Tag Archives: John Kost

Thankful For My Thirties

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The Storm

The start of my thirties was stormy. On October 8, 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina. Power went out, streets were impassable due to debris, and sections of our fence were blown into oblivion. Without access to a supermarket to purchase ingredients for a cake, my wife used a box of brownie mix at my sister-in-law’s house to bake me an alternative birthday treat. Don’t worry, we managed 😉.

A photo of Sid and me on the first day of my thirties. Because of Hurricane Matthew, Sid baked me brownies instead of a cake.

Well, nine years and 364 days later, I can tell you the “stormy conditions” that ushered in my thirties cleared out pretty quickly—both literally and figuratively. Thanks be to God, I spent the past decade of my life enjoying relatively clear skies. Of course clouds moved in at times and a few parades were rained on but for the most part we steered clear of hurricanes.

The first photo was of Sid and me on the first day of my thirties. This photo was taken on the second-to-last day of my thirties (Oct. 6, 2026).

Family, Career, Faith

That’s not to say the past 10 years were boring. In fact, this last decade was characterized by major life moves and growth. But if you are looking for a definitive word that specifically defines and encapsulates my thirties, that’s easy: family.

The best thing to come out of my thirties was this family.

After marrying my wife in my twenties, we became a family during my thirties. Sloan was born shortly after I turned 30 and then Beau came around when I was 33. The following years were spent raising our children from newborns to toddlers to now the middle childhood stage. There is nothing that remotely comes close to overtaking the crowning achievement of my thirties than becoming a dad.

The first photo take of us as a family of four. So blessed that Sloan and Beau both entered my life during my thirties.

And that includes my professional life. But even though the moves I made in my career pale in comparison to my role as a father, they are worth quickly mentioning. During my thirties I worked for three different universities as I climbed the proverbial ladder. A social media marketing manager role at Coastal Carolina University morphed into a strategist gig at Washington State University that eventually opened the door to a director of marketing appointment at Eastern Washington University. As this progression transpired, my wife’s career evolved too. She went from a school teacher to an insurance underwriter.

Our professional careers have evolved a lot during my thirties. Sid and me are thankful to work for our respective employers, Traveler’s and Eastern Washington University.

These professional jumps don’t usually keep you locked in a specific area and that definitely proved true for us. During my thirties, we made a major decision to move from South Carolina to Washington state. With it came several different addresses. Over the past decade we lived in five different houses before deciding to securely plant roots in the Spokane Valley where we purchased a home in 2023.

We purchased a home in 2023.

But no matter where we lived throughout my thirties, a crucifix followed us, symbolizing our Christian faith. I became much more involved in the Church over the past 10 years. I joined the Knights of Columbus, became deeply involved with a young adult/young family Catholic group, teamed up with Sid to prepare eight engaged couples for God-centered marriages, was discerned (with Sid) as leader of the Spokane Engaged Encounter community, and became spiritually nourished as a parishioner at two incredible parishes—St. Andrew (Myrtle Beach) and St. Mary (Spokane Valley). I witnessed with incredible pride as Sidney converted to Catholicism, my children thrived at St. Mary Catholic School, and sacraments were bestowed on us all.

One of the biggest developments and blessings in my thirties was finding our spiritual home, St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley).

Highlights

What more can I ask for from a decade that yielded family, professional, and spiritual fulfillment? Not much. But I am grateful for all the additional memories that defined my thirties such as…

– Traveling to places such as the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and Disney World

– Presenting at national conferences for work in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C.

– Becoming godparents to Noble and Neteyam

– Participating in major community events such as road races and playing/volunteering at Hoopfest

– Watching my kids play sports

– Celebrating extended family events such as my sister-in-law’s wedding, my brother’s wedding, arrival of nieces and nephews, and my parents’ retirements

– Showing my wife and children special places of my past, whether that be attending Mead High School football games or taking them on Missoula weekend trips

– Rocking out at a major country music festival, listening to Magic Johnson speak, and watching Penn & Teller perform magic

– Learning to lose weight in a healthy way and winning a fitness challenge

– Blogging all of my family’s adventures and maintaining a detailed written record of every single day that comprised my thirties

Loss and Hardships

But despite the progress and memories, I did experience loss during my thirties. The passing that devastated me the most was the sudden death of my Aunt Nancy. In fact, during this decade I learned that death can come very quickly and when you least expect it. Although just a short list, over the past decade I mourned the deaths of people such as John Kost, Gary Baskett, Jessica Hughes, James Gibson, Travis Overton, Garth Fritel, JoAnna Dalton, Rob Heacock, Fred Telles, Judy Cannon, Tony Shelley, Christian Layman, Lee Spencer, Charlie Vandermark, Steve Hackney, Nancy Capp, and so many more. May we continue to pray for the repose of their souls.

Losing my Aunt Nancy was devastating.

Then of course there was COVID. My mid-thirties were spent in midst of a historic pandemic that took countless lives, divided society, and changed the world forever. I hope I encounter nothing like it ever again.

Despite my wishful thinking, I know adversity awaits in my forties. Who knows what worldwide events will transpire and impact us in our little corner of Washington. I know one thing: AI needs to be checked and regulated for the safety of all. And, yes, if I thought death of friends and loved ones was rampant in my thirties, I just need to wait for this next decade. Sid and I talk about it all the time and we know as we navigate through life, we will face more and more loss.

Optimistic Outlook

However, even with death, the pandemic, and other non-mentioned obstacles, I loved my thirties. As I mentioned above, building a family with Sidney was the absolute best thing to happen and luckily all of that is transferable to the next decade of life 😊.

I checked the forecast for tomorrow and it definitely won’t be stormy. In fact, the weather report calls for sunshine and blue skies. Not a bad start to my forties, right? Hopefully the extended outlook will trend in a similar way for the next 10 years. We shall see. Don’t Blink.

John Kost: Advocate For All

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When Sidney, the kids, and I met with the McCormicks two weeks ago, our visit with our spiritual mentors went very similar to our previous reunions since our departure from Myrtle Beach. We caught up on each other’s recent events, discussed how God is working in our lives, and reported on our families.

I then pivoted to the next piece of routine business that I always ask about one particular St. Andrew parishioner: “Hey Tim, how is John Kost doing?”

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Throughout my nearly six years attending St. Andrew Catholic Church in Myrtle Beach, SC, John Kost was a man I observed carry out God’s mission every day. He was an impactful lector, fierce defender of the unborn, and active Knight—just to name a few. Always sitting up front in the church with his dear wife, John was the epitome of a good and faithful servant.

This morning I learned that John had passed away.

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During that Sunday with the McCormicks, Tim told me that John was still doing decent. Just like Tim is a mentor to me, John was a mentor to Tim. The two would meet together on a regular basis over many, many years. But we all know that when you are in your 90s, things can change quickly.

I had the blessing of getting to know John through the Knights of Columbus. He was one of many brother Knights who welcomed me so warmly when I joined the council in July 2018. During our meetings I would always look forward to when John would deliver his pro-life update. He would stand up and passionately describe the activities currently undertaken by the Grand Strand Citizens for Life on behalf of the unborn and how our council could help. He was always animated, genuine, and so well-respected.

My favorite memory of John was when we were paired together for one of our council’s Tootsie Roll drives. The two of us were stationed outside the Myrtle Beach Sam’s Club on a hot and humid day. John was just a couple months shy of his 90th birthday but the extreme temperatures and long stretches of standing didn’t faze him. As one of the oldest council members worked with one of the youngest council members, my youth held no advantage over John’s charm and sincerity. People who talked to John were contributing more money than the people who talked to me. He was a true pro.

But of course that afternoon was more than just an opportunity for me to learn how to effectively ask for money. I also had the pleasure of speaking with John for a good bit of time. Just like he was when he spoke to audiences, Mr. Kost was kind and positive. I learned a lot about him, including his service to our country. John served in the Air Force and was delighted when I told him that I was originally from Spokane because he was stationed for a period at Fairchild Air Force Base, which is just right outside the city.

What a gift it was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with John that day!

I had the pleasure of volunteering with John Kost during a Tootsie Roll drive in 2019 and snapped this photo. He will be missed.

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The last time I spoke with John at length was Feb. 27, 2020—the day that Beau was baptized and Sidney was welcomed into the Catholic Church. Can you guess where John was the morning of the ceremony? Yep, in a St. Andrew pew. It meant the world that he showed up to support my family on such a special day.

Later on that evening I was at the Carolina Roadhouse restaurant in Myrtle Beach eating dinner with my wife, children, mom, and sister. My phone started ringing from a phone number I didn’t recognize. Something told me to answer the call. It was John Kost. He called to apologize for leaving immediately after the ceremony as he had an obligation to attend. Of course it didn’t make one difference to me that he left when he did, I was just over the moon that he was there. But then he spent a couple moments reflecting on what a beautiful ceremony it was and how happy he was to be there. John sure had a way of making others feel good.

John was an amazing man who did so much for everyone—born and unborn. May eternal rest be grant upon John, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Don’t Blink.

Observing the Generosity of the Community

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Yesterday, my eyes were opened to the generosity that exists in the Myrtle Beach area. I spent the afternoon at Sam’s Club volunteering for the Knights of Columbus. We were doing one of our charity drives to raise money for Columbus Hope, a non-profit that assists individuals with intellectual disabilities and special needs in South Carolina.

Standing outside the Sam’s entrance, we handed out Tootsie Rolls and collected donations. It is a simple operation but one that has familiarity. My guess is that most of my readers have seen gentlemen in yellow vests with red lettering at the entrance of grocery stores. Well, that was me yesterday.

I had the pleasure of dawning the Knights of Columbus vest yesterday.

But it definitely wasn’t just me. In fact, it was barely me. My other Knights of Columbus brothers made it possible for our council (#5086) to have a presence at the store’s entrance the entire weekend, many of them taking multiple shifts. Although I only took one shift, it was enough for me to observe the kindness of my fellow citizens.

We handed out a lot of these yesterday. Over the course of the weekend, we raised more than $2,500.

The amount of people who would start digging into their purses or wallets upon getting a glimpse of our vests from halfway deep in the parking lot was pretty cool. The numerous times I saw parents exemplify giving by feeding their young children bills to put in our buckets also resonated with me. The man who was obviously down on his luck and just passing by the store who still stopped to give us his only pennies drew direct comparison to the poor widow of the Gospel.

The folks who would quietly drop big bills in our buckets without even taking a Tootsie Roll left an impression. Same with the folks who would walk in cashless only to return to the entrance to give us a donation after getting cashback. And I can’t forget about the people who would lobby their spouses or friends to give as well.

Observing the generosity of others is inspiring and gratifying. Another benefit of volunteering is working with incredible people. Since I joined the Knights of Columbus, I have had the pleasure of meeting some selfless and motivated Catholic brothers.

I could go on and on about some of these men, but let me just use my shift partner from yesterday as an example. John Kost will turn 90 in June but he manned the other side of the entrance with me for two hours in the hot afternoon sun. He brought in more money than I did and charmed everyone who approached us. An Air Force veteran who has lived through a lot, it was such a pleasure to speak with him and learn about his experiences and love for the Church. I want to be like him when (if) I get to that age.

I had the pleasure of working with John Kost yesterday. He is one of the coolest guys I know.

The perspective gained by serving the community is invaluable. I need to do a better job of doing it more. Thanks to organizations like the Knights of Columbus and people like John, I have no excuse not to. Don’t Blink.