Date: 5/19/2009
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: World, here we come!
<br><br>Since 1993, it has been a constant in the life of my family.  A majority of those 5,840 days have been spent at the Centerville Church of Christ Day school by either Kaylee, Jordan or Ruby.  It almost doesn't seem possible that we will graduate our third, and might I say, FINAL child from this wonderful institution this week.  We could fill storage buildings full of colored pictures, macaroni art, hand paintings, paper crowns, Halloween bags, Valentines cards, rocks picked up from the playground, sock puppets, and various and a sundry other treasures that have come off that hill where the day school resides.  This community has been so richly blessed to have this Christian daycare in its midst for so long, and countless numbers of others could honestly make the same testimony with the same words.  The Pickard kids have been able to develop wonderful, long-term relationships with so many that they have encountered along the way, both fellow-students and teachers alike.  Thank you Centerville Church of Christ for addressing a need so long ago.....you have helped give generations of children the true head start in life that they have needed.<br><br><br>I suppose it's sorta bitter-sweet, this graduation thing.  We honored our 3 high school graduates this past Sunday night ..... Anna Hullett, Roy McCoy, and Caleb Truett.  As I watched them watch a video about themselves, I noticed lots of smiles mixed in with a few tears ..... in fact, I think I noticed a tear or two on the faces of their families as well.  Steve Craft did a great job in writing little biographies about each graduate ..... Anna, the outgoing one ..... Roy, the one with the greatest laugh ..... and Caleb, the quietest & neatest one of them all.  These 3 have been a trio here at Fairfield for the biggest part of their lives and have been wonderful student leaders of the youth group.  It never fails, that upon arriving back from a youth trip of some kind, that Steve or Jerrie Wayne will always announce the same thing ..... “we didn't have a bit of problem out of any of the young people ..... they were by far the best, most well-mannered group there”.  I'm satisfied that both Steve and JW would tell you that by in large, one reason why the group is so well behaved, is because they had good senior role models to look up to.  Richie & Wanda ..... Roy & Sharon ..... Marvin & Lisa ..... we know you are all extremely proud, and you should be.  With God's help, you have raised wonderful, Christian citizens.  The world will be a better place because of them entering it.<br><br><br>We certainly also want to send out a “that-a-boy” or “girl” as it were, to Clay & Tara Chessor, Julie Gilbert, Amanda Miles, Britney Burchard & Terri Barber for all being recent college graduates in their chosen fields.  We are certainly proud of you all as well.  May God bless you as you seek to be a blessing to others in this world.<br><br><br><br>Go the extra mile - Devin     <br>