This past Tuesday night, Neil asked several of us to go to Carmines (great Italian food) to celebrate his two year spiritual birthday. Earlier in August we had celebrated Leah Anne and You Ming's one year spiritual birthday.
They are so excited for their new life. If you met them, you'd be amazed at how their knowledge has grown in such a short time. They've worked really hard to learn.
It is pretty tempting to write long expositions about my own grown up sons and how wonderful they are and how much good influence they're having, but that would just be tacky, right? It's a good things I have these new adopted kids to brag on!!!!!
This is a picture of a class on Isaiah being taught by Joe Works, who is working with the group in Fairlawn. Neil, Tim, and Emily? are going to a study in Indiana on the last half of the book of Isaiah (I thnk it's a part two of a study) later this year. But Neil felt like he wasn't prepared on the first 35 chapters, so he asked Joe to teach a class. Joe now comes from Fairlawn to the city, which takes a big chunk of his time on a Monday morning. It's a really good class, that Don and I have enjoyed so much.
Neil thought it would be so neat just to hold the class in Riverside Park, just down the street from he and Tim's apt. It really is neat! It's also NOVEMBER!!!! so after a couple of weeks we talked him into moving it inside, ha.
I will be 40 years old spiritually on February 11th. I am so glad to hear of the spiritual progress of the local saints. I am honored to have met many of the fruits of your labor. But especially honored to hear about the accomplishments of your boys. As Babe Ruth said, "it ain't braggin' if you can do it." Your guys, all 4 are very accomplished and I love to hear about them. Who better to ask than Mom? Who give "the facts Maam just the facts" with a loving positive presentation.
i sent neil a text tuesday for his birthersary, wish i could've made it to the celebration. i'm looking forward to the meetings this weekend and seeing you!
brrr...i love the City in November! my spiritual birthday is the day before Jesus' birthday, Dec 24! (of course i am kidding about that being His birthday)
It is not tacky for a mom to brag on her birthchildren or adopted. Brag away. The young'ens you assemble with are blessed to have you in there lives (Don too). Besides, how could the hula hoop lady be tacky?
I'd realy like to see some recent pictures posted of all your boys. I still have a picture somewhere of all three of them standing on a front porch wrapped up for winter. It was such a cute pic.
I remember my spiritual birthday so vividly. I was 16, and remember the wonderful day! By the way, I also remember my 3 daughter's spiritual birthday, as if it were yesterday. After the 3rd was right with the Lord, Nick and I felt as if we could leave this world and they would be just fine!
hey mrs.cami! i don't know if you remember me or not, but i was so excited to see you had a blog!!! i'm leeann (buck) wiser, bill simmons is my grandfather, i was one of the four grandkids that came with him to gospel meetings in conyers! i was the girl with long wavy hair... we used to come to your wonderful young peoples get-to-gethers!! you were all just so great and i just would love to keep in touch with you!!! love you!!
haha, your sooo sweet! i am doing very well, we live in jennings, fl. it's the first exit in florida so we are right there at ga! it's a tiny town out in the country, which i LOVE! i have two precious babies and one on the way! i married to the most wonderful man in the world!!! there have been some bumps in the road, my husband was diagnosed with high output cardiac failure in sept. of last year, there are tough times, but we are making it, and we couldn't be happier together!!!! papa and gramma (bill and ethel simmons) are only 30 min. away, i couldn't move far from them, i would miss them waaaay to much! we live on the same property as josh's father and grandparents! we all love living so close! how are you and mr.don??? we're going to be in your old home town (Lord willing) in a few days! papa is preaching in covington, and we are staying with maggie and forrest bacon! so we will be thinking of you!
This weekend Weight Watchers had their national staff meeting/celebration. Our district had 800 participants from all over New York City and New Jersey. It's always lots of fun. I got a little trophy for being a mentor - yay!
Now I need to really get busy for the upcoming week, which ends with our Fall Lecture series. Brother Sewell Hall is coming back!!!!! and speaking on the Kingdom of Heaven. Sister Caneta will be along and we are so excited for it. We've advertised in the papers again and Don's been getting calls of interest.
Saturday afternoon, while everyone's still in the city, we're having a double celebration party for two sets of parents in our group! That in itself is amazing, we didn't even used to have married couples!!! So one little girl is alreaday here - beautiful little Jaslin, and one baby boy is on the the way!
Monday morning we head to Tennessee for Thanksgiving! A nice get away. Tim's riding with us, and trying to decide how affected he'll be by spending that much time in a small space with us. Ben will be coming up from Florida, with Madeline and Erika and Thayne. Unfortunatly, Dan and Heather won't get to come along this time - it's a LONG way from here to TN. We'll miss them lots. I hope to get a Jack - sighting in sometime this week. If he's talking a little bit, it's time for Nana to be one of the words!!!!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday everyone. This picture doesn't have anything to do with this post; I just think it's a sweet one.
Lots of good things, indeed! So glad things are going well. I love this time of year, too. Tyler and Allison will come home for Thanksgiving, and Allison is bringing our niece and another FC student home with her, too. I love having a house full! I hope your travels go smoothly.
awww... i'm glad you put that pic in. i missed seeing tim yesterday and you too! fyi...jazlyn is the correct spelling of her name. looking forward to this coming weekend. i'll call you sometime soon to talk about the sharing a hotel in ky. love you.
One year when Ben was in Florida for Thanksgiving, and we DID have turkey that year, I flew the bird around the room just to make him feel at home...It wasn't the same effect as it was only a turkey breast.
I just finished an 8-week Dale Carnegie course. It was a test between Weight Watchers and Dale Carnegie to see if they'd like to partner in training WW employees. I was really excited to be part of the test group.
The Dale Carnegie principles for people skills, communications skills, self - confidence, dealing with stress, and leadership skills are just so practical and powerful. They can all be found in his books, for one, the old and gold standard, "How to Win Friends and Influence People". Being in the course was great, because you practice the skills, report on their effect, and watch your co-classmates and yourself get better and better. It was also nice that it was so directed at our work in particular.
But hopefully improving my ability to relate to and persuade the people aroune me will help me share the most important thing I have to offer, which, of course is the way back to God.
Then last night, we got the opportunity to see You Ming, one of the young, new Christians here, play with the Mannes College orchestra at Carnegie Hall!!! The tickets were free, but seating was assigned, and we were in the box seats on the second tier! It was such a nice night!
If you get Don's report he's got a special little blurb about You Ming this month. You Ming (Chen) came to the US with his brother from Tai Wan when he was still in middle school, so that they could both pursue their music. He's been here, and on his own ever since! He graduated from Indiana University, then did his Masters at Julliard. That's where he met Emily P. (xoxo) and began visiting our services. It was over two years later when he obeyed the gospel.
Since then he has been an example of faith, spiritual mindedness and hard work! He was the right behind Neil as the second student to study "college level" style courses. He is already so well learned and sharing it with others. In fact, he's really lost his "edge" aggressivly seeking a career as a concert violist. He's married to a lovely girl named Alice. Alice is very religious, but has been involved in another church for many years and not interested yet in change. You Ming is anxious for her to learn the truth, but learning to be very patient in the meantime. We're so proud when once in a while he introduces us as his "parents".
You Ming, Emily, Michelle, and Vinay - four of our "heart of hearts".
Thought for a second or two that the third person from the lest was surely CJ. Course I haven't seen her in years. Do you know where she and KT are located? Thanks for sharing about your "family" in NY!
I'm diggin that picture! It was so good to see you at Valrico even if it was only for a few minutes...Hopefully the next time I see you we'll actually get a conversation in :)
It's funny but both of those ladies remind me of someone. Leah Ann's mom looks like LeDonna Andrews (suppose you don't know her); she is Barb Riffles sister. Anyway, here's another odd thing. This past Sunday, LeDonna Andrews was visiting the Broadmoor congregation and she had her granddaughter with her. Well I kept studying that cute little girl because there was something vaguely familiar about her. After services I told LaDonna that I finally determined of whom her granddaughter reminded me: YOU. Isn't that funny!?
sometimes when i'm in town i miss things. wish i would've made it last night. i went to lunch w/ michelle s & got to see some pics ~ looked like fun. hope you all made it to enjoy some of jack's 1st bday celebration. love you (aunt) cami!
On Monday, we celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary!
Took a little get away trip!!!!
God is good and has blessed us in so many ways.
My best to you - today!
thanks for sending me the pics. I love them. You guys look like you had so much fun. I'll send you photos of the ceremony when I get them downloaded. love you
Love the picture of you two. Still happy and in love after ALL these years! :O) Looks like you must have been about 12 when you got married, right? Now Don, on the other hand...j/kidding! It is a great picture of two great looking love birds. Congrats.
LOVE the gummy lobsters!! :) Haven't tried the oyster crackers yet, but I am sure they're delicious. Makes me want to eat clam chowder and I don't even know if I like clam chowder! THANKS a bunch!!
My "comments" button on my blog is working now; check out my slideshow of the boys when you get an opportunity. Congratulations to you and Don. It's been a long time since the late 70's, hasn't it?! Looks like weightwatchers is still watching your weight!
You Ming, Emily, Michelle, and Vinay - four of our "heart of hearts". 
