My life developed according to a promise I made to the lord when I was a young boy. When I was in the third grade at Snow Hill Elementary School, my homeroom teacher said one day if I wanted to be an artist, I would have an easy life. I was a boy working in my dad's mill lifting and moving one hundred pound bags of feed and grain. I was accustomed to hard work. After work each day, I would walk the railroad tracks and pray to the Lord. I prayed to the Lord that if He would allow me to become a successful commercial artist and syndicated cartoonist, I would retire at the age of forty-five and serve him the rest of my life. In response to my praying and the promise, I believe the Lord gave me direction and circumstances that are guiding me even to this day.