Sharon Isley

[Joel Merrill]

Hi Sharon

I'm behind on welcoming new members. I noticed that you live in Iowa. I assume western Iowa since your husband works in Omaha. I live in Pella which is 40 miles SE of Des Moines. We were members of the Nazarene Church here in Pella but now we go to another church. My wife likes bird watching but we go out together. I seem to have better eyes at spotting birds in the trees. My folks lived in Chicago years ago. Dad ran the Gospel League Home for homeless women and Children and later on he ran the Morning Star Mission in Joliet. That was all after I grew up and left home so I never lived there. Anyhow, welcome to Naznet:)

Joel

[Sharon Isley]

Thanks, and yes...western Iowa. I'm in Clarinda, if you know where that is. I love Pella, its a beautiful city. :)

I have lived in several suburbs by Chicago, including New Lenox, right by Joliet. I guess I've moved way too many times!

[Joel Merrill]

Thanks, and yes...western Iowa. I'm in Clarinda, if you know where that is. I love Pella, its a beautiful city. :)

I have lived in several suburbs by Chicago, including New Lenox, right by Joliet. I guess I've moved way too many times!

I know where Clarinda is but I have never been there. When I was a teenager back in the early 70's I met a girl from Clarinda at the church camp in West Des Moines and we had one of those one week romances that teenagers have at church camp. Her family probably still goes to that church but I don't remember her name.

I was raised in Wisconsin and Eastern Iowa and haven't been in western Iowa much. My wife and I spent a weekend in Omaha a couple years ago on sort of a mini vacation. We went to the zoo and the SAC Museum and then went to church with Glenn Harris. Have you met Glenn? He is a Naznetter but he doesn't post as much as he used to.

Joel

[Sharon Isley]

Hmmm...the name Glenn Harris isn't familiar.

Was the last name of that girl Stodgill, maybe?

[Joel Merrill]

Hmmm...the name Glenn Harris isn't familiar.

Was the last name of that girl Stodgill, maybe?

That name does kind of ring a bell from somewhere in my past. I don't really remember. I haven't tried to remember my old girl friends (not that I had very many of them) and we didn't have anything serious. I never saw her again after that week.

Joel

[Sharon Isley]

That is probably a wise course of action. I know I prefer that my husband not remember his former girlfriends! :)

[Gina Stevenson]

you said: "we had one of those one week romances that teenagers have at church camp."

If you didn't bring back memories of such things to a lot of folks here on Naznet, I'd be surprised! Definitely remember that sort of thing ... years later, it's rather comical, huh? :rolleyes:

gina, who went to kids' camp, then teen camp ... :)

[Joel Merrill]

you said: "we had one of those one week romances that teenagers have at church camp."

If you didn't bring back memories of such things to a lot of folks here on Naznet, I'd be surprised! Definitely remember that sort of thing ... years later, it's rather comical, huh? :rolleyes:

gina, who went to kids' camp, then teen camp ... :)


I never was able to go to kids camp or teen camp. We couldn't afford it. Dad was the pastor of a very small church. We didn't get to go to family camp very often. It wasn't until I had my own car and could pay my own way that I went to family camp every year. Believe it or not I wasn't very good with girls and that was not why I went. I didn't know how to act around girls. I didn't have money or nice clothes. I had really bad acne in my teen years. There was one girl that I really fell for and it took years for me to get over her. She just wanted to be friends. That was the usual story with me and girls.

I honestly didn't go to camp for the girls. I knew that would have been a waste of time. I was a new Christian and really in love with the Lord. I went to a very small church and camp meeting was almost like Heaven. I loved everybody at camp, not just the girls. I loved the music and the preaching and the food and camping with Christian friends. No one was a stranger even if you had never met them before. After I moved out on my own I had minimum wage jobs with no vacation or benefits. I quit my job three years in a row to go to camp. I thought it was that important. Then I would just go back home and get another job. The last time I did that I didn't get a job for a couple weeks and I was completely out of money when I did get one. I decided I better not to do that again. After that I usually just went up for the weekend.

I'm not a Nazarene any more so I haven't been to camp for several years now. I miss it but it isn't the same. :(

Joel

[Wesley Smith]

Sharon,

I graduated from HS in Shenandoah and was back there a few weeks ago for my 40th HS reunion. Drove through Clarinda on Sunday after church....attended the Nazarene church in Shen, for oldtimes sake. My how the church and congregation had shrunk!

Also, I attended Bethany Nazarene College. Judy Stodgill and a brother attended back in those days. Judy and I worked at Baptist hospital together and sometimes road to work together.

Friend,

Wes

[Sharon Isley]

Judy is such a blessing! I don't know her brother, but I don't know what our church would do without her.