This month always has a high place in
our family. Eighty years ago, in a very
small town in Southwest Arkansas, a
baby was born. Her mother's name was
Mary and her dad, Wallace Neece, was
gone—shipped out to Europe for training
for D-Day, June 6, 1944. He then went all
the way with the 1st Infantry Division
through the Battle of the Bulge and
came home a battle-weary war hero. I
met Gloria Jean Neece in October 1961
and, as they say, the rest is history. She is
now Gloria Jean Copeland. April 13, we
will have been married 60 years.
Let's begin this month by reading 2
Peter 1:1-4:
1 SIMON PETER, A SERVANT AND AN
APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST, TO THEM THAT
HAVE OBTAINED LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH
WITH US THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST:
2 GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED UNTO
YOU THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD,
AND OF JESUS OUR LORD,
3 ACCORDING AS HIS DIVINE POWER HATH
GIVEN UNTO US ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN
UNTO LIFE AND GODLINESS, THROUGH
THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM THAT HATH
CALLED US TO GLORY AND VIRTUE:
4 WHEREBY ARE GIVEN UNTO US
EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS
PROMISES: THAT BY THESE YE MIGHT BE
PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE,
HAVING ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION THAT
IS IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST.
It's a bit more clear in the New Living
Translation:
1 THIS LETTER IS FROM SIMON PETER, A
SLAVE AND APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST. I
AM WRITING TO YOU WHO SHARE THE
SAME PRECIOUS FAITH WE HAVE. THIS
FAITH WAS GIVEN TO YOU BECAUSE OF
THE JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS OF JESUS
CHRIST, OUR GOD AND SAVIOR.
2 MAY GOD GIVE YOU MORE AND MORE
GRACE AND PEACE AS YOU GROW IN YOUR
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND JESUS OUR
LORD.
3 BY HIS DIVINE POWER, GOD HAS GIVEN
US EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIVING A
GODLY LIFE. WE HAVE RECEIVED ALL OF
THIS BY COMING TO KNOW HIM, THE ONE
WHO CALLED US TO HIMSELF BY MEANS
OF HIS MARVELOUS GLORY AND
EXCELLENCE.
4 AND BECAUSE OF HIS GLORY AND
EXCELLENCE, HE HAS GIVEN US GREAT
AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. THESE ARE
February
2022
PA R T N E R L E T T E R
