For years, one of my favorite movies is Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), starring Richard Dreyfus. Spanning several decades, it tells the story of a high school band teacher and the many different lives he impacts over the course of his career. At the end of the movie, upon his retirement, Mr. Holland thinks that his life as a music educator has not amounted to much. As he leaves the high school one last time, Mr. Holland enters the school auditorium where former students, friends, and family have all gathered to surprise him. All of those assembled greet him with thundering applause. Among other tear-inducing plot points, Mr. Holland discovers in this final scene how much he IS loved. It is a moving moment, fully capturing the power of love and support from family and friends. This past Thursday night, as Amber, the kids, and I entered our church's gymnasium for the spaghetti dinner fundraiser, we too felt the power of love and support. We were reminded and overwhelmed by the presence of so many our family and friends that were able to make it. From the love, energy, and creativity of our sister-in-law Corey and dearest of friends Jana Simpson, the spaghetti dinner and silent auction brought over two hundred people together to help bring home our Jonas from Taiuyan City, China. The generosity, time, and selfless effort of those we hold so dear in our hearts helped to raise over $3,000. Our family is so thankful to God and to those that were able to attend for helping to soften the burden of fees and expenses in bringing Jonas home. Still, it is not the funds raised that remain at the forefront of our thoughts from that night. What moved us was the presence of each person there simply as an act of love. There is NO price that can be put on the feeling of being supported and loved. Whether we had raised $2 or $20,000, we did not feel alone and are forever changed by the images of loved ones gathered together to bring one orphan boy home. I am learning and re-learning....and re-learning again (until my brain, heart, and soul finally get it) what is truly MOST important in life. Time and time again, whether it is being more focused on my own needs and guided only by the coldness of my selfishness, or allowing worry and anxiety to distort a potentially beautiful day, or having the wrong and pessimistic view of life, moments, like the one experienced the other night, wash the dirt from my eyes, clear my ears out to hear life's music again, and erase the burnt smudges that often cover my heart. Whether you were able to attend the dinner or sent an encouraging note on Facebook or offered your house and garage for a weekend garage sale, everyone of you are helping me believe in goodwill and compassion of people again. And it is not just the McCulloch family being impacted by witness of your support. After the other night, I never want to forget that feeling of togetherness my family felt. I want it to truly transform the way I live. I want to be more willing to give, whether it be my time, money or energy. I want to be one that just encourages and has more presence in the lives of others. "Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11) From the beginning of the dinner to long after the last guest had left, the McCulloch family experienced the very heart of this verse. For every doubt, hour of anxiety, stress-filled moment that we have and are sure to continue to experience, how each of you continue to stand alongside us keeps us moving forward, inflates our courage and perseverance again. So to my parents, Don and Liz, my in-laws, Mike and Sandy, my dear McCulloch, Varty, Simpson and Morris families that helped with hours of set up, tear down, decorating tables, making a beautiful video of our son (Scott Simpson), making hundreds of chocolate chip cookies (Shannon Teter) and for running various endless, errands, thank you. To Colonial Woods Missionary Church, our home for over eighteen years, for allowing us to host this event, thank you. To my three brothers, Jon (who was our Gordon Ramsay and Kitchen Chief), Joe, and Tim, and Brad Morris and Dewey Snyder, for being in the heat and epicenter of the intense kitchen, thank you. To those that donated or bid on items for the silent auction, thank you. To those that came, ATE OUR SPAGHETTI, talked and laughed, and were able to be present, thank you. To those who have and continue to remain PRESENT in our journey with prayers and words of encouragement, thank you. And finally to Corey McCulloch, Jon McCulloch, and Jana Simpson that planned and saw a beautiful night of support, we truly felt like that fictional band director, Mr. Holland, as we entered that gymnasium, we felt so very loved and supported, THANK YOU SO MUCH. On that night, half a world away, a little boy, named Jonas, slept, not even knowing that plates filled with spaghetti and love and the support of family and friends were helping to bring him home.
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"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the EAST and gather you from the west" Archives
March 2017
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