Summer, 1979

Choosing Clovis as our new home made things easier since George was raised there, his family was well-known in the community, and we felt that a small town environment would be more attractive than the huge metropolis of Dallas-Fort Worth. George's parents attended 21st Street Church of Christ in Clovis, and it made sense for us to go there. In 1979 the other large Church of Christ congregation, 16th & Pile, started a new study called Sharpening the Sword, and we decided to attend that class. Many of George's schoolmates were there, and they took us under their wing, so we moved our membership there.

One Sunday morning as the contribution was being taken up, we asked each other what we could do for Jesus besides put money in a plate and let other people control what to do with it? We had been doing cottage studies and inviting people to our home study on salvation. We wanted to share Jesus but weren't sure how to become that living sacrifice as Paul said in Romans 12:1, but we surrendered to His will, and He provided all the strength we needed.

We began to wonder how we could become involved in helping people directly by venturing outside the walls of our building? We became more serious about focusing our studies and our prayers on “what is Jesus’ plan of service for our lives?”

At that point we really didn't know much about the Holy Spirit because neither congregation understood Him and didn't do any teaching about Him.

Called to Serve -- 1976 ...

Garland Road started a new singles' class on June 1, 1976, and the elders suggested that Diana might like to join the new class. Across town, the elders at Skillman Avenue suggested that George might like to be part of Garland Road's new singles class.

We had never seen each other until that class started, but looking back it was clear that the Spirit was encouraging us, you know, He had a plan. It was like one of those movie plots. Love at first sight!

We were married in August 1976 and moved to Clovis, New Mexico in December, when this picture was taken, for a new beginning. We bought a fine jewelry store, which required good eye-hand coordination, and George had that. The owner stayed for a while, teaching us how to run the store, and George was blessed to be invited to learn jewelry repair, such as ring sizing and stone setting, by Doyal LaRue, a local jeweler who did custom work - another evidence of who'd-a-thunk it - the competition helping George become a jeweler! George had known Doyal as an acquaintance for many years, and he was a fine Christian man who became our good friend as well as our teacher.

WOW! It is now 2026 and we (George & Diana Franklin) are looking back at our 50 years together.

50 years ago, we were both single. February 1976 was a tragic month for both of us. We lived 1100 miles apart. Diana, who lived in Garland, Texas, was widowed, and George moved to Dallas from Florida, and was trying to re-start his life after failing to win a long-fought battle to avoid a divorce. When we met, George was the Cost Accountant at a software development company and attended Skillman Avenue Church of Christ. Diana was a stay-at-home mother of a 6-year-old son, and attended Garland Road Church of Christ.

What happened next is the first occurence of something we've come to call 'Out of the Blue"