Day 19

This is the letter I wrote to my church family and I thought you might want to read it too. It gives a little background in what we have done and what we would love to be doing. I hope it will mean something to someone!

I want to start by telling you this is the best Church home we have ever had. I know we haven't been as involved or present as we have in the past. I used to be so able and willing for God to use me and He did. I taught teens Drama. We wrote an amazing valentines banquet love story about Esther, a beautiful Christmas story about Mary and Joseph, and a really astounding Easter story, revolved around the cross, but including a pray from Mary's heart about her son, and her realization that it was God's son too so He did know how hard it was. I did so much work with AWANA's at several churches. I sang in the Praise Band at a couple of churches. We moved around a lot because our spirits weren't settled and our churches kept splitting. Then the time before we came to North Monroe, I was a children's minister and the very small St. Andrews Methodist Church. The reason we started going there was because my family went there and my moms Parkinson's was progressing. At any case God used me in a profound way there. We gave the children's sermon in front of the church after the music and before the sermon. Every week Brother Donnie would tell me what his sermon was about and God would give me these amazing children's sermons to go along with it. Most of the adults would tell me they got more from my little sermon than the one being preached.When we moved to North Monroe, I tried so hard to work in AWANA there, work where ever I was needed, just like we had before at every church we ever went to, jump in and let God position us. Before Gary Griffith passed away, I worked very closely with him and learned so much from him eventually leading the children's music. I had a strong desire in my heart to start a young ladies, Proverbs 31 ministry, to teach today's youth how to be true ladies. God has also recently given me a desire to do something no one that I know of is doing. There are youth camps, children's camps, ladies retreats, men's retreats, couples retreats, but I have yet to find a family retreat. God has given me a vision of a farm atmosphere with fun things to do together and mainly to get families unplugged and learning how to be families again. Growing Families Together.

I want you to understand how greatly being so ill breaks my heart, I couldn't keep my promise to stick with AWANA, suddenly I was no longer in control of anything. I had never before told someone I would do something and not follow through. For the longest, I would go to church in agony because that is where we were supposed to be. When I finally decided I could no longer go, my family would go without me, but it tore them up to leave me laying here on the couch because we always do everything together. Finally, Clint decided he could no longer leave me here alone, so we would sit and listen on the couch together. I know you helped us last year to get to Arizona to the Mayo Clinic. I know the church has prayed for my family often. I know my lifegroup adopted our family for Christmas. I feel I have no right to ask, because I know there are many people in great need, but we need help getting to Ochsner and having my surgeries. Any amount you choose is fitting, I am sure will be just the right amount,because God has a funny way of doing just that. Thank you for all the prayers and every way each person at our church has touched our lives.