Testimony Sharing from Bob Smith
I am Bob Smith. My wife is Maureen. Our kids are Chelsea and Kevin Smith. We first joined the church in 1992. Our children were baptized here, attended Sunday school, bible school, Delanco Camp and youth group at First Church. Those that know me see I’m a very simple minded individual. (Hopefully not in the way that might have sounded)
I have little desire for luxuries or world travel, instead, I am eternally grateful for my family and life’s simple pleasures. I am an individual who can launch a kayak five minutes from home to travel upstream at Union Lake, forget all my cares and feel a thousand miles from home. I feel God’s presence all around me, as I marvel at every sunrise and spend hours gazing up at the clouds, excited to spot every eagle that chances to soar overhead. I also feel God’s presence in our church and I will always be grateful for my church family.
My first fond memory here was our candlelight wedding, one Friday evening in October of 1993. Rev. Ron Watts officiated and a large group of kids from Maureen’s first grade class were in attendance, waiving to us from the balcony. My most recent fond memories are watching our son, Kevin, continue his involvement in youth group and deliver the message on Confirmation Sunday.
My faith has taught me to be grateful for family and every blessing we share in this life. Though, I admit I have often stumbled, my faith has helped me identify my weaknesses and always guided me back on course. I’ve learned to apply my faith in my personal and professional life, learning how good it feels to give others a leg up and constantly seeking out the chance to commit random acts of kindness. I have also learned to appreciate the power of prayer and I am eternally grateful for the faith given ability to get through the most difficult times, by giving my troubles up to God.
I feel, when we recognize all our blessings come through God’s grace, we will accept the need to give back through service to the church and allow our lives to become enriched by the satisfaction we receive from helping others. I also feel when everyone does their part, our missions are accomplished without overburdening our fellow church family members. I hope to soon return to the hospitality role when we return to worship. Not only to share a connection to church family members, but also extend the welcome feeling to visitors and encourage them to join our family.
In this difficult time, I feel the answer to many of our problems lies within The Greatest Commandment. I feel the need to encourage everyone to return to spirituality, moderate our political opinions, communicate with one another, consider other people’s views, encourage acceptance and support for one another. I feel change begins at a local level, so the future of our church is to continue to nurture our youth, extend support to those in need and invite others to join our church family.
