Happy Birthday to the girl I love!

Today is Betty’s birthday. She is more beautiful than the day I first met her. I first met her she was running for Freshman Class President at Shorter College. She was giving away little ads with a piece of candy stuck on each to ask for our vote. I told her that I could vote for a girl like that.

I guess the next time I noticed her I was shirtless in the cold fixing the water pump on somebody’s car in college and she was in her moccasins, blue jeans, and long hair looking like a young hippy of our day!

The next time my friend, Rick, took her on a date and a bunch of us all went together to get pizza. I remember thinking she sure was pretty and very sweet.

Not long after I asked her to go on a date with me. She only went because she liked the other guy who we were double dating with named Jurgen. However my youthful persistence finally paid off and she became my pride at the ripe old age of 18.

She has paid whatever price to be in the ministry with me over the years. She has worked and served. She has loved and helped hundreds.

She has lived me in 3 countries now. We married in 1973 and lived in Georgia. Moved to Alabama in 1976 and back to Georgia in 1977. Moved to Mexico in 1987 and then on to Peru in 1988. Furloughs, traveling, many different homes and finally back to the USA in December of 2005.

We have lived in 17 different houses I believe it is in 35 years. I met and married the most wonderful woman in the world.

Here are two pictures as we were in the airport on our way to Peru.

Today God has richly blessed us. We have a large clan that loves God and is serving Him. Betty has been the best mother, grandmother, wife, friend that any man could ever want to have. I love her with all of my heart.

Today is her birthday. I hope you will join me in wishing her the happiest birthday possible.

Betty, in case you haven’t figured this out over the last 36 years, I LOVE YOU!