Celebrating 15 Years!

It was fifteen years ago when Lori, Hailey, and I made the move to Shreveport. Funny, in a way it seems like yesterday - but in another way it seems like it was such a long time ago. We rented a house on McCormick in the South Highlands area. Jeanne French knew someone who knew someone who had a friend who knew someone that rented houses. Mary Johnson had gone with us to look at the different choices to give her approval. Our neighbors were the Humphries. Truman and June would watch Hailey and Heather as Lori and I would sneak to the movie at the mall. The early show cost us $1.00 each. The first day at the red house wasn't the best. I helped to unpack until I had to go back to Denison to preach a funeral. I had to leave Lori and Hailey alone in a strange house with no cable or phone service. (This was before cell phones or internet!) This was also before I had a brain.

Before we moved good friends of ours, Lacy and Dorothy Harber, visited with us. Lacy asked me if I realized how much it cost to move. I hadn't even considered that question. They wrote a check to us to help out with expenses. I don't know what to think about friends that will pay you to leave. (But I think about them often!) And it didn't take long to figure out how smart and loving they were.

Fifteen years! It has flown by. We have watched our children grow up. We have said goodbye to those families that had to move and to some of our good friends that moved on. Wow. Fifteen years! I know it is not a record or even close to one - but it is not a bad average. I want to thank Eddie and Tommy for bringing us to Shreveport. I want to thank Wendell, John, and Steve for their continuing support. I also want to thank this congregation for loving me and my family and making this a great place to call home.

December 9, 2009