It’s been a month of making joyful “proper fusses” and unfortunately, making sad ones, too.
We ushered in October with me on a plane to the west coast, where, over the next 8 days, I would make five flights and be in 3 cities, making “proper fusses” over very happy events.
First stop: Oakland, CA, where granddaughter Rachel and I landed from our flight in D.C. to celebrate granddaughter Ana’s 13th birthday. The two had conspired during Papa-Gigi Camp back in July that this would be the perfect way to honor this significant birthday milestone, and we all agreed. The week was full of fun, from shopping, crafting, going to the Alameda beach (and swimming!), spending a day with Auntie Lisa, and laughing and talking instead of sleeping. It was just what the girls desired and tears flowed when it came to an end.
Present opening on Ana’s birthday: a bag full of matching everything, including jammies (gifted by Ana’s mama, Kari)
Even matching “Hollister” bears, which evoked happiness and smiles.
Auntie Lisa’s arrival pushed the celebration over the top.
I flew to San Diego on Friday, October 2, for the next grand celebration. The 5th of seven Collins children is turning 70 on Nov 26, so we gathered to make a proper fuss over her milestone birthday. We are so blessed that all seven of us are alive and relatively well!! From 65 (the youngest and only boy) to the oldest at 77, we are all very aware of how blessed we are that we can still get together and have a great time.
And we did! Food, fellowship, and fun was had in the brief 36 hours we had in an Airbnb in La Jolla. The highlight was presenting Melissa with a video of tributes from family and friends put together by her grandson, Corey Phillip, and she was duly “undone” by it. We made a proper fuss that will not be soon forgotten by any of us.
The original Collins clan (left to right): Lucy, Francene, Frank, Melissa, Laura, Sue, and moi.
The “Birthday Queen” Melissa!
Off I flew early Sunday morning to Seattle to attend the wedding of a dear “chosen family” young woman, Tori Copley. We first met Tori as a 5-year-old when she came to family camp with her parents, Kent and Staci, and sister, Brit. Several years later, while serving as executive pastor of Moses Lake Alliance Church, her father invited us to speak at their annual marriage conference. That launched a more than 20-year tradition of speaking in Moses Lake, allowing us to develop deep relationships with the family. During her college years and beyond, Tori involved us in her relationship experiences when we’d meet up with her during our annual speaking engagement, so we were thrilled when she and Michael became convinced that God had brought them together for marriage.
Because of Paul’s five-day-a-week radiation schedule, he was unable to make the trip to California with me. To be honest, the only part of the trip that “challenged” me was the thought of navigating Seattle by myself on Sunday afternoon, October 4. It required catching a hotel shuttle bus from SeaTac so I could change into wedding attire, returning to the airport to catch the Light Rail up to the venue (which was one block from where the Seahawks were playing football that afternoon), walking to the venue (close by), and then reversing all that at 9 pm before catching a 6 am flight back to Oakland the following morning.
I don’t know why the thought of that overwhelmed me, but it did.
But with a lot of support from Paul, who made all the arrangements and spelled everything out for me, I set out on this mission, unusually alone.
And then, just as I got my suitcase, a male voice from behind me asked, “Ma’am. Do you need help with your suitcase?”
And there he was! I don’t remember the last time I was wordlessly shocked. He had flown in Saturday afternoon and covered his bases with many deceptions so I wouldn’t suspect anything. And because I was “all in” at my sibling reunion and “phone free,” I never even noticed a lack of communication from him.
It was the best surprise! All of my fears of navigating the next 24 hours melted away and we had a wonderful time making a “proper fuss” with Tori and Michael at their beautiful wedding.
Paul pulled off the best surprise of showing up at SeaTac so we could go to Tori’s wedding together.
A quick change at the hotel and then off on the Light Rail to the wedding venue.
Kent and Staci are “salt of the earth” friends and we are so thankful they’re in our life.
Michael and Tori are fully committed to having a Christ-centered marriage and it was a joy to celebrate with them.
Paul flew home on a red-eye after the wedding Sunday night and I flew back to Oakland at 6 am Monday morning, where I had the joy of spending the day with Rachel (and eventually Micah, who came home from school mid-morning “sick” but, thankfully, had a quick recovery within 30 minutes of getting home. :) )
Micah and Rachel had fun frosting sugar cookies during our day at home together.
Rachel and I flew back to VA on Tuesday, October 6th, happily tired from making such a fun-filled “proper fuss.”
The next week was filled with counseling, connecting with people, catching up on things around the house, sewing a special project for dear friends, and enjoying beautiful fall days. We especially enjoyed having Rob and Gabby Warren for dinner one evening, which was delightful in every way.
Rob and Gabby Warren are such gifts to us and to H.I.M. Though never enough time, we spent a great evening with them in October.
October 15–18 found us in Baltimore, MD, for the 10th annual Eusebeia Live Experience. We’ve been privileged to be plenary speakers for 9 of the 10, having missed only the first one, since it happened before we met Harold and Dalia Arnold, the founders and directors of the weekend.
We love being a part of this event! It is full of energy, passion, and life, and a growing “congregation” of wonderful people, many of whom have become treasured friends through the years. Great teaching and fellowship fill each day and various activities fill the nights.
The highlight of Eusebeia Live was Saturday night’s “gala” celebrating the 10th anniversary of this unique experience. Dr. Harold and Dalia honored many people who have been part of making this happen and then we honored them by presenting them with a quilt made from the years of T-shirts commemorating Eusebeia. It was such a joy to make for them and they were duly surprised and honored. A proper fuss indeed.
Opening night at Eusebeia Live with Dr. Harold and Dalia Arnold.
Carlos and Catherine Green planned a very meaningful opening night activity, having all the “pods” line up to form “blessing” lines. It was the perfect way to launch the event.
Worship was again led by Gerard and Tonya Breland and their back-up singers, and it raised the roof.
The night of the gala . . . all dressed up with someplace to go.
Crawford and Beverly Clark, Holly Mullen, and Ann and Bill Fredericks . . . H.I.M. meets Eusebeia!!
Jordan and Brittney Anderson stand between the Arnolds and us. We met them in 2019 and have loved walking with them for seven years now.
The T-shirt quilt we made for the Arnolds.
We were home briefly before heading to Florida to speak for the Rock Harbor Church marriage weekend. We were introduced to this church in September 2025 when we were invited to speak at their morning worship services (piggy-backing on a Friday night-Saturday marriage event at a local church in nearby Satellite Beach) and were delighted when their pastor of discipleship, Jenny Zentz, invited us to speak for their marriage event as well as teach on Sunday morning this weekend in October. Held in their newly remodeled sanctuary, the robust crowd of over 100 were comfortably seated around tables, creating space conducive for fellowship as well as eating and note-taking.
Jenny and her team did a great job of covering all the details and the event came off flawlessly. Childcare, great food, worship, and a good schedule all contributed to making it a very successful weekend.
The best part was hearing feedback from couples who felt it was “exactly” what they needed. A moment we’ll never forget came at the end of the last session Saturday noon, when a young women approached us, sobbing, and let us know that she and her husband were on the brink of divorce before the conference (papers drawn, etc.), but that God had changed all of that in those 24 hours.
All praise is His!!
Opening night at Rock Harbor Church.
Tim and Jenny Zentz stand with us at the end of Sunday’s worship services. Jenny was the brains behind the marriage conference.
The newly remodeled sanctuary hosts its first event, fulfilling the vision of it becoming a multi-purpose space.
Bryan is the worship leader at Rock Harbor and he set the table for our teaching.
Our dear friends, Dave and Diana Watts, took care of the book table. They transplanted from California almost two years ago and live only an hour from Rock Harbor. What a gift they are!
Sunday morning’s worship was full of praise.
Such a nice surprise to have long time friends, Duane and Cheree Steward, join us for church. The Stewards were involved in our ministry at Grace Chapel for 6 years back in the 90’s and we’ve enjoyed intersecting with them whenever possible over the past almost 30 years.
Kevin and Angie Diamond lead the congregation at Rock Harbor and have a deep passion for growing and encouraging healthy, Christ-centered marriages.
The bonus of speaking at Rock Harbor was having time with Jake and Kaylee Gosselin and their crew of 4 littles, along with Kaylee’s parents, Dave and Kathleen Sherman. Kathleen Sherman was a young family camper at CBS in the late 70’s so we go a LONG way back. What joy to see the third generation faithfully pursuing Christ and making a difference in the kingdom. We were so blessed to spend time with them.
October 29th was a day well worth making a “proper fuss” over!! Paul received the last of his 39 radiation treatments and happily “rang the bell.” His team at INOVA were actually sad that his daily visits would be no longer as he had worked his way well into their hearts.
That evening, our sweet local family hosted a 5-star steak dinner a la Derek, our son-in-law who could be a chef if he weren’t running a global medical ministry. We had such a joy-filled night together with the Johnsons and the Leaches. We’re all so thankful this phase of the journey is over and are trusting it has been successful in eradicating the cancer.
Paul’s radiation team was happy for him but sad for themselves that he’ll no longer be a daily visitor.
Paul’s nurse, Ethan, has been a great support and happily stood with Paul as he “rang the bell,” signaling the end of his treatments.
The Johnsons and Leaches gathered to make a “proper fuss” over the end of radiation.
Making “proper fusses” over happy moments is full of delight, but in the past two months, we’ve been part of making a “proper fuss” over some really heartbreaking events.
One of the ministries near and dear to our heart is the YWAM base, Rancho Abierto (RA). Since its opening six years ago, we’ve spent one to two weeks a year speaking on family and marriage for their Family Discipleship Training School (FDTS) and we love partnering with our very dear friends, Brian and Sue McCoy, the founders and directors of RA.
The base suffered a catastrophic flash flood the night of October 10, and by God’s grace and the hard work of several of the men in camp, 32 lives were saved. Very sadly, one young woman, who was serving as a translator for the Bible School, was swept away in her cabin and her body was found several days later. We have mourned deeply with her family and the RA staff and families for this traumatic loss.
Rancho Abierto will be closed for the foreseeable future as the flood washed away 11 of their 20 cabins and damaged the dining yurt, water and electric systems, and the road to/from the ranch. Brian and Sue have made the difficult decision to cancel all scheduled schools for 2027 as they wait on the Lord for direction and eventually rebuild.
Making a “proper fuss” when tragedy has struck includes joining hands in prayer, volunteering to help as needed, contributing funds needed for rebuilding, and encouraging those in leadership who are making decisions and carrying a heavy load.
If you feel led to be a part of Rancho Abierto’s rebuild, check them out at www.ywamranchoabierto.org .
Sue McCoy’s post after Keila’s body was found.
The very day we were making a “proper fuss” over Ana’s 13th birthday, we received word that our dear friend and ministry partner, Dr. Howard Clark, had passed into eternity. Our hearts were captured by Howard when we moved to the Boston area in 1991 and began attending Grace Chapel in Lexington, where he was serving as senior pastor. We immediately fell in love with his teaching. He was truly one of the most brilliant theologians we had ever sat under, as week by week, he plumbed the depths of scripture expositionally and with practical application. He left Grace Chapel the next year for another calling, but we continued our relationship with him by having him speak for a week every summer at the family camp we were running.
That continued for almost two decades.
Very sadly, Howard was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease a number of years ago, which quickly compromised him in many ways. His dear wife Kathy cared for him faithfully, though the brutal effects of Parkinson’s made this journey extremely difficult.
A “proper fuss” was made over Howard at his memorial service (which we regrettably missed due to a speaking engagement) but he was honored as a truly humble lover and teacher of God’s Word, who faithfully fulfilled his call to ministry his whole adult life. Only eternity will reveal the number of lives changed by Howard’s life.
Some of the hardest things in life leave you without words. That’s how we’ve felt since receiving word of the tragic death of Trevor Gray on October 24, the young husband of Liz Yardley. Liz and Trevor were married on August 8, not quite 3 months ago.
The Yardley family has been in our lives since the early 90’s when they came to Grace Chapel and became involved in family ministries. Over the past three decades, they have been family campers, family missions trip members, H.I.M. Board members, marriage conference attendees, and “chosen family” members. Liz also served on our family camp staff for several summers.
Trevor’s death came as he went to the aid of an accident victim, whose stranded car was then hit by another car, killing Trevor instantly. He has been billed as a “Good Samaritan” by the news outlets in Raleigh-Durham.
A service honoring Trevor’s life will be held this weekend (Nov. 7) at Summit Church.
As we search for meaning in this tragedy, we can only hold on to the promise of eternity for Trevor and the presence of Jesus for heartbroken Liz. Please keep these two families in your prayers and reach out to them as the Holy Spirit prompts you.
Our aching hearts are ministered to by the fall extravaganza going on all around us during this glorious season. As we drink in the beauty, it’s not lost on us that these leaves are showing off their exquisite beauty just before their life cycle will end as they flutter to the ground. The God of all creation is displaying His beauty through nature and reminding us that He has not checked out on us. He is still over all and in all.
Each day, in some way, He is making a “proper fuss” through creation. We only need to look.
