Home Improvement 2002

Letter 1
Thank you so much for the Home Improvement Series. Each week I can hardly wait to hear what God wants me to know. Along with bits of wisdom and knowledge, I again can almost feel the breath of God in the sanctuary and know that the Holy Spirit is working. So many of our marriages and families have had a deep need for this very kind of teaching. Our marriage is no exception. We discuss every lesson and how it pertains to us individually and as a couple. We have shared all that we have learned with our children (especially the barrel of broken pieces). I can tell you that example hit home for us big time. We have struggled a lot in the past two years – even at our age, and there are many conflicts. The outlines have helped a lot by giving us a direction and a place to start. – God is Changing Us

Letter 2
Thank you for your message in the “Home Improvement” series this morning at 8:15. As summer visitors, the novelty of a “Home Improvement” series has kept us coming back to hear more each week. Now that is a plus to get “Summer Escape” people to come to church. Your messages have stimulated many thoughts in our minds as well as helped us “pat our backs” for in our 38 years of marriage successfully raising two girls who now have families of their own and make Christ the center of their families. Your invitation to e-mail you was very tempting, therefore the following. In looking over the congregation, you and I noticed as well as you mentioned (20 years or more at Fairview) that many people are in the stages of their lives where they also can “pat themselves on the back” for making their homes Christ-centered. The Christian direction which we seem to struggle with is now that we have raised happy Christian children and happy Christian homes for their children, and we live 11 hours away from their families, what is our Christian role as empty nesters, as persons who will retire within the next ten years, as persons who are financially secure, as persons who have material wealth and too much to maintain that downsizing is necessary, as persons who do not wish to interrupt our children’s lives. Have you struggled with that likewise? God does take care of us and we have faith that this is true, but if you can give us some spiritual direction, some Christian purpose for our lives that we as a husband and wife could share and that others would appreciate. We currently have daily jobs and share our Christianity through those jobs, but someday, which we need to prepare for, we will not have that audience at word to fulfill our purpose on earth and will need to develop a new path. What is it, where is it, how do we get there, will it fulfill our needs and help others? Dilemma. Are there others in the church feeling the same way?

– Struggling After Being Stimulated

Letter 3
We have always made a point of celebrating our kids’ birthdays with the “whole” family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course grandparents. And in recent years it has included our “extended” family. The kids have enjoyed this and feel really special. They get to pick the food (within reason… one year one of them wanted lobster and shrimp… we said no). The adult kids still talk about some of those special family times. My teenage son and I have had an annual “trip to the zoo”. This is our special time together with no one else, and even though he is almost 17 years old… he asked me this year if we were going to the zoo.

– Having Fun as a Family

Letter 4
There is much my husband and I have learned or been reminded of in this series. The most memorable to me has been watching our family. What has meant the most has been to watch our teenage daughter. I did not know that she keeps a “God box”. In that box she keeps letters to her future husband (that she does not know yet!). All during this series she has been writing notes on the sermon to help in structuring her marriage. That speaks to my mother’s heart!

– Watching Her Grow Up

Letter 5
I work in an office where we sometimes refer people to different agencies when they are in need. In this certain case, our office was unable to meet that need. As I was talking to the elderly gentleman, I realized all he really needed was some help with cooking meals. I continued talking with the man and found out he lived only a few miles from our home. Even as we were speaking I knew this man was going to be my answered prayer. My husband and I went over that evening and shared our meal with the man and his wife. They were both so thrilled and very grateful. His wife had lost her vision three years prior and was unable to do the cooking or cleaning. This man was doing his very best but he was getting tired and very discouraged. We found out that his wife had previously gone to the Church of Christ and she shared with me that just this last week she had prayed she could somehow be able to start attending again. I asked about her husband taking her. He responded that he hadn’t been to church in over 40 years! I could see God had really given us a challenge! I believe that many times people are won to Christ by first having “the planting of seeds”. What was even more interesting was that this lady loved music. She played both the organ and the piano. Since her blindness, she had lost her ability to play and the loneliness grew each day. She lived in darkness with very little outside contact. I noticed she also had lots of flowers outside. Thank God for perennials since they return year after year with very little care. I also have a love for music and flowers. Isn’t God amazing? The other interesting thing is that this man had added on to his home and enjoys carpenter work. My husband also enjoys building and so they had a common interest.

Several other things happened that same week that I know God played a part in. I stand in awe at our Lord and Savior and know that He lives! If you don’t believe it, just ask for someone to help. Just remember to be ready when He answers that prayer! – Serving and Following