Favorite Bible Verse: Romans 8:28
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Books read recently:
The Author of Our Faith - Jerry Mullinax; A Time to Kill - John Grisham; Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
What do you enjoy in your spare time?
I enjoy playing softball and basketball. I play on my days off from teaching in the Henderson County senior softball league. I played baseball from a youngster up through college baseball at Tennessee Temple University. Baseball was and is one of my loves. Also, I play basketball at the YMCA on Monday and Wednesday mornings when I'm not teaching. At 60 years old, I play on a team of 24-26 year old guys in the YMCA league. I try to stay active. I jog some and ride my bike in the warm months.
Other things you enjoy?
I also enjoy playing sports games on XBOX 360, PS3, and the Wii. Not often, but when time permits, our family challenges each other in games, such as Madden or racing games. With 3 active son-in-laws and small grandsons, there's always a challenge. Norma and I love to go to our grandsons' ballgames. I love teaching. I teach English at Greenville Technical College in Greenville, SC. I've been teaching there for 12 years. I enjoy teaching poetry, fiction, and drama. I've written 3 novels [Jasper's Castle, The Elephant with a Trunk on Its Head, and Enoree). I've written sermon books: [The Author of Our Faith, The A, B, C's of the Christian Family, For Thou Art But a Youth, Gathering Sticks, Losing Weight, Strengthen Your Building, and others]; I've written several church-related Christmas plays: E. R. Christmas, Rapture at Yuletide, The Aborted Christmas, and Christmas Bottles. I've written many poems, one is entitled Buddy's Band, about my dad's 54 years in the ministry; one entitled Taylor Made, for a Mother's Day gift to my mom; A Tree Like Me, Timeless Encounter, Ice Storm, What Held Jesus to the Cross, He Pulled the Plow, and many others. I'm working on a short story now called Control-Z. I've written several songs, including Be Content, Come on Over into Macedonia, We Have Hands, Changed, Yet Not I, The Fruit of the Spirit, Preeminence, He Accepted Me, Take Me Out to God's House.
What do you love about Little River and its people?
The people of Little River are wonderfully genuine. They love us and treat us so kindly. Everyone at the church is so involved and active. What I like personally about Little River is that they like what they like. LRBC reminds me of a Bible Verse in Judges 7:21 "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp."
Special thing you would like to share?
I earned my college degree when I was 40 years old, my Masters degree when I was 46. I was scouted by several professional baseball teams, including the Yankees. In my senior year at TTU, after batting .421 with several homers, I tore my shoulder. That set me back in my opportunities in baseball. Norma and I had over 100 teenagers in our Sunday School class on Sunday years ago when we were youth directors. There were over 60 choir members in one choir back in the day and we made a recording. Norma is an excellent cook. She was a dental assistant for 16 years before she was rear-ended in a car accident. She now works up front in a dental office. I have worked over 30 years on church staffs and yet have only been in four churches. I still suffer from the side effects of chemo. My brother, Don, a pastor in SC, died of cancer the year we were both diagnosed.