This past week I had a ton of family members in my home. For starters, my mother is living with us now for one more month until her house is move-in ready. My aunt Alice and my uncle Ricky have been here helping her paint and get her house in shape. They were here at the beginning of the week, and then, on Thursday, my in-laws came to visit us for the weekend. We were so excited to have a houseful of loved ones!
I started to become very sentimental this past week. Those feelings actually hit me when I went to see Beth Moore on April 15th. You see, during her conference she gave us the opportunity to sponsor a child through Compassion International. I told my friends that were with me that one of my cousins has been working with Compassion for years. Spence is my second cousin by marriage- so we are not blood related at all, but in the Alexander home, if you are a part of the family in any way, then you are family, so Spence is my cousin. And I am proud of him! Please check out Compassion International and prayerfully consider sponsoring one of these precious children.
A few days later I got an email from one of my uncles who is a minister in Dallas. He shared how God was at work in his life, and it was just inspiring. I shared his story with a friend of mine who went to Beth Moore with me, and she said something like "Your family is so cool!"
And that got me to thinking. I am one blessed chica because of the family that I was born into and married.
I think about my grandmother who lived with me all of my junior and high school years. How she honored the Lord, even when as she was dying in the hospital, there she was living God's Word and being an encouragement to everyone. She wanted better for her children and grandchildren than she ever had. She raised them when she herself was just a baby and instilled a love within them for God, Jesus, the church and the Word.
On my mom's side I have two uncles who are ministers, one who is an elder, many cousins who are deacons or minsters and several who are leaders in their churches. Many aunts have challenged me in the Lord and I have had the opportunity to sit at their feet and learn from their example and wisdom. Some of my cousins have adopted children and are raising them in the Lord. Some proclaim Him with their lives and are great examples to me. Some of my family have been missionaries on the field for years. And all of them can SING! I remember really well our family reunions in which we sang praises together. It was beautiful. To this day, I long for those times together with my family. My grandmother's funeral was full of song- way to go Tim on some awesome song-leading ability- and I know that she was so proud of her family.
My mother and I have great theological discussions over coffee. She is a natural seeker of the Word. She has my grandmother's zeal to inspire others in the Lord. Only my mother takes this challenge to men and women who are not in our family. She is an inspiration for many in our church, and I get tickled about how many of my friends have been invited over for coffee talk with my mom. And every morning she prays with my four-year-old daughter as they eat breakfast together. Seriously, my mother WALKS it!
I think about my sister. She and I are so similar, but have completely different spiritual gifts. My sister is a giver and full of mercy, two of my lowest gifts. Lynn feels others emotions. Her heart guides her decisions. She reminds me so much of the apostle John- she understands the emotions that Jesus felt. She looks at His life in such a different way than I do, and I have learned so much from her. Her heart is big enough to embrace every believer out there, and watching her serve in mercy has really been inspiring to me. Likewise her husband Scott, a natural administrator in the Lord, is fascinating to watch. He brings a spirit of calmness and organization. He cares deeply for people. He studies the Word. And he is a wonderful father and husband.
My father is a natural teacher. He can tell a great story. He can captivate an audience. And he has a great memory. He is creative and logical at the same time. And he loves the church. He has a heart for seeking groups of people that can typically fall through the cracks at church. And he is a servant. When the tornadoes devastated Joplin, MO, my dad was there within one week. And he made multiple trips back to help rebuild that town and restore their hope. Sherron, my step-mother, exemplifies Jesus' love for the little children. She is retired, and is the head of the Children's Ministry at her church. That is one of the most thankless, high maintenance and life-zapping ministries in the church (in my opinion) and she does it with grace and love. She truly models "Let the children come to me".
Then I have the Kilmer family. Dean, my father-in-law, is full of energy.He runs up to the pulpit every Sunday morning before he preaches! He makes every member of his congregation feel important, because each one of them is important to him. He works endless hours and is always available to help whoever is in need. There are not many visits that we have with him when his phone does not ring, usually daily, and off he goes, even when he is taking time off from work. He is on-call 24/7. He has a desire for all to know Christ, and a God-given drive to get the gospel out to the world, what ever it takes. He is involved in mentoring classes with the juvenile courts in his county, he teaches endless Bible classes and individual studies, he has written seminars and has published one book. He is part of a foundation that recognizes and awards teenagers for their accomplishments in making good moral choices. He'll do whatever it takes for others to know Christ.
My mother-in-law is the gentle-spirited matriarch of the family. She loves her family and prays for them daily. She is always there for a gentle hug and kind word. She encourages all of us to think outside the box and to live up to the calling that we all have. If I can think of one word to describe her, it would be "care". She naturally cares for others in a way that most of us have to work at. Kelly, my sister-in-law, is the same way. Loves her family, thinks of others, remembers their birthdays, something that I am horrible at! She thinks of how others will feel in certain situations and tries her best to set people up for success. My brother-in-law, Jonathan, is patient and kind-hearted and is a wonderful father. He is also a big dreamer and a very gifted guy!
Both of Keith's grandfathers were elders in the church. Donald was one of the most pleasant, adorable, Godly men I have ever met and I loved him the very first time I met him. Bud was a feisty, spirited man who I had a lot in common with (I can be a little feisty!) He could play a mean game of cards! He was absolutely precious. Virginia, Bud's wife, was such a great example of a wife who adored her man and her children. I remember our conversations really well, and hold dear all of the advice that she gave to me. Then there's Mona, Keith's one remaining grandparent, who is so precious to me that I cannot put it into words. She and I got to spend nearly every Monday night together for about one year, and I miss those back-porch talks that we had. She writes prayers in a journal, and we read them together. I shared with her whatever I was reading at that time, and she was always so interested in it. We discussed everything under the sun and in Heaven, and I adore her to this day.
Keith has one uncle who is a minister in the church. His wife is a dear servant of Christ and a natural encourager. He has two cousins who work for Christian universities. His other cousin is God's hands on this earth as she serves others with her nursing abilities and powerful character. Keith's precious aunt Kay Ann and uncle Jeff are great examples of a couple who serve their church together. His uncle Don is another gifted administrator and I appreciate so much how dearly he respects and loves those who were with him as he was growing up. He has not forgotten his roots! I love Keith's family as if there were my own.
Which leads me to talk about my man. I consider myself one of the luckiest women on earth to be married to Keith Kilmer. He is a rock to me. God made us for each other. As a preacher, I admire his desire to reach out and spread the Word. He is approachable to all members and guest of our church, similar to the model exemplified by our Lord during His walk on this earth. He communicates truth well. He is not agenda driven, but He is driven by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of his labor is evident in the churches he serves- God uses Keith to create an atmosphere that unites members of His body. And Keith does it willingly, even when it's hard. As a father, no three kids could ask for more. Having two special needs kids can be exhausting, and Keith has embraced every crazy thing that has been asked of us as we care for these precious children that belong to God. As for a husband- I don't have enough room on this blog to write about how much he means to me. And he wouldn't want me to embarrass him, but I will say that I am blessed because God Himself design a man just for me that would give me such a joyful life here on earth and walk with me hand in hand as we journey this world to our real home. I love him.
Now for my little branches- let's start with Clay. Clay and I have similar spiritual gifts so we get each other really well. But I have to say that God has blown my mind away with this little Aspie boy. For starters, Clay has a deep desire to share Christ with anyone and everyone, not just to "share information" with them, but to share joy with them. He is autistic here on earth, but gravy, he is a mighty soldier already in the heavens. He invited more people to Friends and Family day than I did, I hate to admit. He has shared his faith with people who confess other world religions and even atheism. He has bought books that explain other world views to help him understand how non-Christians think and feel. And he is just eleven years old. God made him just the way that he is, and God has a special plan for him.
McKenzie should have been born to my sister because they are the same two people. They share the same spiritual gifts- giver and mercy. As I said earlier, I am low on those gifts. So as I am trying to "raise up a child in the way she is bent" I have found that I have had to stretch my understanding of how to serve the Lord. McKenzie is a natural blessing to all who are around her. She is tender-hearted and, just like my sister, remains calm in a crisis and takes care of others. I love watching her study God's Word with me- she takes out high-lighters and pens and makes notes and underlines anything that will enhance her study. Just like Keith. She is thoughtful and kind, and is a precious soul.
Finally, Kylie. Oh Kylie. If you know Kylie, then you get it. She reminds me of the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" except right now she is stuck on "I can do all things". She has my grandmother, mother and father-in-law's energy. She is so adventurous. Whoever she marries better be ready to go on some mission trips, because I guarantee you, she will be "jumping off the cliffs in Asia" (shout out to my Chile teammates!) I don't know exactly how God has designed her yet, but knowing the tree from which she sprouted, I know that I will enjoy watching her grow in God.
I am thankful to God for all of my blessings that He has graciously given me, but today, I am thankful for the blessing of my family.
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