Winter Memories from Mahanoy Ridge

It all began on Tuesday evening February 2, 2010 when I looked outside to see a gentle falling snow. Tonight will be the perfect winter evening here on Mahanoy Ridge - typical of many that we have  enjoyed in the past... I built a nice warm fire in the fireplace, and as the falling snow closed off the world beyond, I just enjoyed the warmth of the fire, and memories of days gone by...  February 2nd is the perfect day for such reminiscing....

Tonight, I must stay up until 12:05am.. Why? Because as the story goes, the doctor looked at his watch at 12:05am and announced to Merle and Lila Wallace that they had a baby girl born on February 3, 1947... Her name - Sally Marie......     Happy Birthday!!!!

I must say that these musings have caused me to think a bit about birthdays... Why is it that we are always so taken up with birthdays? Well, its probably because we like to remember "new beginnings."  What could be any more thrilling than to welcome new life!!!   Having spent over 45 years of life with Sally, I enjoyed thinking of experiences through those years that were like new life to us....

I met Sally when she was 16.. Many of you know the story of the process that took our two separate lives and joined them together as one.

Sally and I became sister and brother in Our Heavenly Father's family, spending 43 years learning together of His Ways and walking in His Path.

We lived in San Antonio for 6 months, becoming acquainted with the Workers and Friends there and also many other young couples from all over the USA who were children in God's Family.

We lived in Baumholder Germany, where 3 other soldiers who were in God's Family met in our apartment each week for fellowship meeting. Two German Workers, Olga Hastings and Martha Leonhardt spent many days with us in our apartment. We also met with many of the German Friends while we were there.

Sally was baptized in Newry, Pa, before coming to Germany.. I was baptized in the Main River in Germany.

We returned to Lemoyne, PA to resume a normal civilian lifestyle. Sally worked evenings as a waitress, and I worked 2nd shift. We never got to bed until after 3am each morning..  While in our apartment there, we entertained Esther Potts and Virgie Wheeland for dinner. We had a card table for our dinner table, and Sally and I held the table while the girls cut their meat!!!

I worked 5 years for Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. During these years we experienced the birth of our four children - Ronald, Timothy, (Pamela) Susie, and Daniel. Wonderful experiences in new life.. We often said that we got married at 19, had 4 kids in 5 years, then we all grew up together.

Tim contacted life threatening spinal menengitis when he was 6 months old. Sally and I spent a two week vigil with him until he got beyond the danger.

We contracted with Wilson Narehood to build our first home. After we signed the contract, Wilson lost his framing sub-contractor, so he layed out the framing, and I nailed it together.

Five years later Sally and I chose to build our second home ourselves. Sally's dad, Merle and others helped, completing the major work in 9 months. We moved into the home in January without any central heating.

Through their teen years we witnessed each of our children choosing to become Children of God.

Over the years that followed our family expanded as our children took mates, and for the past 13 years we have been witnessing the birth of 11 grand-children.

This is just a few of the many wonderful memories of life that we have enjoyed. When I think of Sally, I am reminded of Proverbs 31:27-29. To many, the birthday of their loved ones is a day of sorrow, but for me this is a day of remembering the many ways the Lord has cared for us and blessed us by Sally's life.