Sleep in Peace

by Kay Heitsch

Several years ago, my husband took a job where he was out of town. I was used to him being transferred, but then our kids were home. Now, the children were out of the house, and I was alone.

During the day, I was fine. However, at night I had a hard time sleeping. I was not used to sleeping alone. I tossed and turned and even woke up at the end of the bed upside down one morning.

I stayed active, so I was tired when I went to bed. One day at Planet Fitness, I was talking to a guy. He wanted to know if I had a gun to protect myself if anyone tried to break in. I hadn't thought of someone breaking in, so now I felt a little bit afraid. I started to hear all kinds of noises when I went to bed.

I found there were Bible verses about sleep. One was, "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24 NIV

I made up my mind I was not going to go to bed being afraid. I bought some earplugs and put them in my ears. This way, I didn't hear every little noise. I started to take control of my thoughts. I didn't count sheep; I talked to the Shepherd. When I went to bed, I had a sweet sleep.

If you have a hard time sleeping, always remember you don't need to count sheep. You can talk to the Shepherd and sleep in peace.

Never Without Hope

By Kay Heitsch

When our first grandson, Noah, was born, he had a lot of physical problems. There were times when the only thing I had was hope and prayer.

I often wondered if he would ever walk. Yesterday, on my birthday, no less, Noah not only walked, but he also skated and played in his first hockey game with the Special Olympic team.

When we live in a personal relationship with the Lord, we are never without hope. One reason is that we are never without prayer. There is nothing we can't talk to the Father about.

Our Bible verse says, "Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The LORD's unfailing love and mercy still continue." Lamentations 3:21

Yes, we can dare to hope when we remember the LORD's unfailing love and mercy.

3 in 1

by Kay Heitsch

Many years ago, I was working at a Junior High School on St. Patrick's Day. I didn't know much about St. Patrick's Day at the time, but I was about to find out.

Whenever I worked at school, I always carried candy or something to give to the kids every day. On St. Patrick's Day, I took some shamrocks.

Much to my surprise, one of the Junior High girls asked me if I knew what the shamrock represented. Believe it or not, I didn't.

I found her explanation enlightening. She explained that the 3 leaves represented the Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (see 1 John 5:7)

Understanding how God can be 3 persons can be difficult. This young girl's way of explaining it was something I have never forgotten.

You Can Do It!

by Kay Heitsch

Today our 11 year old grandson Noah played in his first scrimmage on the Special Olympic hockey team. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but you have to know Noah to see that it is a huge deal.

Noah had a rough start in life. We weren't sure if he would even make it let alone play sports. We were surprised when Noah said he wanted to play hockey. First, our daughter and son-in-law had him take ice skating lessons. Noah stumbled, cried, and fell many times. It took a while, but he learned to get back up after each fall.

We were impressed when Noah asked the coach if he could be on the hockey team. Most of the boys on the team are much older than Noah. He would no doubt be the smallest and the youngest player. The coach said he had to know how to do certain things before being on the team. Noah shocked all of us when he did everything the coach asked him to do.

Most of us don't have as many challenges as Noah or the other boys on this team. We can all learn a lesson from Noah and each one of them. Don't quit! If you stumble, get back up! You can do it!

He's Here!

by Kay Heitsch

I was getting excited! It was almost time to take a trip to babysit our 2-year-old grandson, Noah. The due date was getting near for the birth of his brother.

I was ready. I had my suitcase packed when I received the call. I put the bag in the car, and I started to drive.

I was about halfway there when my phone rang. It was our son-in-law, Joe. I wasn't expecting to hear what he announced, "He's here!" What? What do you mean he's here? I thought Shannon had just started labor. Joe filled me in on what had just happened.

While Shannon was getting ready to go to the hospital, Joe had taken Noah over to daycare. The daycare is only about 2 miles from their home. When Joe returned home, he found out Shannon had already given birth. Now, talk about a shocker!

Joe immediately called 911. Much to their surprise, the fire department and two ambulances showed up! All of these big burly men came up the stairs to help. Can you even imagine?

I'm happy to report that Shannon and Eli were in excellent shape when they arrived at the hospital. All was well.

Yes, he's here! Today is Eli's 10th birthday. We are so proud of the little boy he is. Eli is a special gift from God.