Ridgell's Originals

Most of you know the story of Julie and Bobby. He was in a bad car wreck several years ago and told he would never walk again. He proved the experts wrong and eventually met and married Julie. Now they have little Jake and lots of you prayed with us through the wreck and the uncertainty of Jake's birth. Bobby has been on a spiritual journey for some time. He has regularly worshipped with us at Southern Hills. We are a four generation row at church: Marsha's folks, Julie, Bobby and Jake, and Marsha and me.

For some time Bobby has been studying and praying about his spiritual journey. He has studied on his own. He and Julie would talk about spiritual things, sometimes he would ask me for passages dealing with various aspects of following Jesus, and he would take Phil's sermon notes and study them out. Yesterday he asked if I would baptize him in the stock tank at his old house. Julie, Jake, and Mimi went with us.

It was emotional, happy, spiritual, and special. He wore a pair of shoes into the tank that his Dad had given him when he was learning how to walk again. He told Julie that he took his first steps in those shoes and now he was starting his spiritual walk in them. We took pictures because he wants to show Jake someday when he is teaching him.

When Bobby married Julie I told him I didn't have in-laws, that he was my son. Now he is also my brother. God is good. My cup runs over.