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38.
Part of the Human Family
This chapterconcludes the text ofthe author's 1993
keynote address at Christian Homes ofAbilene.
Ladies and gentlemen, how did we arrive at this
point? Dumb luck? Providence? Only our Heavenly
Father knows. Who else could have known that things
were set in motion when a young sailor was stationed
in Honolulu in the early 1950's. There, while working
part-time as a used car salesman, he attended church
with a family whose little girl would attend Abilene
Christian University a decade later.
That young lady often babysat his children while in
college. And she admired him so much, she even let
him try to talk her out of marrying a no-account West
Coast guy who was at that time a marginal student,
going nowhere and without hope. Nevertheless, love
conquers all.
A half dozen years later, and while living in San
.Antonio in the Air Force where I was the Commander
of the 3707th Basic Training Squadron, we were
pleased to take the advice of this gentleman and begin
a great adventure with Christian Homes. I'm glad that
the home study found us to be "normal (Ok, you gave
us the benefit of the doubt)."
So, we extend a "thank you" to (our kids grew up
calling him "Uncle Dusty") our dear friend, Dusty
Rhodes -- his delightful wife, Nancy -- and to our
Father in Heaven who made life not only possible, but
also worthwhile.
And, no doubt you have heard the expression, "God
couldn't be everywhere, so he made Mothers." I'd like
to suggest a footnote to that: "Mothers couldn't be
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