Jackson!

As the sole surviving son of a sole surviving son, the importance of my family name and the mortality of it have been ever-present companions that have served as major sources of motivation compelling me to live my life with the greatest degree of honor and righteousness possible. From my earliest days, the name “Jackson” has provided the heartbeat of my identity, the soundtrack of my daily stride and the backbone of resilience I have often needed when facing the toughest circumstances of my life. Of course, my faith in the Jesus Christ and living for the glory of His Name ultimately define me and shape all I am and all I do. Nevertheless, in His sovereignty, He gave me the heritage of the name Jackson and I have done my best to advance and protect it!

Then I became the father of daughters – only daughters. With that great blessing and tremendous responsibility I knew that I would have to live beyond the superficiality of the syllables of my name, because the name in which I took such pride in cultivating, guarding and promoting would die. Instead, I had to focus on the Foundation under the name, the Power behind the name and the Substance that actually made the name a source of beauty, honor and goodness. I had to live a life before my wife, daughters and the world that demonstrated what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control”. In other words, I had to live for God to bring glory to His Name realizing that there is no glory apart from Him. I had to let “Jackson” go. BUT GOD…

God had a surprise in store for me! What an unimaginable blessing it was to learn that the daughter of my heart, the daughter of the love of my life’s flesh, the little girl Luz and I raised together who is now a godly, honorable, strong woman navigating the course of life God has appointed for her was bearing our first grandchild. What an unexpected honor it was to learn that she and our son through marriage, Mike, had decided to give their son a name that would serve to carry on the legacy of our family name to the next generation!

It is with the utmost joy, and almost uncontainable pride that I share with you the name of our first-born grandchild:

JACKSON BRANDON COHODES!

God is truly good regardless of our circumstances! I thank Him for His mercy in giving us such wonderful gifts in our children who have internalized and actualized the values we have shared and who are now blessing us by passing the baton of our heritage to the next generation! Go get ‘em Jackson! You’ve got a great name with which to live and the Greatest Name with whom to walk! Your adventure has now begun! Until Next time…

Sam.