On May 1st of 2026, we had a fire in our home. The kitchen was totally destroyed. Thanks to the quick response of the fire department, they were able to put the fire out before it spread through the rest of the house. We still had to condemn the house because it was not safe to live in.

 

I was in Kentucky on the mission trip with the church. My wife called me around five o’clock on that Friday night, frantic. She said our house was on fire and I needed to get home. This fire has really devastated her. To this day she still has flashbacks when she hears sirens.

 

I packed up my things with the help of others and asked God to get me home safely. Janet and the dog were safe, so I knew I didn’t have to worry about that. We're so grateful that our son Matt and his wife Samantha opened their home to us for the last five months.

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Through all of this, God has shown us just how blessed we are. Not only through His blessing, but through the blessing of this church. God put us in this church for a reason. We have been blessed by the kindness and generosity of the people here. We can never thank all of you enough for the love and support of all of you.

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We sometimes take things we have for granted. We don’t stop to think it could be gone in an instant. There is no promise of this day or any other. We need to thank God every day for what He has given us. We need to thank Him for our wives (husbands), our children, our homes, and many other things, especially His love and grace.

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Please don’t let the things of this world get in the way of serving our Lord and Savior.