The Circuit Ridin’ Preacher

July 4th – We had a great time celebrating the independence of our beloved nation.  Both sisters, daughter Kristie and her family, niece Kara and a friend of hers enjoyed the best barbeque chicken I’ve ever had -and I’ve tried plenty.  Son-in-law Franz prepared and cooked them and they were ‘larapin’ -which is a whole notch better than delicious!  As Ron Hudson would say “they’d make you lips go flippity flop!”

July 5th – Daughter-in-law Wendy just called to say that they are at the Portland, OR airport where she and Nathaniel are getting ready to board a flight to Florida!  It is Nathaniel’s 7th birthday and they are going to spend a week with us.  They’ll leave Michael at home to feed the dog and cut the grass.  Needless to say, Harriet and I are ecstatic about having all 3 of our GRANDsons here tonight!

BUT FIRST- I will have the blessed privilege of preaching God’s Wonderful Word in the Kingswood Baptist Church in Southport.  Harriet and I fell in love with that congregation when we were there in January.  Will miss Pastor Morris and Sue Denman.  They are precious saints and good friends!

My aunts tell us that when I was born in Columbus, GA, Mother’s best friend was holding her hand. As soon as I was born she said “I’m going home and start our family. I’ll have a girl for him to marry”. True to her word, she returned to Marianna, FL and 10 months and 2 days later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. 21 years later (June 30, 1962), her earthly Mother and Father gave her to me as my wife. But I know where she really came from! “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. Pro 19:14!”

And here’s the proof that Harriet was a beautiful baby!   

Don’t know just how old she was when this was taken.!

Harriet was 3 years old and I was 4 when this was taken.  We were playmates when our families visited between our homes in Columbus, GA and Montgomery, AL.

I’m still peddling hard to try to keep up with her!

This is the picture that appeared in the newspapers in June of 1962 announcing the engagement of Miss Harriet Ann Long of Montgomery, AL to Rev. Dun Gordy of Columbus, GA.  The wedding was held in Highland Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery on June 30.

I thought it was the best day of my life!  BUT every day with her gets better and better!

We used to joke about the rigid rule of flexibility.  Now that rule seems to be even more stiff and unbending than ever.

We were planning to sneak away from the oppressive heat of the beach for a few days in the mountains. Had reservations made and our bags packed.  But Harriet proved to be a bit too rigid and unbendable. Instead of ‘rolling with the flow’ she suffered a hard landing and bruised her landing gear pretty badly

She apparently fainted in the bathroom and took a bad fall on a solid and unbending floor Wednesday night. When I got to her, she had a bad scrape and bruise on her hip and her left forearm was bleeding. We just praise the Lord that there were no broken bones. She has been a mighty sore lady!

We went to another specialist to get the infection in her ear checked yesterday. He gave us a prescription for antibiotic drops (she had been on an antibiotic IV for 5 doses). He said it was looking better and 10 more days of the drops in her ear should clear it up completely.

Our foster son Tom and his family have been visiting from Colorado.  Tom is a a cop in Denver and Kristen is a detective on the Littleton force.  While here Kayden celebrated his 5th birthday.  Brooklyn will celebrate her 3rd in a week or so.  They are enjoying the golf cart and the world’s most beautiful beaches.  And of course, Grandma is always ready to party!  Complete with cake and ice cream and a few presents. 

Did you know that Satan is a liar?!?!

One of the big lies that he told me when we stepped out of the blessed ministry and sweet security of our church to serve as foreign missionaries was that we would never enjoy the privileged fellowship of our loving family. And indeed, some of the most lonesome days were in a jungle somewhere surrounded by tribal people and missionaries while the Gordy clan gathered at a family reunion in Georgia; or

in a busy city hurrying between meetings in Singapore while my cousins were gathering to burry a favorite aunt or uncle in Columbus; or

surrounded by crowds of God’s greatest young folks, helping prepare them for a SUMMIT trip and Harriet and I ‘celebrating’ our anniversary 9,000 miles apart…

BUT GOD has certainly repaid us with blessings beyond measure in spite of these minor ‘sacrifices’. Pictured here is Harriet in our living room surrounded by 22 or more (who could tell?) cousins, nieces, nephews, grandsons, sister and daughter celebrating GRANDson Matthew’s 9^th birthday on May 22! What a privilege for us!

Another of those lies Satan told me was that I did not have enough faith to go with a mission board that did not pay salaries or expenses or anything else. He was almost right in that one – I didn’t have enough faith but God’s supply is not limited to how MUCH faith we have or do not have. The issue is: WHO do I trust! And as we trusted our Lord, in spite of my little faith He has cared for us over and above all that we could have imagined.

Another of his lies was that no one would ever support us. No church or individual would take their precious little resources and share them with us. But again, God has shown Himself faithful and laid on the hearts of so many of His people over the years to supply our every need!  How can we but praise and thank HIM!