Pictures, pictures everywhere! Our house is filled with pictures of my Joyce from her childhood to just weeks before she passed. Her joy filled smile and twinkle in her eyes leaps out to us as we sort thru hundreds of captured moments. I spent most of the day keeping busy with things related to Joyce's memorial service this Saturday. Took a lot of phone calls and heard from many old friends.
I still feel like she's only at a retreat or on a short missions trip to Belize and at any moment the phone will ring and I'll hear her say "I'm on my way home!" While I was running errands today and headed home, I would insticntively grap my cell phone to call her and let her know I'll be home in 10 minutes...been doing that for years!
Life indeed is going to be very different - not bad, just different; a "new normal" a friend of mine said, would be found.
Thankfully the Lord is the same, yeasterday, today and forever. His grace is sufficient to see me and my family thru. What firm a foundation we have in Christ. May He continue to use all of this for His glory!
In His comforting Arm's,
Pat
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Dear Pastor,
ReplyDeleteReading your blog this morning brought a tear to my eye just imagining what it must be like for you, but also great hope and joy that you are OK and you will go on to greater heights and deeper depths of victory and conquest! Yes, it's a great encouragement to know you have that firm foundation which nothing can shake.
Yours In Him,
Rick and Judy Erickson
Pastor Pat,
ReplyDeleteIt is so amazing the way that Joyce has touched so many lives. What a blessing her life has been to so many. Our prayers are with you and your family.
In His Glory
You will have many moments of wanting to pick the phone up to call Joyce. My mother has been in Glory for 33 years and I still think of picking up the phone to call her. Than I realize it is not possible. You will now experience a diffirent kind of 'closeness' with Joyce for she is as near to you as your heart and the memories of her will remain alive. This is a learning and growing experience. Now that you have lived through this 'pain'Your compassion for those that lose a loved one will magnify. The months ahead of you will not be easy, facing them without Joyce, but it is possible to go forward knowing that you will be with her again one day. The Spirit brings comfort. In our flesh we weep, and in our hearts we rejoice for what will one day bring you both together again.
ReplyDeleteDear Pat,
ReplyDeletethank you for your transparency in your blog. Cher & I read thru the month of June and early July the other night and we cried as we read. As you poured out your heart.
We weap with you and rejoice with you at the same time knowing the joy and peace that Joyce is now experiencing.
Your blog has helped to deepen my faith as I sense your heart for the body and the Lord coming thru even in the midst of the deepest sorrow.
I have never really had a sense of what David was talking about in the Psalms as he talked about .."the valley of the shadow of death.." but as you described the struggle that Joyce went thru the last 18 days or so it became clear to me that that was what David must have been referring to.
Praise be the Lord God that she has walked thru that valley and is now in the presence of the Most High God.
We love you Pat our prayers are with you without ceasing.
Thank you for ministering to others by your openess.
Love in Christ,
scott & cher
Pictures are a reminder of precious moments. Joyce has been inspiration to many women. She will forever be with us in our hearts and, in our Ipods with her testimonials. God has molded you into a beautiful person that you are. I know you from afar. I just saw the love that you and your wife had for each other. Thank you for sharing the love and the kind words that you have for Joyce. For you love her just as much as God loves his church. I pray to God that he will keep you in good health. For what ever trail it is, that you will find strength to keep you on your feet. Maybe God will guide you to continue as our Pastor. Pastor Miles is doing a great job, but we have missed you. I like this saying “The task ahead of you is never as great as the POWER behind you, Little us Big Him. Thank you for being her beloved husband. We love you so much.
ReplyDeleteLike you always say “ In His comforting arms”
Gris
for God
ReplyDeleteGod is good. He loves deeply. A mighty work He is doing in your life. Each moment is planned out for you. Rest in His Arms.
ReplyDeletePastor,
ReplyDeleteYour journey is our journey.
In a season such as this it seems everyday the "old" routine may break our heart when realized we now go at it alone.
Sometimes it feels like another person lived it, another lifetime ago. But then each tiny piece by tiny piece of time goes by and the old routine has changed without much notice or trying and you find a "new normal". Gods healing begain as promised.
Pastor, you are so very loved and cherished by your flock and together guided by our Lord "we" will see this through.
Praise His Name,
Michelle R
My friend, Pat, I'm so sorry. I really don't know what to say; so, this poem says it for me. Love you. Chuck (Bishop Sheen once said all Irish hearts love poetry.)
ReplyDelete----------------------------------------
At That Hour
At that hour when all things have repose,
O lonely watcher of the skies,
Do you hear the night wind and the sighs
Of harps playing unto Love to unclose
The pale gates of sunrise?
When all things repose, do you alone
Awake to hear the sweet harps play
To Love before him on his way,
And the night wind answering in antiphon
Till night is overgone?
Play on, invisible harps, unto Love,
Whose way in heaven is aglow
At that hour when soft lights come and go,
Soft sweet music in the air above
And in the earth below.
James Joyce
Pat,
ReplyDeleteAs I bring up your blog each day, my way of walking through this with you, I am captivated by your effervescent grin and know that as you cling to the truth of the words you wrote on Monday- that life is going to be "very different- not bad, just different"- the days will become easier, and the smile emanating forth from your blog will return. The pain of not having what once was- your 34-plus shared years with the love of your youth- will recede as "new" comes in and lays hold.
Praying for the "new",
in Him, forever,
Katherine Hogan
The memories in the forefront of my mind of Joyce are the precious times she stopped by the office and asked me about my life. I was so blessed to get to open up and share with her. And then there was the time I was asked to help her out in the toddler room during the Mother's of Grace get together. I marveled at how good she was with kids. I will remember her joyful smile too.
ReplyDeletePat,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss, thrilled for the end of the suffering & waiting that you & yours have gone thru. Pray you are blessed during this new chapter of your life.
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for clinging to the promises of God. May Jesus fill you with His peace, love, joy, and a regeneration of His Holy Spirit.
In other words; just really be blessed.
I am thrilled that you are our Pastor.
Your growth and continued faith thru this long journey is an inspiration to us that our having our own lifes trials, tribulations, & difficulties.
Thank you for being an example to us all.
Bruce Thompson
Dear Pat ~ I am praying for you and your family. When a Christian goes home, it is sweet and hopeful - but it still leaves an empty spot on earth for us who remain. Your wife sounds like a very wonderful woman, partner, friend, and lover! Hey - I'll get to meet her one day, now, too!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, after my young husband went to be with the Lord years ago, I discovered a marvelous little C.S. Lewis book entitled, "A Grief Observed," written as a sort of journal after the death of his wife. You may find some comfort and fellowship from another era in reading it, yourself. I pray you do!
In Jesus' love,
Andra
Maranatha Chapel
PS I'll share this poem I wrote upon the passing of my longtime friend earlier this year, whose name also is Joyce:
Beloved, Beloved
Beloved, Beloved, please give me your hand.
Why be in a hurry to go?
There’re words left unspoken and things still to do,
And people who love you, you know.
It’s true you have suffered what’s common to man,
With beauty and strength run the race.
But no one is like you, and once you move on,
There’ll just be a new empty place!
Beloved, Beloved, would I hold you here,
With all that awaits you beyond?
For then you will know, as the Lord’s always known,
The ripples that spread from your pond.
With kindness and warmth toward the lives you have touched,
As if you had nothing but time
To make us feel special, important and loved ~
How can you now leave us behind?
Beloved, Beloved, there’s light in your eyes;
You’re gazing at what I can’t see!
I’m sorry you’re leaving; I’m angry you’d go;
And I’m jealous you’ll go without me!
No ~ wait! I’m not ready!
But Heaven grows brighter.
It’s where you belong and it’s time.
You’ll move on ahead, but I’ve more to do here.
I’ll be along later ~ we’ll meet again, Dear.
Put one of your hands in the hand of the Lord,
And then I’ll let go with mine.
~Andra Hansen
Pat,
ReplyDeleteWell, she is at a retreat, the best one ever and one you will rondevue with her at a later date. I pray you are finding comfort in going through all the pictures, God has truly blessed you with all those great memories.
I'm really bummed that we are going to miss the memorial service on Saturday. We are leaving tomorrow at 6:45 am for England and will be hooking up with the Kordakis's sometime late next week. We will be returning on July 26th late in the evening.We will see you on Sunday the 29th.
We will be keeping you in our prayers.
Love in Christ,
Kim Todd
Dear Pastor Pat, Noelle and Jordan:
ReplyDeleteOur love and prayers continue to be with you and your family, you are all so precious to our Lord. As I read your blog yesterday morning, it took my back to the time when we were going through that same process. We wanted to choose all the best pictures of Dad. The pictures that you choose of Joyce will be beautiful, I am sure. But what I hold dearest to me are the memories of Joyce and the love she had for the Lord and you Pat and your beautiful children. That will forever be etched in our hearts. The final arrangements are truly the hard part because that is what made us realize we wouldn't see him again on this earth and not until we join him in paradise.If it weren't for our "Guardian Angels" you and Pastor Mark,we would never had been able to get through it. We were still in shock.What faithful servents you have been and will continue to be to our family. We continue to pray for a complete healing of your body and know that God will see you and your children through this hurdle. We miss you and need you to continue the good works that you started in your church family. Pastor Miles gave such a wonderful message Sunday, it was just what we needed to hear. It was very comforting and came from his heart. Although there were many tears, the saddest part was when Pastor Mark got up to announce the details of the final arranements and literally couldn't speak. You are so fortunate to have a Brother In Christ like Pastor Mark. You have both been blessed to have each other and we are blessed to have both of you and your entire Pastoral staff.
We love you and will see you on Saturday.
Love In Christ,
Margaret, Kathy, Rosemarie, Emily and Angelica
Pastor Pat,
ReplyDeleteWe just wanted to send our thoughts and prayers out to you and your family. Joyce was a Godly woman who will be missed by all. I only have one picture of her and it is when she was holding Little Jimmy during his Dedication. It brings tears to my eyes knowing that she is no longer with us, but it is a comfort knowing we will see her again. A song came to mind when I heard of her passing. We heard it at a Mercy Me concert last year. It is called "Homesick":
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again
And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now.
Love in Christ,
Jim, Kym, RJ, and Jimmy Jensen
Brother pat;
ReplyDeleteSoftly and Tenderly Jesus is calling to us all...I know your in his care, His arms to bare, remember He walks with you and He talks with you and He tells you that you are his own and the joy you share as you tarry there none other has ever known.
Stay in His embrace as long as you can my friend.
May this saturday's service be a crown jewel for you.
In His service
Brother Santos <>< Eph 3:14-21