| Salvation by Grace Alone | |
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| Salvation by Grace Alone | |
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WALK WITH GOD ...
I was born the second of three daughters to Morris and Robbie Nowlin on November 15, 1942. My parents were raised Primitive Baptist and this is how they raised us. Our home was happy and was full of love and fellowship for the people of God. In 1960, I married James Collins who also was raised in a Primitive Baptist home. We had three daughters. Jim was raised on a farm in Castro County Texas and this has been his occupation all his life.
In November of 1963, Jim and I and our two little girls purchased land in Wallace county Kansas. 500 miles due North of where we lived in Texas. In 1968, our third little girl was born. We spent six years in Kansas without the church close by. Our farming situation worsened and we had to let the land go back because we could not make the payments. We stayed in Kansas and rented land to farm. In December of 1970, we moved back to Texas. We had decided that we needed to get those precious little girls and ourselves back to the dear old church. We had purchased a trailer home in Kansas and moved it with us when we came back to the family farm where he was raised. The following April a tornado picked up the trailer, shook it and then gently turned it over on its side. This was at 12 o'clock during the night and we all were in our beds. As the house turned over, our beds being on top of us, we were thus protected from flying objects. Several days after this, we had another stormy night and the wind blew and shook the trees and I was very frightened. The next morning was one of those beautiful fresh mornings, which looked, washed by God's rain and bathed by His sunshine. Jim had gone to work, the two older girls were at school and the baby was still asleep. I was alone with God and with my thoughts. I sat down and wrote the three verses to "Walk with God." I laid it on top of the refrigerator and forgot about it. A few days later, my father and mother came to see us. He was helping to get some new songs together for another edition of the "Harp of Ages". He asked me if I had any poems, which would make good songs. I thought of the one I had written about the quietness of the morning and gave it to him. He took it home, wrote the music and the chorus and titled it. It was published in the "Harp of Ages" and later was published in the "Old School Hymnal". When it was published in the "Old School Hymnal", the words to the chorus were changed. It should read like this: Oh, that His grace and mercy guide me, That when it's finished I can say, When the evening sun is setting, I can walk with God today. My father, Morris Nowlin, was born in Mississippi on April 19, 1915 to Ben and Lucy Nowlin. He is the fourth of five children and the only remaining member of that family. 
Submitted by Elder David Montgomery • Previous |
| Salvation by Grace Alone |
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