I know all of you are well aware of my educational priorities in high school so when I was registering for senior classes, I was told I was not smart enough to pass chemistry so I would not Be allowed to take the class - thus drivers ed, shop, shop etc. were my choices - I really shut down in school, not that I was all that reved up to start with.  Graduation was a bit of a surprise to me - I was a part of it!

There was little to keep me in Lexington so off to the Navy I went - four years in electronics and near alcoholism and not much else.  When I was discharged I worked in oil field electronics in California for awhile, then moved back to Lexington - marriage (to Faith Diefenbach, Paul's sister) - baby - moved to Holdrege to work - and what to my surprise I felt called to the ministry.  To quote one of my good friends at the time - "STAN DERICKSON - A PREACHER - NEVER!"

I could not invision being able to get through college, but when I arrived and started some serious study for one of the first times in my life, I really loved it.

After college and two more kids we were involved in different ministries - pastoring, copastoring etc.  I was also involved in gaining further education while working in television repair.

We moved to LaGrange, WY to teach in a college level Bible school where we enjoyed ministering to some really neat young people on their way to minister throughout the world.

Shortly after leaving LaGrange we moved back to Salem, where we had lived off and on for a number of years, to assist small churches that can't afford pastors.

Faith and I both work at J C Penney to support our ministry.  Faith is manager of the Catolog/Credit dept. and I am part time on the maintinance staff.  After teaching, I was confronted with our wonderful societies invisible wall of employment for those that are over educated, over qualified, and over the hill.  It was McDonald's or janitor so I picked janitor.  After a few weeks
our manager discovered I had a background in electronics so I have been doing more and more maint. on the cash registers, audio visual equip. and computers.  Actually the job works well giving me time to minister part time!

We are presently without a church to minister in and are enjoying the slower pace of life while we await another church.

Our oldest, Laurie, is mother of four and living in Washington - her husband has recently started a trucking business.  Our oldest son is living in Denver, and they are expecting child number one.  Our youngest is youth pastor in a church in Hawaii (three children).

Three years ago we decided to purchase our first home (after moving 27 times since our wedding) and have been enjoying the joys/headaches of ownership.  Our kids couldn't believe the house we purchased.  It is near identical to one of the apartments we lived in years ago.  It is the floor plan of a two bedroom townhouse apartment, but is a single on a lot of its own.  We walked in and loved it - just what we've always lived in.