A New Beginning

Afterglow Makes Two Important Moves

Afterglow has moved to new studios in Germantown, TN. “We have four times the space of our current location and the quality of each production is even more remarkable.”. The new facility features state of the art digital mixing and recording consoles. Over 5,000 instrumental, vocal and choral CDs provide a vast quantity of music from which program selections can be made. “In addition to the weekly Afterglow release, we will continue to create 50 minute music specials for holidays and other memorable events.”

Another Afterglow Move

Books have been written about relationships and how to meet others socially. Some say, “Go to the bars.” Others declare, “The supermarket is where you can meet someone.” Some say, “Go to the dance.” Still others say, “Try the Post Office.” No one suggests a retirement community as a place to initiate contact with someone else. But that’s exactly where I found the love of my life.

In the Fall of last year I was recalling memories of Ann, my wife who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2002. I thought of how we met. I was doing the Lord’s work, teaching a singles Bible study through Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis. The Lord led Ann into the group and into my life. Soon followed engagement and marriage. As I remembered those days long ago, I prayed, “Lord, you could do that again.”

In November, 2004, I was doing the Lord’s work at the Kirby Pines Estates Retirement Community, hosting a “Crusade for Christ” in which outstanding area ministers speak to residents. A lady attended these services with her mother, Mrs. Bobbe Stigall, who had moved into Kirby in August. The mother said to her daughter, “We have a Chaplain named Don Johnson. Isn’t he the one who went to school with your sister?” The daughter, Cheryl Waters, replied, “It couldn’t be. We heard he had moved to Atlanta.” When Cheryl and her mother came to the Crusade she discovered I was the same Don Johnson she had known many years ago. When she introduced herself to me she said I looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights. Her husband suffered a fatal, unexpected heart attack. Cheryl moved back to Memphis and helped her mother relocate to Kirby Pines. When I learned of her husband’s death, I said to her, “We need to catch up on all God has been doing in our lives.” We’ve been “catching up” ever since. On May 14th in Wilson Chapel at Christ United Methodist Church Senior Pastor, Dr. Bill Bouknight, performed our wedding ceremony.

To have one special person in your life is remarkable. To have two in a lifetime is absolutely astounding. The Lord has answered my prayer. He dropped Cheryl into my life. This unexpected joy is beyond anything I could ever deserve.
I remember hearing someone say, “Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it!” This is a living example of how true this is.