Hi Everyone,
Now if someone actually gets this musical reference, you are definitely of my age frame!! Boy that Rex Smith was a cutie, and I LOVED that song of his! No, I'm not going to blog about pre-teen crushes, but most of my blog titles of late have a musical reference, so there ya go!!
The real point of this post is to give thanks to God for the past 4 years or so. I'm in the middle of an incredibly bittersweet time right now, and I just came across one of my favorite quotes: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away."
I have had the joy, the privilege, and the honor to share my life with some of the most amazing kids in the world these past years. I've worked alongside incredibly talented staff members, and I've met some wonderful parents and volunteers at Kids1st. Tomorrow is my last day on staff here, and today is the day that I want to say thank you. Working here has had a wealth of moments that took my breath away.
First, there is no one who contributed more to my growth and development in my job and who encouraged me more than Tim Patrick. Tim is not only a friend, he is a trusted source of Biblical encouragement, counsel and wisdom. Tim believed in me and helped to spark a passion in me to give of my time and talents to children. He helped me see the amazing God-given potential in each child that comes in the doors of our church, and he has a passion to see that each of them get to know Jesus as their personal Savior and best friend. I miss him terribly, but I know that his friendship, and that of Lisa, Jessica, Jason and Jacob are ones that will continue with me forever. Tim, you gave me endless hours of laughter and joy during my Internship and my two years as Events Coordinator. From the Donald Duck conversations, to the long hours coordinating FAM JAMs, to the awesome Go Fish concert, to watching so many children give their lives to Jesus (through games!), to getting this new building designed and decorated, you made these past years awesome! I am indebted to you for so many reasons, and a simple thanks just isn't enough. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. I hope I contributed to you and your job even a quarter of what you gave to mine! I love you, my friend!!
Anne, what better desk-sharer could I have asked for? There is no one who could possibly sit with me for hours and sing all the #1 hits of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s...and forget the 00's who knew any of those songs anyway? You love those babies like no one else, and I can't WAIT to see what happens with STARS!! It's gonna be awesome!
Rhonda, you came to our team at a time when we needed a person to greatly concentrate on recruiting and inviting people to join our Kids1st team. Your bubbly personality and joy for life is inspiring! You love these children at Kids1st, and your enthusiasm for teaching them is truly putting Jesus' handsand feet in action. Thanks for the conversations, for listening to me cry, for hugging me when I needed one, and for sharing our cubicle area that is so chilly and cold!! I wish you an abundnace of blessings in the years ahead, and I know that the Lord will pour our His lavish love on you. Your children are terrific....I love each of them, and I'll miss Em's hugs at work!!
Laura, you were also an answer to prayer when you joined our staff. You have insight and wisdom beyond your years. I miss you already, but I know that God is leading your family into a brand new exciting adventure! I can't wait to hear of all that He is doing in Paul's new position. I pray blessings over each of the children, and I look forward to keeping in touch. Thank you for all you did to help Kids1st! Thanks, also, for the great LS discussions! Wanna drive back down here each week to take it again?
Kim, I'm so glad I got the opportunity to know you the past few months. We're fortunate to have you as our Nursery Coordinator. Those babies and their parents have a great advocate working for them!
There are so many children at Crossroads who have produced many moments that have taken my breath away. In 2007 alone, more than 80 children gave their lives to Christ for the first time!! At Kidz Blitz LIVE just a few weeks ago, it was 49! I have loved teaching at Kids3D...my first time doing object lessons, and I STILL believe the ice cream one on waiting was the absolute best one, even though one kid did cry because she didn't get to eat any!
I have been blessed beyond measure to meet and come into contact with people who dedicate their lives each day to seeing the Lord move in the lives of children: David & Teesha Laflin, the Go Fish guys, Steve Brogan, Chris Booth, Josh Dowdy, Tiffany Robison, there are so many more. Each of these people have encouraged me, worked with me, and helped make my job so much better.
To the parents of all the amazing Kids1st kids....I can not begin to thank you enough for the privelege and the joy of working with your children. Words can't describe how much I have loved sharing and ministering the love of Jesus to your kids!!
To all our volunteers, THANK YOU. Without you, nothing we do is possible. You make it all worthwhile. You sacrifice your time, your efforts and your energy to make sure our children have a safe and welcoming place to be. THANK YOU.
To all the former Dream Team and CAST members I've worked with, I love each and every one of you, and I pray God's blessings on your families.
To Crossroads: you've simply taken my breath away.
With Bittersweet Love and Much Respect
Kara
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