There are several items we want to share. The first has to do with a very special date on the Owens’ calender . Patricia and I will be celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, August 22. Of these 50 years, 44 of them have been spent serving the Lord in ministry together. Over these 5 decades our lives have been profoundly enriched by many whom God has had cross our paths, those who not only talked the walk, but lived the life, setting a standard for us to strive toward; to press on…God has been so good.
There have been mountains we’ve been asked to climb/Some rivers have been wide, some skies been grey/The valleys have been deep and dark at times, but without fail, our God has led the way!
Second: The responses we continue to receive from readers of Manley Beasley’s biography are so encouraging. It is evident that the Lord is using Manley’s life and message to impact many, some saying that they are reading it for the second or third time, returning over and over again to study his messages on prayer, faith and dealing with adversity. The Audio Book is also now available.
Third: I am nearing the completion of the story of our friend, Iris Urrey Blue, the ex-con who was labeled an “incorrigible degenerate” by the Texas Department of Corrections. Since, at the age of 27, when she knelt down a tramp and stood up a lady, in front of her bar, The Inferno, in Houston, TX, God has used her for His glory around the world. Hers is an incredible story of grace. You may wish to check the Blue’s web site at www.duaneandirisblue.com
Fourth: During the days of his ministry, the Scotsman, James Alexander Stewart, impacted thousands of lives, including Manley Beasley. Dr. Stewart was a prolific writer and among the many books he wrote are two on the subject of the Holy Spirit that we wish to recommend; The Heavenly Executive and Heaven’s Throne Gift. The latter is considered by many to be one of the finest, most balanced studies of the Third Person of the Trinity. You may check into Dr. Stewart’s writings at www.revivallit.org or phone 800-252-8896 or write Revival Literature. P.O. Box 6068, Asheville, NC 2881.
A final thought: “Your character is what you really are. Your reputation is merely what people think you are.”
The unexpected happened—heavy fog enveloped a large area around Chicago, slowing trains, grounding planes, bringing all travel to a halt. It was Christmas break time, and as a 19 year old student traveling to my home town in Jackson, MS, I had boarded a train around 10:30 that evening in Rochester, NY. It had been snowing, which wasn’t unusual for that area of the country. I felt wiped out after studying for exams and was hoping I could manage to sleep some on a journey that was supposed to take about 24 hours. The train I boarded was scheduled to make a stop at a sub-station just east of Chicago where I would change to a different rail line for the remainder of the trip. And now, the unexpected fog changed everything. It caused my train to be late in reaching the Chicago area, I missed my connection, I was exhausted and had no idea what to do.
CHANGE: This is a word that has been headlined a great deal over these past several months, especially in the context of the recent presidential election campaigns. Ironically, in a seeming contradiction to the meaning of the word, you might say that change is a “constant” factor as we go through life. From the moment of our birth we undergo changes–physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Some of the changes are celebrated as good, healthy and desirable, such as the normal growth of a child. Taking a vacation is seen as a welcome change from our usual routine. Yet there comes a time when, as adults, we begin to see some changes that appear to us to be undesirable and fearful. An unexpected change in health, in a work situation or in personal finances can make us feel vulnerable and anxious. Change may become something dreaded.
On December 21, 1725, a boy was born in London whose life would ultimately impact the world. I have been thinking of John Newton all day today, and the loving, pursuing God who rescued a drunken slave trader from the depths of sin and raised him up to become one of His choicest trophies of grace. His influence reached far beyond his hymn, Amazing Grace, as his life and preaching touched lives from the lowest to the highest of society including parliamentarian, William Wilberforce, who was used to change the laws regarding slavery and child labor.
At this point in life we ought not to be surprised at being surprised, yet that is exactly what has happened. It has fallen to our “lot” to write the biography of a man whose life and message has, and still does, impact the lives of scores of people across this land and beyond. (Update: the biography is now complete – 
Major W. Ian Thomas went home to be with the Lord early Wednesday, August 1. In our hearts we stop to salute him and to give thanks to the Lord for his life. Like so many, we were blessed and privileged to meet him and to be ministered to through his life and message. He impacted our lives in the early 70s when, in the providence of God, we were thrown together with him in ministry in a church in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Later, after the publishing of our first musical, “Alive Again,” the Major became aware of its emphasis on the indwelling life of Christ and asked if we’d be open to having Capernwray arrange a UK tour presenting the work in all four “countries.” This was done some months later with a choir of 100 voices during which we experienced God’s blessings upon each of the presentations.
