World Renewal International

I have been reading in the Old Testament and am reminded how important the phrase “from one generation to another,” seems to be. If you believe, as I do, the Bible is the Word of God, and that while he spoke through the personality of the many different writers of the Bible, the finished product we hold in our hands is what He chose for us to have as “His Words.” I figure if He can come up with photosynthesis and hang the planets on nothing, He can make sure we have the right words to look to as His Word.

In the Bible they are always listing that He is the “God of Abraham, Isaac”, etc. I want to remind you as my children that you have that kind of heritage. I could say with all truthfulness that the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the God of my great grandfather Frank “Happy” and Mary Harris, Gerald and Mable Wright and all their children, Paul and Luella Milne and their children, Robert and Bernice Wright and Gene and Barbara Wright, William David Addison. We have a family who has not only had faith in God-Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ has come to the center of all those lives at some point as the foundation of all things, the Source.

Let’s be clear, none of the names above were perfect people. Like us, their lives were filled with wrong choices, actions and words. However, all of them, and I do mean all of them made their choice at some point in their lives to make Jesus Lord. We all get things wrong in life. We all make some bad choices. I am sure you can enumerate some of mine, especially those that may have affected you in a negative way, but I hope you and your children do not get it wrong about Jesus Christ. He has been proven to be the life-source and the eraser of poor choices. My vocab goes bankrupt talking about Him.

It has never been difficult for me to find models to pattern my life after. We have awesome men in our family. I grew up next door to my mother’s parents in Wilkinson, Indiana. I lived there from my birth to the time I was 16. When I was five we lived for a year in the parsonage of Oak Ridge Friends Church, near Marian, Indiana. Dad was pastor of that congregation. It is now Liberty Friends but the house we lived in is still the parsonage.

My parents purchased a lot next to my grandparents, from my grandparents in Wilkinson. They built a small house that was later tuned into the car garage. That was where they lived when I was born June 11, 1951. I was born in the hospital in New Castle, Indiana. By the way, your mother was born in that same hospital and we shared the same family physician, Dr. Scott, who was a good friend of granddad Addison.

My parents later built a larger house on the lot. My first memories are of this newer house. One of those first memories is that I was playing with some dishes in a cement bag. However, by mistake I flipped the fine powder into my eyes causing instant stinging and pain. This may be my first memory as my dad came and picked me up and washed my eyes with water. Both of ]these buildings along with my grandparents’ house are still standing as of this writing.

Living so close to my grandparents all those formative years shaped my life. Grandpa Milner,[pictured as I called him was awesome. He had to retire early because of a hip injury. Almost half of his life, he walked with a cane, crutches or a walker. He was injured going to work in an auto accident. It was a car pool. He was sitting in the back seat where the impact was. He spent most of that second half setting of his life in his recliner or out on his screened-in porch. His lack of mobility at times had to be frustrating to him, but it was my gain. He was always there for me.

He stayed positive, was never bitter, and made the best of a really difficult injury that would cause him great pain, discomfort and inconvenience for the rest of his life. He made it clear that Jesus was the Lord of his life. He could be caught everyday reading and studying the Bible. He was a great teacher of adults at Sunday School. He was also a church vocalist and singer. He was built like our Jonathan. He had a powerful voice when he sang. Most importantly he lived what he taught and sang. He was clearly a man of God.

I wanted you to know these things.