45 Years ... and still counting

Good Morning!

Has it really been forty five years? It doesn’t seem like that many years have passed … but they have, one day at a time. At 6:30 P.M. on Wednesday March 16, 1966 in the chapel at Druid Hills Presbyterian church in Atlanta Georgia, Norma Pennington and I were married. There is no hiding it … we were kids … scared kids faced with adult responsibilities for really the first time in our lives. But God was and is gracious to us … surrounding us with His protective grace, keeping us for the days ahead.

God has blessed us each and every day of our married life. That is not to say that we have not had rocky patches along the way … who hasn’t? But throughout this journey, God has been centered in our lives; meeting our needs; giving us a few wants now and then; but always – always present in times of trouble and stress.

God has blessed us with five children … each one a winner … each one a testimony to God. God has given our children spouses and children of their own. We have twelve grandchildren … one great grandchild. And there’s not a throwback in the bunch. To be sure, our children have their own minds – and don’t always do what we might want them to do … but we taught them to think for themselves … and they do. And that is success.

God has surrounded us with family and friends. We have never lacked for anything. Money may have gotten tight at times … but the love of those around us has sustained us even in those times. We have had our share of illnesses – and good friends who came to sit with us while our spouse was under the knife. We witnessed God’s pure love in the lives of those He has surrounded us with … and given us joy.

I am grateful to God for all he has done. And I am grateful to Miss N. She should get an endurance medal for having to put up with this old fellow. One of the joys I have is to walk hand in hand with my Miss N. When we were dating, we would each walk from our home to meet at the bridge on Houston Mill Road. When we met, we would take each others hand and walk back to Miss N’s house. I still like holding her hand.

Thank you for reading this rambling message … we love you.

Agape’


Mr. Jim