kim nash testimony

Meet Kim Nash! She is the Children's Director for 0-4 year old and does a phenomenal job at That Church!

I grew up a military brat. We would often joke that we had “property of the United States Air Force” tattooed on the bottom of our foot. I wouldn’t change my childhood for anything in the world. I got to see the world practically and how many can say that these days?

I remember dressing up for Easter. I remember the base church setting up at the playground to sign the kids up in base housing for Vacation Bible School. I remember going to that lil white country chapel the hand full of times we visited family on visits from overseas. I don’t remember any specifics; Bible stories, lil old women pinching my cheeks, being “bored.” I don’t remember any of that.

My dad retired from the military in April 1989. We were moving back to the States. It was my mom, my two sisters and me at first. Dad had some out processing to do so everything would be official. We lived with my grandfather, a grumpy old man. He really just tolerated us. We stayed out of his way but his mannerisms made us laugh. I know that old man loved us but he was just a hard, grumpy man.

We moved to Arkansas in May 1989 and Cabot in Aug 1989. I had a couple of friends that I knew went to church but most of the time Sunday was meant for sleeping in. There was one friend in particular who would invite me to her church. I always dressed in my “Sunday best” and sat through service. I don’t remember much about the messages but I do remember feeling out of place.  Their church had a revival one week and, of course, my friend invited me. Man, what a ride. This church was Pentecostal so when they had revival, they had revival. WOW! Each night I felt an energy, my heart would beat and what not but I didn’t really think anything about it. After the last night I talked to Amy about it. I didn’t ask a lot of questions because I wanted to be “cool” right? I left knowing that there was something I was missing. I didn’t fully grasp what it was but I did know it was something I wanted. I knew there was a man named Jesus who came to earth and died for my sins and I knew whatever the energy was in my body, I wanted it to stick around. I asked God in to my heart that night by myself sitting in my room. Looking back, I didn’t “feel” different. I didn’t have an epiphany. I also didn’t do anything with this new “thing.”

I wasn’t a party girl. I didn’t sneak out. I didn’t go to the wild parties after football games. I was the one a few friends called to get rides when they had been left by the friend they showed up with or they had decided they were too drunk to drive. One friend has referred to me as her moral compass. I guess I just took on that role. I was the one that was going to make sure my friends got home safe. I didn’t know why I was like that. I just KNEW I didn’t want to be like that. I had acquaintances in high school that were at church every Sunday and Wednesday but they didn’t act like that on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and Sat. I didn’t want that. It confused me on what exactly I had asked for. I didn’t understand how the name of Jesus could make me feel the way I did and see the way the ones around me, professed Christians, were acting.

When I graduated and went off to college, that was an eye opener. I found myself joining in to peer pressure and hitting the party scene. I wanted to be “cool” right. I don’t remember a morning ever waking up feeling cool. I certainly didn’t like the feeling but liked having fun. Of course, I knew I could have fun without all that stuff but everyone else was doing it and I wanted to be “cool”, right? I struggled with self esteem issues during high school and college. I didn’t have the best “picker” either. I dated a few guys in college which ended up being a convenience and a bigger slap to the ole self esteem. Then I started dating “him”…you know “the one”. Yep, the only child who had graduated from high school, still lived with his parents, had a job, and driving that sweet Trans Am. I had hit the jack pot. We dated for two years, then it became an on and again off again relationship, when it was convenient for him.  I was ok with that because I couldn’t do any better and I wanted to be the “cool” girlfriend, right?

I had a roommate in college. She was quite the “get around girl”. She was very popular. There were times after a break up or a quick weekend visit with her mom and dad, that she would spend her evenings with her Bible study book and Bible and would talk to me about going to church and getting plugged in to the Student Organization there at the college. The other evenings would be spent entertaining her “friends”.  In my mind, I had asked God in to my heart just like she had and she wasn’t doing anything I wasn’t doing she was just doing it more frequently and with a wide variety.   I never really asked her why she was talking to me about changing my life and getting my life right when she was living the way she was because I wanted to be the “cool” roommate, right? 

I knew God was always there. I just didn’t realize I wasn’t building a relationship with Him because I was doing what the professed Christians around me were doing. In my eyes a saved person was the same as an unsaved person as far as how they lived their lives, I just knew I could do it all and go to Heaven.

I graduated college and was dating Mr. Forever again when something clicked. I didn’t like the person I had become. I didn’t like the fact that I was staying with some moron out of comfort. I didn’t like my job, my surroundings, so I changed them. I moved to Little Rock, got a new job, a new roommate, a new car, and dumped my boyfriend. I started a new chapter. It wasn’t long til I met “him”. You know Mr. Forever 2 better known as the motorcycle riding, police officer (man in uniform), cowboy and single dad who was gonna change my life forever. He was a drinker but that was ok b/c I was right there drinking one for one with him. I had to, I wanted to be “cool” right?  We dated for a little while and then moved in together because he was on the verge of losing his house, his truck, his land, etc. I didn’t want to live together outside of marriage but I wanted something to move to when we got married.  Besides, his son deserved better. I stopped drinking and started being a “wife” and “mom”. Then the fighting started. I wasn’t that much fun since he stopped drinking, had to pay bills first and then get beer because I wasn’t going to live without electricity and water. We couldn’t stay together when we had his son due to “no cohabitation” in the divorce decree so that was another fight every other week when I wouldn’t let him stay in “his house”. He had signed papers that he agreed to and I was going to stick to them. We started going to church and things seem to be going great. There were often times that we were the family that fought to church and then painted on the smile like everything was ok. There were times we were just going because that was what you were suppose to do.

I was listening to God’s Word and it was touching my heart and working in my life like never before. It was a traditional Baptist church. After we did the welcome song, shook hands, had a special song by whomever, and got the message, we would do invitation. I remember my heart pounding out of my chest. I remember thinking to myself can anyone hear my heart beating? I knew what I had to do but Sunday after Sunday I ignored it. It got to the point that I couldn’t ignore it any more. I talked to Mr. Forever 2 about being baptized by profession of faith and him moving his membership from his old church to this one. I told him I was getting baptized and joining the church but wanted him to do it with me so we could start off right in our marriage. The next Sunday, heart beating out of my chest and sweaty palms, my fiancé and I walked up that LONG aisle to the front. We talked to the Pastor, he made his announcement that I was asking to join the church through baptism by profession of faith and my fiancé by letter. All approved and the baptism was scheduled.  I was so excited.

Things were going great! I was getting in the word, trying to get connected and then…the fighting began. The “remember you have a family at home when you are getting involved in all of this and that.” What I didn’t know is my now husband wanted me at home to attend to him. I was the wife and mom who worked all day, did the cooking, made the plates, was the last to sit down and the first one up. I got dinner dishes done, homework, bath time, laundry, etc. In his eyes, I didn’t have time and had no need to be outside the house.

What better way to make things better then to have a baby? So….we start the process. Of course, things aren’t smooth sailing. After several months, I contact my OBGYN who does several tests and gives us different things to try. I go in for a dye test to find out both tubes are completely blocked. I then have exploratory surgery done and end up having a tube removed due to infection. After healing period we begin the agonizing IVF process. This entails fertility shots in my abdomen, thighs and the back of my arms, at the determined time my eggs, after incubation period they are inserted and you wait. 3 days later I found out it was unsuccessful. Bound and determined, we start a different cycle with a different cocktail of shots. All the while my husband and I are arguing. I’m now two unsuccessful IVFs and working two jobs while still trying to maintain a household. He has taken on “two” jobs which I slowly find out the 2nd job is the new hire at the police department while her husband is fighting the war in Iraq. I never really confirmed anything but had that gut feeling with his parents telling me I was crazy and others telling me I was jumping to conclusions.  Things just kept pointing in the direction of an affair. I was still keeping the house, working two jobs, raising his son and trying to explain to him why his daddy wasn’t home. My stepson was 6-8 yrs old outside weed eating and mowing trying to help me keep up our 10 acres. This wasn’t a life I wanted but I had stood before God and made vows for better or worse. I was mad. At a time when I was slapped in the face with the fact that I couldn’t have children, my husband was running around on me while her poor unknowing husband was fighting for freedom for this country. There were two other kids who were watching their family be torn to shreds while their dad was gone. There was reports of women having babies and putting them in trash cans or igloo coolers. I sat at church an empty shell with no one reaching out to me. I had never felt soooo alone.

My husband left a month after our anniversary. He moved in with the new hire and I was still fighting for my marriage. I was confident that God didn’t like divorce, my stepson deserved better and I didn’t fail at anything. I was mixed up in depression, confusion, and a lot of pride. My husband made the decision he was done, and asked me to either take over the house or move out. What I didn’t know was the new girlfriend’s husband was coming home so to keep from being killed, my husband needed to move out.

I moved in with a friend and helped her take care of her two children while she and I were both working two jobs. I made my schedule around hers to make sure the kids got to school in the morning and homework and such was done after she left for work. I started my downhill spiral when her fiancé got home and I didn’t have the responsibility of helping with the kids. I was out partying, what we called our Wed night prayer groups. We had quite the group. A lot of times I didn’t drink, I just hung out and goofed off b/c I didn’t have to drink to have a good time. 

I had seen a guy off and on at the Bowling Center on LRAFB but wasn’t sure his “status”. His mom knew my mom. My mom even offered to ask him mom if he had a girlfriend….yea mom, thanks but no.  I did get up enough nerve to give him my number and said “if you ever need a ride on base or anything, give me a call”….he never called. I figured he was married or dating someone while he was thinking I was only being nice by offering him a ride on base. Anyway, I saw his MySpace page talking about Mercys Cross. He finally text me and after talking back and forth we set up a date.  He was a single dad so we dated when he was a single guy and talked via text or email when he was a dad. In the interim I went on a girl’s weekend to Hot Springs. Woke up the next morning, looked at myself in the mirror and knew I was turning in to something I didn’t want to be.  This new guy invited me to his church so I accepted. I walked in and was floored at how awesome everyone was. They didn’t know me from Eve and they were so friendly and welcoming. That was in February 2008. In April of 2009, my boyfriend stood in front of God and everybody during an Ipray series and proposed…..6 months later I became Mrs. Nash. 

I am the Children’s Director for Nursery thru 4 year olds. I am surrounded by kids all the time. Each one of them hold a special place in my heart. I love them like they were my own. I celebrate in their accomplishments, I hurt in their hurts, I encourage in their failures and I show them God’s love through me. I am thankful for the heart I have for children. I couldn’t think of a better place to be.

God is still writing my book. I have lots of chapters behind me and lots of chapters to be written as a great friend and Pastor once said “If you are still breathing out of your pie hole, God isn’t through with you.”