billyga753
 
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AARP Member
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Background
Name: Billy
Birthday: July 31
Gender: Male
Status: Married
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Religion: Christian/Protestant
Location:
AUGUSTA, Georgia
United States
School:
Virginia Tech
Unversity of Georgia
Augusta State University
Thomson High School
Dearing Elementary School
"Miss" Lively's Kindergarden =)
Work:
Mental Health Director at Augusta State Medical Prison
Bivocational Pastor at Hopeful Baptist Church
Bivocational Associate Pastor at DaySpring Baptist Church
Bivocational Associate Pastor at McBean Baptist Church
Dean of Students at One Way Christian Schools
Hometown(s):
Augusta, GA
Blacksburg, VA
Athens, GA
Dearing GA
My Websites:
www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/5372/
www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/augusta_state_med_prison.html
Quote:
"WE ARE NOT ALONE!"
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About Me

Raised on a farm in the small town of Dearing, GA. I married, Rosie Norris, a city girl from Augusta, GA, in 1972. We are still together after all these years! I'm the Mental Health Director of a Prison Psychiatric Unit. Not a dull moment! Not what I thought I'd be doing after receiving my Master's Degree from VA TECH, 1976! While the State of Georgia has really turned me into the quintessential mid-manager, my true Vocational Joy has been in Christian Ministry. As a Southern Baptist Bi-Vocational Minister since 1984, Church became my Sanctuary, especially while serving at my Little Church in the Big Wood. It was like going back in time. Sadly, I had to resign from Hopeful Baptist Church, October 1999, to minister to my parents, Grover & Vera, who both died in 2000. I miss them so very much. They were the BEST! Really took care of Rosie, the kids, and me. While it feels Strange Sitting in the Pew instead of Sharing the GOSPEL from the Pulpit, it was the right decision. Our real JOY is our children, Ian, 29, and Lauren, age 27. Ian is a Computer Wizard. They both had full Academic Scholarships at ASU. Ian received his B.S. Computer Science, May 2001, with HONORS: summa cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Hope Scholar, and Highest GPA/Computer Science. Lauren received her B.A. in English, December 2002, as VALEDICTORIAN, to include summa cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Hope Scholar, and Highest GPA/Education. In 2005, she obtained her M.Ed. Always the gifted writer; she graduated from high school as Salutatorian, June 1999. Ian and Lauren both attended WESTMINSTER PREP. It was a major financial sacrifice, but God had burdened our hearts for Christian Education. God Has Richly BLESSED Us! Then, on July 13, 2002, Lauren married her first "real" boyfriend, Billy Burroughs. Having the Garrison Gift of Gab, I'm staring to Ramble On (Sounds like a Led Zeppelin Song). That's it for now. Oh! One Other Thing: We Can't WAIT for Grandchildren!

Interests:
The UGA BULLDOGS! Cannot beat SEC College Football! While Reading, Movies, & Computering are what I play at, my real interests are Rosie, my wife, Ian, my son, Lauren, my "Princess", and Billy, my son-in-law. But above all else, Faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord & Saviour! Which brings me to CHRISTMAS! I LOVE CHRISTMAS so much that I'm known as "The Christmas Daddy"!
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TOYLAND!

 

TOYLAND
  --Lyrics by Glen MacDonough; Music by Victor Herbert
 --Sung by Perry Como
 
Toyland, Toyland,
 Little Girl and Boy Land,
 While you dwell within it,
 You are ever happy there.
 
Childhood’s Joyland,
 Mystical, Merry Toyland!
 Once you pass its borders,
 You can never return again...
  
Could you guess that "Toyland" just happens to be one of my favorite Christmas Songs? I believe in carefully guarding those "borders" as much as possible -- never wanting to forget -- never wanting to lose the joy of Toyland -- never wanting to completely pass its borders...
 
My mom taught me the values of Toyland long before I had ever heard the words of the song... You should have seen mom at Christmas! She knew how to experience its wonder, celebrate its joy, and share its love with others. For example, on cold winter nights when a freeze was expected, my mom would "sneak" outside late at night and turn the water sprinklers on so that the water would "rain" on the eves and windows of our home. By morning, Ronnie, my older brother, and I would wake to a beautiful "Winter Wonderland Land" rarely, if ever, seen at Christmastime in Dearing, Georgia. I’ll never forget gazing at the artwork of those long cascading, shimmering ice cycles covering our windows...
 
As "adults" and as parents, Rosie and I have continued to take these simple poetic words to heart... trying to keep "the child in us" alive with joyful wonder and expectation, while sharing this gift with our children -- Ian, Lauren, and Billy (Lauren’s husband). It must be working, because Billy has said that having Christmas at our house is like being a child again...
 
 
TAKE ME BACK TOYLAND
--Lyrics by Kal Mann; Music by Bernie Lowe
--Sung by Nat King Cole
 
Please take me back to Toyland;
Everyone’s happy there.
 
It’s more than a girl and boy Land
Where dreams just like toys can be shared.
 
If you believe in Toyland,
Believe in things that you cannot see;
 
All the world would become a Joyland;
What a Wonderful World this would be...
 
  
Let’s all try to hold on to "Childhood’s Joyland, Mystical, Merry Toyland" as much as we can,

Billy & Rosie

Added: November 29, 2008
Views: 82 | Comments: 3 | Bookmarks: 0
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  Comments (209)  
jen43
jen43 says:
Billy, I'm so pleased about your journal being featured in the Leisure section ! Way to go !...Hey. it's almost Friday...do you have to work the weekend ?....Jen
Posted: December 4, 2008 6:55PM EST
13wolfman
13wolfman says:
I can relate sorta to the Toyland jingle, cuz I'm a Toys R Us kid with no intention of growing up. (drives my mom crazy, cuz my dad's the same way sometimes) But you have to understand, I once heard you could never return to your childhood so I decided "screw it; then I ain't leaving.
Anyway, the reason I dropped by was to see if you wuz gonna be in Athens next week when your Hokies drop in to visit your Dawgs in basketball Tuesday night.
Posted: December 4, 2008 10:11AM EST
billyga753
billyga753 says:
Same here... That's Why I Never Grew Up! I mean who would want to be a "Grump"... Oooppss, "Grown-up"!

DAWGS Vs. HOKIES -- Nope! Unlike The Wolfman, I only do NCAA FOOTBALL =o) Interestingly, a couple of years ago, both "My Teams" were matched up in a Bowl Game... I tried to pull for Va Tech the first half (that lasted about a minute)... I've the HEART of a DAWG!
Posted: December 4, 2008 4:46PM EST
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