I deeply love my children they have been the absolute joy of my life, but as any parent knows there comes a day when they grow and the prominent place you’ve always held in Motherhood has to come to an end and the “apron strings” need to be cut. I remember so vividly the day that the “apron strings” were cut and the Lord set my children free, it was powerful.
I was standing in the Winnipeg airport and my children were heading back to Bible college for their third year – technically they weren’t children anymore, they were young adults, but for me the separation was still hard.
The first and second years had been hard enough and my husband and I went through the predicted “empty nest syndrome” seeing that it hadbeen just us four for 19 years – it was really, really hard. I never ever joked about empty nest again, and I was so thankful that Dr.Dobson was there with great advise to see us through that dark and horrible first year and the tolerable second year.
I had had one main goal when I was raising my children and that was to have no “child – issues” left lingering from their years at home when they were grown. I wanted when they left home that our relationship with our children we would be healthy and for lack of a better word we would be “friends”. I felt it was our responsibility as parents to see that they would be completely, emotionally healthy and free to begin their next stage in life.
Personally, I worked hard at that and through prayer and a lot of communication and a rock of a Dad who ran interference when things went south, I think we made it. As Mom and Dad we tried to give our grown children all the tools they would need when they hit the stage of life so that leaving home, even though somewhat stressful, would still be a lot of fun and an enjoyable experience… at least for them.
So, here were were again standing in the airport and the goodbyes were over, the hugs had been given, last minute mothering and fatherly advice offered, and I was watching my children walk away. The grief started to rise and I could feel the tears at the back of my eyes, this year was even harder than the others because we knew more of “what” they would face in college, then all of a sudden I saw something, something so powerful that I was instantly, completely delivered from the grief and the fear and I was finally able to let them go with joy and amazement.
At that very moment when the sorrow began I was instantly given a vision, a vision of divine proportions that even now I can see it again in my spirit as I write.
The vision was so comforting and it was eternal and now, no matter what would happen to them I knew they would be “OK”, for standing and walking between my 6′ ft 3” son and my beautiful daughter was the Lord himself, his height was over twice the size of my full grown children and next to him they looked like small children as if they were 5 and 6 again.
It was at that moment the shift became real – I had finally placed my children into the Lord’s capable hands for good. He was now to be their soul provider, their helper, their protector and my role in that capacity was complete.
I would always be their Mom, helping, encouraging, listening, laughing, rejoicing with every victory and grieving with them through each pain and sorrow, but there was now a difference, the “apron strings” were cut, and they were free.
I marvel how at each stage in life, if we allow him, the Lord can bless us with great strength for every season.
I will always be eternally grateful for him showing up at a Winnipeg airport.
Watch a beautiful Mothers Day Message on this topic
Rev. Lois McQuinn – Sr. Pastor
Founding member, Director, and Officer of both the Charitable Foundation and three Saskatchewan Apostolic Church Plants.
Charitable Foundation Position– one of the Original Incorporators, Director at the Outlook Gospel Lighthouse Inc.
Church Position: Sr. Pastor and co-founder of the church, the Outlook Gospel Lighthouse, Kelvington House of Worship and Saskatoon House of Prayer.
Online Evangelist
Community Support Worker and Apostolic Spiritual Counsellor and Bible study teacher.
Training and History: As current senior pastor of the Lighthouse and president of the Charitable Foundation, The Outlook Gospel Lighthouse Inc, Lois McQuinn, began her training as a Sunday school teacher, choir singer and soloist, prayer group leader, co-children’s worship leader and Children’s church co-director, as well as an In-home Bible teacher and evangelist with Calvary Pentecostal Church under the direction of Rev. R.A. Beesley.
After receiving her call to the ministry to plant Apostolic Churches in Saskatchewan, Rev. Lois McQuinn, along with her husband, Rev Donald McQuinn (now deceased) and their two children, Mitchell and Victoria, migrated from their vibrant home church in Sussex, N.B., where they served the Lord faithfully for over 13 years, to Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan in 1995.
While in Saskatchewan both Rev’s. Donald and Lois McQuinn completed their ministerial training, home missionary training and were ordained as ministers of the gospel under the direction of Rev. Galen Tracy and the Parkland Gospel Lighthouse Inc which later became the ALJC of Canada.
During their ordination on Dec.31, 1999 They were given the charge of Pastoral care to the local church assembly, The Outlook Gospel Lighthouse, and later organized the charitable private foundation, The Outlook Gospel Lighthouse Inc. in 2000.
Rev. Donald McQuinn began his training as a In-Home Bible study teacher, evangelist, bus ministry driver, cell house church leader and as a supporter of home missionaries, helping with church planting in New Brunswick while under the direction of Rev. R. A. Beesley of Calvary Pentecostal Church. He continued his formal training with the Indiana Bible College and completed his formal and practical ministerial training through Parkland Gospel Lighthouse Inc.
Rev. Donald McQuinn remained licensed with the Parkland Gospel Lighthouse Inc. until their merger with the ALJC when both he and Rev. Lois McQuinn were licensed under the Charitable Foundation of Outlook Gospel Lighthouse Inc.
The McQuinn’s then went on to plant 3 churches in Saskatchewan, two of which were turned over to the UPCI district of Central Plains.
Brother and Sister McQuinn continued to pastor the Outlook Gospel Lighthouse until Sister McQuinn’s illness in 2011, when Bro. McQuinn faithfully continued on alone until his death in 2020.
During her illness, Sister McQuinn went on to become a published author and internet online evangelist and worked as a spiritual counsellor for difficult spiritual cases within the Apostolic church body.
Following her husband’s death in Dec. of 2021.Sister McQuinn received a strong measure of healing and was able to resume the pastoral leadership of the church, now known as the Lighthouse and presidency of the private charitable foundation, renamed in honour of Rev McQuinn, the Rev. D. L. McQuinn Memorial Foundation Inc.
Both Rev and Sister McQuinn were privileged to be mentored and trained by such outstanding Apostolic teachers and Pastors as:
R.A. Beesley – Pastor, District Superintendent of the Atlantic district. (Deceased)
Jack Long – Pastor, Evangelist, Youth Director for Atlantic District UPCI (Deceased)
David Curtis – Missionary to China, Pastor, Evangelist using original RBD Foreign missionary training and methods.
Galen Tracy – Home Missionary, Pastor and Superintendent of the A.L.J.C. of Canada (Deceased)
William Bustard – Evangelist, Pastor, Prophet and Church Planter, specializing in deliverance ministry. (Deceased)
Today Lois McQuinn continues to pastor the church in Outlook, SK, with the help and support of her son, Rev. Mitchell McQuinn, also co-founder of the church and director of the Charitable Foundation.
Rev. Mitchell McQuinn acts as the UPCI liaison to the Charity, and as the online Bible teacher.
Lois McQuinn continues to manage the foundations including the church, the online evangelism division and the ministry to those in need.
Through her online spiritual warfare course, ” Spiritual House Cleaning 101″ she has been instrumental in helping many churches and individuals world wide become strong Christians, she remains active in helping Pastors with spiritual counseling as needed, specializing in prayer, diversity of tongues, deliverance, and special difficult salvation cases.
The foundation provides Rev. Don McQuinn’s Teaching, Bible Studies and Quick study guides to pastors, churches and individuals as needed. His burden and legacy to see many embrace and obey the Biblical Gospel Of Jesus Christ continues to go forth and burn bright.
To God be all the Glory!
