"Parents are the pride of their children."
- Proverbs 17:6b
Jim and Cindy have touched so many lives (many they may not even be aware of!) over the years and, in particular, during the last 40 years as a married couple. Jenny and I (and our children, to be sure) continue to be blessed by such wonderful and loving parents/grandparents who are also setting a stellar example for our entire family.
We thought it would be fun to create a place for friends and family from near and far to leave messages, favorite memories, or well-wishes for them.
God has clearly shown His love to Jim and Cindy. They have, in turn, invested that love and emotion in each other and have shared it with all those He has placed in their path. ...beneficiaries of God's love through Jim and Cindy and their marriage!
We all thank God for the lifetime of legacy that He has begun in Jim and Cindy, and we look forward to the next 40 years of blessing!
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 1:6
The Adventure Continues...
I've been the direct beneficiary of your love and wisdom for the last 36 of your 40 years as a married couple! Thank you for being such amazing parents, mentors, encouragers, grandparents, friends, and so much more! You continue to be a wonderful example to all those around you. Here's to a blessed NEXT 40 years!! Happy Anniversary!! Love you both very much!!
ReplyDelete- Todd
WOW! LOOK AT THE TWO OF YOU! JIM LOOKS LIKE HE COULD BE TODD-AMAZING! Congratulations to 40 great years. It must seem short when you love being with someone so much. I so appreciate all that the two of you have contributed to your family, church, friends, and community. You are and have been such a blessing to so many and especially your example of being Godly spouses to each other. What a treasure! I've read that the greatest gift parents can give their children is to love each other. We cherish your friendship and are often thinking we wish we had more time together. May the Lord continue to bless your days together. Much love,
ReplyDeleteDear Jim and Cindy,
ReplyDeleteYour wedding photo shows two individuals beaming with love and your lives continue to reflect those beams today.
You have not only made a significant difference in my life, but in many lives through your 40 years together. To think we became close over special (and expensive) tea, leadership, and our faith.
There is so much about you both that I work to emulate. You set wonderful examples of how we should all live, work, and pray.
Your friendship will always be a significant part of our lives.
Ken and Carol Dawson/Crutchfield CONGRATULATIONS! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX!
Dear Jim and Cindy:
ReplyDeleteYou are both so special to me. Somehow even when I try to write about or to you, I end up thinking of myself and how much you have blessed me.
Cindy once compared a relationship to a bank account. If one person in the relationship made too many withdrawals without making enough deposits the relationship would suffer.
If anyone's relational bank account is full, it is the two of you. You are always giving, and doing so in wise ways. You have both learned that you can't do everything for everybody and do things well, but you certainly seem to do so. I marvel at all the ways you have touched my life and now that of my husband Leland.
Leland is a man of few words, but he openly talks of his love and respect for the two of you. He says, "they are the real deal." He is so right!
Recently I was able to tell someone of the marriage classes the two of you taught/mentored at Wesley. They were completely amazed that couples would do that on their own time and without pay. That is just one of the many ways your marriage has blessed so many others.
I can't count how many times I have seen the two of you entering or exiting a function holding hands. It's just the sweetest thing! It's also a powerful witness.
Happy 40th Anniversary and Happy 40 More! Our world is blessed because of you!
Hugs, Christine Harbeson
40 years, WOW! We will achieve that next year. It doesn't seem like it has been that long. Where does the time go? You all are an inspiration to every couple. We should all have the love and friendship that you and Jim have in your marriage. Keep up the good work inspiring the young couples coming up. Love to you both, Darrell and Carol Riggins
ReplyDeleteJim and Cindy,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 40 years! I love to watch the two of you at church. The love you show to one another is a blessing to see and a wonderful example to Lizzie and I.
I have been blessed to get to know you both outside of church.
Jim and I first met while I was a student at IUS. Jim, you may not realize this but it was a meeting with you that gave me hope that God had the right job for me. Thanks for being a role model and friend when I needed encouragement.
Cindy and I became buddies through our interaction while I worked for the CJ! She fed me more releases than anyone else in the area. I miss our daily emails but am grateful for the occasional ones.
I wanted to tell you both how much I love and appreciate you! Your service to our church, our community and most importantly our Lord is infectious! I couldn't imagine my life without having met you both. You've made a huge imprint in my life story.
Congrats on 40 years. May God continue to bless you both as you continue to grow together and serve together.
Love you guys,
Josh Suiter
Happy 40th, Cindy and Jim!!! We're just one year ahead of you so the "vintage" photos look remarkably familiar. Have a lovely day and year ahead, knowing you're truly blessed with an enduring love for one another and family and friends who care about you. As children of God, this pretty well sums up what's really important in life, doesn't it!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Laurie and Gerry Eckart
Happy, happy 40th! Two of my favorite memories occurred before the wedding. One was of you, Jim, when you brought your mom to our house for the first time, and you were clearly heard telling your mom, before ringing our doorbell: "Brace yourself, Mom!"
ReplyDeleteThe other memory is of Bea Flynn's saying to Gammie after she heard of your engagement, "Now, Metha, we've been friends for a long time and you can tell me the truth - what does your family REALLY think of the young man Cindy is marrying?" And Gammie said, "Her sisters all wish they had seen Jim first!"
And how! You walked off with the prize, Cindy -although his fishing skills leave something to be desired. But I guess we all have our crosses to bear.
Congratulations again and thank you both so much for sharing Jenny and Todd with me as they were growing up - we made some very special memories here at the homestead.
Much love and be blessed ~
Barb
Happy 40th!, Jim and Cindy!
ReplyDeleteWOW. 40 years is a long time, but it flies when you are having a good time. We have been blessed to have met you on Roseview Terrace on November 2, 1978, and now have shared many stages of life with you. Many of our best memories include you and your family. Now the time has come that we are grandparents (but of course, you are just a little bit older than us!)We treasure the great gift God gave us when He gave us the Kanning family as friends. We have been away from New Albany for 16 years now, but if anything, the friendship is still as strong or stronger as we have shared life "at a distance" together. You have been so supportive of our family, as you were there to welcome Jessica into the family, and then years later our three in-laws, and our grandchildren, too.You have always been there in our times of joy and times of sorrow. You have lived out the verse "a friend loves at all times." On this occasion, we would love nothing more than to give you a lovely corsage (vintage '78) if only we could remember where it is!
JIM and CINDY,
ReplyDeleteTODAY, I THOUGHT OF YOU.....BECAUSE,
T'WAS "FORTY" LONG YEARS AGO
ON THIS VERY SPECIAL DATE....
YOUR UNION GRACED OUR WORLD
TO FOREVER SEAL YOUR FATE!
YOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN SO GRAND,
A FAMILY SO CARING AND FINE;
SPECIAL LOVE SO VERY UNIQUE,
AND EXPERIENCES SO RICHLY SUBLIME!
THOUGH TROUBLES HAVE BEEN PRESENT,
YOUR FAITH HAS SEEN YOU THROUGH;
FOR,GOD HAS BEEN YOUR MASTER....
GIVING HIS LOVE AND COMFORT, TOO!
YOU ARE MY VERY PRECIOUS FRIENDS,
WE WILL ALWAYS STAY THAT WAY....
PLEASE KNOW YOU ARE IN MY HEART,
EVERY MINUTE, EVERY HOUR, EACH DAY!
TODAY, I THOUGHT OF YOU.....T'WAS SUCH A
SPECIAL MOMENT!
"HAPPY 40th ANNIVERSARY"
************************
Footnote: May God continue to Bless you for the way you have always, and still do, touch sooooo many lives with your kindnesses, love, and inspiration. i can NEVER thank you enough for
all you have done for me. I can only say that when you go to HEAVEN, what a happy place IT will be, but there will be a terrible HOLE left here! "SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE"! Much love!
"ABBIE"
Jim and Cindy - though it has been years, the memories from growing up with Todd still bring a smile to my face today. Thanks for being such wonderful people and always thinking the best of me. You have a God-honoring family...probably the best compliment I can give anyone. May God continue to bless you for many more years.
ReplyDeleteIn Christ's love,
Jeff Crowley
Happy 40th Anniversary! It has been such a great joy to know both of you. Thankfully, Todd and Melissa were at Purdue at the same time and we could finally spend time getting acquainted....for I think it was through them that we became friends. Your gracious hospitality has been very much appreciated as we have traveled to Florida over the past few years....we always look forward to visiting with you. May God continue to bless you!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Tom and Judy
It has been so much fun "playing" with you two over the years. We have been on the verge of being thrown out of the Dollar Store because our husbands were riding each other around on the store's hand cart. They were playing with toys they had NO intension of buying.(Sword fighting in the store, to be exact.) Cindy was a particpant in something that looked like a "wet tee-shirt contest" on Caswell Beach. (We won't go any further.)
ReplyDeleteI have figured out their secret for a sucessful marriage! They still know how to have fun.
We love you guys and hope to have many more play dates with you. You wrote the book about being a servant to others and we have been blessed by our many "helpings". You make our cup run over. There are so many THANK YOU's we owe you, we can't count them. Just know, how happy we are to call you guys FRIENDs!!!!
Love,
Betsy & Daryll
Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jim,
ReplyDeleteI'm blessed to know that you two have strived after God together, and are now celebrating 40 years of marriage with Christ as your Foundation.
I can reminisce about all of the times you invivted all of us Goodwin kids at your house. It was such a retreat from everyday life to come and visit with you.
Thank you for supporting me in ministry experiences, in my hobbies, through joys and trials, and most importantly (recently) my marriage with Nicholas :-) It is so encouraging to have you supporting us!
I pray this comment, and the many are others, are refreshing to you both on this: your 40th year of marriage.
blessings,
Bethany
Happy anniversary, Jim and Cindy!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it's been 40 years already! You've proven that time really flies when you're in love! Jim, I was so excited to have you as part of the Sieminski family 40 years ago, and still am! You both have provided us and so many with your wonderful, thoughtful, loving, and Christian acts of kindness, and we are so proud of you and love you both!
Jim and I really enjoyed our time together at the family reunion a few years back and wish we could get together more often. We love talking about and sharing God and related experiences. He is so awesome, and both of you, like Jim and me, have made Him the center of your relationship. That's the secret to your love and happiness. It cannot be done with God.
Out of your loving marriage you have given us all two beautiful, wonderful, loving, and Christian children, Jenny and Todd! It is very apparent that you instilled in them the Christian faith, as seen by their words and actions. You should be very proud of yourselves!
Thank you for encouraging me years ago to take time to read the Bible, even though it wasn't always easy! It's a daily part of our lives today, and Jim and I love to read it to each other and discuss how awesome God is.
Jim, Sarah, and I want to wish you both a very wonderful celebration of your 40th and pray that God provides you with decades more of love and fun!
God bless you both!
Love,
Chris, Jim, and Sarah
Jim and Cindy:
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 40 years! What a wonderful thing to have 40 years of shared memories! Carolyn and I have talked about how we have so many good memories of events/activities that are ours alone and I'm sure you do also.
Though our paths have crossed only a little through the years, we have still greatly appreciated you "from a distance". Your Christian witness spans across this whole Kentuckiana area. Few people I know are as both talented and gracious as both of you are. We are glad we know you and can call you "friends".
Jenny and Todd are so outstanding and obviously a product of wise and godly parenting. It is so nice of them to honor you as they are on this special day.
Carolyn and I add our congratulations to the many others and wish you many, many more years of laughter, smiles and joy in the Lord!
Sincerely,
Garry D. Pate
Hey Dad & Mom Kanning,
ReplyDeleteCan't believe I've known you for over 30 years now. Congratulations on the 40th Wedding Anniversary!! You have been a great example of a loving couple and family through the years and I hope that Heather and I can follow in your footsteps. It has been awesome growing up with Todd all these years and we have shared a lot of great memories. Although we don't see each other as often now, I still look forward to your smiles and hugs each time we meet. Enjoy your day!!
Love (Your Other Son),
Bryan and The Lopp Gang
Happy 40th!! I hope you both have an amazing day! Congratulations on 40 years! I hope you both are doing fine and enjoying life! Love you both!
ReplyDeleteDear Cindy & Jim,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 40th anniversary!! Love the pictures! How old were you anyway?? Mere babes.
What a blessing you are to us. Your friendship since 1979 has been so special. Ahhh the Bellemeade days of running through the yards to talk, laugh, cry, borrow, and of course confuse or amuse the neighbors. Beyond that your marriage has been such a great example to us and to many. You two truly exemplify the cord of 3 strands message in Ecclesiastes 4:12.
Thank you for sharing life with us - the good and bad. Thank you for loving on us and our family.
We wish you at least another 40 years of great, Godly marriage. We love you very much, Steve & Marcia Latimer
Happy 40th anniversary, Uncle Jim and Aunt Cindy!
ReplyDeleteDear Jim & Cindy,
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you both.Wishing you a beautiful 40th.anniversary celebration of you love. The Lord's blessings. See you soon.
As in-laws-once-removed, we would like to wish you a very special 40th! It has been great fun being in the same family for the past nearly 10 years! Here's to many more wonderful years ahead! May God continue to bless your marriage.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Stephen, Lisa & Claire
Dear Cindy & Jim,
ReplyDeleteSo many messages have used the expression "WOW" and I have to agree with them! I can't believe it's been 40 years - gee, that means you two were married before I was born! harharhar
On one hand, it seems like your wedding was just yesterday...but thinking about everything that has happened in our lives since then brings me back to reality. I am thankful for the pictures; I remember looking at Mom and Dad's copy of the wedding album over and over! Since I was only nine at the time, only a few memories come to mind (or should I say, "Since I'm almost 50 now, only a few memories come to mind?!!!!",):
attending the many showers you were given, Cindy (those over 21 being served "Pink Ladies" at the Fort Wayne Country Club - and watching my sisters' reactions after the first sip!), waking up on the morning of the 20th with tangled pig tails in my hair - and Mom wasn't awake yet, so I tried to remove the rubber bands myself - unsuccessfully of course, until I used the scissors!! Mom then came downstairs and, after I revived her, had to work a miracle to disguise my blunder for that evening!,
dancing and flirting with your groomsmen at the reception; if they left early, I think I know what scared them away,
and having the best (and quite educating) time witnessing the opening of your wedding gifts by family members while you were away on your honeymoon. 'nough said!!!!!!!
Congratulations to you both on this very special day! Your commitment to each other is an inspiration to all.
May God continue to richly bless you.
Now it's time to begin the NEXT 40 years!!!
I love you both,
Julie
Dear Cindy & Jim,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! What a milestone! LOVE the pictures - they look so much like ours since we are only a year behind you. Cindy, you were one of the first people that I met here in New Albany (through Marcia) & you never met a stranger, so we were instantly friends. As the years passed our paths crossed many other times through our children, Tri Kappa, our neighbors, & other friends. I feel we share a special bond with your third child, Troud, for sure:-) And there were the years that we shared in Bible Study in your home which were so rich in Christian fellowship. Throughout these years we have observed your Godly home through your marriage, your parenting & your friendships & the impact it has had on everyone within your spere including us. We feel truly blessed to call you friends & wish you many, many more years of happiness together!
Love,
Linda & Rick
Dear Mom and Dad,
ReplyDeleteWhere to start?! I feel amazingly blessed to have grown up with you as parents. Even now I daily discover new things for which I am thankful in the way you loved and raised Todd and me. Your encouragement, support, and unconditional love have helped to shape and form my character in wonderful ways that I may never even know. Possibly most importantly, the love and commitment that you both had for each other and for your marriage provided tremendous security to Todd and me - and gave us the gift of being able to focus on all other aspects of life without the concern of our parents' love for each other. And now that Todd and I are both married and raising children of our own, we will continue to look back on the amazing example of parenting that you both gave us. I hope that our children feel as blessed by our parenting as we have been (and continue to be!) by yours.
With much love,
Jen
Dear Jim and Cindy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!! We are so happy to be able to share in this special time with you. We did enjoy your wedding pictures. We are so thankful the Lord has brought us together through our kids and it has been such fun sharing our lives, our kids, and our grandkids. We love grandparenting with you. It is so amazing to think the Lord had this all planned out for all of us to be family when you were celebrating your wedding day!! We are so thankful that you did such a good job raising Todd so Julie could have such a good husband and such great grandchildren for us.
You are such a blessing to us as you have been to so many other people over the years. We pray for the Lord to continue to bless and take care of you both as you begin the next 40 years.
Happy Anniversary. Love, Rollen and Carol
What do you get when you merge a Kraut and a Polack?
ReplyDeleteForty years of nonstop love and fun!!!
Congratulations on 40 years! What an amazing accomplishment! You guys have made it look so easy-which just means that you have put a lot of work into your marriage. I'm very thankful to be in a family where following God's plan for marriage is priority. It's an example this world could use so much more of. Todd and I desire for our children to see the same model of love and commitment that you have shown us. How exciting to be part of that legacy!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Julie
Dear Mr and Mrs Kanning,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 40-year anniversary! It has been such a privilege to be a witness of your marriage.
I will always remember spending Monday nights with you for dinner and then Bible study. Not just for the yummy meals and dinner discussions and fellowship with MNBS, but for the impact you had on me and my idea of marriage and family as I was "becoming an adult" and living on my own in Louisville. Priceless.
I have to say, though, that my all-time favorite Kanning memory is meeting Todd some 15 years ago. It would not have been possible without you two!
Happy anniversary,
Brian
Dear Jim and Cindy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 4oth Wedding Anniversary! Thank you so much for all the love, encouragement and fun you have given me over the years. I have such wonderful memories of all our family Christmases together and our new Christmases in July. Just a few memories - plastic decorative fruit, burnt hotdogs, Christmas wrapping basketball for dimes, and my favorite candy cane Christmas cookies. God's blessing and love to you always.
Gail
Congratulations, Jim and Cindy, on your 40th wedding anniversary! What a wonderful celebration of commitment! It's been such a pleasure to know you both for the past 20 years....Jim, as the "best boss" in the world for 15 years and Cindy, as a great co-member of Tri-Kappa for 10 years! What wonderful memories I have of working with you, Jim, everyday and experiencing the focus you always had on priorities of family! You both are wonderful examples of what is important in life. Best Wishes to You! Fondly, Gaye
ReplyDeleteDear Jim and Cindy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 40th wedding anniversary!
Your marriage reflects your commitment to your faith and your comittment to each other.
I remember hearing about what wonderful friends you were to Dawn and how excited she was for me to meet you. It didn't take long for me to realize why you were such special friends.
My most vivid memory was Jim, dressed in a hospital gown, greeting us at the door of your home in a time of celebration.
We are indeed blessed by your friendship (and your delicious soups).
We love you,
Paul and Dawn
Dear Mom & Dad Kanning,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and Happy 40th Anniversary!
Forty years of blessings, memories, and moments in time that have brought you to this special day! Wow!
You have touched so many people with your special love. You've loved others. You've shared your love. And, you've modeled in some of the simplest and most profound ways what love really looks like with Christ at the center.
I am expecially blessed to celebrate this day with you because I am the direct beneficiary of that love. You've given me the greatest gift a guy could ask for: an amazing wife who loves like you!
My prayer for you: May God continue to richly bless you and your marriage as you give all of who you are to Him and one another.
With love,
George - your "favorite" son-in-law!
Happy Anniversary, Uncle Jim and Aunt Cindy!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful day full of surprises! The Kanning family certainly would not be the same without you. There are so many special memories which I treasure. The Kanning family Christmases were always so fun. Our aunts and uncles didn't have to play games with their nieces and nephews, but they did, and we loved it. Opening presents was interesting, too. Remember when Uncle Jim was "the penny guy," or was it "the dime guy?" I keep thinking that those crazy hot dogs will show up someday! I love our summertime reunions, but still miss getting together at Christmas. I treasure the times when Jim, Cindy, and all our aunts and uncles talk about when my parents were younger and when we six cousins were little. Sometimes my dad, Uncle Jim, Aunt Judy, and Aunt June reminisce about their childhood in Fort Wayne. I love the stories and memories of them and of my Grandma. My sister, cousins, and I never met our Grandpa Kanning, so the times when my dad, aunts, and Uncle Jim talk about their dad are especially poignant. I remember when Jim & Cindy were there for my confirmation and high school graduation party, and when they visited me at college at Valpo. Their encouragement for my teaching career and when I became director of my preschool meant a lot to me. So thank you, Jim & Cindy, for the good memories in the past, and for the good memories I know the Kanning family will continue to make. Thank you for the love, laughter, and faith that you have shared with me. God's blessings for your continued years together. And, the biggest thank you is for the very BEST contributions you have made to our family--my awesome cousins, Jenny and Todd!!!!! With love from your niece, Gwen
Happy Anniversary, Jim and Cindy! Cindy, I have been amazed and overwhelmed by your kindness to me. Your willingness to encourage me and serve me this past December was such a blessing. I can only imagine the love and kindness you must pass on to those around you each week. You are truly a blessing to others. I hope today will be a wonderful celebration as you look back over the past 40 years that you've spent together sharing God's love.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Julie Robbins
Uncle Jim and Aunt Cindy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 40 years together. What a blessing you are to each other and those around you. May God continue to bless you richly in your lives together.
Love,
Joel, Kristen, Jacob, Jared, and Jadon