Miracles and Honors: Significant People and Events that Shaped Our World

How do you start to tell of significant people and events that shaped your world? I will tell you about the years of 1988-1991 and those events that shook our world and helped clarify our lives for the future. Besides the Berlin wall being taken down, more than a million people demonstrated in Tiannamen Square and the the Hubble telescope was launched. For a nice summary of world events going back to 1970--the year Jonathan was born, check out World Events.

You've heard about the dissertation friends and the loyal, courageous daughter, but first, I just uncovered some letters written to dear friends Martin and Diedre Bobgan (they saved ALL our letters and newsletters and just gave them to us last year!) about the dissertation event. I told you about when I was asked who wrote my latest submission? In a letter written in April, 1991, this is what I wrote after they asked me to explain who had written this:

When they asked me to explain, I told them that people had been praying for me. One of the committee members said, "I'm not a religious person and I don't believe in divine intervention in a dissertation program, but if there was, this would be a miracle." This hurt deeply because I felt like I had failed the Lord, that these people would judge my character to be so deceitful. Needless to say, much more prayer was offered up and they apparently decided to stop the accusations and never brought it up again.

In conversations afterwards, one co-chair said several times that,

....she had never seen a defense go so well. She said I was poised in my presentation (I was so nervous I had diarrhea all morning, and it was really the grace of God she saw but did not recognize), and that never had she seen in a defense with no major revisions. Within a week the final copies were turned into the graduate school office. And now they want to turn it in for a national student research award. None of this makes human sense to me, but the Lord is King and Ruler of the Universe.

Another major event that shook our world was when Bill's mom had a brain anuerism and within 15 minutes had gone into the Presence of the Lord. This was a big loss for all of us, especially Bill's dad. After 54 years of marriage it was a shock, covered by grace and daily adjustments. It happened just a couple of weeks after they had come to visit us. It also happened when I was being given my comps (oral exams). As Jonathan wrote, we both passed with flying colors. However, her colors are much, much more brilliant! Here are reflections written by Jonathan and myself about this amazing woman, Mary Carter Leal (Grandson Joshua Carter Lin is named after her). It was printed in the Covenant College student newspaper.

Another major event and memory involved our two children, who worked over one summer delivering newspapers in the early morning. When our anniversary arrived, they honored us by presenting us with a 3 night, 4 day trip to Cancun, Mexico, hotel and flight included. It was a lovely trip. The beaches were gorgeous, the hotel was classical Mexican with beautiful tile work, and close by was one of the best taquerias Bill had ever been to.

What an amazing surprise. When we told them they should keep the money for college, they refused. A friend encouraged us to allow them to create this memory, so we did. You can see us below in one professional shot and then another enjoying time together.

For those of you who enjoy details, below you'll find our annual newsletters for three years. There's even a quiz in the second one and recipes for life in the last one!

1988-1989

1989-1990

1990-1991