Since I have been tagged, my task is to tell 5 odd or interesting things about myself that most others would not know. Since almost none of my readers know me except through blogging, I can say most anything and you wont know the difference. But, I will just put up 5 things and if they are neither odd or interesting, at least I tried like a good sport.

1. My mother had two “only children” by the same father. She has seen me but has never seen my brother. My mother lost her eyesight when I was about 12 and my brother was born when I was 18. Blindness never hindered her from raising a fine boy, teaching him to read and write before he started school, mending dad’s work clothes with needle and thread, cooking, cleaning, and memorizing probably 300 phone numbers.

Mom is now close to 85, and two years ago finally had to leave her home of many years and go to a nursing center. She lived alone from 1993 until 2004. She is the best Christian I have ever known. She taught me how to live, dad taught me how to die. It was largely by observing my mom that I learned how to pray.

2. I have been a Christian almost 47 years. I was baptised in the North Fork River about 8 or 10 miles from Billy Graham’s home. I graduated from Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in Hendersonville, N.C. and attended Dallas Bible College in Dallas, Texas. I also studied at Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. I was a radio preacher for over 3 1/2 years, preaching on one station weekly for that time, and another weekly for about 2 years. I never asked for one penny and yet God provided the money for air time.

3. I have been a Right of Way Agent for the state of North Carolina, an insurance agent with 3 companies, an insurance adjuster with several companies, and for myself, a truck driver, a gas station attendant, a curb hop, a construction worker, a mechanic, a body shop manager over 20 years, sold Bibles and fire alarms door to door, worked as a waiter and cook and have been since Jan 2003 a REALTOR with Century 21.

4. For over 3 years I visited the Denton County jail in Denton Texas every Friday night teaching the Bible, singing, praying, and loving men who were convicted sexual offenders. I would not have chosen that unit for ministry but God put me there on purpose. It was one of the richest times of my spiritual life. Some of them came into a relationship with Christ and some of them were leading others when my circumstances changed and I had to discontinue my ministry there.

5. I have 6 grand children but have never had a child. Each of the grand children have inherited my good looks, charm, and super intelligence, yet we are not related by blood.

My wife and I both lost our spouses in 1997 to heart failure. We met in 1998 and were married in March of 1999. She was raised in the church of Christ and shortly after we wed we moved to Louisiana to help with 8 month old twins. I decided to forgo having my theological itch scratched each week in favor of a harmonious family life,  and we joined the White’s Ferry Road church of Christ the week end after we moved here. Most of you were born into the coC/Restoration heritage and I chose it on purpose.  I am here because I get to worship with some of the most dedicated servants of God each week that I have ever met. We lovingly call our congregation our “forever family” and it is.

I love the richness of the heritage,  the a cappella singing thrills my soul, and the simplicity of our faith is genuine. I am also not hesitant to point out those who threaten the sheep I have come to love and work along side. Those who are bent upon putting a yoke of legalism on those made free in Christ are likely to hear from me.

I am quite content in this “Liberal” church family. We are liberal with love, liberal with forgiveness, liberal with forgetting the past, liberal in helping the hurting both physically and spiritually, and liberal on preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth.

I will tag 5 other people in the next post. I having to give it some thought.

Grace and Peace

Royce