About myself

                                                            



   I am a Christian.  A serious Christian.  I repented of the way 
   of sin and darkness and turned to God and the "Way of Light and 
   Life" that is found in Jesus Christ in a Baptist revival 
   meeting at the age of nine.  As the Baptists would say, I was 
   "saved", I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I gave 
   my heart to Christ.  And I was serious about my decision.  I 
   spent a lot of time during my childhood reading the Bible and 
   read it through more than once.  I spent a lot of time in the 
   gospels and the epistles.  The New Life spoken of there was my 
   life.  I was determined to be a true Christian, not a sham 
   Christian.   I have never uttered a curse word or profane, 
   vulgar, obscene or four letter word in my life.  Never.  Not 
   ever.  And I have never been tempted to do it.  Why?  I am a 
   Christian.  A born-again Christian.  Underneath it all is an 
   allegiance.  An allegiance going back to my conversion.  An 
   allegiance to that Most High God and to the way of Decency, 
   Righteousness and Goodness that he stands for.  I am a 
   teetotaler and have always been one.  I have never touched 
   either alcohol or tobacco.  Why?  The same reason.  And, of 
   course, I have never even considered trying any drugs.  That 
   would be really far out.  I can't imagine myself being that 
   dumb.  I neither dance nor gamble.  I swore off watching 
   television when I was in my early twenties and rarely watch it 
   now.  Movies?  It has been many, many years since I have been 
   to a movie.  I went to a few in my youth.  After getting up and 
   walking out of some in disgust I gave up on them.  Underneath 
   it all is a knowledge of right and wrong that goes back to 
   childhood and a commitment to the Way of Right, the way of 
   decency, integrity, goodness and morality that is part of being 
   a Christian.  
   
   The Bible has been the rock and anchor and foundation of my 
   life.  It has been the book of my life.  I believe in the Bible 
   and its teachings. I believe in its truth and reliability.  I 
   believe in it as the answer for the troubles of the human soul.  
   And it all goes back to the Bible reading of my youth and that 
   new-found faith that I found in it. 

   Struggle?  Temptations?  The ridicule of the crowd?  The 
   difficulty of walking a lonely path?  They were all there.  
   They are part of the Christian life. 

   My background?  I was raised in the country, on a dairy farm.  
   My raising was very strict -- we children were taught strict 
   and unquestioning obedience -- and physical discipline was 
   used.  My father was a very hard worker who farmed as well as 
   working a regular job.  He grew up during the depression years 
   and that left a strong stamp on his outlook and character.  I 
   never saw him smoke, drink, gamble, swear, or use any kind of 
   bad or low language.  My mother was a good, decent, caring 
   Christian mother.  I thank God for her.  I was raised on hard 
   farm work.  Father worked hard and he expected his children to 
   work hard, too.  Morning and evening there were farm chores.  
   Mostly milking the cows twice a day.  I got up at 5:00 in the 
   morning in a cold upstairs bedroom of an old farmhouse, 
   dressed, and waded through three foot snow drifts to get to the 
   barn to help milk twenty four dairy cows before breakfast and 
   school on many a winter morning.  And then, after breakfast, I 
   walked a mile and a half to the small one-room country school 
   that I attended through grade eight.  Then in the evening we 
   milked the cows again.  This was in the early 50's.  I did what 
   I had to do.  And I never resented it.  My father paid me a 
   salary.  One dollar a week -- a salary which gradually 
   increased over the years through a series of fifty cent wage 
   increases to two dollars and fifty cents per week.  During the 
   summers I spent a great deal of time on a John Deere tractor 
   out in the fields.  And summer was the time for putting up hay.  
   For several years we put it up into the mow loose.  Then we 
   started baling it.  In addition to dairy farming we also raised 
   red raspberries and cucumbers.  I spent many a hot summer day 
   picking red raspberries or cucumbers (as did, also, the rest of 
   our family).  I wouldn't trade that childhood for anything.  It 
   wasn't all work.  I spent many hours fishing in the river 
   behind our farm. 

   I was an A student and at the top of my classes in high school. 
   My main interest was mathematics, physics, chemistry, and 
   science, although I took an interest in all the subjects and 
   did well in all of them.  The secret to my success?  Hard work, 
   perseverance, determination.  I knew what I wanted.  I was 
   motivated.  I had goals and aspirations that required a college 
   degree.  I attended college on a scholarship, studied 
   mathematics and physics, and obtained a degree.  I worked in 
   research as my life career.  In my mid twenties I met and later 
   married a very attractive and sweet girl.  We have been married 
   for over 35 years and our marriage has been a very quiet, 
   serene and happy one.  

   I look around me.  I see a society where indecency, crudeness, 
   obscenity and badness appear to be the norm.  Most people 
   appear to have lives of turmoil and badness.  My life has been 
   a good one.  Life is what you make it.  Life is what you are.  
   I believe God has watched out over me in a special way over the 
   years.  I believe His protective hand has been over me.  And He 
   has blessed me greatly, in every way.  There is no doubt about 
   that.