Testament of Wilma Dean Looney

I was born at home on a poultry farm in Boston, Texas to Zoe May McGee Rinnert and Lowell Rinnert on December 30, 1936. My brother, Ronald Ray, was born three years before. We grew up in a loving Christian home. We attended Tapp Memorial Methodist Church where we were taught by wonderful spirit-filled teachers such as Johnny Alford, Elizabeth Welch and Mary Hudson. My prayer warriors who I could call on anytime were Thelma Alford and Ruth Jones.

I have always loved the Lord as far back as I can remember. My brother and I dedicated our lives to the Lord at a tent revival that Tapp Church sponsored out in front of the church on grass where the fire station now stands. Evangelist G.P. Comer from Dallas was the preacher. Ronald and I went forward under that tent at an altar call in about 1944 or 1945.

My brother graduated from Texas A&M in 1954 and was shipped to Okinawa as a second lieutenant. By the time he was Captain he felt he needed to get out of the military and become a missionary. He had become a "born again Christian" on the Island. He returned to study a little more and married a missionary when he was in a Bible School back in California. They went to Okinawa and stayed for 24 years. They were very inspiring to me.

In 1958 I graduated from North Texas State College and married my high school sweetheart, Tommy Looney. He became a dentist and practiced in Clarksville, Texas. Tommy had been a member of Tapp Methodist Church in New Boston, Texas ever since he was a baby. From first grade through twelfth grade he never missed a Sunday attending church. I have his medals that the Methodist Church used to give to those who had perfect attendance for a year. I still have them as keepsakes. In later life he told me, "I think I was just playing church."

In 1975 Tommy was diagnosed with cancer of the left kidney, liver and lungs. He got serious about studying the Bible, and so did I. At this time we were staying near Salado with his brother so we could be near Scott and White Clinic in Belton. Tommy's brother, Frank, was a doctor in the military at Fort Hood which was nearby. Tommy and I would drive to Belton each day for his treatments. We would read promises of healing from the Bible as we drove. I also called my prayer warriors who were getting up in age by then, but their prayers were still powerful.

After six weeks Tommy had to have a checkup to see how he was doing. The doctor said, "Whatever you are doing, keep on doing it." We were praying, studying the Bible, and having our friends pray for his healing. The doctor said, "This is unheard of. Your kidney is now functioning, you have no cancer activity in your liver, and you just have some scar tissue in your lungs." We both skipped to our car, as best I remember. We were delighted.

When we got back home in Clarksville, Tommy wanted us to start a Bible Study in our home. God had it all worked out. We started the Bible Study and had a very good preacher come and teach every Thursday night. We never knew how many people might come to our house, but it varied from 15 to 40. Many were led to accept Jesus as Lord during those years.

Tommy lived 18 months after he had first been diagnosed with cancer, but he died February 18, 1976 of pneumonia since his lungs had been weakened. I will see him again. He became a born again Christian during those important 18 months. Our daughters - Alice, Lisa, and Leslie - grew closer to the Lord due to their Daddy's battle with cancer and by getting to attend the Bible Study in our home.

God has always been the center of our lives. I pray daily, and I study the Word daily. I ask God to use me for His Honor and for His Glory. I also ask that he please let me tell someone each day about the Good News of Jesus.

We are living in the end of the Church Age, but lots of people do not realize it. They need to be told. Jesus does not want any to be lost, and we need to be the ones to reach the lost. Teaching the young children might just be the way to reach some of the grown-ups who were never told the Good News of Jesus Christ. Pray we can get the Ten Commandments back in schools and public places. Pray we can get lots of children in our church so we can teach them about Jesus.