Happy Fall, Y'all

I have been writing that comment everywhere. I guess it's because I love Fall, the colors, the smells, and the activities. The only thing wrong with Fall is that it is just too short, and then the cold, cold winter will begin.

So far October has been delightful, even tho we have had alot of much needed rain. Ryan celebrated his 19th birthday. He went to a concert (Brand New) in Chicago with some friends, and I was very concerned and, Ok, worried about that little adventure. He is home now and said he had a good time. That is about all the info we will get out of him. He only talks about stuff when he feels like it and, who knows, there may come a time he will tell me all about it. I want so much for him, but realize everyday that I can't make that happen. I can only support him now and pray that he will make good choices and take advantage of every opportunity.

We (David and I) are concerned for all these college kids. Where are they going to work? It will be a push and shove for the good jobs. We continue to pray that God will take care of Ryan and lead him in the right direction, but Ryan is not listening to the Lord right now and trying to find his own way. Scary, very scary!!!

David is still trying to sell cars. It is so slow and I can tell he is thinking, What next? and there is no what next on the planner right now. We do know, from past experience, that the Lord does have a plan and He will take care of us. Why is it so hard to cut back and thinking about Christmas gives me the willies.....but I am content and so are my kids, so I just need to remember that and find special gifts that don't need to cost alot. The hunt begins. We had a recent conversation with some good friends about just stopping buying presents for each other. That is what they had decided to do with their families. Altho, I agreed at the time, I have been thinking alot about that. Being together at Christmas is enough, but I love to give gifts and make them special. Jesus gave us such a special gift, it just seems like Christmas is the time to give a gift, even if we stop all other buying of gifts. So, how will we make Christmas very special this year and not costly? Lots of thought will have to go into this one.

We are getting ready to have family pictures taken. Very excited about that and hoping all those babies put their best face forward!!

I haven't worked alot lately, but used my personal time, because work is slow. Having alot of time at home has been wonderful and, of course, makes me think alot more. I have stayed so busy teaching the kids at church on Wed nights and planning for the praise team. I don't know how I have time to work, but it all seems to work out. So here we go headed for the middle of the week already and time is flying by. Love to all, Kim

Across the Street, Across the Sea

....that was the theme for our annual missions awareness weekend at church this past weekend. Wow, we were privileged to have great people come to our church and participate in worship and learning of God's Word.

Bill Bagley was our main speaker and is full of energy and PASSION for Jesus and especially to see all groups of people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He encouraged and challenged us to not just walk the talk, but throw some words in there too so that other people who are watching us will know why we do what we do. There are souls that need rescued. My favorite illustration from the weekend was about the jet that went down in the Hudson river after being hit by a flock of geese. ALL staff and people riding on that plane were rescued, which was incredible, BUT are we as concerned about those who need rescued from hell!! I think I become too complacent and mind my own business. The challenge is that my business is for lost souls and I need to get busy.

We also had a great workshop Sunday morning in Sunday school with Jeff Schwartzentraub from One Heartbeat Ministries, right here in Peoria. Jeff is young, and also full of energy and passionate about leading others to Christ. He gave us a great visual and tool for learning how to start conversations with others. We practiced with our own friends in Sunday School and found out all kinds of things that we didn't know about them in just 15 minutes. It was incredible and a tool I will use and use and use, even tho I usually don't have any trouble talking to people.

It was great to have Dave and Darlene Noden there as well, who have been our missionaries for 42 years !!!! and they are still busy and being used by God in a marvelous way.

So, across the street, or across the sea, how can you and I get busy building relationships and giving others the good news about Jesus?? I now have lots of good ideas...if you need some let me know. Love, Kim

September has been great!!

We have had such a good month. We had a big birthday party for Joe, Nicole, and Justin. Oh, to be 20 something again. They are at such a great time in their lives and I don't think they realize that----until they turn 40 something!!! It was nice to have Justin home this year for his birthday. David and I have so enjoyed watching our Nicole thru the years. She is beautiful, not just saying that because she is our daughter, and I am sure we are biased, but she is beautiful and tries really hard to always look good. Must have got that from her Dad, not me. We are also enjoying seeing the boys come to Sunday School and be great daddy's for their little girls. We feel so blessed.

We all have been looking forward to the Marigold Festival. This year our dear friends, Doug and Brenda Keasal, came to stay with us for the weekend of the festival. It was so fun having them. (What is it about having friends come that causes a great cleaning motivation! Oh, if I could just get that feeling once a week, I could get so much more done around here.) Their first request was to eat at Avanti's, everyone who leaves the area, always wants to eat there as soon as they get back. Brenda took dressing home from there. Then they ate at Fairview Chicken Farm, another fav on the map!! The festival was a beautiful day, starting with the parade, and then art in the park. About every few feet we ran into people I knew, they knew, we all knew, that is fun....then the Keasals got free strawberry/lemonade drinks from Boerger's booth! Yum, those were good (did you happen to taste their chips this year?? Yum, again) We walked and walked until Doug was about walked out. Then, on Saturday night we had planned an open house for all their friends to come and visit. I had made desserts ahead of time and lots of people came. A legacy of a youth group, they had left behind and many of those kids--now adults came, they were glad to see each other and their former youth pastor and wife. I was reminded how we plant seeds in people lives and sometimes don't even know we are doing that.
I pleaded with Doug and Brenda to sing at church, which they willingly did. How beautiful, with the added bonus of Doug singing and playing with the praise team. We ended our weekend at the Brian Regan comedy show at the Peoria Civic Center and shakes at Steak n Shake on the River. What a good time.
It seems kind of boring around here now...but life has a way of picking up just when you think there is nothing to do. As I have mentioned before, who knows what is just around the corner. Love, Kim

The end of summer, A great change.

Wow, the end of August is today. It flew by and I can hardly believe it. The summer was a blast and I think it was a great one. So, to celebrate I packed a surprise picnic in the trunk of my car yesterday while David was getting ready for church. Then after church I told him and invited the kids and grandkids. Would you believe it was almost too chilly for a picnic, well, we could have had sweatshirts on and been more comfortable, but we were in our church clothes. We had fun together and my sons in laws were desperately trying to catch the ducks!!! Boys love a challenge, the more we said they couldn't do it, the harder they tried. Justin did catch one by the neck and right then my battery on the camera died. The pic wasn't meant to be.

My husband ended our Sunday School series with a game of Jeopardy to review all that we had learned. He is still a kid at heart and loves to challenge people and have fun at the same time. I loved watching him teach this series. He is all or nothing in everything he does. "I Want to Change, so Help me God." It was a great series, but I am concerned that during Sunday School my mind is always a million miles away on the next thing or the thing I should have done before, etc., etc. So I am trying to CHANGE that, focus on the moment more, slow down!!! Let God teach me right now.

Ryan has been changing his habits. Works out every day, gets up for classes, fixes his breakfast....it is scary. Now on to bigger and better changes!!! I see a tiny window of a teenage boy growing up. Boys are so different than girls. I could go on and on with that one. Both my sons in law have been in the navy and army and feel they really learned discipline there and wouldn't change one minute of that life lesson. So I am thinking we moms should be more of a drill sargent, more demanding, yet loving, hard line to walk........

I came face to face with some sins in my life this morning during my quiet time and I didn't like what I saw. So I opened the Bible to 2 Peter 1:3, a verse that Pastor Rick shared during last night's devotion time. God gave me EVERYTHING I need for life and godliness. I am claiming that verse today and with God's help will go back to it several times today to read and re-read. I love my life, but know that I can change alot of it to make it better and better.

So, here is to change. The change of seasons...summer to fall, a good marriage to a great one, a good friend to a fantastic one, a helicopter (new term in today's culture for hovering) mom to a loving, caring one, a relationship with Jesus that just keeps getting better and better.
Have a great week and a wonderful fall. Love, Kim

Worry and Discontent---Goodbye

They are old friends, worry and discontent. I had to say goodbye to them again this week. It is a love hate relationship. I am forever asking forgiveness for the relationship I have with them, and then I take them back like old friends. But I must say each time I give them back, I give them back with more gusto and more knowledge that everything will be OK, because I know who holds the future and I will only trust in Him. I was thinking this week about how God could love me, how can He love me when I disappoint him so and I am so unworthy of His love. But He sent His Son to die for me....that is unexplainable and hard to put my mind around. Yet, I know He did that for me and how He must love me. It truly does want me to love Him and to love others the way I know He would want me to. It is amazing grace, It is blessed assurance, it is Victory in Christ. That is my own little worship service right here on saturday night as I wait for David to come home from work.

It has been another great week in my life. I switched my schedule so that I will work 2-12 hour days and 1-8 hour day. By doing that I drop a day of work and then can pick one up under my control if need be. I like that better, can play with my schedule a little bit more.

I had a great time at praise practice this week. Wow, I love those people, and we had a really great time just sitting around the piano and singing. Their voices made me smile and the words to those songs were really pointing us to Christ. I have felt the Lord lead in so many ways this past week. Sometimes I stop and think, "now how did that happen so smoothly". Just like today, I signed up to work extra today, dreading the whole way in, took my assignment and began writing it down-looked like a bad day was a-coming (by that I mean very sick and busy patients--so kicking myself for signing up). And then right out of the blue, the charge nurse says, "Hey Kim you want to be discharge nurse today" and I, without hesitation shouted "Yea, baby!!! So it was a great day, working with great people, loving my job. That is just one example of how God takes care of me in so many ways, usually without me even asking. He is just there and knows what I need and when I need it. Wow.

My Dad had a TIA on Thursday, lasted only a few minutes and had no residual side effects. He stayed overnight in the hospital and is fine now. Again, the Lord taking care of us, lots of details about that day that the Lord knew ahead of time. Wow.

I am on my knees often and trying to be obedient. Can't wait for church tomorrow, to mingle with the saints and hear from God's Word. I get to teach the high school girls Sunday School class tomorrow, can't wait for that. The time I have spent studying for that has been so profitable for ME!!. How thankful I am for parents who brought me up to love the Lord and be involved in the local church. Wow, again.
Love ya, Kim

Home Sweet Home

What a week we had last week. The week started with all kinds of planning and excitement because Justin was due home on Thursday, after being in Afghanistan for a year. Then on Monday afternoon I had an unfortunate incident happen at work and I was deflated for days. I am working on that problem and already God has given peace that passes all understanding. I don't know how it will all work out, but as I was driving in the car home that day, a song came on the radio that says, "all of you is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need you satisfy me with your love. You are more than enough". Peace flooded over me, I gave that situation to the Lord and I will move on. Praise His name.

On Thursday, about 40 of us put our look alike shirts on, that said Welcome Home Sargent Collins, and we went to welcome his bus into Bartonville. There were tears, tears, and more tears. Might I say that the National anthem never sounded so beautiful as we saluted the flag and watched those soldiers march home. I hope I never forget that day. Justin ran to Jenni and they cried and hung on to each other while Nora waited her turn. Little Natalie didn't know for sure what was going on, but we will show her the pictures and remind her of how much her daddy missed her and what a good girl she was for her Mommy while Daddy was gone.

There is a yearning in our lives (David's and mine) to be more for Christ. The world doesn't want that, so there is a struggle to change our habits and our desires. David has been teaching Sunday School for the summer months leading us in a video series by James McDonald about changing into what God wants us to be. It has been good, but very frustrating, as I listen to the lessons each week and then go about my business as before. So I am making baby steps, even with my victory mentioned in the first paragraph I know God is at work in my life. I cannot dwell on negative things, but must see that God is good and brings me thru trials that He may be glorified.

I am committed to praying for Ryan. I love him and I know I haven't been praying like I should or bonding with him either. So I have renewed that committment and want to make his freshmen year of college a good one.

By the way, there is never a lack of things to pray for. So if your prayer list is empty, call me up and I will give you a few requests!!!

My verse for the day: Psalm 30:12, "that my heart may sing to you and not be silent, O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Love you, Kim

Apparently I am not very good at this since I haven't posted anything since May. The summer has been so full of fun, fun, fun. I guess I just have been too tired to gather my thoughts. I could go on and on about many details, but tonight I am remembering what fun David and I had on our vacation. We went to Watertown to visit with our extended family and then on to Niagara Falls. How awesome are the falls and I do have to describe them as awesome. I do not use that word very much, but those falls are magnificent, such power, and never ending cascades of water. It was so nice to be relaxed and enjoying each other with nothing to do but whatever we wanted.

When we came home David continued his efforts of looking for a new job. It has been a journey of the unknown most of the time. I was praying specifically that he would find something he could really enjoy without too much stress and, as silly as this sounds, a job that he could wear normal clothes too and not have to get all dirty. Well, guess what!!! God provided a car salesman training opportunity and David was picked out of several people to continue the training and begin a new career. He gets to dress up and he is having fun. We are excited at this new path God is leading David on and see God's hand at work in many ways. A couple of the guys he met along the way are Christians and David has had the opportunity to pray and read the Bible before work with one of the guys. How great is that!!

Our grand children continue to give us so much joy. They are all beautiful and we find that we want to see them alot. They are always smiling and melt our hearts. They have great parents and we are being challenged to pray for them every day. We want God's best for them...because we know how great life can be when standing in the center of God's will.

Our Ryan, is not in God's will and we love him so much that our hearts break to reflect on his life. He is holding down a job, paying for his car, he is all signed up for college classes in the fall and for that we are extremely proud of him. The joy of the Lord is missing in his life and he does not want to even hear about it. So on our knees we go and ask our heavenly Father to intercede where we cannot.

I have had a tough time at work, very sick patients, hard, stressful hours and I tried to come up with a different plan...I wanted to leave and get an easier job. But, the funny thing is that God is NOT opening any doors right now and I seem to hear Him say over and over, "I need you here" and I say "no", then He says it again. I have relinquished for now and am trying to ask the Lord for His vision everyday, to be His hands, His feet, His words. I don't know what my mission is on the fourth floor of that hospital, but I do know that God wants me to live for Him there.

Have I said this before, God is good all the time, all the time God is good ??? The longer I live, the more I believe it. But I am finding out, that when I give my heart and soul to Him and honestly live for Him and not for me, that the true blessings arise. Recently, a couple that was moving away from our church called and wanted to know if they could spend the night with us as they were traveling thru. I was busy, I didn't want to have visitors. I couldn't tell them no, so onward they came. I had the best time with them. I was blessed over and over by their conversation and love. I would have been so sorry to have missed out on that and I had to ask forgiveness from God for not being hospitable and for complaining so loudly!!

There is never a dull moment around here, but as long as those moments are being lived for the Lord--it's no wonder that life isn't dull, because He has promised abundant life. Thank you Jesus!!