The Flight...ode to 91 days!

The drive to the hospital the morning of "that" phone call - all the concern for Greta's weakened state. It was not an easy one but God was faithful to carry me to do what I needed to do - to say goodbye to my very closest friend - ever!

Even though the medical people were telling us "the next two hours would tell us whether she would survive"...I already knew in my heart that this was IT - the last time I would see her. How do you begin to prepare to say goodbye to someone who you have known most of your life? She had told me twice in the week preceding this day...that "this time" she was "not coming out of the hospital". She was "going to get her healing". She knew she was headed to Heaven to "get her new body" and where she would be free from the horrible constant pain! God was working in my heart...to let her go...to release her to the Lord's keeping and to that greater realm beyond this pathetic place!

The sky was overcast and my heart felt the same...a shadowed feeling. But I recalled the words of comfort God gave me earlier that morning about developing a heart of worship in all circumstance. As I recall the lengthy drive to Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center - the whole morning had a spiritual element very hard for me to express in words. As I said, it was a cloudy day but my heart sensed the shadow of the Almighty's presence. The Lord blessed me with the comfort of the dearest people via my cell phone. The love and prayers extended to me were a tremendous blessing to my heavy heart. It was good to know that I was being lifted up in prayer as I made my journey to Lititz.

As God would ordain, my dear friend, Corliss, would be available to go with me. It was special to have her with me for that place in time. She's a strong woman of God, also the wife of a pastor, an accomplished pediatric nurse and dearly loved person. She had been touched by the loss of a sibling herself and after losing both her biological father and the dad who raised her within a short time - quite acquainted with grief. (At that point I knew she too "would be leaving me" within a short time; I had to push that pain away to deal with the moment. Maybe I will talk about that in another post someday.) Corliss was there for me and my family for that precious time as she had been for so many other life changes in the ten years we have been close friends. She prayed, comforted and loved on my bunch. It was a blessing to have her there and I thank God for providing that time together before her inevitable move to Alabama just a few weeks later!

God's sheltering arms were evident...as I walked in the room to see Greta like that...inti-bated and just barely holding on. I stood there quiet for a bit, rubbing her arm, touching her face, stroking her beautiful hair - we had shared so much. It seemed like a very bad dream- a nightmare! How do you say those words? I prayed out loud...thanking God for giving her to me as my little sister 38 years before. I recognized that he knew when she would be born and certainly knew when she would die. Her life days were ordained and known before the foundation of the earth! I thanked Him for the blessing of her life and what she was to all she knew. I sincerely praised His high and holy name right then and there. I hugged Greta and told her that "everything was going to be all right" with us. "I love you Greta - you go be with Jesus." and she did! It was a mere three minutes after I arrived that she "took off". I know she waited for me...before taking "the flight" - she had so many times before in her dealings with me! And even now I know she is waiting for me - again.

I love all my sisters so very dearly and deeply. I never ever imagined having to experience the death of any of the three! After all I have always been and will always be the oldest. I was five years older than Greta and several years the elder of Candace and April. The reality of losing my "lifetime partner in crime, laughter and mischief" is undoubtedly one of the more difficult and emotionally painful things I have had to do in my whole 44 years of life!

I SURE DO MISS HER! Three months to the day and date (Thursday the 12th)! Thirteen weeks of shedding tears everyday - at some point! Sure some days are more painful than others...so far "time"...91 days "has not healed squat"! I have many prized memories of her time here...everyday brings little remembrances...sometimes when I least expect it...a memory is triggered...it's a miracle I have not been electrocuted for crying while using my laptop (Greta would have laughed at that comment)! Nothing seems the same...nothing is the same...and I am convinced that my life IS forever changed! I can say with great confidence that I know her life has changed too and OH how for the better...that is the only good "trade off" here. But I love her that much!!! I know I am going to be all right...just like I told her...we are going to be all right - by God's help and comfort.

Precious in the Sight of the Lord

Last Sunday evening, I had the occasion to venture back to the church I attended as a teenager and young adult. It was time to honor the life of a great man, Pastor Allen "Jack" Beck.

This awesome man of God had stood behind the pulpit of North Harford Baptist in Jarrettsville, Maryland for decades prior to 1989. He and Mrs. Jean continued to serve the Lord at their new location in PA. Over the years age and illness would come to challenge Pastor. From accounts he never waivered from reading the Word of God. On the morning of July 3, 2007 he met his and Savior face to face...and he was made whole by the very same precious Lord he had shared with so many people over the years. I am so happy for the rest this saint of God has been granted and the words he no doubt has heard, “Well - done thy good and faithful servant!"

Pastor Beck often got excited when preaching about God's provision of salvation through Our Lord's precious and only son, Jesus Christ. He spoke with God-given authority and was not afraid to call sin what it is within his sermons! Men with his forthrightness and character are difficult to find these days. He always rose to the moment with an appropriate word, whether it was in his Sunday sermon, to a young couple standing before him to establish their marriage covenant, preaching a funeral of a dearly departed friend, working on the mission field or the certain smile with a handshake at the church's homemade ice cream social! He surely was one of a kind!

He was a man who proclaimed grace and made us all aware of mercy in light of God's complete holiness. I especially appreciated his heart of compassion whether it was for missions (like the works in Haiti and at the Baltimore Rescue Mission), a caring gesture toward those struggling with the consequences of sin or prayer for a burden to lift. He desired to share the steps to peace with God to those who were burdened under the weight of sin and encouraged all of us to walk with Jesus in the everyday. I have to say that he was one man who always offered the opportunity for people to make things “right with the Lord” and make a public profession of their faith in Jesus before the close of each service.

Pastor had a unique sense of humor and one of his famous summer-sayings that sticks out in my mind was, "Do you think it's hot out today? Well, aren't you glad you not going to hell?!" He sure made you think!

I and many look forward to such a wonderful reunion with him and many other saints who have gone on before us – to Heaven’s glory for eternity. I think it is sooner than most of us realize!

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of a saint...Amen!

P.S. There was a nice writeup in today's
Baltimore Sun.

The Dirty Dozen

The four of us girls have birthed twelve AMAZING kids! Each one is an absolute gift from above and we certainly thank God for each of their lives! Here they are standing in line by age -youngest to oldest- now 2 to 18 years old. This picture was taken at a family frisbee golf outing just a week or so after we lost Greta.

Happy Independence Day!

We are so blessed to live in the freedom that we do...that which we were born into as citizens of our great country. And more importantly the tremendous freedom we have as believers on Christ Jesus...a freedom which is our spiritual inheritance!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Two months...

It has been two months today since Greta went on to her heavenly home. It was my goal to write in my blog about my experience that day as I drove to hospital and went to say good bye to her for that last time. However, instead and in memorium to Greta's great faith, I decided to post the lyrics to a song I recently discovered and cherish so much...

It is a Mark Harris song titled WISH YOU WERE HERE
(From his album The Line Between The Two)

I wanted to tell you how closely I've kept
The memories of you in my heart
And all of the lifetimes that we had to share
Live even though we're apart
But don't cry for me
'Cause I'm finally free
(Chorus)
To run with the angels
On streets made of gold
To listen to stories of saints new and old
To worship our Maker
That's where I'll be
When you finally find me

No don't you be weary cause waiting for you
Are wonders that you've never known
Just hold on to Jesus, reach out for his hands
And one day They'll welcome you home
And that's when you'll be
Finally free
Finally free

(Chorus)
I wish you were here, I wish you were here

And all of the dreams that you treasure
Will soon come together
And that's when your sorrow will find tomorrow
And you will rise again

(Chorus)

We'll run with the angels on streets made of gold
We'll listen to stories of saints new and old
We'll worship our maker that's where we'll be
When you finally find me

I wish you were here

WOW...do the math!

Last evening my hubby took me out on the town to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on Baltimore's Pier 5. As parents of four children these days, it is not too often that we "go out on a date". So this was a real treat. From the valet parking to the most attentive waiter ever encountered...it was a truly enjoyable evening! The food was delicious and (without our offspring there to interject 29 questions into our conversation) we dialogued at some length.

We recalled "just how it was" that we...
~managed to meet
~became friends
~made the decision to date only each other
~brokeup
~reunited
~dated, dated and dated some more
~got engaged
~dated yet more
~planned a wedding
~persevered and didn't bail out
~weathered some figurative storms and
~survived a literal batch of "prenuptial tornadoes"...
all without calling off our trip to the altar 17 years ago yesterday!

17 YEARS..
WOW...just do the math...
THAT'S...
68 quarters
204 months
884 weeks
6,205 days
148,920 hours
8,935,200 minutes
536,112,000 seconds and
to think (as confessed-complete-opposites)we heard that some said we wouldn't last!

It is important to share that we knew full-well from the beginning that neither of us were without flaws...so we invited the only perfect person who ever lived to be the head of our relationship...Jesus Christ! Inscribed in each of our wedding bands is the scripture from Ecclesiastes 4:12,

...a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We believe that the Lord ~with us~ makes that threefold cord. He is our rock, our salvation and the real secret to our marital longevity. For this reality we thank, praise and give Him all credit!

My Bible-carrier Graduated...

The tuxedo-clad, brown-eyed toddler who staggered (carrying a tiny Bible)down the aisle for my wedding, nearly 17 years ago, just graduated from from my high school Alma mater on May 31, 2007! As I prepared to capture the picture of my nephew, Joshua, in his green cap and gown and receiving his sheepskin, I felt a bit anxious and more than words can say about pride, sadness and happiness -all at the same time!

Joshua Kemp Jones, how could so much time have passed? You mean so much to all of us especially, Mom Mom Margaret and Grandad Walter. Where-did-the-years-go? No, I won't spring into singing my rendition of "Sunrise~Sunset". But how-can-this-be-so-real-and-so-soon? It seems like just last week, I was rocking you as a precious crying newborn baby boy and singing to you - so sorry- but I can't resist...

Now let us have a little talk with Jesus,
Let us tell him all about our troubles,
He will hear your faintest cry and
He will answer by and by.
So when you feel a little prayer wheel turning,
Just know a little fire is burnin',
You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right!

You are a fine young man who is entering a troubled and fallen world. I pray that you will look to your Lord and Saviour to be your compass to find the "one true north" and the only rock on which to build your own family of strength someday! He will be your comfort and abiding best friend with whom you can always talk!

As my closest younger sister, your Mom was undoubtedly one of the dearest people I have ever known! It is a certainty that if she could have, she would have looked on this day of accomplishment with a huge smile while shedding many happy tears of elation -and relief! As you know she had a tremendous sense of humor (in fact she had joked with me about keeping you from dating until you're 30) but of course in all seriousness, -only a Christian lady! Her desires to see you guard your heart and walk with your mind fixed on following Jesus Christ were of the utmost sincerity. So this too is my wish and my prayer for you in this chapter and the rest of your long life!!! With All My Love ~Your Aunt Terri~ Proverbs 3:5-6