Joan

When we got transferred to AR, I decided to go to work outside the home. This helped me gain confidence in myself and I had lost my parents in a tragic incident, so I decided I would leave my husband. He filed for divorce immediately and was married again in a couple of weeks. My son was 18 at this time and my daughter 14.

I met John, my current husband, in 1982. After telling everybody repeatedly I would never remarry, we were married in 1984. John is a very good husband. He retired from the Air Force in 1982 and then retired from the Post Office in 1997. My greatest heartache is that he is not saved. While I can say he is a very good man, he will not open his heart to God. I try to not harp on it and I try to live my live in a way to witness to him. It is a touchy situation and I welcome prayer for our marriage and John's salvation.

I was raised in the Baptist church and we were in church every time the doors were open. I went forward as a young girl and told everybody I was saved but I later discovered this was not true. I stopped going to church after I married but there was always a nagging in my heart that something was missing. I did not start back to church until after I married John. Just got up one day about a year after we were married and told John I was going to church. This surprised him but out the door I went. I went to the first Baptist church I came to and fell in love the Pastor and people. The church is a strong New Testament Church and I have learned so much there. Well, it didn't take me many Sundays before the Holy Spirit touched me and I opened my heart to my Savior and my Lord. There was so faking here - I acknowledged I was a sinner, confessed my sins, repented and thanked the Lord for sending His only Son to die for me so I could live.

While there have been tragedies in my life, I have to say God has truly blessed my life. My son had a brain Aneurysm in 1990 and it was already bleeding when they did the surgery. It was deep in the brain but he did survive - Praise the Lord. However, he is 100% disabled now. He has had many emotional and mental problems since this time but he is on medication and doing great. He is able to live alone and I check on him very often. I am proud to say he loves the Lord so much and does not hesitate to tell people this.

My daughter is married to a man in the Air Force. They have their up and downs but I love her husband as a son so try to never interfere. I wish they were more faithful in their Christian walk though. When my only grandchild was born, Jim was gone with the Air Force so I got to be Kim's coach. Wow! That is all I can say. It was fantastic to see my beautiful grandchild come into this world. My daughter had many complications and she is not able to have further children so Jayme is really special to us all. Now, I will have to admit I have contributed to spoiling her a wee bit. She is a strong willed young lady but loved so deeply.

I love to read my Bible and study God's Word. My husband teases me that I don't need any more Bibles, but I seem to feel I have to always have just one more. I do like to read different translations and I also think this helps me understand better.

I retired when I was 60 years old. I had worked for Regal Ware, Inc. for nearly 20 years when they closed their plant in AR. I was the H.R. Manager when they closed. I am a very quiet person (nearly an introvert) so people have always laughed over what I did. I tried to do my job as God wanted me to. I never failed to say a silent prayer when a discipline problem came up or if somebody came to me for counseling. When I did retire, I was proud to say Jesus was visible in all my actions during my work career. I had many people tell me over the years they could tell I was a Christian. What a compliment!

While viewing a Christian website I saw Esther listed as one of the top Christian sites. I felt led to go to this site and I have been blessed every since. I pray I will be a blessing to my Esther sisters and I am blessed daily by them.