Sunday MJ and I will celebrate our 46th anniversary. That is a neat trick when we are both just over 50… The years have flown by. Aaron is 42 and Jonathon turns 40 in April. When I was young I thought that attaining old age was a lifetime away…I simply did not fully realize how quick life can pass before your eyes.

When we married on March 24, 1978, Jimmy Carter was President. The Jonestown massacre happened shortly after that. I had nothing and MJ was a saint to even consent to marry such a lackluster fellow. But I had the determination to do better for my new bride. Many of my friends and acquaintances could not believe she would be interested in me…46 years…

We were both dedicated to our Christian walk. I still had aspirations of becoming a minister. The message of Christ captivated my understanding.

Early on I knew that religious thought had to make sense. Faith is vital but the doctrine of self-serving pastors had to be questioned.

Education is not our enemy it informs our thoughts. The Bible tells us that, ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.’ God is logical…

MJ is a schoolteacher and I was hired as a janitor at Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale. We set our eyes on the goal of baby boomers to own our own homes. Once Aaron arrived and then Joathon our focus has been their betterment and enjoying the joy of two wonderful sons…

When I began at SIUC I knew no one and no one knew me. I was hired from a list of over 700. People swore I must have the political pull to achieve such a good job.

Do not allow anyone to Pigeon Hole you. Casual observers have no inside knowledge of what you are capable of or what you will achieve. Much of their opinion is informed by their own prejudice and stereotyping. MJ told me not long after I was hired in 1978 that one day I would be the head of the department. I laughed as Sarah of the Old Testament did when she was told that she would bear a child long after her childbearing years. I hoped that I could obtain the first promotion of Building Custodian which was a Crew Leader.

For the last 13 years of my career, I was the Superintendent of Building Services and before those years I was the Assistant Superintendent of Building Services for 12 years.

God has been good to the Seeker.