July 20th, 2018 —- today I turned seventy-four years old. If God gives me another full year I’ll be three fourths of a century old. When I look at my life and the road I’ve traveled I see God’s plan written all over it because other wise I would not be sitting here watching my guests at the backyard buffet and at peace with the world. If you will indulge me, I’ll share a tiny bit of my story and journey.

I was born in Kankakee, IL to parents I never knew. My name was Stanley Curtis Logsdon. By the age of four my mother had re-married and we were living of Siberia, IN where for some reason, still unknown, I and my only blood-sister, were removed from the home and placed in an orphanage home in Rockport, IN. At age five, the two of us were moved to the home of the Heumann’s by whom we were to be adopted. That process took two years or so.

Growing up a Heumann meant I learned discipline and a work ethic. I learned about respect, I grew up in the church, I learned I had a talent for music and became pretty good at playing the trumpet, piano, and accordion. I developed an appreciation for writing, (I’ve written and produced several  plays and a lot of short stories that are collecting dust in a binder in my basement.) I love speaking in public which certainly is a benefit in my current job as a pastor, and I learned leadership. Somewhere in there I assimilated a Christian lifestyle although will be the first to admit I have failed at it far too often. I keep an open prayer line to God at all times and have Jesus on speed-dial.

I met the love of my life, Ms. Kathy Parton, in my senior year of high school and we have now been married over fifty two years. We have three wonderful daughters and five wonderful grandkids. I drug the family around the country and the world for thirty-two years as I built my career in the Air Force and retired the first time in 2001 as a Colonel. In 2002 I begin my second career trining to be a licensed minister for the United Church of Christ. Being a minister had been a dream of mine since early in high-school but that is a whole different story that id too long to tell in one writing.  In 2004 I was called to my first parish where I served as pastor for two churches for the next twelve and a half years. I retired my second time in November of 2016.  In February of this year I came back out of retirement to become the interim co-pastor of the church I grew up in while they are going through the search process for a new settled pastor. I love being a pastor. It is the most satisfying job in the world.

That’s it, my life in a couple of paragraphs. As I said, without the help and path clearing of God Almighty, who knows where I might be today. So to begin my 74th years on this planet, I will begin it by simply saying “Thank you Lord”. Have a blessed day.