check for 2 million dollars to a Christian ministry to get the gospel to children in a foreign country. Timothy’s face lit up as he affirmed, “That’s ME!” (#goals!)

   We recently found among his papers a donation receipt to a charity we didn’t recognize, and knowing Timothy, I figured he must have known someone who worked there. I contacted the organization, and sure enough, Tim had met someone in his TESOL class (Teaching English as a Second Language) in Oklahoma City, who later moved with her husband to Uganda to teach in a Christian mission school. Through Instagram, Timothy had asked if there was anything they needed, and she mentioned tires for their vehicle. Request granted (through his donation), and they were able to continue their ministry without worrying about transportation.

   Fast forward to September, 2021. Hannah Grace, Jubilee, and I were invited on a trip to Mexico with a pilot friend of Timothy’s (now a friend of ours!), Ben Shaffer, and his family. Ben officially dedicated the trip to Timothy, and we enjoyed the chance to help give and serve in a “dump” village, an orphanage, and a home-church fiesta! While loading a native missionary’s vehicle with food staples to be taken to the mountains, Ben noticed Joel's tires. “We can’t send him over the mountains with those tires.”

   The search was on, but we could find only two matching tires in the entire town, and we practically had to fight Ben for the privilege of buying them for Joel! We wanted to continue Timothy’s “tire” legacy and honor his memory where the “rubber meets the road” (But so did Ben!). I think we finally compromised and bought one each.  

   Timothy never did buy that villa in France, neither the truck, nor the tractor!  But there are people in the mountains of Mexico who will thank him in eternity for the life he lived, the love he gave, and the example he set.

   “As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:9

   “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18  

  Fifty More Years 

   A short time before Timothy moved in with Jesus, he was standing at my kitchen counter debating with me about Bible prophecy and the last days. He and I had different views about how it would all play out at the end. “I’ve read through Revelation four times, Mom!” Timothy went on to explain about the horses of the apocalypse and what they will do, then he ended his persuasive speech with “…we have 50 more years!” He stared hard at me, desperately wanting me to agree with him. I smiled back. I knew it would take too long to present my counter-points, so he left with a hug and a cup of vanilla chai for the road - and we never had the chance to finish our discussion.

   It reminded me of a conversation my dad had had with a co-worker about the book “88 Reasons Why Christ Could Return in ’88” (Remember that one?). Dad’s friend asked him if he thought ‘88 would be ‘The Year.’ My dad said, “I have no idea when Christ will return, but the main thing is, you need to be ready to go NOW. Your day to meet the Lord could be tomorrow.” My dad said a few days later, this same man called him back and asked him the same question. Dad reaffirmed, “You need to make sure you are right with God, because you could go today, regardless of when the rapture takes place.” They talked a while longer, and when they hung up, the friend was still troubled. My dad said within a few days, his friend was killed in a tragic accident, and Dad never knew whether or not the man was saved.

   I know Timothy was born again and was ready to meet the Lord, but he sincerely wanted 50 more years. In reality, he had only a few weeks. How much time do YOU have? How sure are you that you will be allowed into Heaven? If you are 90% sure, don’t gamble on that last 10% - and don’t count on fifty more years! Let’s nail it down today!

   First of all, you can’t be good enough to go to Heaven. “I’m a good person. I’m nice. I give to the church. I never killed anyone,” etc… won’t get you in the gate. Salvation cannot be earned by good deeds; it is a free gift. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5). “It is by grace we are saved through faith … not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we could be good enough to make it to Heaven, we would be trusting in ourselves. But it is only by trusting in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that we can enter.

   As you read these verses, think about what they mean: 1. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) 2. The Wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) 3. God demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) 4. The blood of Jesus Christ, His son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) 5. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) 6. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

   How do you know if you’re saved? 1. “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” (2 Timothy 2:19) 2. “Don't you know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor 6:9-11) 3. “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

   After writing this article, I found an entry in one of Timothy’s notebooks: "At the end of my life, I would like to look back and say, “This is what God accomplished through me”… ‘getting the gospel out to people.’"

Son, that is exactly what is happening.

At the end of your life.

Rest in Peace.

Memories of Dad

 From Joseph:

   I got drawn for a once-in-a-lifetime bull elk hunt in the Wichita Mountains last December. The rules were: I could take only one person to help pack the elk out, and he had to stay at the check station until I shot something. I took Dad - knowing he wanted to go, but thinking he might be too decrepit to actually help. We would have to see.

   Long story short: I walked to the top of a ridge by sunrise and dropped an elk by 9:00 a.m. I called Dad and told him how to get to me, and said, “Get some help if you can.” He called back and left a message: “There’s no help. It’s just me and you.”  Oh, great.

   While I gutted the elk, I could hear him calling in the distance: “JoOOOoe!” I would holler back, “Yeah!” Then he would call my phone. He couldn’t hear me yelling back, didn’t see the landmarks, and didn’t know how to find a pin on his phone. I’d gut a while, and he would holler. Two and a half hours later, I had it gutted, skinned, quartered, and bagged when I finally saw some orange dragging over the peak with a bewildered look. He was legit lost!

   I wanted to pack it all out in one trip, but we couldn’t do it. Each hind quarter weighed 120 pounds! We loaded up, and I kept calling over my shoulder, “Old Man, you still back there?” He would laugh, “Yeah, I’m still here.” On our second trip out, my legs were really hurting so we sat on a fallen tree to rest. Dad said a prayer while we sat there. Dad always cried when he prayed – count on it. He thanked God for the opportunity to kill the elk and be together. We were both thinking about Tim, so Dad talked to him awhile, too. I had used Tim’s hunting knife to gut it, so we felt like he was involved.

   It took all day to pack the elk out, but when we checked it in, it was the biggest elk killed that day. Dad was so proud – as if he had shot it himself. We ate real food at a restaurant that night, instead of the usual dad-meal of sugar cookies in a tin can and Vienna sausages. I’ll remember that hunt the rest of my life. Dad was always my first call, and he was always willing to go the distance.

 From Caleb:

   I remember one time we tracked a deer for quite a ways, and finally got it.

 (The true gist of this tribute can only be achieved by reading it very slowly, with long pauses, as it was told to me. Lol! Caleb is a man of few words. J)

From Jubilee:

   A couple of weeks before Dad passed, I had an exam at school that I had just found out about that morning. I was so stressed and worried about it, I was having a mental breakdown at 7:00 in the morning! I saw Dad in the shop getting his tools together to go to work, so I called him as soon as I pulled out of the driveway. I tried so hard not to cry while I was on the phone with him just so I would seem tough.

   I said, “Dad I need you to pray that this goes well.” There was a pause, and when he started talking, I could hear his voice breaking. “I will. You’re gonna do great. God is with you, you’re smart, and I love you.” We both started bawling, and I said, “Thank you! Love you too!” Then we hung up. I passed the exam, and he was the first person I texted to tell.

 From Bethany:

   I remember Dad taking us fishing. He always stopped at the gas station first and loaded up with junk food and pop. That was the best part! I enjoyed the fishing and actually caught a few that Dad allowed me to keep in the fish basket; but the feast of junk food on the pond bank was over the top!

   Dad was also the greatest “untangler” of all time! We girls would regularly take him our necklaces to untangle, and he could do it in record time! He took his position very seriously! Shoelaces, ropes, chains - if anything was in a knot, Dad was the man!

 From Kim:

   Herb was infamous for running over the kids’ toys with the lawnmower, primarily because he mowed in the dark! The dawn’s early light would reveal various colors of shredded plastic all over the yard!

 From Hannah-Grace:

    Dad supported all my endeavors no matter how crazy. Like the time we tried to move a baby grand piano into my house by ourselves because I thought we could do it… and the time I had him personally inspect three houses (roof to foundation) because I trusted his opinion over anyone else’s, and the time he drove to Texas to pick up my first car just because I wanted a lime green beetle bug! I can’t even count how many house projects we completed together. I still have a list that we will never get to finish…

   I remember every time we went hunting, Dad walked me to and from my deer stand because of my fear that a mountain lion might eat me! He always told me I was holding a mountain lion killer in my hand! Haha! Dad was one of a kind, for sure.