It has started.  With four children (three daughers and a son), I knew the day would come.  Allen Brantley took Sharon and me to one of our favorite restaurants.  After enjoying a marinated, rosemary olive oil infused New York strip, he asked for permission to marry Kimberly (“Kim” to most people, but still “Kimberly” to her Dad).

We always prayed that our children would find dedicated Christian mates and God is answering our prayers.  Allen is an outstanding young man from a wonderful family.  We recruited Allen from Oklahoma Christian University because of his wonderful bass voice to join Acappella.  Little did we know we'd be gaining our first son-in-law.

Years ago, my friend, Larry Sparks was with us in Saint Petersburg, Russia, when he received a similar call.  Larry was on the other side of the world when he was contacted about his daughter's marriage plans (Norman Zuercher, another outstanding man who was working with Acappella at the time.)  Allen's Dad preaches for the Cross Bridge Church in Birmingham, Alabama and we have been blessed by getting to know his folks.

I remember one of Kimberly's first words to speak was "light."  Years later, she informed me that photography is the study of light.  Kimberly sings in Durant and is a professional photographer -- shooting album covers, artist press shots and magazine covers.  Yesterday she was shooting the Martins.  Her work includes magazine covers with Bill Gaither, The Crabb Family, feature articles with Mark Lowry among many others.

Does this mean I'm getting old?