my church kids

I apologize for my ranting yesterday...I was home and sick is my only excuse.

My grand kids call them my "church kids".  They'll say things like "Were you with your church kids?"
My church kids range in age from 12 and beyond.  (even those in college remain church kids)  Other than walking into church following my husband's announcement the other hardest thing I had to do was tell my "church kids". 

Mark and I were a couple to them. We went together.  For those older kids they were as close to him as they were to me.  I knew it would be like going through a divorce of a parent and I needed to handle it in the same manner.  Greg told me it could and should be a "teachable moment" as he helped prepare me for this announcement.

If you know teenagers at all you know they are never quiet.  After a Sunday School lesson I sat them down and told them Mark and I had separated.  I didn't tell them why.  I told them he loved them just like I did.  I asked them for prayer not only for me but for Mark, too.  The room was dead silent.  No one spoke.  I asked them if there was anything they wanted to know.  They asked if that was why I took off for a few months.  We prayed together.  They walked out of the room in silence.  Two boys stayed back and hugged me.  I have tried to be completely honest with them through this struggle, answering every question.

I don't know how teenagers can be your strength but they became exactly that.  I was the children's director for five years before I became the youth director.  Most of these kids I knew from the time they were babies.  During this time they loved me. ..no questions asked.  One Sunday I lost it ...t totally and positively LOST IT...I went to my office quickly and didn't just cry, I sobbed...and Emilee happened to walk into the midst of it...she held me and cried with me and became my strength.  How can you ever repay that?  How can you ever say thanks for that?

I think God gave me the gift of these young people as children and then he knew I would need them when they were older and he gave them to me as teens.  They have given hugs, sent texts and brought me lots of laughter and tears.  They have seen the power of prayer.  They have seen strength and love come from hurt and hate.  They have watched the power of friendship between Lora and I.  They have witnessed how friends support each other.  The entire ordeal has been a lesson to them.

During the Super Bowl we were all watching together at church...sitting in front of me on bean bags were two of my older kids with my two grand kids.  My grandson Zack adores these guys (they are wonderful role models for him and don't even realize it.).  At one point I looked down and watched Lee reach over give him a head rub and hug.  Out of the blue and for no reason.  Now a few hours earlier he had been hitting Zack with the bean bad they were sitting on but now there was that brotherly love.  As you can see not only I have been blessed but my family has been blessed, too.

The power of love.  The song goes..."As long as I know how to love I know I will survive.."  Love has come to me in many ways and my "church kids" is one of those special ways.  I love you guys.  Thank you God for this blessing.  Once again you were there in the preparation for this hurt...you knew prior to the hurt what I was going to need and you laid the ground work.  You are an awesome God.




I

my boys

I can not say enough about my boys...through this whole ordeal they have been the adults...I always say I must have done something right or they raised me right I'm not sure which...I had a God moment with my son Nick.  In April of 2009 he came to my husband and I and told us he had the opportunity to take a job in the state of Washington and wanted to know what to do.  He was struggling and wanted our advice.  I am a person who has always believed in bettering yourself and understand the drive he has to do so but also knew he didn't want to leave family.  In the end he turned down the job and kicked himself for it for months...he just felt the time wasn't right.  Four months later my marriage fell apart and he and Jennifer became my rocks.  When I didn't show up at work Jennifer would come over, check on me, turned on those bedroom lights and brought me food...late at night on those bad nights Nick would show up out of the blue.  I could not have survived without their love and support.  Nick always says "I know now why I didn't go to Washington."  Last year, out of the blue the man he had contact with in Washington called him and said...would you think about the job again? We've had one open up...I said "Go" you have been a good son and you are being rewarded...this summer (2010) he and the family had the opportunity to go to Washington .  The kids got to experience it and they found they could live there.  I am excited for this move and once again see God's hand in all of it.  Nick has been blessed for the good deed he did for me...for being a good son.
Remember what God told me in that Kroger parking lot...you are blessed for the good deeds you do...
I  tell the grandkids they can't get rid of me that easily...I will be a perminant fixture by visiting often...I love Walla Walla...and look forward to what the future brings...