ann kiemel

Wednesday, September 5

being a mother is the most wonderful
and amazing gift, next to the Lord, that
i've ever been given. i can still trace in
my mind all the little pieces of each of
my children's babyhood and growing-
up years. the laughter. the tears. the
books read. the baths. the bike rides.
putting all four in a grocery cart, and
stuffing groceries between all the little
arms and legs.

every season of my children's lives
have carried special joys. school.
sports. girls. friends congregating
at our place. all the nights i would sit
on the edges of their beds, or lie next
to them, and listen in the dark to all the
deepest thoughts of their hearts. their
thoughts pooled in deep places that
could only be reached in the dark after
long, noisy days.

we've had hard times, too.
i didn't have very many absolutes, but
a few that weren't always popular. colson
could not compute that you go to school
all day and come home with homework.
i learned that "d's" were becoming my
favorite letter in the alphabet. at least,
it meant passing. i knew how bright colson
was. he had been tested to be very smart.
maybe i was wrong, but top grades were not
at the top of my list for him. he was always
anxious and fearful, and i sought to help
him feel safe and protected.

today, i realize the greatest mission in my
life is to make sure my children really know the
Lord, and make it to Heaven. i believe they have
each accepted Jesus. that they love Him and trust Him.
but they are young. making such life-altering decisions.
i long that they lean hard on God. that they really
seek Him. the judgemental of the church have hurt
them. it is so important for them to grasp genuine
forgiveness and acceptance of others.

today,
everything pales
compared to my mission
to pray for and love and listen to
the hearts of my children. it is NOT
the most important thing that they get ph.d's,
and drive fancy cars, and impress the world. it's
their hearts. where all the battles of life are
fought. all the victories and losses. and how
they allow Jesus to guide them through this narrow,
winding road where warriors are required, and love
must be born. until my last breath, my heart will be
crying out for my children's souls and spiritual journeys.

9 comments:

Arlene GSeptember 5, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Thanks for sharing Ann....I have a child who is away from the Lord right now and it breaks my heart. We can only guide them so far then they have to make their own decisions. It has taken me many years to accept this and not beat myself up over it!! God knows that my heart motive was to raise children who know, love, obey and exalt Christ. I have to trust HIM with my prodigal.
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RobMoritzSeptember 5, 2012 at 3:15 PM
I totally agree. First love God. After that, there isn't any ministry more vital than loving our family. Then everyone else!
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UnknownSeptember 5, 2012 at 9:20 PM
it wakes me up....im a fulltime employed mom and most of the time i wasnt at home.....i dont have enough time to be with them....now im planning to resign and praying for my own business so that i can handle my time at the same time i have an income of my own...with that, i can be with them anytime....sis ann thank you for the story....it really touched me...
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NHMSeptember 5, 2012 at 11:12 PM
My 26 year old son has a drinking problem and i believe sometimes he takes prescription pills just to get high. he lives in NY and i live in NV..I haven't seen in almost 7 years and it's tearing me apart inside. Please pray for Josh. He accepted the Lord and went to church but when he hit 18 he changed.. I miss him so much and so does his 13 year old brother who doesn't understand why he never calls him or just writes on facebook to him once in awhile. (the little ones name is Stephen).. Yes, Love is so important to teach a child, thanks Ann i appreciate and love you!
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Jody MoreenSeptember 6, 2012 at 6:27 AM
Beautiful Ann, your words and heart for your sons! I have 3 sons,and 2 have gone the Prodigal way- and so God has taught me much daily on my knees for them. But praise God one of them is now 110 days sober,attending 2 Celebrate Recovery(Christian 12 steps groups)and growing in the Lord. The other is showing great signs influenced by watching his little brother transform. It's been a 9 year journey off & on with the older- not a path I ever would have believed for my sons. I'm praying this morning for the prodigals listed here & for your sons Ann. God is FAITHFUL and He is Our Perfect Parent and our son's Perfect Parent, Shepherd, Guide and Protector. I pray Psalm 23 inserting my sons names daily and also Psalm 91, the Psalm of Protection-God's Word is Living. As Ann said, Pray til your last breath- God hears, His arms hold our children through the valleys, and He redeems the past and uses it to equip them for His glory. I'm reading many books about great Christian men who were prodigals. The most powerful book is "John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Aiken- unbelievable to read the detailed book of the inexplicable things this man did for decades until God captured his heart & he remembered his late mom's early teachings,embrace them and became a pastor and famous hymn writer ( Amazing Grace ).
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Ann passed away on March 1, 2014.
A few words about our dear friend:

Ann Kiemel began her ministry as an ordinary girl who was determined to reach her neighborhood for Jesus. She penned her first book, I’m Out to Change My World, while still in her twenties. Millions of readers were moved by her simple faith and her desire to share Jesus in everyday, divine appointments. Despite the lack of any formal publicity, her first book became a bestseller through word-of-mouth.
Ann went on to Author several best-selling books, speaking in coliseums across the country and appearing as a guest speaker on Christian television programs such as the 700 Club, PTL, TBN, and Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power. Ann has been featured numerous times on Dr. Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio broadcasts, most recently as an expert on single parenting.

Although Ann shared the stage with some of the most well-known and influential Authors and Speakers in the world, she is remembered most by her humble presentation. Quietly seated on a stool in the middle of a large platform, she would begin…“Hi, I’m Ann. I am one simple woman in the world. I have never shaken hands with the President. I cry. Sometimes I am insecure. I am only one, but I have come tonight to tell you I am one… and Jesus and I and love are out to change the world.” Thousands of attentive fans sat on the edge of their seats, hanging onto her every word, laughing and crying together as Ann declared her love for a personal Lord…One who walked with her and talked with her on lonely days. She ran marathons, singing simple little songs to fellow runners with one overwhelming hope in mind – to win others to Jesus by building bridges to them. Her rare vulnerability and genuine faith in brighter tomorrows inspired others to dream big and believe that with God, they too, could make a difference in their world.

Some people consider Ann Kiemel to be one of the most authentic voices in the Christian community. Others refer to her as a best-selling Author of seventeen books, many of which have been passed on as inspirational classics over the past three decades. Bottom line: Ann was a gifted Author and Speaker who had a pure heart and a vision for what an extraordinary God can do in the lives of ordinary people.

After many years as a successful Speaker and Author, God answered Ann’s yearning for a husband at the age of thirty-five. Several years and many miscarriages later, Ann became the mother of four adopted sons, revolutionizing the way that many viewed open adoption. Soon thereafter, Ann realized that she had become addicted to pain medication. She entered a thirty-day secular rehab program and discovered that her addiction ran even deeper - she had become addicted to the praise and approval of others. She recounts the loneliness, pain, and ultimate deliverance in her seventeenth book, Seduced by Success – No Longer Addicted to Praise, Pills and Performance.

After offering her inadequacies to the Lord and praying for wholeness, Ann had found her way back to her first love. The heart of her ministry had changed, and Jesus was now the star. Her husband, Will Anderson, would battle cancer for eighteen months, and Ann would become a single mother of four priceless treasures. She held a deep conviction that she, alone, needed to be fully present with her children. With this is mind, she quietly walked away from the stage.

In the fall of 2008, Ann’s youngest last son left home. At the same time, a renewed interest in Ann’s ministry began to develop. Hundreds of thousands of loyal readers began searching for her, longing to hear how God had been working in her life, wanting her message to be heard by the next generation. In response to the interest of her fans, a simple blog was created. People from all over the world began chiming in, supporting one of their favorite best-selling Authors from the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Many of her books are available for purchase on Amazon.com and other places.

Ann was the mother of four boys and lived on the West coast in close proximity to her children and her twin sister, Jan.

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Wednesday, September 5

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