Isaiah 65:24 declare “it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

 Just a few years ago the U. S. Government changed the policy regarding the ‘Survivor Benefit Plan” under which Eleanor has been receiving a pension for her husband’s military service.  Bill served our country as a combat fighter pilot.  Since Eleanor has already reached the age of 55 when we get married, she will be entitled to benefit from this pension as long as she lives.  What a miraculous way in which our Lord has chosen to meet our financial need!  Eleanor will not loose her pension as a result of our marriage as we had been led to believe.

 We just can’t thank Him enough.  And we are so thankful that one of our friends read this previous blog post and sent us word of this provision.  (I wonder sometimes how many folks, or if anyone is reading these )

Eleanor will loose her insurance coverage and we will trust our Lord for the finances to purchase that.  But we are confident that our Lord has that under His control as well.

 What a mighty God we serve!

 I was surprised how many folks have given us that advice.  And you might be surprised at who has given us that advice and how seriously some, even Godly people, have been when they told us that.

 The old timers used to say about common law marriages that they were living together “without the benefit of clergy”.  And if there is virtue in honesty I want to be virtuous with you: Eleanor and I considered just having a wedding ceremony with the benefit of just our clergy (her preacher son) and a small gathering of family and Christian friends.  We would just not buy the license required (and sold at an ridiculously excess profit) by the government.

 I found that there is a lot of thought in the Christian community (just check with Google) that marriage is between the man and woman and the church community.  The union and God given blessing of Christian marriage is just another area into which the state has intruded and usurped its authority.  This legal “institution” was created by (and for) the benefit of attorneys and has been a financial benefit to the state. You probably agree with me that neither is anxious to forfeit their profit from the practice.

As soon as we are “legally” married, Eleanor will loose a substantial financial income.  Her husband was a retired Air Force fighter pilot and she receives generous benefits in pension as well as insurance and PX privileges.  Now, there’s enough to challenge whether your commitment to honesty and integrity is heartfelt or just lip service

 But after wrestling thru a night of prayer and searching the Scriptures, we have come to the conclusion that we must “provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:7).  And especially in the sight of our dear GRANDchildren.  We want to walk honestly as in the day” (Romans 13:13).  Eleanor and I are committed to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called” (Ephesians 4:1).  Please pray that we will “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).  Pray that we will diligently “Take heed to the ministry which <we> have received in the Lord, that <we> fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17)

Our wedding is planned for February 4.  HALLELUJAH!  Our hearts’s desire is to keep on serving our blessed Lord and to finish well!

Dun and Eleanor

“I believe that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”   – G. K . Chesterton

One of the things that bother me most is that I can never adequately express my gratitude to you and others who help support me in the ministry of God’s Word.  Without your financial help and faithful prayer support, I would not be able to have an effective nor fruitful ministry.

 In the past month I have had the privilege of preaching in several different churches and Bible colleges in four states.  And by God’s grace, I spoke in the Baptist College of Florida yesterday and tonight I’ll be in a church in Southport, FL.  December promises opportunities in churches in Florida and Alabama.

We have set the date of February 4 for our wedding.  We plan only a small gathering of family and friends in Fayetteville, GA but if you want to and can come, we’d love to have you.

On February 5 we will fly to OREGON for our honeymoon, visit our family, introduce Eleanor to the area where God goes on His vacation and to our friends and churches there.  We will be preaching in a mission conference the end of February in Washington before returning to the SOUTH where God lives the rest of the time.

PLEASE PRAY THAT ELEANOR AND I will be effective and fruitful together in the ministrey of the wonderful Word of God.

I did not say it, God did.  ”It is not good for man to be alone…”  But I heartily agree.  (who am I to disagree with the Almighty?)  Less than 2 weeks before our Lord took Harriet back to Himself, she turned to me and said “When I’m gone, will you get together with Eleanor?”  It came so unexpectedly, out of the blue, that it upset me and I was unable to even talk with her about it.  Eleanor was my “first love” back as freshmen in college.  We were even engaged but both of us became aware that it was not of our Lord and we broke up.

With broken hearts and more questions than answers we went out separate ways.  Our Lord have her a Godly young man and God gave me Harriet.  And now, 50 years later our Lord has brought us together again.    Harriet and I renewed a friendship with Eleanor at a college reunion 6 or 8 years ago… not much more than exchange of Christmas cards and occasional notes and emails -and the class reunions.  And her name always brought the comment from Harriet, “Eleanor is such a sweet person!”

“When I’m gone…?” was one of those phrases that she used more and more often in the last year of what I believe she knew were her last months.  As I’ve thought back over that statement that so surprised me and shocked me then, I’ve come to understand that this one was more of an instruction than a question.  It was really another of those on my “Honey do” list.  She had constantly instructed me to “get married again”.  She even gave our girls and Peggy subtle hints and outright instructions (unbeknown to me) to watch me and make sure I got a good and Godly woman as my second wife.

Two weeks before our Lord took her home, she turned to me and said “When I’m gone, will your get together with Eleanor.” ! ! !

And then last week our Lord slipped Eleanor back into my life in a new and precious way.  She was as surprised as I was about what our friendship had blown into. I’ll tell you, that was a two-day emotional rocket ride for both of us.

But a rocket ride that has lifted both of us deeper in love with our Loving Lord Who “always gives His best to those who leave the choice to Him.”

Well, I didn’t mean to start on this rambling epilog but Julieann says I’ve been acting like a teenager since leaving Fayetteville last week.  She declares “you better go back to Georgia, Dad.  You left your mind and heart both up there!”

I love y’all and look forward to introducing you to Harriet’s choice. As you can well imagine, there are more questions to be answered and decisions to be made in the days and weeks ahead.  Not being teenagers this time, we can’t “run off to South Carolina and get married” like we talked about 52 years ago.  So we covet your prayers for us.

Does God keep His Word?  Check out Jeremiah 31:13-17!  I might not ought to admit it in print but I really like the way the Message paraphrases it: 

13 -Young women will dance and be happy, young men and old men will join in. I’ll convert their weeping into laughter, lavishing comfort, invading their grief with joy.

But I like the KJV better in 16-17: 

Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; …And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD,…”

Don’t expect to see this old man dancing, but when we covered my beloved Harriet’s ashes with that last shovel of the red Florida dirt, I would never have dreamed that my life would be anything but just as lifeless as that grave; my heart would always be as empty as that shovel and my life as fruitless as that wooden box. BUT GOD…!

 Because I have:

 gazed on many gorgeous sun rises, and felt the SON rising in my heart; 

 had the luxury of meditating on His promises while looking at a stunning Elkhorn range topped with fresh snow;

 had the comfort of communion with the Creator on long walks thru His Ponderosa pines;

 enjoyed the awesome awareness of His presence on quiet nights under a brilliant blanket of His stars; 

 experienced the unimaginable blessing of un-interrupted hours of reading His precious Word; 

 found fresh and new fellowship with old friends and new believers;

 been challenged, encouraged, comforted and blessed with phone calls, notes, emails and personal visits from so many of God’s dear people.

  How can I do anything but weep with joy and laugh out loud with excitement and sense down deep inside that my precious Lord has been my source and my strength!  He has been to me what He was to David when he was tending sheep and writing his psalms.  He IS just exactly what He WAS when He took my Harriet into his bosom.  And He always WILL BE Who and What He is no matter what the valleys of despair I experience nor the heights of happiness I enjoy. 

Been thinking about that a lot lately as I’ve looked into the rear-view mirror of life.  Reflecting on the blessed years I had the privilege of living with “Saint Harriet”. I remember things like the big green highway sign with white letters “NOGERO OT EMOCLEW”.  Remember, it’s a rear-view mirror so you have to read it backwards.

There are a lot of very precious memories, some difficult times and a few sheer agonies.  But as I look into that reflective glass or back over my shoulder, I see something else that I miss all too often.  I see Him.

My picture of Jesus is more like a 33-year-old Frank Low.  A short Jew with dark hair and beard, a twinkle in His eye and fun in His face.  And as I see Him in my backwards glance, He’s standing under that road sign in that classic of George W. Bush stance, kinda leaning forward with His hand raised in a wave about chest high.  He smiles, winks His eye and nods His head to the message on His highway marker… the road I just traveled.  In bright, bold uppercase letters it proclaims

!SYAWLA UOY HTIW MA I

(I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS!)