Home for Christmas

Today the world lost an amazing woman, a great lady of the faith.

Vonette Zachary Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ,

passed away at the age of 89.

As her friend, Judy Douglass said,

'Vonette took off for heaven this afternoon,

eager to spend Christmas with Jesus and Bill(her husband).

She is home for Christmas, 

truly home,

and as I sat here and reflected on that,

I am reminded again of how short our lives are.

From the my very first involvement in Campus Crusade for Christ

as a high school student attending a weekend of evangelism training,

I heard about Bill and Vonette Bright

and their passion for reaching people for Jesus.

Just 9 months later as a brand hew University student,

it seemed almost natural that I would get involved in this movement of students,

reaching their campus for Christ.

Little did I know then that it would radically alter the course of my life.

Four years later I married the love of my life,

and you guessed it, 

he too was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ

and together we moved to a new city

and opened a new ministry to students there.

Today 40 1/2 years later,

this amazing lady who has impacted my life for the past 45 years is gone.

She was there when I was first commissioned to the staff

of Campus Crusade for Christ,

and many other milestones over the years of ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ.

(this picture sits in our guest room and was taken when

Dave was recognized for 25 years of service with CCC)

Her love for Jesus and her husband, Bill,

was evident in every way.

Her smile and gentle laughter peppered any talks she gave

and I can remember her gracious

appreciation for all we did in the Canadian ministry any time we met.

She finished well 

and today experienced the poem she so often shared with friends who had suffered loss:

Finally Home 
Can you imagine stepping on shore and finding it heaven?
Can you imagine touching a hand and finding it God's?
Can you imagine breathing new air and finding it celestial?
Can you imagine waking in glory and finding it home?
                                    --Don Wyrtsen

I Remember

Remembrance Day....A Day of Remembrance - If you are a long-time reader of my blog this post will sound familiar. I first wrote down some of my thoughts 3 years ago, and then last year I added to it again. Funny how year after year this day brings the same memories to mind.

Today I remember all day long:
* Remember my uncle who I never met because he lost his life on the Russian front. 
* Remember my uncles and grandfathers who fought on a variety of fronts.
* Remember Dave's father who was a nose gunner flying missions over Europe where he was shot   down in the same area where my uncle was in the artillery on the ground.
* Remember my son-in-law who daily puts his life on the line as he works in police work. Today he will be marching in the Remembrance Day parade in their city.
 
But I also remember a Remembrance Day weekend 38 years ago when I spent the entire weekend in the hospital while pregnant with our son. I was on total bedrest, wondering what was going to happen, with no inkling that come Monday morning they would induce me and Jamie would be born early Tuesday morning. We thought we had 6 weeks to wait - boy, were we ever surprised with this little bundle that joined our family!

And then there was another Remembrance Day just two years later, when I spent another weekend in the hospital while pregnant. This time I was 16 weeks pregnant with Heather and had to have an emergency appendectomy in the middle of the night! We spent the next few days praying that God would protect the life of our unborn child followed by 6 weeks taking care of a rambunctious 2 year old while 'not' lifting.

The final Remembrance Day weekend that I remembered today happened 8 years ago already. How can that possibly be?  But this time it was our daughter Heather that was pregnant and we spent time together several days in a row that weekend, planning for the birth of their twins. It was full of excitement and hope. But the weekend didn't end up with a healthy baby, but two little girls, Avery and Sophie that were born to heaven that Monday night. Our lives were turned upside down and heartache and tears filled the days to follow. Heaven became more real, more dear now that our two precious granddaughters were there. I miss you little sweethearts and Remembrance Day will always be filled with thoughts of you.

This year Remembrance Day has brought some additional thoughts, thoughts and memories filled with three families that have lost a parent this past weekend...two were mothers fighting cancer, and  expected in some way, but saying goodbye is still so hard. The other was a father, a husband...totally unexpected...all three in their 60's...our age, still so young we say.

So today I remember....the joy and the sorrow, the highs and the lows. And through it all, I remember God's amazing grace that is always more than sufficient!

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day....A Day of Remembrance - I first wrote the main part of this post 2 years ago, but today as we drove home for an extended long weekend visiting our northern sweethearts, I once again remembered and thought about this post. Funny how year after year this day brings the same memories to mind.

Today I have been remembering all day long:
* Remembering my uncle who I never met because he lost his life on the Russian front. 
* Remembering my uncles and grandfathers who fought on a variety of fronts.
* Remembering Dave's father who was a nose gunner flying missions over Europe where he was shot down in the same area where my uncle was in the artillery on the ground.
* Remembering my son-in-law who daily put his life on the line as he works in police work. Today as he marched in the Remembrance Day parade in their little town they had to wear their service weapons because of the incredible loss in our capital three weeks ago.

But I also remembered a Remembrance Day weekend 37 years ago when I spent the entire weekend in the hospital while pregnant with our son. I was on total bedrest, wondering what was going to happen, with no inkling that come Monday morning they would induce me and Jamie would be born early Tuesday morning. We thought we had 6 weeks to wait - boy, were we ever surprised with this little bundle that joined our family!

And then there was another Remembrance Day just two years later, when I spent another weekend in the hospital while pregnant. This time I was 16 weeks pregnant with Heather and had to have an emergency appendectomy in the middle of the night! We spent the next few days praying that God would protect the lift of our unborn child followed by 6 weeks taking care of a rambunctious 2 year old while 'not' lifting.

The final Remembrance Day weekend that I remembered today happened 7 years ago already. How can that possibly be?  But this time it was our daughter Heather that was pregnant and we spent time together several days in a row that weekend, planning for the birth of their twins. It was full of excitement and hope. But the weekend didn't end up with a healthy baby, but two little girls, Avery and Sophie that were born to heaven that Monday night. Our lives were turned upside down and heartache and tears filled the days to follow. Heaven became more real, more dear now that our two precious granddaughters were there. I miss you little sweethearts and Remembrance Day will always be filled with thoughts of you.

So today I remember....the joy and the sorrow, the highs and the lows. And through it all, God's amazing grace that is always more than sufficient!

A Better Place

His room is empty,

his chair at the table has no one to sit in it,

he has moved on to a better place.

That's how our friends' son, Mike, described what would happen when his body succumbed to the cancer that was ravaging his body....'I'll be in a better place' is what he said on this video

I know that is true,

he is in a better place 

but that doesn't mean that today isn't hard,

that he won't be missed,

that his parents and sisters aren't grieving.

I can't seem to work today as I think about him meeting Jesus last night with a smile on his face....

you see as he said, 'he and Jesus were homies',

best friends,

they had walked together,

and today he is in the presence of the King of Kings,

the Lord of Lords. 

And for his family and friends that are left behind?

God is more than enough.

That's what I am thinking about today...

God is enough.

Come Walk with Me

After months of struggling with a badly sprained ankle, last week I was just delighted to finally be able to get out and walk every single day! The sun was shining and the snow-capped mountains were spectacular, calling my name as I worked on the computer at home. So off I headed...

 ...I wasn't getting much work done anyway because my heart was so heavy. The day before I had gotten one of those phone calls that we all dread, telling me that the 2 year old son of my cousin had peacefully but tragically died in his sleep the night before. He was a healthy, happy, smiley little guy who was suddenly gone.

I admit that I was struggling with God....he was so small Lord? Why? I don't understand.....I imagined our own two year old granddaughters and could not fathom the incredible loss.  As I walked, God spoke to me through the songs that I listen every time on my walk...but today was different.

From Laura Story's, Blessings,

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricenter.com/e43998-laura_story~blessings_lyrics.html ]
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

As I kept on walking I couldn't help but marvel at the truth of her words. 'We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love, as if every promise from Your Word is not enough'. And that is exactly what I was doing. I was doubting God's goodness and His love when instead I needed to be reminded that He was enough! His promises were altogether true!

As I looked at the mountains again, I saw the fog in the valley below. I was walking above the fog both physically and spiritually! We will still grieve the loss of little Samuel Richard Klukas but we will also celebrate the reality that he is with Jesus now. I couldn't help but wonder if he was dancing with our own Avery and Sophie?

Remembering

We had a great extended long weekend visiting our northern sweethearts in the land of ice and snow.  Friday morning when we got up it was snowing again, just enough to make everything look like a winter wonderland.

We had so much fun, enjoying hugs and kisses, playing with the train set, with play doh, reading books, and even playing outside once the sun came out.

But underneath the fun, I was remembering...as I knew Heather was too. I was remembering another Remembrance Day long weekend, 6 years ago already.  A weekend filled with plans for the addition of a set of twins to our growing family. But God had other plans and our beautiful twin granddaughters, Avery and Sophie were born still that Monday night.

Heaven became more real, more dear now that our two precious granddaughters were there. I miss you little sweethearts and Remembrance Day will always be filled with thoughts of you. We love your little brother and sister, and they fill our lives with joy. But that doesn't mean that we have forgotten you.

On the Other Side

Earlier this week we heard that Dave's cousin's son who was only 7 years old, died of brain cancer. He went from the arms of his earthly father into the arms of his Heavenly Father. What an incredible picture!

As I thought about it on Monday morning as I sat by the fire and looked out into the fog outside, I couldn't help but think about the most amazing rainbow that we saw a couple of weeks ago outside of our kitchen window.

 Not only was it a double rainbow, but it stretched from one side of the sky to the other.

 The darker the sky grew, the more vibrant the colors were.

Without the hope that we will see Connor again in heaven, we would be grieving without any hope. We would be overwhelmed with grief.

But instead we know that this life here on earth is only very short and that we begin our eternal lives when we ask Jesus into our lives. For this young boy, he is living in eternity forever with God!! How amazing is that?! He is enjoying the incredible beauty of seeing Jesus face to face. The darker life got here on earth, the brighter heaven was......

Goodbye Connor! We will see soon!

Five

In the midst of all the things that have happened this month it seems that all around me friends and family are celebrating 5th birthdays of special people in their lives. Each one has reminded me that this month we should have been celebrating the 5th birthday of two special little girls, Avery and Sophie. As a result, this post has been percolating all month.

When someone close to us dies, part of the grieving process is that we don't want to forget them and we don't want others to forget that individual either. When a mother loses a child that same thing holds true. She never forgets. April 12th was the due date of the first baby that I miscarried. I've never forgotten that child even though afterwards God gave us Jamie, Heather and Jody. And I believe with all my heart that when I get to heaven there will be a reunion with that baby.

In the same way, April will always be the month that the twins were due. Two precious little girls that we never met, never held, never cuddled, never celebrated a single birthday. And yet they are part of the fabric of our family. They are waiting for us in heaven. And this month they would have been 5 years old.....I love you precious girls and can hardly wait to meet you some day.

My Chains are gone...

This has been a really hard post to write. Last Wednesday a dear friend of ours lost her battle with cancer and peacefully graduated to heaven. It was too soon....so fast.....we weren't ready....already Lord? We didn't get to say goodbye.

Debbie had battled terminal, inoperable(those were the doctor's words) cancer for the last 16 months and we in their small group from church have walked the journey with her and her family of men(husband and three sons). Today we stood in the rain at the graveside as they lowered her coffin into the ground....and then we celebrated her life at the Memorial Service.

Oh how the tears flowed but in the midst of it all, we were reminded of one of Debbie's favorite verses:
My heart is steadfast, O God,
My heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.(Psalm 57:7)

Debbie was an amazing pianist who loved to worship. And in walking the journey she taught us how to live.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name.....

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Belssed be Your glorious name.

Debbie loved music so there was a lot of it today at the service. It wasn't always easy to sing, but what a good reminder to all of us of the reality of heaven...it's only just a breath away. And today Debbie is singing and dancing with the angels....

My chains are gone I've been set free
My God my Saviour has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Undending love amazing grace.

Aufwiedersehen Debbie! I'll see you on the other side.