eNews: August 2006 Issue

Kids Talk About God August 2006 eNews

FROM: Carey and Lisa (Shimonauff) Kinsolving, Kids Talk About God

“The only mind that understands the things of God is the child mind.”
– Oswald Chambers

Table of Contents

PERSONAL
1) Treasure Hunting on the Beach
2) More Seagull Observations
3) Hot Date at the Hot Dog
4) We Stay for Hurricanes, but Evacuate for Spring Break
5) Trip to New York & Washington DC
6) Brand-New Website Dances onto the Scene

MINISTRY
7) Welcome to Our New Sponsors
8) Thank You to Our Continuing Sponsors
9) RSS Feed: KTAG Column Archive Now Online
10) Carey Now Available For Speaking Engagements!
11) Reviews from Our Mailbox
12) Fee or Free
13) Award-Winning Website
14) Coming Soon
15) Bonus Pictures

Hello Family & Friends...

We pray this newsletter finds you happy, healthy and filled with the joy of the Lord. We have been very busy, and are so glad to finally have a chance to update you. I think I’ve been working on this newsletter on-and-off for about the last four months. But do not be afraid to read on. It’s not quite an epic novel...

PERSONAL

1) TREASURE-HUNTING ON THE BEACH
You see lots of people on the beach here collecting shells. There are usually plenty to go around, and occasionally you’ll find something extra-special like a sand dollar. One Winter Texan took beachcombing to a whole new level when she returned from her morning walk dragging a TV she’d found on the beach. (Even if it worked, I’d think the picture would be “grainy”…) She called out to her friends with such joy and enthusiasm that we thought she’d won the lottery. Next time Carey saw her, he asked her to please pick up a stereo for him on her next beach walk.

2) MORE SEAGULL OBSERVATIONS
If seagulls were smart when they found some food, they would just share it quietly with the other seagulls that happened to see it, too. (I can just hear it: “Okayokayokay! Come here and take a bite… just BE QUIET!”) As it is, they all kick up such a fuss, screaming at each other and trying to hog the whole thing. They end up attracting dozens of other seagulls, thus lowering their odds of even getting a taste of it. But I suppose the world would be in big trouble if seagulls were smart.

Seagulls are really full of themselves in the spring. They strut around the beach in their brand-new spiffy breeding plumage, puffing out their chests and carrying their heads high, as if attempting to appear taller to the girl gulls. They are also very vocal, apparently trying to territorialize every shred of seaweed (even more than normal). It’s quite the obnoxious spectacle.

3) HOT DATE AT THE HOT DOG
We were amazed one day to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, bigger than life, parked right in front of our building. Well, we had to be a part of that, so Carey took me right down there. We had our picture taken with the famous giant hot dog RV. We even got free “Wiener Whistles.” Just thought you’d want to know… the honeymoon is NOT over!

4) WE STAY FOR HURRICANES, BUT EVACUATE FOR SPRING BREAK
I’ve heard stories about what it’s like here on South Padre Island during Spring Break. Residents say that many of the teens spend a great deal of time driving up and down the three main streets on the island, clogging them up most of the day. You’d think they would want to spend their time on the beach… HELLO?!?!?

They say if you have any errands, it’s best to get them done before noon, then quickly hole up in your house again. Once the traffic starts, it takes hours to drive just a few blocks. Preparations for Spring Break are similar to hurricane prep… some stay, others evacuate… those who stay stock up on supplies and barricade themselves inside their homes. This is all secondhand information so far, since we were among those who voluntarily evacuated. We’re right on the beach, and the units on either side of us were to be rented to spring breakers. Now there’s a recipe for insomnia!

5) TRIP TO NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON D.C.
We had our first wedding anniversary on April 2, and I still hadn’t met Carey’s dad (Bill). But that was about to change. Bill’s wife Stephanie (who is blind) was preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her foundation in Long Island, New York, which provides a rolling library of audio materials for patients in hospitals. A big, formal gala was planned, and Bill and Stephanie provided airfare so we could attend.

We stayed with them for about a week in their lovely Long Island home and had a wonderful time running around with them (including taking in a Michael Amante concert), as well as taking the train into Manhattan for various ministry-related meetings and appointments.

We also had dinner with my (Lisa’s) college roommate, Rene Syler, and her husband Buff, at the famous Gallagher’s steak house. Rene is an anchor on The Early Show (CBS), and Lisa hadn’t seen her (in person, that is) since Rene left Sacramento some 20 years ago. We had a great time with them.

We met with several of Carey’s old friends on other days, eating in two different French restaurants (both magnifique!). And while we’re on the subject of eating… have you ever had a cannoli? Wow! We had a meeting at a little pastry shop in the Village, so we tried this treat for the first time. I had a chocolate-covered one… YUM!

We did some “touristy” things in NYC, including the Empire State Building. It’s more romantic when it’s not so crowded, but we had fun. We also enjoyed a warm afternoon people-watching in Central Park and a couple of hours in the Herald Square Macy’s, which claims to be the “world’s largest store.” We stopped by the former World Trade Center site, too. It’s still a big hole, though there’s much talk about what will be built there in the future.

We attended one Broadway musical which became too offensive about a third of the way through. We walked out of that one. But then, we attended “The Pajama Game” starring Harry Connick Jr. and had a blast! Everything about it was wonderful, but our favorite number was “Hernando’s Hideaway,” which featured a segment with Connick on the piano and lots of great dancing.

Although this newsletter is already long, I (Carey) would be remiss if I didn’t mention our visit with long-time friend Joel Tucciarone of Relational Marketing. Years ago, I wrote a feature story for The Washington Post that played a role in helping Joel get his adopted daughter out of Hungary. Later, Joel was instrumental in obtaining a grant that allowed me to start writing the Kids Talk About God column, which has now been in syndication for more than six years. Joel took us to a fabulous French restaurant and called a friend of his for a special marketing meeting in his office for our ministry. Thanks again, Joel:

Here we are (below) at another French restaurant with my good but seldom seen friend Tony Carnes along with his wife Daryln (far right) and Brent Adams (investment banker extraordinaire -- U.S., Russia & China) along with his girlfriend, a Bush appointee of great importance. Tony is a senior writer for Christianity Today, sociologist with many published books and the most connected person I believe I’ve ever met. Tony is that rare kind of person with whom you could talk for hours and never become bored for a moment.

We spent the last few days of our trip in the Washington DC area, taking the train from New York and flying home from DC. At Union Station (which is a gorgeous tourist attraction by itself!), we switched to the commuter train system to get the rest of the way. We ended up having to change trains several times, and I’d like to note that I do NOT recommend riding the DC Metro system during rush hour with luggage! Very traumatic. Eek.

In DC, we stayed at the home of Wes Pippert, Carey’s good friend who was in our wedding. He was very busy, but we were able to spend a little time with him at his office in the National Press Building. He took us up to the National Press Club for their free Friday taco bar!

Here I am (Carey), below right, with my good friend and mentor Wes Pippert. Wes served as UPI White House correspondent and Jerusalem bureau chief. He became my professor when I went to the University of Missouri School of Journalism Washington Reporting Program to finish my master’s work. More recently, he served as a groomsman in my wedding.

There was one day in DC when Carey had a bunch of appointments. I (Lisa) had never been to DC before, so Carey turned me loose with the camera, a map and a Metro ticket. I had about six hours to see as much as I could, which ended up including the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, White House (from the outside of the fence, of course… no tours anymore unless you have a large group and request it waaay ahead of time through your congressperson), the National Christmas Tree (no decorations on it in May, but there it stood), Smithsonian (information building), the Museum of American History (saw the “puffy shirt” from Seinfeld… score!) and the Air & Space Museum. I had a great time!

We stayed several days at the home of Carey’s cousin, Carey Miller (female). Her maiden name was Carey Kinsolving, so that’s where it gets really confusing! Carey and her husband Jack live on a GORGEOUS horse farm in Maryland. From our quarters in the spacious guest suite, we had a knockout view of rolling green meadows, white-rail fences (Jack spends much time painting these… and even more time trying to get others to do it… I suspect he’s related to Tom Sawyer!), horses, trees, birds, flowers and a large pond with geese.

They also have redbirds there (aka cardinals), which I (Lisa) had been LONGING to see for quite some time. Carey and Carey were both SO glad when I finally saw one, as they’d had to listen to me obsess about it for a couple of days. Those cardinals teased me for awhile, but they finally came out. It was well worth the wait… they are gorgeous birds!

Cousin Carey raises thoroughbreds, and has several horses that are actively racing. We went to the racetrack with Carey & Jack on a night when two of their horses would race. That was an experience! We ate in the beautiful restaurant overlooking the track, and could watch the races while dining, either through the glass or on the little television monitor at our table. Jack, Carey (Kinsolving) and I went down to the side of the track when Cousin Carey’s horse Diamond Solitaire was about to race. She’d told us this horse had never won, but had come in third many times. Well, she finally won this time! It was so exciting, and we got to stand in the winner’s circle and have our picture taken with the horse. Even better, Cousin Carey donated some of the winnings to Kids Talk About God! I think we owe that horse a carrot bouquet…

Cousin Carey & Jack took us to yet another great meal… at the Congressional Country Club. Jack is a member there (he’s been a high-profile attorney in the DC area for some time), so they let us in, too! It really has quite the history of U.S. presidents playing golf there.

While we stayed with Cousin Carey & Jack, I also got to meet more of Carey’s extended family. It was a great blessing. We also enjoyed some special moments socializing with the horses there on the farm. I (Lisa) was blown away by how people-friendly they are. We would just go inside their enclosure and they’d come over and gently crowd around us. The brand-new baby horses were especially cute!

Anyway, we will never forget this trip!

6) BRAND-NEW WEBSITE DANCES ONTO THE SCENE
Carey's mother Melba has owned a large dancing school in McAllen, TX for nearly 50 years now. She's been writing a magazine column on tap dancing for 18 years. Now all of her writings, PLUS information about her dancing school are available on Melba's own website.

We have been assisting her in assembling all the material and constructing web pages. Melba did most of the photography herself. This woman cannot be stopped! Anyway, hers is one of the few dancing schools out there with a really high-quality website. Check it out:

www.MelbasDance.com

MINISTRY

7) WELCOME NEW SPONSORS
Please welcome the following new KTAG sponsors by visiting their sponsored web pages:

Christa Mingus – Realtor: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/CM
David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/DDDJ
Neighborhood Bible Church: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/NBC
New Hope Christian Fellowship: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/NHCF
Janet Lynchard – RE/MAX Realtor: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Janet

Thank you all for joining with us in spreading the Word of God through the voice of children!

8) THANK YOU TO ALL CONTINUING SPONSORS & DONORS
Many thanks to all our faithful, continuing sponsors & donors:

Sponsors
Alice Donahue Real Estate: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Alice
Cristin L’Esperance, Realtor: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/CL
Don Ausmus, State Farm Agent: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Don
Grace Community Church: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Grace
Intercoastal Mortgage: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Tate
Island Baptist Church: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/IB
Melba’s School of Dancing & Gymnastics: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Melbas
Pediatric Health Center: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Garza
SandDollar Realty: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Sand
Island Baptist Church: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/IB

2006 Donors
Gerry Guerra
Carey Miller
Alex & Jackie Shimonauff
Barry & Leann Edelblute
Lynne Tate
Sonya Spencer

We love you all! Your support is vital and you are a big part of blessing many people through Kids Talk About God.

A special welcome to our home church, Island Baptist, which is now officially using the KTAG Cards to invite people to church. A huge thank-you to Barbara Gower, who was instrumental in getting it started. She is an amazing woman! By the way, Island Baptist has the coolest card. Here's what they have on the back:

9) RSS FEED: KTAG COLUMN ARCHIVE NOW AVAILABLE
One big project on the website is now coming to fruition. For a long time, Carey has been wanting to get his past columns (aka Devotional Bible Lessons) archived on our own site. As of 8/21/06, we have 17 columns up and available for viewing and for free RSS Feed subscriptions at:

http://www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/ColumnArchive.aspx

We will keep adding several per week until we have an archive of several hundred Bible Devotionals edited and categorized. After that, we’ll add them as Carey writes new ones. So, keep checking for new additions. This will be a great resource for teachers and families who are looking for Bible devotional material on specific subjects.

10) CAREY NOW AVAILABLE FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS!
Even though there are aspects of our online ministry that are still in development, it’s at the place where we can promote it widely. So we’ve decided a good way to do that may be to have Carey get “out there” doing speaking engagements again. This is a great hands-on way to get referrals AND share the gospel at the same time.

Carey has a lot of experience speaking, but it’s been a prayerful decision. We could use all of your prayers on this: 1) that we will get bookings (the right ones and enough of them); 2) that Carey will be healed of the dry mouth and throat that have been affecting his speaking voice. In the past few days, his voice has improved some.

Please spread the word! If anybody you know is seeking a speaker for a banquet, prayer breakfast, graduation, meeting, class, conference, convention… just about anything!... please refer them either directly to us (956-772-1920) or to this web page:

www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Speaking.aspx

11) REVIEWS FROM OUR MAILBOX
"The entire website creates a safe, exciting opportunity for kids to learn about God from the people they learn from the best -- KIDS! As a parent, I appreciate the effort shown to allow children to express their views and understandings of the Bible and their faith. My little boys have really enjoyed watching the videos of the various countries and have laughed over the answer sessions by the kids. This is truly a blessing to have a Godly-inspired website for them to explore and learn. We can feel comfortable setting the boys at the computer and allowing them to navigate the friendly site without worries of anything negative. Excellent!" - Shawn Jones

"I like innovative and hands on work for children to learn. I am hopeful the videos I previewed will make my students (2nd graders) stop and listen. I love children's artwork, and thoroughly enjoyed the gallery. You have an awesome ministry! I appreciate your free helps. Our school struggles as do most Christian schools. You sharing your experience and hard work and research is most appreciated and inspiring. Thank you so much." – Bettie (Texas City, TX): Parent, Sister, Teacher, Sunday School Teacher

"I like hearing other kids talk about God because it makes me want to talk about God with my friends." - Nathan, age 5

If you would like to submit a review of Kids Talk About God (and possibly have it published on our website), please fill out our review form at:

http://www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/Feedback.aspx

12) FEE or FREE
We believe God will supply our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). We believe God can speak to his people about the needs of this ministry. This ministry is supported by donations and fees from sponsored web pages. We have made the prayerful decision to allow clients to choose the monthly fee for the sponsored web page we create for them. Whatever a prospective client feels is the right amount, we will go with that.

Anyone who can sign our statement of faith may use our KTAG card graphic without a sponsored web page for free.

To find out more about Fee or Free, please visit this page:

http://www.kidstalkaboutgod.org/FeeOrFree.aspx

13) AWARD-WINNING WEBSITE
It has finally happened. We can now say that Kids Talk About God is “an award-winning website!” I’ve been a returning visitor to a cute little website with tons of great household tips, and sent an email to the lady who owns it. Here’s an excerpt from her reply:

"I wanted to tell you how much I admire you for building such a wonderful website for the Lord! You are doing His work and I pray for blessings for you and your family. I am going to save your website and I will be coming back in the future for help with children's Bible study. I am honored to award you with my 'Barefoot Lass's Two Thumbs Up Award.'"

Here’s the award:

14) COMING SOON
We are right on the verge of getting a new major menu item on the website. Carey’s gift book, entitled Kids Talk About God, will be available from the Kids Click Menu. In a few days, check the Kids Click Menu on our home page and click on “Children’s Book.” This is a book that was published in hardcover by J Countryman, and again later by Hallmark, which featured the book in its Gold Crown Hallmark stores.

The same online technology that’s now being developed for the Kids Talk About God children’s book will be used to develop other online children’s books. You’ll be hearing more about this later.

As usual, please keep us in your prayers and keep in touch. We love to hear from you and get updates about what’s going on in your corner of the world.

Grace, peace & loads of blessings!

Carey & Lisa Kinsolving
KidsTalkAboutGod.org

Helping Christians Inspire Children
Kids Talk About God
P.O. Box 3846
South Padre Island, TX 78597
956-772-1920
Contact Us

P.S. – Please pray about supporting our ministry. If God leads you to do so, please send checks to: Kids Talk About God, P.O. Box 3846, South Padre Island, TX 78597. We are also equipped to accept donations via PayPal on our website:

http://www.kidstalkaboutgod.org/Donate.aspx

A giving receipt will come from AMG International, the mission organization under which Kids Talk About God operates.

Financial report: The Kids Talk About God marketing and licensing program is just starting out, and we only have a few paying clients at this point. We are currently receiving $480/month in sponsor subscriptions and $70/month in donations. One-time donations so far this year have been $2,150.00. This ministry is not yet fully supported. We are trusting God to increase the support so that this ministry He has given us can continue and grow. We are so grateful to the few pioneers who share our vision of helping Christians inspire children.

15) Bonus Pictures
We have some crazy sunrises out over the Gulf here, but this one topped them all... please note the strong resemblance of the cloud formation to Carol Burnett... as Eunice! (The cloud formation is on the left...)

Links to Previous eNews Issues:

February 2006
(The one with Carey talking in his sleep…)

Christmas 2005
(The one with photos of us with our cute twin nephews…)

November 2005
(The one with the "Seagull and the Snake" story...)

September 2005
(The one with the "Kite Boarder Run Amok" story...)

June 2005
(The one with a lot more details about our wedding...)

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