Aside from my physical birth, the single most important event in my life occurred when I was 8 years old and invited Jesus to come into my heart.
We had moved to Houston from a small town in Oklahoma named Sand Springs, just outside of Tulsa in 1953 when I was 5.
I remember clearly that it was a Sunday morning. I was in the living room by myself watching the television.
It was Easter Sunday. As I sat in the floor in our living room watching the tv, one of those Easter programs came on about the crucifixion of Christ.
Now you have to understand that my parents were not at all religious although my mom had gone to church as a young girl growing up, but in 1953, she was only 21 and had hardly grown up, herself.
When we lived in Sand Springs, my grandmother would make sure that on Sunday morning, she would come by and pick up my sister and I and take us to her church, Broadway Baptist church. Of course we went to Sunday School and sometimes I would go in to the worship service and listen to Brother Copeland, the pastor give his message. But by then I really did not have any understanding of much of anything that was being talked about.
When we moved to Houston, i was finally free of going to church because, as I said, neither of my parents were at all religious and that was fine with me.
So here I was sitting there when this program came on about the crucifixion. Of course they started with the trial, and the mocking and the scourging and as I watched I was impressed that He never opened His mouth to protest or vindicate His actions. He never answered His accusers. This impressed me-why I don’t know but it did.
I began to pay closer attention and as they took Him to the cross and nailed Him there, I suddenly felt very sad. I realized that this man did nothing to deserve the punishment that He was receiving.
Finally, as He hung there and as I sat there, He cried out, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” And then John 3:16 was quoted, “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe on Him would not parish but have everlasting life.”
I don’t really remember what else I was thinking but before I new it, I was on my knees confessing that I was a sinner and asking God to forgive me for my sins. I was crying because I was sorry that Jesus had to die for me. And then all of sudden, I was peaceful. I remember the peace and realized that something had happened to me. I didn’t know what, but I knew I was different inside.
From that day on, I was changed. My conscience was so sensitive that any time I did anything wrong I would get sick to my stomach until I told my parents.
But the most peculiar thing was that I felt like I had been marked out and was different, from everyone else.
As I grew up, that feeling of being called, never left me. Even in high school and college I knew.
Over the years, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but I have never done anything that when I confessed it to the Lord, I felt like He couldn’t forgive me.
Looking back, I suspect that on the tv that morning, they quoted Romans 3:23 which says that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, And probably Romans 6:23 which says that the wages of sins is death. Because I knew without a doubt on that morning, that Jesus had died for my sins and that He had paid the price for me.
When I prayed that morning, I opened my heart to Him and He came into my heart. And I know that He will never leave me or forsake me, no matter what I’ve done. Because that’s what you do for someone when you’ve given your life for them.

Rather late in life, I’ve decided to beginning a journal of sorts. I’d like to share my memories, thoughts, impressions and probably a lot of opinions.
I consider my life to be a journey with a a fixed beginning and a fixed end, although I don’t know when that will be.
I’ll share photographs, anecdotes and anything else that I think might be of interest to those who come after me.
I’ll also share some spiritual things. I’ll share my personal testimony. I’ll share some of my mistakes and their consequences, both at the time of and as a result of.
I hope that those who read it will find that some of my experiences will help them enjoy some of the things I’ve enjoyed and avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made.
In the end, I hope that in some way the reader will be entertained and enlightened by seeing the things that have happened to me in my life- along the way.