Lesson from a Puzzle

by Sue Huey

Used by permission

This is probably my favorite puzzle we have done so far. Puzzles come in assorted sizes and take different lengths of time to complete. Sometimes they're fun, sometimes they're when the last piece is put in, the puzzle is finished. And so it is with our lives. Some are longer than others, and we all face  frustrating times, sometimes they're boring, sometimes they're challenging. But one thing they all have in common is that when the last piece is put in, the puzzle is finished. And so it is with our lives. Some are longer than others, and we all face challenges. But one thing is certain; one day the "last piece will be put in place" and our life will be over. But the difference between our life and a puzzle is that we don't know when ours will be finished. Our Creator has the Master Plan and we can't see it from our side. And so, we must be ready.

The first Mother's Day I spent without a mother was 1985. My mom had passed away just a few weeks earlier, and to us, it seemed she was gone too soon. It was sad and it was difficult, but I remember being so excited for her because her cancer was gone and I knew she was in the presence of her Savior. We knew her faith and trust was in Christ alone and it gave us great peace and joy. Do you have that peace?

John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me.

John 3:16 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.

If this were your last day, would you be ready to face eternity? We need to believe in Jesus and receive him as our Savior so we can become a child of God.  And if you are ready, tell your loved ones, so they will be able to have peace when your last "piece" has been put in place. Have a blessed day!

Nothing Can Separate Us from the LOVE of GOD!

Romans 8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  
Shall tribulation, 
or distress, 
or persecution, 
or famine, 
or nakedness, 
or peril, 
or sword?

As it is written, 
For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither
death,
nor life,
nor angels,
nor principalities, 
nor powers,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from 
the LOVE OF GOD
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Season of Grief

by Jalisa Wenger Used by permission   When cherished dreams, like autumn leaves, Are scattered in the wind, You feel the chill of winter's gloom And loneliness creep in.   When springtime's just a memory, Now etched with parting's pain ... When winter looms ahead of you And tears flow with the rain ...  God understands the rending grief Of dreams that had to die. But from those seeds new life can grow Beneath the future's sky.  The bitter tears that freely flow Are tears He stores away. He'll turn them to refreshing showers To bless your life some day.  The raging winds that stress your soul And cause your faith to sway Will strengthen you for years to come In God's own time and way.   Behind you, summer colors fade. Ahead, the gray unknown. But by your side, a faithful Guide— You'll never be alone.

To Realize the Value

Source unknown

To realize the value of a sister/brother: ask someone who doesn't have one.
To realize the value of ten years: ask a newly divorced couple.
To realize the value of four years: ask a graduate.
To realize the value of one year: ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month: ask a mother who has given birth to a premature  baby.
To realize the value of one minute: ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one-second: ask a person who has survived an accident. 
Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have.
To realize the value of a friend or family member: Lose one.
Remember....Hold on tight to the ones you love!

5 Sisters and Memory Quilts

Note from Lois: This is an inspiring story of five sisters continuing to show honor to their mother after her battle with Alzheimer's, and having great fun in the process!

by Donna Wilson in Virginia

My wonderful mother Frances Linville was struck with the dreadful Alzheimer's disease and went through all the stages including constantly repeating herself, being paranoid, and finally just mellowing out. My sister Effie and I live out of town, so the bulk of the caring for Mother fell to my other three sisters and my sister-in-law. After several years of dealing with Alzheimer's, Mother's little body finally wore out and she went to be with her Lord on November 21, 2010.

When we were going through her clothes and deciding what to do with them, Effie (the quilting sister) said we should cut them up and make quilts out of them. So, she took Mother's clothes to her house and made quilting squares out of the ones that would work for a quilt.

We then planned a " Quilting Party Weekend" at my sister Betty's house in Chesapeake. We each picked the squares that meant the most to us, and with a lot of help from my sister Effie, we started piecing them together. Over a period of several months we each had completed most of our quilts, but on all of them, there were still parts needing some machine sewing and hand stitching. My sister Effie said that we should go someplace fun to finish them. She found a farmhouse in Staunton, Virginia, for the weekend of December 2-4. She and I decided to pay for renting it as a gift to show our gratitude to the other sisters who did most of the work caring for Mother while she was going through the trials of Alzheimer's.

All five of the sisters met at the farmhouse on the afternoon of Friday December 2, 2011. We brought food, music, sewing machines, and our unfinished quilts. My sister Effie brought her pumpkin soup for lunch (she is also the cook in the family). We sewed until almost 2 a.m.--talking and sharing stories about our childhood and Mother. We only stopped for dinner. Effie hung stockings on the mantel that she made out of an old 1930's quilt that belonged to Mother. She also decorated a small Christmas tree with ornaments that Mother had made.

On Saturday December 3, we got up early and ate a special breakfast made by Effie.   We sewed a little and then headed to town for shopping.

We started our tour of the town by going to the Visitor Center. A lovely volunteer gave us great suggestions as to where to go while we were staying in historic Staunton (sorry we weren't able to visit them all).

We went to Sunspots Studios where we had our very first glass-blowing experience! As a Christmas gift, my sister Brenda paid for us all to blow our own glass ornament. We loved this place!

We also visited the Cranberry's Grocery & Eatery where we watched as the woman cut handmade frankincense & myrrh scented soaps. She offered to let us cut our own. What a great smell for the holidays!

At Rachel's Quilt Patch we bought trendy yarn to make scarves. The owner was very interesting and has written several Christmas books. We also visited the Staunton Consignment Shop where I bought a lovely antique tablecloth. We bought handmade soaps and other gifts at the Staunton Augusta Art Center.

It was dark when we got back from shopping and having dinner at the historic Depot Grille. We unloaded the car, got comfortably dressed, turned on the Christmas music and started back on our quilts. We didn't get to bed until around midnight, but all of our quilts were mostly finished! The next morning we packed up to get ready to travel home. Effie took pictures of us and our quilts in front of the fireplace, on the front porch of the farmhouse and standing in front of them hanging on the clothes line in the backyard. What fun! Effie set up her tripod and would run to get in the pictures.

After lunch, we said goodbye to the farmhouse and headed to town to pick up the ornaments that we made the day before (they needed time to cool). We also bought many hand-blown ornaments for gifts for family and friends. As a topping for our trip we went for dessert at the Depot Grille. We then went back to our vehicles and hugged and said goodbye and left to go home to Blue Ridge, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and Herndon.

We still have one quilt to go for my sister-in-law Thata who moved to the Philippines with our brother Bob after Mother died.  Hopefully, it will be finished as her Christmas gift next year.

This was one of the most enjoyable times of our lives. We are sisters by birth and friends by choice: Betty Greene, Donna Wilson, Marlene Thompson, Effie Shaw, and Brenda Van Dorn.

Hope for Those Who Have Ever Lost a Child, Grandchild, or Loved One

 

Heaven is for Real  from the Haven Today radio broadcast

This is an amazing soundtrack that gave me comfort, and even joy, as I thought of the three grandchildren we have waiting for us in heaven.  I had tears in my eyes as I listened.  I hope you will take the time to listen to this amazing story.  You can listen while you check e-mails, but you will probably want to stop and listen more carefully.  It's that good!!  This was sent to me by a friend, Linda, whose toddler grandson recently died with no warning.

Jesus said we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Colotn Burpo, a four year-old boy, lost consciousness on the operating table and caught a glimpse of heaven.

Have you got your ticket for heaven?  Please reply to this newsletter for free ticket information!

Chelseas's Story

by Janelle Burkholder, a Heart to Heart friend in Pennsylvania.

In May, 1994, an acquaintance of ours had a 13 year old daughter who died from a brain tumor. In the days thereafter God gave me the words to a poem, a letter written to a Mom from her daughter in Heaven. Only God could have known that 14 years later I would be the Mom who needed comfort after the death of our own 4-1/2 year old daughter, Chelsea. When Chelsea was 26 months old she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. Although she initially responded well to treatment and was given an 80% chance of cure, God had plans for her life and ours that were beyond what we could see.

Throughout the 28 months of Chelsea's battle with cancer she was admitted to the hospital 27 times, but she was still a happy, smiley little girl and had one of those infectious smiles and sparkling eyes that captivated everyone's heart. Chelsea’s journey with cancer ended on January 25, 2008, but for us as Chelsea's family the journey with her cancer is not over, it only took a bend in the road. Our journey continues as we grieve her absence, but we do not grieve without hope. Our hope is found in the fact that even though Chelsea can not come back to us, we can go to her. We did not lose a child, she is simply sent ahead.

Now as I think about Chelsea in Heaven I often remember how, just about four weeks before her death, she told me that since she goes to the hospital a lot she might die, and that when she goes to Heaven she is going to play with Collin, a little boy who also died from cancer. Before Chelsea died she said that she saw “people up there“ and “people in Heaven”. Although she was not able to tell us more about what she experienced at that point, we believe that Collin must have been there to welcome Chelsea into Heaven and join her as she met Jesus face to face!

Dear Mom,

I know right now it's hard to think that I am really gone,

That I'll no longer be around to fill my empty room,

With all those pretty, girlish things I used to love so dear,

But really, Mom, I'd have to say, they simply don't compare,

To all the beauties of this place I now can call my home,

With Jesus here, my friend so dear, I'll never be alone.

The walls are made of jasper, Mom, I've never seen the likes,

With streets of gold and gates of pearl, His beauty shines so bright.

The angel host sings all the time, their praises to the Lamb,

His glory shines on ev'ry face, I can't believe how blessed I am!

So please, Dear Mom, don't fret too much, about my going on,

You made the life I had on earth, the very greatest one,

Those special mem'ries that you have, of things we said and did,

Will never let us really part, for in your heart they're hid.

Please rest assured I'm doing fine, here in this wondrous place,

And with the healing of some time, a smile will come back to your face.

Remember, Mom, we'll meet again, I know we will some day,

When time for you shall also end, we'll be together then for aye!