It has been my practice over the years to save the various Hallmark or Mahoney cards given to me by my immediate family. These cards came mainly during holidays such as Christmas, Father’s Day, then birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and at times for no special reason other than “just because.” All of these cards are special to me. All of these cards are precious to me. They were given from the heart by my wife and children. One of the most touching cards over the years has been one given to me by the youngest of our three daughters, Ericka. She thanked me for my love and for allowing her to make mistakes without judgment. She was grateful that I had never treated her any different no matter the difficult times but was like the prodigal Father who is always waiting for your call or return back home. (Luke 15) My model for the treatment of my daughters had been the Lord. He is loving. (John 3:16) He is kind. (Luke 12) He is forgiving. (1John 1) He is patient. (Genesis 28 and 32) He is understanding. (John 16) As we are gifted with marriage and children, remember how the Lord has been with us through all of our trials. Then let us learn to treat our spouses and children in the same light. (1 Corinthians 7) In the end, Solomon’s Proverbs 22:6 stills works: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart depart from it.” Be encouraged.
Just because:
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A. Ray Campbell was born the eldest of three children to the late Dan Campbell and the late Gloria Campbell-Cooper. He accepted Christ at an early age, having a desire for ministry in his heart. He was educated in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and later earned a BA degree in Accounting from Dillard University in 1973. Dr. Campbell was called to the gospel ministry in 1977. Licensed in 1978 and ordained in 1980, he earned the Master of Divinity Degree (1995) and the Doctor of Ministry (2012) degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). He also received a Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Christian Bible College of Louisiana, June 2012. From 1984-2005, Dr. Campbell served as pastor to churches in Louisiana and Florida. In 2000, the Jacksonville Baptist Association employed him as a Church Planter in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2004, he served as a recruiter for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a Church Start Specialist for the Florida Baptist Convention. In this position, he spearheaded the Southern Baptist Convention’s new church plants in 2009 and 2010. To concentrate on pulpit supply and preaching, he retired in 2013 after mentoring more than 169 churches in Central and Northeast Florida. Dr. Campbell served as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Religion and Philosophy at Bethune-Cookman University. He also served as: Adjunct Professor for the Florida Extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and in Pastoral Studies at Dallas Bible Institute, since 2015. Currently, he has served as Preaching Pastor for the New Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church of Orlando, Florida, since 2011. Previously, Dr. Campbell served as a Pulpit Supply Pastor for the First Baptist Church of Palm Coast, Florida until 2014. Rev. Campbell has been married to the former Christine Wade for 44 years. They are the proud parents of three adult daughters, one granddaughter and one grandson. View all posts by raycampbellblog
Dr. A. Ray Campbell’s Blog 