Jimmy and Alice

We say “Good-bye” to a couple who have endeared themselves to us at SSB in a number of ways.

They head off to TN to be near Alice’s mother so that she might render aid in the coming years.  That makes sense to me.  I have long complained about the scattering of the biological family which I believe is part of the destruction of the fabric of our society. Children need grands and grands need grands and greats.  Families need the hoary head.  The family patriarch is important!  So Jimmy and Alice going to serve the previous generation is a good thing.

Yet, their departure is a loss for the SSB family.

Their departure is also a loss for me as Jimmy and I are pretty close.

It goes back to 1948 – before Jimmy or I were born.  It was Brighton, CO, where James Barnes was a third grader and my mom was an elementary school teacher.  Both passed before we could press for a connection but most likely they knew each other.

Then when Jimmy was a junior in high school living in Wilcox, NE, his pastor was my brother-in-law.  Don regularly met with Jimmy through some tough teen years.

Later, Jimmy and Alice were serving in a church in my hometown, North Platte, and some of the people he served knew my Dad and Mom.  Also, I was aware of some of the peoples and church issues they encountered.

Finally, they landed in Gretna and at Standing Stone Bible Church where they both served in many capacities and thus touched most of us deeply.

We did a twenty year ceremony for them as they were married in a military service along with others in Okinawa while both serving in Japan.  We gave them a “Christian” wedding.

Then we had a funeral for James – Jimmy’s father.  I have one of Jimmy Senior’s CDs and love it!  I wish we could have used him at SSB before he left us.

(There are few videos of Jimmy talking about his life that can be found on Standing Stone Bible Church’s YouTube channel.)

Alice has been a faithful and joyful housekeeper who weekly left the lower level clean and organized.  She will be missed.

So, Jimmy and Alice are near and dear and will be greatly missed.

I wish them much success in the days ahead.

One of Jimmy’s favorite songs is, “I’ll See You in the Rapture”

If we never meet again, On this earth my precious friend,
If to God you have been true, And you’ve lived above all sin;
Then for us there’ll be a meeting; And a hallelujah greeting;
I’ll see you in the Rapture some sweet day.
CHORUS 
I’ll see you In the Rapture, I’ll see you In the Rapture,
I’ll see you at that meeting in the air;
There with our Blessed Savior,
We’ll live and reign forever,
I’ll see you In the Rapture some sweet day. 

Jimmy sang this twice this past Saturday at C-Club making a strong statement.

Jimmy – I agree!

Blessings and, if not before, I’ll see you in the rapture!!