Friday Foto Friends, In Remembrance

 

First and foremost, Let us never forget what happened nineteen years ago today, September 11, 2001, or more infamously known as 9-11.  The following link is to the post that I have written in remembrance of this day, and have added to almost every year since its original posting.  Many of you have probably already read it and commented on it in the past, but some of you are new to my blog and may not have seen it before.  So please take the time to read this post and then you can come back here and catch up with what I've been doing this week.  https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-didnt-want-to-remember-today.html

I probably should not try to write an additional post today, and just let that be it. But there's been a lot going on and I wanted to bring you up to date.

When I last wrote to you HERE, I shared with you a prayer request for my friend Rhonda's grandson Jimmy, who had been severely injured in a skate-boarding accident and was in a coma with a very grave prognosis. Actually, what I didn't tell you was that the doctors had told my friend and her family was that they believed Jimmy was "brain dead", and he was on life support, but they didn't know just how long he would "live".  That was on Sunday.  However, the family was not ready to accept that as the final word, and began to pray.  People around the world literally began to pray. Jimmy's mother was originally from the Philippines, and so her family on the other side of the world began to pray. Prayer chains here in our country began to pray.  I actually saw my friend Rhonda on Wednesday, as she and her husband did come to the funeral of our mutual classmate, and we had lunch together afterwards. While we were together, she got a text from her son at the hospital telling her that the doctors were beginning to wean Jimmy off the drugs that they had put him on to be able to do a neurological exam and then gradually remove him from life support.  Yesterday I received an update from Rhonda, and this is what she said:

"He was stable after drugs were eliminated. AND THEN HE COUGHED! It is a reflex, but brain dead people don't have reflexes.  Later in the day yesterday he began to breathe on his own. Praise God!...They restarted the pain medicines this morning as he was experiencing pain and moved his arm! Please continue to pray for Jimmy!  We don't know what God has planned." 

And so my friends, you see why I believe so much in the power of prayer!  Matthew 17:20 tells us:

"So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

Yes, I know that God does not always answer our prayers in the way we hope.  And our young friend Jimmy still has a long way to go. We don't know what God has planned for him, as his grandmother said above.  But God knows.  And His plans are for Jimmy's good. God always answers our prayers, one way or another. Trusting God for what He knows is best, for His will to be done, is where our faith leads us.  So please, let us continue to pray in faith for Jimmy, and believe that God is at work in his life for a very good purpose. We don't know what that is, but God does, and God's ways are always best.

So now for some pictures from this past week.  

This is my friend Rhonda below, on the left, as we met with other friends for lunch after our friend's funeral this past week.  Our "funny" friend Sue is in the middle, and yours truly on the right.  We were happy to be together and to bring some joy to Rhonda in the midst of a difficult week.

Prior to the funeral, my hubby and I got to the town a little early where the funeral was to be held, so we drove a few more miles to the cemetery where my grandparents were buried.  I had not been there for many years, and the last time we drove through there we couldn't find their grave site, so this time we stopped and went into the office to ask for directions.  I've been working on my grandparents' genealogy and wanted to have a picture of this for the record...and also to know how to find it again. 

My grandfather, William H. Mursch,  1890-1975

My grandmother, Elva Mursch, 1895-1984

Here is the headstone in proximity to the open Bible and a lovely tree-lined memorial area.

The Lord's Prayer

This was so pretty and peaceful.  I am so glad I went. 

Later this year I will share with you the story of my grandmother, who was adopted.

She's the main reason I've been doing the genealogy research, and her 125th birthday would be this coming December, so I hope to have a story put together by then to commemorate her life.

I love this little dragonfly 

She looks like a ballerina, with her winged "tutu" reflecting pink and rainbow colors in the sunlight as well as the interesting golden and black markings. I think this is a kind of "Calico Pennant" dragonfly.

Whatever her name is, she is lovely and delicate and fun to watch flitting from flower to flower as we take our morning walks.

These clouds caught my eye as we walked the other evening...there were thunderstorms brewing...

And then we had these beautiful skies later over Still Waters Pond

A good place to stop and say Thank You, Lord, for your blessings on us this week.

Thank You for hearing our prayers on behalf of young Jimmy. 

Thank You for seeing our friend who passed away safely "home" to heaven.

Thank You for the beauty You surround us with every day.

And Thank You for this great nation we live in. 

May the Lord keep us safe from harm from outside forces who wish to destroy us,

as well as from inside forces who are trying to dismantle our freedoms.

May we never forget the sacrifices of so many who have made it possible for us to live in the 
"Land of the free, and the home of the brave."

Amen.

 

Moments of Grace: Reflections of Praise

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

This past week was our son's birthday. Our son who is in heaven, that is. He left this earth almost two years ago, at the age of 41.  This year would have been his 43rd birthday. I don't write this to make you feel sad or to feel sorry for me. Perhaps I am writing this for myself...as a way of dealing with the grief.  Even though we still miss our son and will always long to see his face again and hear his voice and laughter...I can honestly say that God has given me a true sense of peace and gladness.  You see, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will see my son again someday. There is no doubt in my mind that he had accepted God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, (see Ephesians 2:8-9) and that when he left his earthly home he went immediately into the Presence of God Almighty. Therefore, I have joy in my heart...and I can sing praise to God and not be silent.

For his birthday, to honor the memory of our son, we planted two trees in our yard.

Our sons planted two apple trees in the front yard.
Hopefully they will grow and prosper and bear much fruit!

 Something alive and growing and beautiful to remind us of his beautiful life...and to remind us also that he is still alive. He's just a breath away in heaven.














We actually started this "tradition" the very week of his memorial service, by building an arbor and establishing a small memorial garden in our backyard.  This has become a special place to sit and pray, watch the birds, enjoy a time of communion with the Lord and His beautiful creation.

My sister donated this beautiful wind-spinner
in memory of our son.

 On the first anniversary of his passing, we planted a tree in the front yard.  That idea has now spread to other parts of the yard, so that everywhere I look outside I am reminded of the life of my son.



















You may think this is a bit morbid or even eccentric. Well, perhaps if these "memorials" caused us to become sorrowful or even a bit depressed or angry, that could possibly be construed as carrying grief too far.  But what I have discovered is by having these living reminders of our son, it has "turned for me my mourning into dancing"...and has helped to "put off my sackcloth and has clothed me with gladness."

I could not do this if I did not have total faith in God and His provision for salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.  Without that hope and promise there would be no reason to rejoice or dance again. But because Christ lives, I know that not only my son, but I, too, shall live!

I can sing along with Job (Job 19:25-27)

"For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

Whom I shall see for myself,

and my eyes shall behold, 

and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!"

And as the Psalmist said above:

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

"Weeping may endure for a night,

but joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 30:5b