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Family Update

Family Update – October 2020

Kevin Simmons · October 27, 2020 · Leave a Comment

This is a chaotic season for the Simmons family, as it most likely has been for yours. This last month has been no different. 

LOCAL COVID-19 OUTBREAKS 

The coronavirus has been with us now for well over half a year. Still, for us in Stanly County, North Carolina, it was a distant reality. That is no more. In the past month, many of us locally have contracted the virus. Many have been teachers and those who work with the public. Families have had to quarantine for weeks. We’ve even lost loved ones. 

This isn’t new. Our country has been living through this now for months. I have a friend who pastors a great church in New York who’s had many within his church die from complications with COVID-19.

Perhaps, the now-present reality is causing us to really address what has been a theory for many months. How do we assess our vulnerability? How do we love those around us that are more susceptible to this threat? Do we have a large Thanksgiving? It’s an awful lot to process. 

OUR KIDS & VIRTUAL SCHOOL 

As a result of the recent outbreaks and quarantines, our local school system was forced to transition to online-only for a few weeks. We’ve been very thankful that our kids have had the option of going to school to learn face-to-face with their teachers. Personally, our kids thrive in that environment. I understand that that’s not true for every kid or family, and that’s ok. This is just how we, as a family, are processing this year of school. 

If you were to ask my oldest how virtual school is going, she’d say it’s horrible. It’s not that her teachers aren’t doing a fantastic job. They are. They’re excellent at what they do. She needs the social interaction of a classroom. Her highlight of each day is seeing her friends. She’s missed them so much this year. 

If you were to ask my son how virtual school is going, he’d say it’s amazing. For some reason, he HATED his online sessions last year (to his defense, he was in Kindergarten). This year, however, he’s really talkative and engaged with his friends and teacher. He loves people in whatever way he gets to be with them. 

The tensions we are dealing with as parents and schools are a highlight of this season’s complications. Every family is dealing with this. Some kids are at daycares signing on to their online classes. Some are home alone. There are so many complicated decisions to try to mitigate the vulnerabilities with the needs of this season. It’s complicated, and there are no cookie-cutter solutions. 

AMANDA IS RECOVERING 

Amanda had surgery on Monday of last week to repair the disc between her L5 and S1 vertebrae. The surgery went well, but not quite as expected. The injury was a bit older, and the disc didn’t respond how it would have had the injury been more recent. Consequently, it required a bit more treatment, and that has left Amanda in a bit more pain than perhaps we could have been expected. 

The good news is that everything has gone as expected post-op. Amanda’s pain levels, nerve issues, etc. have all been precisely what the surgeon and nurses prepared us for. 

We are expecting a full recovery and large strides toward healing starting this week.

WOULD YOU PRAY FOR US? 

1. Pray that Amanda continues to heal. We believe that this will be a FULL recovery and will address many different issues that she has perhaps dealt with in the past. 

2. Pray for our community. Many are vulnerable. Some are sick. A lot are scared. We need wisdom and clarity. We need boldness and thoughtfulness. 

3. Pray for our kids. Our kids will be just fine. Pray for the kids in our community. Some kids are very vulnerable just because they’re home. That’s sad, but that’s the reality. A teacher messaged me not too long ago and asking, “Would you mind praying for my students? They’re not doing well. So many are struggling with anxiety and depression.” Please pray for them. 

4. Pray for me. Pray that I continue to stay focused and faithful. God is at work in my life. I don’t want to miss out on what He’s doing. 

Update: Baby & Momma (one week later)

Kevin Simmons · March 28, 2011 · 1 Comment

First off … I want to thank our friends who stepped up a week ago as Amanda was admitted to the hospital and prayed, cried, felt the tension of the moment with us, and most importantly just loved us through those few tense hours. You have no idea how powerful it is to realize that you’re not in this alone, to know that you’ve got people that love you and care for you, and to feel the generous warmth of their support.
Amanda came home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. The doctors feel like the positioning of the baby played a role in developing a few small kidney stones and most likely a kidney infection. They treated her for the pain as she passed the stones and started her on some safe antibiotics to treat the infection.
She still feels a little weak today, but she kicking it back in her normal routine.
Baby girl Simmons is doing just fine. Today she is 24 weeks and 1 day old, as big as an eggplant (9 inches and about 1.7 lbs), and getting ready to invade earth for the glory of Jesus. Starting in the 24th week the baby begins to move a lot, so we’ve felt her quite a bit over the last few days. If you listen to Amanda describe how our little girl’s moving, it sounds a lot like she’s training to become a river dancer.
Through this episode Jesus, again, proved Himself.
Following Him is a ridiculous adventure. There will be challenges; it’s not smooth sailing. However, as we approach parenthood I am confident that God, himself, began this.
Through all of this I’ve been reminded, again, that our child is His. When you recognize that something isn’t yours, it helps you also recognize your role in this whole thing. I’m not in charge. I’m not ultimately responsible. It’s Jesus’ story. I get to play a role and watch Him write it.
Philippians 1:6 puts it this way: “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at  the day of Jesus Christ.”
Maybe you feel responsible for something that, ultimately, you’re not responsible for.
Maybe, just like me, you need to be reminded that you’re playing a part, but Jesus is writing the story.
Maybe you need to let go of some false sense of control.
Maybe this could be that moment.

An Update On Baby & Momma

Kevin Simmons · March 22, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Earlier today (Monday, March 21st) my wife, Amanda, called me to inform me that she was starting to develop some acute pain in her lower back (localized on the right side) and in her pelvic area.
She went into our Obstetrician’s office where they quickly placed her on antibiotics and sent her home to rest. The assumption was that she was developing some sort of UTI.
She called me a few hours later. The pain was getting worse.
The doctor was called and instructed us to immediately head to the ER.
Between 11am & 7pm today the doctors observed, ran tests, & looked internally through ultrasound trying to understand the cause of the pain.
Even though the ultrasound did not show any, the early diagnosis is that Amanda has kidney stones.
Amanda was admitted into the hospital tonight, where they can monitor her closely and treat her pain.
The good news is our baby is doing just fine. We’ve heard her heart today and even saw her for a few brief moments during the ultrasound. The doctors are taking special care to make sure the treatment does not harm our little girl.
For the last few months I’ve listened to Jesus challenge me. He’s challenged me to place my faith in Him with our child. To trust Him alone. I like to trust things I understand, stuff I’ve figured out. However, I know I won’t be able to figure this parenting/fathering thing out. There are too many variables, so many wrong moves to make. The best thing I can do as an expectant father is to surrender our child to Jesus.
To be honest, my one prayer for our baby girl has been: “Lord, grow this girl to be a force for Your Kingdom.”
As I drove my wife to the ER today, I found myself getting angry.
I’ve never felt as powerless as I did today watching my sick wife carrying our child. There were so many things that could have been wrong, and I literally couldn’t do anything, couldn’t change anything … Powerless.
I was angry because I wasn’t trusting Jesus.
However, throughout the day I saw the Lord reveal Himself as these circumstances unfolded. Even though it’s not over with, God has been faithful. Her kidneys aren’t blocked. The real danger of a severe infection hasn’t shown up in the tests. She (both of them) is safe.
As this happened I thought a lot about Jesus and grace. The perfection of Jesus is our great gift; we’re the vessels that treasure gets to rest in. If I’m trusting in anything else other than the perfection of Jesus, I am trusting in something that’s going to fail me. If I’m finding my glory in anything other than Jesus, I’m definitely going to be disappointed. I thought about how it’s so easy for me to replace Jesus, even when I know all of this.
Trusting Jesus is not a prerogative, it’s an absolute imperative. Ultimately, it’s the only way the world works, the only way it makes sense.

Kevin Simmons