His name is Ronald James Johnson; he is 52 years old and grew up here in Anderson. He became a believer in 1975. He was a college WOW with someone the 14th and 16th Corps knows and loves; Marguerite Keil, in 1976. Who knew the world could be THAT small.
He moved from California to Arvada, Colorado and lived in a men's Way Home, until he married Viola.
He was a successful 4th grade teacher until he suffered a stroke in 2001.
It started as an infection, he turned septic, he was hospitalized for that situation and the night before he was to be released he suffered a stroke. As he awoke, he was paralyzed on his left side, and Dan Slingo, a believer walked in the door and ministered to him. He is not paralyzed now, but does have some brain damage that has left him unable to work. He has had a lot of trouble and was close to hurting himself. God intervened again and his sisters Carole, Val, and Lynda got him home.
He drove a U-Haul by himself and hitched his car behind; the dogs were all in the car. Ozzie drove most of the way. Anyhow, he got back here (to Anderson) and started to figure out what he was going to do. He was on the website called
GreasespotCafe.com, those of you who have been there, he is Selah V.
Well, in my quest for answers, I found that site and found a message he had left two years earlier. He was looking for Mike Cahill, and Scott Powell. I knew Scott Powell from Florida. So I emailed him the info. That was 2004. We emailed (GO BRONCOS) back and forth and he asked me for my phone number. I knew when I heard his voice it was HIM! "The Him", the one I had PRAYED for back in 1981. Then, he came out to Atlanta to see me.
I had been in touch with Marguerite for a couple of years and I had told her about him. She got curious and asked me to described him and I asked Ron, do you know a Marguerite? And it was, the same Marguerite from 1976 in Chico California. She said I couldn't have found a better man. That I did well, and he was the salt of the earth, something to that effect. That blessed me to no end.
So while we were on top of Stone Mountain, trying to dodge my brother Richard, he sat me down in a grove of Georgia Pines and got on both knees and asked me to be his wife. Me being me, I thought about it and asked him a question. Will you take care of me? As I am bipolar, I have to know that I can relax and trust the man I marry, and do right by me, and not flip out if I have an episode, he said of course and then I said yes.
He put a pearl and diamond ring on my finger. It's feminine, classy, and suits me perfectly. I had made a request to God that I wanted a pearl engagement ring. I never want to forget he is a pearl of great price as well.
So, with that, he came back here to Anderson, and I prepared to move from Georgia. I made a pit stop in Mesa, Arizona and lived with my niece for five months. I finally got to Anderson on September 9, 2006. He is a wonderful man. We all know I can be stubborn, and difficult and just plain childish. I keep asking him, don't I get on your nerves or anything? He told me once, that he had asked God to show him my heart and what I need and that's what he gives me. He just loves me as Christ loves the Church.
I don't need a father to tell me what to do, I have a very quick intellect, I don't need a boss, I am hard enough on myself, I need to be loved like Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. And that's what he does. It is awesome. I feel as safe with him as I did with my own earthly father. We don't know the date we are to be getting married, we are planning to go to Alaska so our minister can marry us. Lord willing that will be after break up this year. And to clarify, they don't have spring in Alaska, they have break up. And it happens later than it does here, and it gets real messy. Muddy, and yucky.
So that's my Rocky. So nicknamed by his father, as he constantly made fists with his hands when he was a baby; like Rocky Marciano...isn't that precious?
Wait til you see his baby picture. Cutest baby in the whole world ever!
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