Jim and me, Easter 1977Today my longtime friend turns 50! Bishop Jim Swilley, or Jimearl to all of his college friends, and I met on the first day of college when we were assigned to be roommates at Southeastern College in Lakeland, Florida, way back in 1976. Jim was 18 and I was 17. We have remained friends ever since. We stay in touch from time to time, and we (almost) always give each other a call on our birthdays. It's easy to remember because our birthdays are exactly six months apart. His birthday is April 3, and my birthday is October 3, so he will always be older than me. He met the half century mark today, so guess what that means for me! Bishop Swilley pastors Church in the Now in Conyers, Georgia, with his lovely wife Debye.
Happy Birthday, Jim!
