ann kiemel

Thursday, April 25

old jock semple.
much younger boston
marathoners might be
totally unfamiliar with him.
but you mustn't be. in many
respects, jock WAS the
marathon. he was with the first
ones to run the course. who
included heart-break hill...
as an extra challenge.

heart-break begins at mile 19,
through mile 24. right as you
approach the "wall". when you
want to die, you have 5 miles
of mountains to conquer first.

jock had a strong, scottish brogue.
"there's nothing to it really, ann.
you just put one foot in front of
the other." smile.

when jock loved you,
he loved you. i originally met
him through my friend, patti
catalano. she was the second,
fastest, female runner in the world.
jock was 65-70...and was the
trainer for the boston bruins. he
took patti and me into the sacred
territory of that space he had...
and rubbed through our sore
muscles and injuries.

more than anything,
i wanted jock to know Jesus.
sitting in the narrow, deep, hot-tub,
i would sing my little songs
to jock. telling him, over and over,
that Jesus lived and was real. and
cared for him.

i was sitting at my desk in idaho
falls, idaho, when my phone rang.
a man who had read my running
book called to tell me jock semple
was in the hospital, dying. this
friend found the hospital jock
was in, and i wept...as i reminded
jock that i couldn't face heaven
without him being there, too.

through streaming tears,
i prayed the sinner's prayer
with jock...and told him i would
meet him in Heaven. to this very
moment, i believe jock will be
at the gate when i step into
Heaven. i will always treasure him
as one of my very favorite people
ever.

run the Race,
and bring everyone
you can with you. the
yearning souls, longing
to be free. in Jesus.

jock semple and ann

1 comment:

georgia peachApril 25, 2013 at 3:51 PM
what a gift you were to each other.Wonderful story...keep singing!
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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.