My “In the Spirit,” column in Saturday’s Grand Forks Herald, told of an event called “Football and Faith,” that the men of Calvary Lutheran Church are doing Sunday nights during October and November.

Along with grilling hamburgers and hotdogs and watching Sunday night football, the fellows are doing a Bible study titled, “Dare to be Uncommon: Discovering How to Impact Your World.” The study was written by the famous NFL football coach, Tony Dungy, and based on his book, “Uncommon.”

I heard from Pat Hell, East Grand Forks, after she’d read the column telling me she’s also read and enjoyed another of Tony Dungy’s books.

In, “Quiet Strength,” Tony mentions that he and his wife, Lauren, were married by the Rev. Dr. John Guest, senior pastor of Christ Church of Grove Farm, Sewickley, Pa., and director of the John Guest Evangelistic Team.

It is a small world, after all, because guess what! The Rev. Dr. Guest is married to a Grand Forks girl, the former Kathleen “Kathy,” Heggar. Turns out Kathy’s mother, Mae Heggar, was like a second mother to Pat.

I love it when people share stories such as this with me.

Pat began by saying that Mae Heggar and her husband, Elmer, moved to Grand Forks in 1956 and that while they were raising their four children (one of whom was Kathy), Mae attended the University of North Dakota.

“After graduating from UND, Mae taught at Valley Junior High (now Valley Middle School) for 22 years,” Pat said. “I met Mae when I came to Valley Junior in 1969. She was my mentor and dear friend for the next 40 years. She had a very strong faith, truly loved being with people and was always so positive about everything. She lost two sons during the years that I knew her. My faith journey was strengthened with Mae at my side. Sadly, Mae passed away in March, 2010.”

Pat thinks it’s a beautiful thing, and I couldn’t agree more, that whenever the Rev. Dr. Guest refers to his late mother-in-law, Mae Heggar, “he thanks God for Mae being the mother of his lovely wife, Kathy,” Pat says. “He relishes the fact that Kathy grew up in such a nurturing loving spirit filled home.”

And that home was right here in Grand Forks.

Until Soon