Comfort

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
(New International Version)

You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
(The Message)

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
(New Living Translation)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
(New International Version)


And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died.
(New Living Translation)

Rachel

2 Corinthians 5:6-9

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

I have opened this up several times in the last 24 hours and just haven't been able to write.

We found out yesterday that our dear friends Mike & Karen lost their only child.

Rachel.

She was killed in a head-on car accident Friday afternoon.

We are all just so stunned.

Mike and Karen lived here for five years and attended our church. They moved to Oklahoma after Rachel graduated so they could be near her as she attended college. She was such a HUGE part of their lives. I just cannot imagine the void.

Rachel always had that smile on her face that you see in the picture. I can hear her laugh. I can hear her probably because she is laughing with Jesus, who she loved with all her heart. She and Caleb and Megan were like brother and sisters.

Rachel -- thank you for being such an encourager to our family. Thank you for helping Caleb through a painful time in his life and for encouraging him to move on to try a new chapter. Thank you for being Megan's sister. She is aching because she hasn't talked to you for a long time. I pray that Megan gets peace about that. Megan still has the picture you drew of her on her wall in her room. I remember the time (or times?) that you and your mom showed up at our door while you were out for a run needing the bathroom and a drink of water. Now you have finished The Race. Praise God!

I have so many more memories, but I just can't write anymore right now.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelation 21:1-4

A First

Meet Gus.

He is The First Pet Ever a part of this family!!! Yes. And after 23 1/2 years of marriage.

Megan received this lovely goldfish from a friend for her birthday. One more thing to check off her Deprived Childhood List.

I do say "hi" to him almost everyday. Today he actually swam over to the side of the fishbowl that I was on... maybe to say hello?? :)

She said Gus was keeping her up a few nights ago. He was coming to the surface and slurping. I have never heard of a noisy fish.

Her dad and I want no liability with this beloved pet, so when Megan is out of town her friend comes over to feed it. :) And rumor has it, the friend will sing to Gus to get him to eat. I would love to hear that!!!

(Yes, Megan, I borrowed one of your pictures again. Do I need to pay you a commission?)

Small Group

We have so enjoyed our new floors. It has made me vacuum a bit more often, which is a good thing.

Mike & Jen were kind enough to let us have our Small Group Bible Study meet at their house a couple of weeks during the worst part of the disaster. They were teasing us about being obsessive with keeping the floors clean so we set this outside the front door last Wednesday a few hours before Bible study began: Hey -- we were thoughtful enough to include a towel!!

Keep in mind that it was about Zero Degrees that day. By the time people arrived the water was nice and slushy. A little before 7pm we heard voices outside the front door. We opened the door to see Jen pulling her bare foot out of the slushy water!

She is just crazy.

But then she is the same person who left this in my laundry room cupboard last summer: Yes, I screamed. Then I yelled Jen's name. I knew who had done it. Yes, it was creepy. And it was a real squirrel that had been stuffed.

Here is what happened to said squirrel:

We love our Small Group. We have studied God's word together, prayed together, cried together and really laughed together, and eaten countless desserts together. What a blessing.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

How Did This Happen?

Today is my baby girl's birthday. 18 years ago I got to hold that sweet baby and kiss her fat little cheeks for the first time. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Thank you , God, for blessing me with Megan. Thank you that she has chosen to follow after You. I don't know what I did to deserve a daughter as amazing as her. It is Your grace and mercy showered on me, Lord.

I have made 18 birthday cakes for my girl. Last night I made the last one, most likely.

You, dear Megan, have grown into such a beautiful young woman, inside and out. I'm sorry when I have failed you as a mother. I tried to do my best -- not an excuse, just the reality of being a flawed person.

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!!

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”

Got Peace?

Philippians 4:4-9

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -- rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received from me -- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

A Word

Last night was Bible Study. After a tough day at home I really just wanted to crawl in a hole for the evening. But I went because I knew that (as Beth Moore would say) God would "speak a word" to me.

Her scripture for the video we watched was Acts 13:36. It says:For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.

Beth talked about how God has a purpose for me in THIS generation. His purpose for me is:

1. Highly personal -- God thinks and plans how He wants to fulfill His purpose through my life. His purpose is to show much glory in my life. His thoughts about me can't even be numbered! (Psalm 139:17-18)

2. Perfectly Timed -- Acts 17:26 says: From one man He made every nation of men, that they should in habit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. I am meant to be relevant in this generation. I need to be a relevant Christian.

3. Carefully Protected -- This one seems a bit more difficult to summarize what she said. Beth talked about the difficulties in life. God knows He can use those things for His good. (Like Joseph in Genesis... he told his brothers that what they did to him , they meant for evil, but God meant it for good and used it to save lives.)

I guess what I took away from the evening was that I want to live on purpose. I want to make my slice of time in this generation good and for God's glory.

So after feeling so defeated (see previous post), God, in His compassion reached out to me and told me that He thinks about me all the time and has specific plans for me.

Thank you God for The Word you spoke to me last night.