The Bucket List

Last weekend, Kim and Jan were able to mark "Running a 5K" off their bucket list!! Mindy and I were just glad we didn't get picked up by the "slow bus" as we walked or 3.2 miles. Kim's daughter, Tracy, ran (quite successfully) a mini-marathon!!! We flew into Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday and met up with Rhonda Leslie. Everyone spent the afternoon catching up on the past 15 years. Rhonda and her husband use to be youth pastors at LAOG and now live in Florida. We had such a great time with Rhonda. While I'd love to tell you all the details... you know what they say..."Whatever happens in the Jaguar ~ Stays in the Jaguar". My lips are sealed! A big THANK YOU to Rhonda for getting us to the Hyatt Place just in time to pick up our bibs. Who would have known there were soooo many "H" hotels???

Sunday morning we were up bright and early to get to the start line. Who starts a race at 6:13 am? I will admit, it was great seeing the sunrise over the beach. Definitely inspiration to perservere! Although we all didn't finish at the same time, we all finished! Kim took 5th place for her age group and Jan did amazing in her age group too! Way to go for your first 5K!!! Mindy and I finished strong jogging across the finish line. Atleast we didn't get scooped up by the "slow bus".

Look at the amazing sandcastle made for th e 13.1 mini marathon. The weather was picture perfect on race day. The beach offered great scenery and a place to relax afterwards.

With the race behind us....it was time to relax. We spent the next few days sitting by the pool at Kim's house in Cape Coral. A trip to the beach at Sanibel Island was a must!!

Even the birds found the beach a great place to hang out. They barely moved from this spot all day.

With scenery like this...why would they move. And of course, we barely moved either...for over 5 hours. It was nice to soak up the warmth of the sun, listen to the sound of the waves crashing at the shore, and enjoy the company of great friends.

But all things must come to an end! We packed our bags and headed home...relaxed, rested and RED! Thank you Mindy, Kim and Jan for a wonderful get-away!

So what's next on The Bucket List???

1:27

Meet the team! The 1:27 Team! From l-r P.Paul,
P. Manny, Darren, Greg , Aaron & Charlie. This group
of men decided to put James 1:27 into action!

James 1:27 " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted
by the world."


Our very own Kristi is a single Mom needing a bit
of DIY help installing replacement windows. The team
arrived ready to put in a full days work but
unfortunately the wrong windows were ordered so
the team will need to regroup another day!

Six year old Aaron is learning how to lend a helping
hand to someone in need! Check out that smile! I
think that he really just liked hanging out with the
guys!

Well the guys packed up their trucks, disappointed
that Kristi wouldn't return home to beautiful new windows
but happy to have a new plan to move forward.

And as they prepared to leave, a neighbor invited them
in for coffee and cookies.Perfect on a chilly NE November
morning. Talk with anyone on this team and you'll see just
how excited they are about their new ministry. Pray for them and
better yet offer your support !

326!

Sunday morning was Dedication Sunday! The children
under the age of 12 were invited to come up and lay
hands on the shoe boxes as our church family prayed
for the children who would be blessed through this simple
gift and the gospel message.

A very special heart felt 'Thank You' goes out to everyone
who shopped and donated to this missions project for
Samaritan's Purse called Operation Christmas Child .


It's our home team that makes this run as smoothly as
it does and I couldn't and wouldn't want to do it without
them!
Together, we checked each and every shoebox!
Though the boxes are checked in N.C. before being
shipped , we want to assure that every box is
filled with lots of toys, books, school supplies,
clothes and personal hygiene supplies.

After checking them, the shoe boxes were placed into
the Samaritan's Purse Cartons. This year was the first
year that we received those and it was an answer to
prayer.

Early this afternoon Jay and I welcomed Richard from
Life Care Center in Littleton, MA. who came to pick them up
for us. This too was a first and we are so grateful.


Thank You Life Care Center for partnering with us again
this year and Richard to picking up our 326 shoe boxes !


In Line With the Word
Posted by Sally

Lots of Shoeboxes!

We always eat at our Friday get together.
It's usually a combination of Mindy's sweet
treats and other snack food but tonight is a
'working night' so we needed extra fortification.

So Charlie made his yummy, world famous soup !
It's perfect on a chilly, Autumn evening!

And no Friday would be complete without
Mindy's low calorie dessert. Oh yes, it was
as delicious as it looks. She always treats us
with our favorites and then adds a surprise.
So tonight we enjoyed some of her famous
cookies and this cake.

When we had enough to eat, it was time for
work. The guys went to living room to rest
while we girls started wrapping boxes and
then filled them with all sorts of school supplies,
toys, clothes and candy.





Before you know it, we had filled a whole lot
of boxes that will surely put smiles on some
very precious young faces. The best part
is the love, prayers and introduction to Jesus
that goes into each and every box!

Great job team!

In Line With the Word team
Posted by Sally

God's Country

Yes, you are at the In Line With The Word blog spot!
All of our members are involved in a wide variety of
ministry activities and I wanted to introduce you to
another of mine, The Lighthouse of Prayer.
Our core group has gathered for about 8 or 9 years
at my home on the first Monday of each month for
an hour of prayer. Several years ago, we decided that
we wanted to spend more time with one another socially,
so we get our families together on a seasonal basis for
a pot luck! It's my hope that you'll consider doing the
same. We need the love, support, acceptance and
encouragement of one another.

Saturday, our Lighthouse of Prayer group and a few
of us who attended Steve & Robin's wedding one year ago,
gathered for our seasonal pot luck! The pictures
speak for themselves. We all enjoyed a great afternoon
together. Congratulations Steve & Robin as you celebrate
your First Wedding Anniversary and Thank You
for sharing your beautiful home up in God's Country
with us.

Enjoy the pictures! They tell the story better than
I can!

Posted by Sally

Yes! She Loved it!

If you have followed our blog at all, you know
that EVERYTHING we do involves food and
laughter. Though we had planned for an outdoor
field trip, the weather brought us indoors but
nothing could stop us from surprising Melinda
with an early birthday party and she
loved the idea!

Happy Birthday Melinda! We're glad that you
had so much fun!

Your In Line With The Word Friends
Posted by Sally

4 Legged Friends!

These two cuties are part of our family!
Scout (in the basket) and Tipper. While Laurie
would tell you that she's not a fan, we sense hope
of a changed heart.

Friday, we surprised her with a Birthday celebration
and made sure that she'd be ready for that day, if
and when it happens , to welcome her very own 4
legged friend into the family. She and Brian were
good sports.


Happy Belated Birthday Laurie!

Your In Line With The Word friends
posted by Sally