There is another huge milestone that is happening on Sunday for my family.
It is not only the day of Loressa’s wedding shower and the anniversary of the
accident, but it is also the 15-year anniversary of John beginning his position
as Youth Minister at First Baptist Church of The Colony. August 14, 2001 was
the day that our family of 9 (which included 2 adults and 7 children ranging
from a 14 year old teenager down to a 3 month old newborn baby) traveled
from Sweeny, Texas to The Colony, Texas in our 15-passenger van. This was the day that would begin a
journey that would still be continuing 15 years later. John became the youth
minister to a small band of youth and has served the youth of the church year
after year since then. He has prayed for them and taught them and loved them
through the good times and the bad. John has faithfully served and loved the
people of The Colony.
Through the years, each of our children has used their gifts
and talents to serve in ministries that John and I were involved in. From leading worship with the youth or in the
main services to helping to plan and decorate for events and even by just being
an encouragement to others, they have each given their time and talents to
helping their dad with anything that he needed or wanted them to help with.
They have mentored those younger than themselves. They have created
choreography for our many musicals and helped plan dances for others to enjoy.
They have planned games and run the lights and changed the sign out front. They
have set up and torn down hundreds of chairs for different events. They have
learned what it means to serve and they have learned what it means to be loved
and encouraged by those that serve alongside them. They have served faithfully
and with joy. They have enjoyed the life that they have had as pastor’s kids. Most
of all, they have had the blessing of being the sons and daughters of their
father, John Pecoraro, and I’ve had the joy of being his wife and their mother through it all. God’s faithfulness to us is overwhelming
and I am so grateful to the Lord that He has given us 7 children who love Him and
who love to serve others. Thank you, Lord!.
You, who have been here, have watched as my family has grown 15 years older. The kids now span the ages of 29 down
to 15. We have added a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law and will add another
son-in-law in October. We have been to 15 camps and been on 37 mission trips. We have added 4 grandchildren and another grandson who
will arrive in December. We've had hospital stays for Halton, Loressa and John.We have had sickness and the heartache of John's father's death. We have had casual times of hanging out and awesome parties. We've had dances and weddings. We have had times of intimate worship with family and friends. We have certainly been
through a lot, both good and not so good, in the last 15 years. We have overwhelmingly felt the love and support
of those who are constantly meeting our needs before we even know what they
are. The church has ministered to us through every addition to our family and has blessed us time and time again through loving us and showing us God's love over and over again. You have walked through valleys with us and you have climbed mountain peaks in our spiritual walks. You have seen us at our best and you have seen us at our worst and, yet, you still choose to love us and support us.
When I think of the last 15 years, I think of how fast they
have gone by. My hair has turned white. My children are almost all grown. My
life has been good and it is all because a loving God knows me and meets my
every need in ways that are beyond my understanding. I serve a God who cares
about all the big details and all of the small ones. He cares where I live and
where I worship. He cares that my family serves Him and He cares that we feel
His love.
He shows us His love over and over again.
God has been so faithful to all of us and we are so very
thankful!!!
