The Victory Parade

I am thinking a lot about Heaven these last few weeks; and especially since Deanna entered eternity two days ago. She had battled for a long time this disease that slowly took over her body. She was in so much pain here on this earth, yet in the end whether she “beat” the disease or died from the disease; she was victorious – either way. I have this feeling that she danced her way into Heaven, announcing the whole way that she was “Here for the party!” That is just the way she was.  Now, she sees and knows what we so often wonder about.


Revelations 3:5 (NLT) “All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine”.

I also love how the The Message Version of the Bible puts this verse:
"Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I'll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels.”


Victorious conquerors marching in the victory parade, led to the Father and presented by name. WOW! Imagine that in your mind. Yes, I miss her [very much], but I would never wish for her to be back here, when I know that what she is experiencing now is so much better, than she was experiencing here!



Her eyes closed here and they opened to this:

 Revelation 21
 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.  All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.


She was welcomed into heaven by her loving Father, with open arms. And He made her new. A new cancer-free body. No more pain. No more tears. No more crying. All of that gone forever! Praise God! I find peace in that. I long for that day. Until that day we are to keep telling all who are thirsty about the Water of Life, the God who draws us to Him, so that we may live with Him forever.


And Deanna… I am sure that crown looks great on you!

Deanna's Crown

With 2 Timothy 4:7-8 in my mind, my very last words spoken to Deanna last week Friday were: “Deanna, I love you. You changed my life and I will never forget you. You will remain in my heart forever. Now…. go get your crown.”

I am not surprised that it is raining here today. My heart is heavy. God knows my pain. God knows many people hurt today, because Deanna has finished her race. I am amazed at God’s timing in Deanna’s passing. We sang several songs about God’s grace in my church yesterday, we also prayed fervently for Deanna and those who love her. Grace was the hardest thing for Deanna to grasp (not like I fully understand it either, though). One song in particular sticks in my mind today “Grace Like Rain” by Todd Agnew. The words to that song are very similar to “Amazing Grace”. The chorus says: “Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me. Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away”. After praying for Deanna and while we were singing this song, Deanna slipped away and entered eternity, to claim her crown of righteousness. Clean. Free of pain. A new body. Hallelujah!

I have been thinking about Deanna a lot today. A friend wrote these words on my Facebook wall about Deanna: “From what you said about her she loved life and apologized to no one for enjoying each minute. I imagine her enjoying heaven to its fullest too. She will keep them all on their toes.”

And yes that was Deanna. She was a good, honest person, who treated people as she wanted to be treated. She loved life! What you saw was what you got. If she was unhappy, you knew it. If she was happy, you knew it. She never “played the games” that people can play. She loved her boys and all she ever really wanted was to be the best mom to them and to help them find their way. She was a very good person, I will miss her dearly. She taught me about the kind of person that I wanted to be. I am a better person for having known her.

She was a great friend. These words describe who she was to me:
A true friend is one who
Knows you as you really are,
Understands where you've been,
Accepts who you've become,
And still gently invites you to grow.

Rest in peace, Deanna. You fought a good fight. You gave a valiant effort as you pursued victory in trying to conquer the battle you faced. You never gave up. Your body could take nothing more. You exhausted everything possible in your fight. You will never be forgotten. And remember…. I want a tan house, right next to yours. See you later, my friend.


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The Great Physician

As I continue to think about my daughter’s doctor appointment. I began to process it even more. I am so thankful for doctors who do all they can to heal our bodies. They are educated, experienced people who have been trained to heal people.

However, I know the Great Physician. I marvel at the way that the Great Physician works in ways we do not comprehend, oftentimes it takes a second look [or 3rd, 4th or 5th]. Not only can he heal our bodies, he heals us in ways that no doctor ever could. He gives peace in the midst of the storm. He reconciles people to himself, with his grace that draws us in. He remains when it seems we have lost everything else. Yesterday in church we sang a song with these words: “You were, You are, You will always be!” That brought so much comfort to me! In the shifting sands of the things that we sometimes base our lives on, God is the SURE, FIRM foundation, in my past, for my present and in my future!

I have a friend who is battling cancer and there have been a few times where she has been really sick and it has been a scary time. It is really hard to watch her go through this and to see someone that I love so deeply, one who is an "everyday" friend, go through so much and be in in so much pain. In the midst of all of this, I am reminded [again] that God truly is all I need. I have felt his comfort, I have felt his love, and I have truly felt his arms around me as he holds me close to him. I can say that I have felt all of this in the times when it is just God and I - times when I am crying out to him, telling him how much it hurts. Then, it seems, simply to show me the deep love he has for me; he brings people to me that show me his love and care through their words and actions.

When life hurts, it can be so easy to isolate ourselves and just not let anyone in. However, as my daughter needed “a friend” last week at the doctor’s office - it is so important to have people come alongside us at those times in our lives when we go through painful times. People who will acknowledge our pain. People who will hold our hand and say “it’s ok”. People who will let us show our hurt, and support us to help ease our pain. I do have people who are doing all of these things for me. I have been surrounded and supported by a community of God followers. These people have embraced my friend who is battling cancer. They have prayed for her, loved and cared for her - a woman they do not even know. That is our Great Physician at work!

Which brings to mind these verses from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” The comfort that we receive during our “troubles” is comfort from God, as He comforts us, which sometimes that comfort comes through his people. God has given me friends who have supported a friend through cancer. These people truly “hear” the words that I do not say. They “get it”. There is one woman who I did not know until just a few months ago, I have never met her, yet she has been a very big encouragement to me, because she “knows” what I am going through – she has been there. God has given me friends who have experienced deep hurt and pain that cannot be explained, these friends understand. This post today is written as encouragement to you, to be “those friends” to those who need “those friends”. Who could that be in your life today?

Refiner and Purifier

I had told her it would hurt a bit but she would be ok and she could squeeze my hand if she needed to. It was painful for her. She squeezed my hand tighter and tighter. I told her, “It’s ok, I know it hurts – just keep squeezing my hand tight.” My daughter and I were at the doctor to have a wart burned off of her finger. The doctor had explained what would be happening. He would apply the Q tip with liquid nitrogen to the wart and hold it there for a short time. He would do this several times. He explained that if he did not apply it long enough, it would not do what it was supposed to do. If he did it too long, it would not be good for her finger.

This visit to the doctor got me thinking about a few things. As I reflect on this doctor’s visit, I am reminded of a verse - Malachi 3:3 - "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver". I thought of the similarities between what my daughter went through and some of the painful things we go through in life.

The doctor knew what he was doing. He understood that it would hurt, but he also understood that it needed to be done to remove this “impurity” in my daughter’s finger. The doctor stayed with us, during this time. He didn’t hand my daughter the Q tip and leave the room. He was right there; he sat there and applied the pressure needed to remove this “impurity” in my daughter’s finger.

God knows what he is doing, too. He understands that it will hurt, but he also knows what needs to be done to remove the impurities in our lives. God stays with us the whole time. He doesn’t hand us the “tools” [that he knows need to be used] and leave us alone - "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver". He sits right there and applies the pressure that is needed to remove the impurity, knowing how much we can take and when it will be too much.

I am going through a particularly painful time. It hurts. I feel the pressure. I feel the pain. I also know that God has not left me. He knows my breaking point. He understands that it hurts. I know that this time will not last forever. I know that God knows what he is doing and he knows that this pain will produce something better. I can’t always see that, but I know that he knows the “refining” process. God may have me in the hottest part of the fire, but he will not leave me and loves me too much to let it destroy me.

This reminds me of a story I read many years ago, I wish I remembered where I read it, or who wrote it, but I do not remember. I will close with it today.

Refiner and Purifier

There was a group in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying, they came across Malachi 3:3, which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver". This verse puzzled them and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and report back to the group the next week.

That week she called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one holds the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are hottest to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she thought again about the verse; "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver". She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered, "Yes, I not only have to sit there holding the silver, but I have to keep my eyes on it the entire time it is in the fire. If the silver is left even a moment too long in the flames, it will be destroyed."

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How Do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and He will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Grace For My Junk

“Do you know that God loves you and forgives all your sins?” Tears slid slowly down her cheeks. “I’m trying to believe that”, she said. She has not heard those words much in her lifetime. She knows where she has been and what she has done - just as I know where I have been and what I have done in my past. She does not understand grace and to be very honest - neither do I. But, if there is one thing I do know, it is this: God knows where we have been and what we have done, too, but he is not bothered by that. He cares about what we can be and where we are going.

We all come with our “junk”, stuff that we really do not want others to know about. Stuff we really want to shut the door on and try to forget about. The stuff that satan can use to “keep us down”, to keep us from being all that God wants us to be. Stuff that in reality God wants to hear about. God wants our junk. He knows all about our junk anyway.

2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that His grace IS enough to cover all of our junk. “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." It is in our weakness, our admission that: “God, I don’t want to carry this anymore, I know that I need you”. It is when we come as we are, weak and sinful, that our all –powerful God can begin a miracle in our lives. But we have to let go of that junk and give it to Him. Won’t you come to God just as you are and give him your “junk”? Come today, come tomorrow and the next tomorrow and the next…