About the Author

The only child of older parents, Jim spent his childhood in the small town of Eminence, Kentucky. "I could ride my bike everywhere, go fishing anywhere. It was 'A River Runs Through It' childhood." Following the family move to Louisville for better schooling, Jim began college after his high school junior year, finished college in two years, and started medical school at twenty. After a stint in the Navy, a career in medical research carried him from the University of Colorado to Washington University in St. Louis and finally to the Medical College of Georgia, where he was Chief of Child Neurology. In the 1980's, Jim sensed a call to Christian foreign missions. The family charged off to Kuwait where this story of crisis ensued. Jim is "retired" but continues with patient care and stem cell research. He hopes to make things better for brain-injured babies through application of new treatments with stem cells. When he has time, Jim roams the North Georgia mountains in spring and summer in search of the rainbow trout and the pine forests of South Georgia in the fall and winter in pursuit of his target, the white tail deer. And in both, there is fellowship with his sons and family. He is an elder in First Presbyterian Church (PCA), Augusta, Georgia.

Shirley was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Her grandmother, who exemplified true Christian living, brought her up. After completing college and her Masters' degree in sociology, she began a career in social work. She had no intention of marriage, but Jim swept her off her feet. They decided to get married after five weeks. Shirley served as a community organizer for four local churches and a community house working to minister to the needs of an inner city changing neighborhood. After dodging bullets in the downtown Louisville church during the riots of 1968, Shirley and Jim departed for Washington, DC, and Jim's two years in the navy. It was time for a family. After eight children and fourteen grandchildren, there is no retirement for Shirley. Her joy is devoting time to Jim, her children, and grandchildren. She also loves spending time with other women and seeking mutual growth in the Lord.