TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 2, 2022, IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY! Curious yet? So
much for suspense.
Tomorrow will be our 45th Wedding Anniversary and as special as that is, that day is also a reminder that I have been triple blessed: 45 years ago I married my beautiful bride, and for 10 years she prayed for me to be saved - so for 35 years I have been a Christian believer - and on July 23, 2022, I became an 85 year young, happily married, Christian believer.
That makes this my 35-45-85 YEAR! 35 years saved and secure in Christ - 45 years of wedded bliss - 85 years young and counting! Yes, a very blessed man.
I shared the true story below five years ago. So with a bit of updating, I want to share with you once more how God took a boy out of the bars of Southern California - and placed me into a happy Christian home. That in preparation, based upon His divine foreknowledge, for me to become a member of His family. And as frosting on the cake, several years before I became a believer He prepared me for the writing ministry He had planned.
To do that He guided me toward a Creative Writing class taught by Mrs. Mary Posner, a great teacher, at our local Santa Ana College. That's another story I will share later. But with my God-prepared, God-given writing ministry, now no one can shut me up. Or as Dory puts it, she prayed for ten years for me to become a believer - only to find that she had created a monster who loves to talk and write about God and our Christian faith. But she is only joking, I hope!
To close this introduction if anyone is curious what Dory and I will do for our 45th Wedding Anniversary - we are staying home! Why so dull? Because our California weather has been well over 100 degrees recently and will stay that way for at least another week, with lots of pollen in the humid air - so being an 84 and 85 Year Young couple, the better part of valor is to stay home, hug, wish one another Happy Anniversary - and look forward to our 55th!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bill Gray shared on September 1, 2017 - (edited and updated)
OVER 50 YEARS AGO I saw the 1962 movie "No Man Is An Island" - the true story of an American sailor, George Tweed, trapped on Guam during World War 2 when the Japanese captured the island. A Filipino family hid him in caves for several years until the American forces recaptured Guam.
In the movie Tweed falls in love with the Filipina daughter played by Barbara Perez, a Pinoy actress then known as the Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines. The story of George Tweed is true; the story of a romance was Hollywood - for Tweed was happily married to his wife in America.
But when I saw Barbara Perez, I told myself, "The Filipina is the perfect woman - the fire of the Latina with the grace and femininity of the Asian." And that day I decided that I was going to marry a Filipina. I only had one problem - where to find one.
Today I know that problem could have been solved by either going to a church - or by going to a medical clinic or hospital. But in those days, long before I was a Christian believer, my church was the bars and nightclubs of Southern California. And I was in good health, so no help there. Yet I knew I was not going to find a Filipina in a bar or night club that I could take home to mom.
But God is good. One evening In early 1977 He found me in my place, a nightclub at the Saddleback Hotel in Santa Ana, California. And guess what? The Red Carpet Real Estate company held their weekly meetings on Wednesday evenings in one of the Saddleback Hotel conference rooms.
That evening as I was preparing for my evening of frivolity, one of my friends, Lupe, looked toward the lobby and told me, "Bill, there is Rita." Rita was a Filipina I had been dating - but not one I would take home to mom. I told Lupe, "No, that is not Rita. But I definitely want to meet that beautiful lady."
And to make a long story a wee bit shorter - Dory and her girl friend, Phil, were just coming out of the Red Carpet meeting and were still in the lobby. I managed to introduce myself, we talked for awhile, and a week and a half later, on a Saturday evening, we had our first date.
The next morning I went to church with her, not my usual Sunday routine, but pleasant. How beautiful Dory was that Sunday morning, in a yellow, almost gold, full length summer dress and wearing a wide brim straw hat of the same color. That afternoon we went for a ride, went to a movie at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and then had our first dinner date at the Quiet Cannon (now just named The Cannon) in Dana Point.
That was a defining evening. We had a booth which looked out over the Dana Point Marina, it was dusk, and the whole scene had that magical glow. Just the kind of environment to cause love to blossom and begin to- grow.
From that day, we never dated anyone else. And on September 2, 1977, Dory became my wife, partner, soul mate, and eternal love. We were wed at the court house in Santa Ana, California, and had a short honeymoon in Ensenada, Mexico, because I had just started a new job.
We still wanted a real honeymoon and for some reason I wanted us to have a church wedding. Why did I, not a believer, want a church wedding? I can think of several reasons. First, I knew that church was important to Dory.
And, second, now after being a Christian believer for 35 years - I know that God is always tugging at our hearts, knocking on the door of our hearts (Revelation 3:20), wanting us to choose to be part of His Eternal Family. So on September 2, 1980, our 3rd anniversary, we had our church wedding in Honolulu and we had our Hawaiian honeymoon.
On our 6th anniversary we decided to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for another honeymoon and to get married again. But search as we might, and with help from an Hispanic couple we met who were vacationing there at their timeshare, the only Protestant church we could find was a burnt-out hull. So we had to settle for an Anniversary Dinner with this nice couple and their family.
My mom asked Dory, "Why does Bill like to get married again every three years?" Mom was a Southern Belle and did not understand such thinking. Dory told her, "That way he always feels like he has only been married for three years." I told you my Filipina wife is smart!
In 1983, I accepted a position as Western Regional Sales Manager with Phoenix Computer Graphics, a computer graphics company in Lafayette, Louisiana. One of my stipulations was that I be given the first week of September off to get married again.
The president of the company, a very distinguished, white haired lawyer turned businessman, wrote in my offer letter: "And we will give you one week off so that you may legitimize your already legitimate marriage." Who said lawyers do not have a sense of humor?
In Closing, Tomorrow I Declare Marks My 35-45-85 Year! ~ THIRTY-FIVE years I have been a Christian believer ~ FORTY-FIVE years I have been wed to my Filipina Bride ~ and I am EIGHTY-FIVE years young. God has truly blessed me.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Tomorrow will be our 45th Wedding Anniversary and as special as that is, that day is also a reminder that I have been triple blessed: 45 years ago I married my beautiful bride, and for 10 years she prayed for me to be saved - so for 35 years I have been a Christian believer - and on July 23, 2022, I became an 85 year young, happily married, Christian believer.
That makes this my 35-45-85 YEAR! 35 years saved and secure in Christ - 45 years of wedded bliss - 85 years young and counting! Yes, a very blessed man.
I shared the true story below five years ago. So with a bit of updating, I want to share with you once more how God took a boy out of the bars of Southern California - and placed me into a happy Christian home. That in preparation, based upon His divine foreknowledge, for me to become a member of His family. And as frosting on the cake, several years before I became a believer He prepared me for the writing ministry He had planned.
To do that He guided me toward a Creative Writing class taught by Mrs. Mary Posner, a great teacher, at our local Santa Ana College. That's another story I will share later. But with my God-prepared, God-given writing ministry, now no one can shut me up. Or as Dory puts it, she prayed for ten years for me to become a believer - only to find that she had created a monster who loves to talk and write about God and our Christian faith. But she is only joking, I hope!
To close this introduction if anyone is curious what Dory and I will do for our 45th Wedding Anniversary - we are staying home! Why so dull? Because our California weather has been well over 100 degrees recently and will stay that way for at least another week, with lots of pollen in the humid air - so being an 84 and 85 Year Young couple, the better part of valor is to stay home, hug, wish one another Happy Anniversary - and look forward to our 55th!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bill Gray shared on September 1, 2017 - (edited and updated)
OVER 50 YEARS AGO I saw the 1962 movie "No Man Is An Island" - the true story of an American sailor, George Tweed, trapped on Guam during World War 2 when the Japanese captured the island. A Filipino family hid him in caves for several years until the American forces recaptured Guam.
In the movie Tweed falls in love with the Filipina daughter played by Barbara Perez, a Pinoy actress then known as the Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines. The story of George Tweed is true; the story of a romance was Hollywood - for Tweed was happily married to his wife in America.
But when I saw Barbara Perez, I told myself, "The Filipina is the perfect woman - the fire of the Latina with the grace and femininity of the Asian." And that day I decided that I was going to marry a Filipina. I only had one problem - where to find one.
Today I know that problem could have been solved by either going to a church - or by going to a medical clinic or hospital. But in those days, long before I was a Christian believer, my church was the bars and nightclubs of Southern California. And I was in good health, so no help there. Yet I knew I was not going to find a Filipina in a bar or night club that I could take home to mom.
But God is good. One evening In early 1977 He found me in my place, a nightclub at the Saddleback Hotel in Santa Ana, California. And guess what? The Red Carpet Real Estate company held their weekly meetings on Wednesday evenings in one of the Saddleback Hotel conference rooms.
That evening as I was preparing for my evening of frivolity, one of my friends, Lupe, looked toward the lobby and told me, "Bill, there is Rita." Rita was a Filipina I had been dating - but not one I would take home to mom. I told Lupe, "No, that is not Rita. But I definitely want to meet that beautiful lady."
And to make a long story a wee bit shorter - Dory and her girl friend, Phil, were just coming out of the Red Carpet meeting and were still in the lobby. I managed to introduce myself, we talked for awhile, and a week and a half later, on a Saturday evening, we had our first date.
The next morning I went to church with her, not my usual Sunday routine, but pleasant. How beautiful Dory was that Sunday morning, in a yellow, almost gold, full length summer dress and wearing a wide brim straw hat of the same color. That afternoon we went for a ride, went to a movie at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and then had our first dinner date at the Quiet Cannon (now just named The Cannon) in Dana Point.
That was a defining evening. We had a booth which looked out over the Dana Point Marina, it was dusk, and the whole scene had that magical glow. Just the kind of environment to cause love to blossom and begin to- grow.
From that day, we never dated anyone else. And on September 2, 1977, Dory became my wife, partner, soul mate, and eternal love. We were wed at the court house in Santa Ana, California, and had a short honeymoon in Ensenada, Mexico, because I had just started a new job.
We still wanted a real honeymoon and for some reason I wanted us to have a church wedding. Why did I, not a believer, want a church wedding? I can think of several reasons. First, I knew that church was important to Dory.
And, second, now after being a Christian believer for 35 years - I know that God is always tugging at our hearts, knocking on the door of our hearts (Revelation 3:20), wanting us to choose to be part of His Eternal Family. So on September 2, 1980, our 3rd anniversary, we had our church wedding in Honolulu and we had our Hawaiian honeymoon.
On our 6th anniversary we decided to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for another honeymoon and to get married again. But search as we might, and with help from an Hispanic couple we met who were vacationing there at their timeshare, the only Protestant church we could find was a burnt-out hull. So we had to settle for an Anniversary Dinner with this nice couple and their family.
My mom asked Dory, "Why does Bill like to get married again every three years?" Mom was a Southern Belle and did not understand such thinking. Dory told her, "That way he always feels like he has only been married for three years." I told you my Filipina wife is smart!
In 1983, I accepted a position as Western Regional Sales Manager with Phoenix Computer Graphics, a computer graphics company in Lafayette, Louisiana. One of my stipulations was that I be given the first week of September off to get married again.
The president of the company, a very distinguished, white haired lawyer turned businessman, wrote in my offer letter: "And we will give you one week off so that you may legitimize your already legitimate marriage." Who said lawyers do not have a sense of humor?
In Closing, Tomorrow I Declare Marks My 35-45-85 Year! ~ THIRTY-FIVE years I have been a Christian believer ~ FORTY-FIVE years I have been wed to my Filipina Bride ~ and I am EIGHTY-FIVE years young. God has truly blessed me.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Click on the image to enlarge:
No comments:
Post a Comment