I was going to do a special post tonight about my husband's birthday, but I just went on Facebook and saw that our dear friend Terri, from "Your Friend From Florida", just posted that her dear hubby Joe passed away this afternoon from complications of COVID-19. My heart is breaking for Terri as I know many of you will also be in shock at this news. This virus has not been kind to several of our dear blogging friends and their families.
So in respect for our friend Terri, and in memory of her dear hubby Joe, I just cannot post my happy birthday post for my husband tonight. I am so thankful to still have my wonderful husband and thank the good Lord every day for the blessing of having him as my loving mate for almost 52 years. Dear friends, if you are still blessed to have your mate with you, please hug them a little closer tonight and thank the good Lord for His kindness and grace. And please pray for our dear friend Terri and their sons and families as they grieve the loss of this very dear, sweet man. They are one of the first of our blogging friends that I was privileged to meet in person.
Thank you, Pam. Love you!
ReplyDeleteDear Terri, I hope you don't mind my posting this. I probably should have asked first, but I was just so shocked by this news and knew that others here would want to know as well. You are so much in my thoughts and prayers now. May the Lord comfort you and be very near you during this time. Praying for you and your family as you go through these next days and weeks. Just know you are loved by many here in blogland as well as in reality right here and now. And Jesus is always right beside you, carrying you. We love you Terri.
DeleteSuch sad news, Pam! Thank you for sharing. I will be praying for Terri.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mrs. T. I know she and her family will appreciate all the prayers. This virus is vicious and I pray every day for God to wipe it out from the face of the earth. This is just so heart-breaking, but we know Joe loved the Lord and He is right now in the arms of Jesus. That is a great comfort.
DeleteYes, I saw this news in a private FB message this afternoon and could not believe it, in spite of knowing he was in the hospital. Such a dear man! Terri and Joe came through my town in November when my Beloved was in the hospital. Their visit with me at Cracker Barrel was very sweet and such a comfort to me at a time when things were not looking good for us. They have continued to bless me since Beloved's passing just a few days after our visit. I pray God's comfort, mercies, and protection over Terri and her family in the coming days, weeks, months .... We know Joe is now with the Lord. As they say, "Earth's loss is heaven's gain." But the loss those left behind feel is sharp and real.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, Happiest of birthdays to your dear John. Another good man that my husband enjoyed visiting with when we have been with you.
Yes, by all means, if people are still blessed with marriage, love your spouse and cherish them.
Oh Barbara, I know seeing this news brings up such fresh sorrow for you. You know all too well what Terri is feeling right now. I am just so very very sorry and feeling such shock over this news, as I did when it was your dear Beloved such a short time ago. I just pray God will wipe out this evil virus from the face of the earth as it has caused so much heartache and sorrow for so many. Yes, we who know the Lord are comforted as we know this life is not our final home, but oh, how it hurts to say farewell to those dear ones even knowing it is only temporary.
DeleteThank you for your kind birthday wishes for John. Yes, he also enjoyed visiting with your dear hubby as well, and wished that we were closer so we could have gotten better acquainted. Same thing with Terri and Joe. It just seems like the Lord is calling home some very good and dear people and we who are left behind are looking forward to His soon return to catch us all away.
God bless you my dear friend. You are a blessing to so many of us.
Beautiful and bittersweet, too. I'm stunned. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend. 💗
ReplyDeleteThank you Myra. I am just in shock right now and cannot believe how cruel this evil virus is. But so thankful that Joe knew the Lord and we know that He is in the presence of Jesus right now. That is a great comfort, I know, to Terri and her family, but oh how much she will miss that dear sweet man.
DeleteTerri and I are not blogging buddies but I have seen her comments here and there. My heartfelt condolences to her. May God wrap her in his loving arms and help her through the coming days and months. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Penny. It is so heartbreaking to see how this evil virus has hurt so many dear people. But we are thankful to know the Lord and know that Joe loved the Lord and that he is in His presence right now. May the Lord comfort and keep Terri in His loving arms now and in the days to come.
DeleteI'm in shock. It sounded as if Joe was doing pretty well. My heart is just breaking for Terri.
ReplyDeleteI know, Stacy. I thought so too. But just like our other dear friend Barbara from Sweet Tea and Sandals, her beloved hubby seemed to be doing better too, and then just like that he passed away so quickly. My heart is breaking for Terri and their family as they must work through such sorrow now. So thankful Joe loved the Lord and we know he is in His presence now. That is a great comfort.
DeleteAmen.
DeleteOh no! I'm so very sorry to hear this!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan. It was a great shock to everyone, especially to dear Terri. Please keep her and their family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much.
DeleteYes, I was going to post today as well and now I just can't. I will try and compose one tomorrow. You give that hubby a big old birthday hug. This virus has taken so much. I lost a 50 year old cousin in September and reading these dear blogging friends doesn't help a bit. Lots of prayers going up for Terri.
ReplyDeleteIt really really hurts. I told my hubby that we blogging friends are like a very close circle of friends because we communicate with each other almost daily, which is often more than we communicate with family members and local friends. We share a lot of personal struggles and issues as well as joys here, and we are like a family. When one hurts, we all hurt. I just hate we are too far apart to give each other the hugs when we need them, but God can do that for us through our prayers. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. I am so sorry about your cousin...I know your family has suffered through this as well. It certainly has not been a pleasant thing to deal with. May God give us strength to keep standing strong.
DeleteMy heart is broken . . . I know how strong the love was between Terri and Joe. Prayers aplenty for Terri and her family.
ReplyDeleteI know, Martha. It is just so very sad. Praying for God's comfort and love to uphold her and give her strength.
DeleteI am just in plum shock...and honestly...I wish I could be there to hug Terri.
ReplyDeleteMe too. My heart is aching for her today. I can only imagine how she is feeling. May the Lord comfort her and give her strength for the days ahead.
DeleteI just read her post this morning. It is so hard to believe. He seemed like such a neat man when she talked about him and posted pictures.
ReplyDeleteHe truly was a very sweet and kind man. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends for sure.
DeleteSaying a final earthly goodbye to a spouse is one of the hardest, no, THE HARDEST thing i have ever had to do. My heart goes out to this family.
ReplyDeleteI can well imagine, Ruth, that it would be. It seems like far too many of my friends this past year or so have been having to do just that. I know it was extremely difficult to say farewell to my son, but saying goodbye to my spouse I can imagine would be much harder and I pray I don't have to do that anytime soon. My heart goes out to Terri right now as she must pick up the pieces and moved forward without her dear Joe by her side. I know you know how difficult that is. Thank you for your prayers on her behalf. (((hugs))) to you too.
DeletePam: Yesterday, A young woman, not even 20 years old, gave birth to a little baby girl. The baby passed away shortly thereafter. Today, I heard a man whose in-laws go to our church was placed on hospice. He was the victim of a work related accident. He worked highway construction and a woman drove through a construction site at a very high rate of speed. The accident happened several years ago. His father-in-law just recently suddenly passed away. All around me, I see I see sadness, illness, and death.
DeleteIn the world we will have much sorrow, but Jesus said, "but I have overcome the world". That is our great comfort and hope...through Christ we are overcomers too. Praise God for that great peace that passes all understanding. My heart goes out to these you have mentioned above, Cecelia. May the Lord comfort those who are grieving and suffering so. (((hugs))) to you as well.
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