Saying Goodbye to a Friend

I stood in ICU yesterday telling a friend goodbye. I have known her for over 30 years, raised our children together, went to 2 different churches together, spent evenings together playing cards and visiting when kids were young, and lived by each other for 20 years. Alot of memories.
I stood there alone with her. Not sure she knew I was there or heard me. They were taking the ventilator off last night so I don't know if she made the night.
But I talked to her. Told her she had been a good friend. Told her that her family was going to be okay. Prayed for her. And told her I loved her.
She had fought a hard fight and her body was tired. The most important she was a Christian. She will have eternal rest with Jesus. No more battles.
I was at her house one day and she had me repeatedly listen to Josh Groban song "You Raise Me Up". I heard it yesterday and reminded me of the day.

When troubles come and my heart burdened be;

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,

Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;

Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;

But when you come and I am filled with wonder,

Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Rest my friend I will see you again and maybe our mansions will be beside each other again.

What Goes UP...

Bittersweet memories. What is this you ask? An invention of my husband or just label it "how to get my mother in law up the stairs."

And now the rest of the story....My parents were building their new home so they moved in our empty upstairs rooms until it was finished. It worked out wonderfully and we have some sweet memories of the times we shared.

But the first morning they were here, Mom fell on our stairs and broke her ankle. She had to have pins put in and it bothered her the rest of her life. But didn't slow her down much. She could still work circles around me.

So we needed to offer her the downstairs master bedroom. And we did for about one night. Then my inventor husband came up with a plan (we tease--most of his inventions involve duct tape, or velcro). How can I get her safely up and down? The answer is above. He built a ramp, make a box seat and used a wrench motor to bring the seat up and down. Did it work? Like a charm. Dad said you will never get her on it but she was a trooper. She would ride it up and down till the cast came off. Never a complaint.

Junior Popsicle

I had taken so many of my neighbor's horses that I had to discard some. I was looking at them and had a good laugh at one...

Zoom in on the gray horse

A ponysicle...and the right height too.

Heeee....now that's funny!

Green will Come again

Hang in there Preacher.

You are still in Tennessee and you will see green again--right there.

More green @ Sunday Stills

The Only Road

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor. 5:17