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Bible VersesWe believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. Psalm 10:14 "Surely the LORD is in the place, and I was not aware of it." Genesis 28:16 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. Psalm 119:50 It is only a matter of time before it is our "time to mourn." Ecclesiastes 3:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning. Ecclesiastes 7:4 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 For you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. Psalm 31:7 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:67-68 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4
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Help For The GrievingIf you have just lost a love one, nothing is going to take away the pain and sorrow immediately. There is no "quick fix". And you have probably already heard all the standard fare about how they are "in a better place now", "it was meant to be", "only God knows the big plan", "God needed another angel", etc., etc. You probably don't want to hear these things even if they are true. Pain, suffering, and anger are very normal part of the grieving process. Don't even try to deny yourself of these feelings. It's supposed to hurt. Healing takes time. How you cope with these feelings is what is important. There are many ways of coping with the death of a loved one. For example some people get drunk. But that's not a very constructive method of dealing with any problem. One of the best ways of getting past your own pain is to help others. Someone once said, " I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet". There is always someone worse off than you. Think about joining a volunteer group or charity organization. Just search all the different sources on the Internet for ways to find help coping with your loss. There is a support group for just about every situation imaginable. We have put links to many of these support groups on our "Links" pages (see "Table of Contents" page) and we are continually updating our list. If you know of a support group deserving a link on our pages, please email us and tell us about it. There are also many sources for free online memorials on the Internet. My personal favorite Site for free online memorials is "In God's Hands".. This Site was started and is maintained by Patricia Kusila. A wonderfully compassionate lady who knows first hand what it means to suffer the loss of a loved one. Her Site is absolutely beautiful and overflowing with heavenly graphics, heartfelt stories, and touching poetry. I love the poem "And God Said". Please visit her Site and email some of the families who have placed memorials of their lost loved ones there. It will make you feel better to try to help someone else who is hurting too. For me, nothing replaces reading the Bible to find comfort. Not only for my grief for my loved ones who have passed away, but also when I contemplate my own mortality. I am not afraid of my own impending death when I think of being risen again to be with Jesus in heaven. It helps me to know that if God raised His Son from the dead (and I believe that He did), He can do the same for my loved ones and for me. No one on Earth has suffered any more than Jesus did during His short time here. And for the Father to have to watch His Son suffer and die...well I can't imagine anything more painful than that. Especially when He could have easily said, "To hell with those ungrateful people on Earth" But He loved us so much that He gave His Son to suffer and die a most horrible death so He could crush the Devil and win back our place for us in Heaven with Him (the Devil tricked us in the Garden of Eden). I realize that not everyone would like to have a picture of their dearly departed loved one...with or without Jesus...especially if it has been too soon and the death has been too painful. In fact, it is a very normal reaction to be angry with God for a long time after a loved one has passed away. Even my own sister has a problem with my pictures in that she doesn't believe that we should depict Jesus in pictures because we don't really know what He looked like. That's fine for her, but as for me, I found that looking at pictures of my Dad with Jesus was very comforting and I have several drawers full of thank you letters and cards from customers who agree with me. They have found that being able to visualize their loved one with Jesus is a great aid in healing from their grief. In fact, I am proud to say, in some cases, our "Jesus and Loved One" pictures have been instrumental in the healing process. The worst picture I have done to date (quality-wise) was from a newspaper clipping of an obituary. It was the only picture that she had of her father. I worked on it for 2 weeks and finally sent her all my best efforts but I wasn't satisfied with the quality of any of them. She called me a few days later...and thanked me...between sobs ...for the beautiful picture of her Dad with Jesus. Beauty truly is in the eyes of the beholder. My favorite testimony for our pictures came from within our own family. Jenny and I gave all of her brothers and her sister a picture of their Dad with Jesus for a Christmas present. That night, Jenny's sister was tucking in her 6 year old daughter and was asked to get the picture of "Grandpa with Jesus" . She got the picture for her daughter who looked at it and began to weep. Soon her mother was weeping right along with her. Jenny's sister told us later that it was the first time that her daughter had cried for her Grandfather since he died 10 month's before. Crying is a very important part of "getting better" .
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These Poems and Verses are most often utilized for
funerals and memorials services.
I have not gone far,
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Our thoughts are ever with you
Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.
Everyday in some small way
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes And death shall be no more, Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more,
For the former things are passed away.
Your presence we miss, Luke: 20:38 God
is not the God of the dead but of the living. Luke: 20:38-NLT Version So he is the God of the living, not the dead. They are all alive to him.
No farewell words were spoken, Colossians 3:1-4
Since you have raised up in company with Christ, Colossians 3:1-4
-NLT Version
Those we love don't go away, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3-NLT Version Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
We
can't have old days back
Stairway to Heaven If
Tears Could Build a Stairway
Thank you for loving and sharing,
Little did we know
that morning
Your gentle face and patient smile Chinese Proverb Life is a dream walking, death is going home.
Your life was a blessing Victor Hugo "Sorrow is a fruit. God does not make it grow on limbs too weak to bear it."
You are not forgotten loved one
William Wordsworth "The music is my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more."
We
miss you now, our hearts are sore,
Footprints on our Hearts
"Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts,
Your touch, your smile, Emily Dickinson "Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality".
We
miss you in so many ways,
Human Spirit "The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it."
Nothing can ever take away See Another Through "We are not put on this earth to see through one another, but to see one another through."
Looking back with memories, Roses in December "God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December."
Those we love we never lose, Loss "We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it."
It broke our hearts to lose you, Dawn has Come "Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because dawn has come."
Think of him/her as living
Let me, O Lord
Let me, O Lord, walk blindly on the path that you have
traced.
A
silent thought, a secret tear,
I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.
I have fought the good fight More Poems and VersesThe 23rd Psalm
The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the Paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of death. I will fear no evil: For thou art with me: thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the Presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil: My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow Me all the days of my life: and I will Dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
God saw you getting tired
Footprints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life, there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.” The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child. I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints... ...it was then that I carried you."
God saw you getting tired
God's Chair A man's daughter had asked the local priest to come and pray with her father, lying very ill and needing consolation. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?" "I'm the new priest at your local church," the priest replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up." "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the priest shut the door. I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the priest talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day a few years ago my best friend said to me, "Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest: Sit down; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised "I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now.' So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or have me committed to the funny farm." The priest deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey, he then prayed with him, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the priest that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked. "Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, in fact, beyond strange-really weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed."
Life is but a stopping place, Inspirations A true story... Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!" Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart." Then in theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes." Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes and my soul is good already." -Author Unknown
Different paths along the way,
WaitDesperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried
Little did we know that morning
How Did You Know?The day before Thanksgiving I was down to my last delivery. I was tired, feeling distinctly un-Thanksgivingish. I groaned when I saw the address. It was 40 miles away via a narrow, curving canyon road. Why did I get "stuck" with this visit? The form from social services said the family had no telephone, so I struck out, trying to follow sketchy directions. A local pointed me to a small, neat house. When I knocked, two women and a 12-year-old girl all came to the door. They appeared to be grieving - and certainly were not expecting a guest. I introduced myself. "Did someone from social services get in touch with you?" I asked. When they said, "No," I explained what I was doing, "Would you be able to use a container of food donated by our hospital employees?" The sisters embraced and sobbed, nodding their assent. I eyed the bare kitchen, remembering leftover groceries in my van. I hauled in a dozen bags of food. Eventually the women explained that their father had died the week before. He was their sole breadwinner, Now, they didn't know how they would survive. "How did you know to knock on our door?" they exclaimed, "The only food we have is two TV dinners we're saving for Thanksgiving Day. And now - this!" - Chaplain Ron Hyrchuk
If we could have a lifetime wish
Right now I'm in a different place
I'm with you when you greet each day
I'm with you when the times are good
And when that day arrives
As you hold me close in memory,
And beyond the far horizon
God looked around his garden
Although death has separated us physically,
You were a gift sent straight from Heaven.
If
Roses grow in Heaven,
Those we love remain with us
Do
not stand at my grave and weep.
I’d like the memory of me
This day will be a celebration
A
candle to remember, may it burn ever so bright
For those who are
“The Best”
God saw you getting tired
Although we can’t see you
The moment that you died
To the Child in my Heart
O
precious tiny sweet little one you will always be to me,
This time tomorrow night you'll be
Got a picture of you I carry in my heart,
I
lit a candle tonight, in honor of you
He/She wasn't a hero known by the world
I
knew his/her voice before I could speak
He/She taught us life's lessons of right from wrong
And so through the years like a hero he/she stood
His/Her presence was important and we loved to see him/her smile
And so dear Dad/Mom my best memory to recall
Irish Blessing
May the road
There is always a face before me,
An
angel in the book of life
Message from Heaven
I still hear the songs
A
Visitor From Heaven
For those gone in presence
I
am home in heaven dear ones,
As
(her/his) spirit soars in flight
As
we present our vows to one another
In
Loving Memory of
In
Loving Memory of
In
Loving Memory
Remembrance
You can shed tears that she/he is gone,
Smile, Open Your Eyes,
There Is A Special Angel
They whom we love and lose
On
our Wedding Day
Much of who
Walk me down the aisle Dad
Walk me down the aisle Dad
Walk me down the aisle Dad
Walk me down the aisle Dad
If
God would grant me just one wish
"Angel"
Tear drops, slow and steady, the pain so real and true,
We
thought of you today
We
wish that they could be with us
We
lit this candle so that we
We
wish that they could share with us
But even though they are not with us
God gives us each a gift of life
You are not forgotten
Sorry I didn't get to stay,
Angels Never Die
Don’t let them say that we weren’t born,
Although our bodies you can’t hold,
We
know the pain that drowns your soul,
You’ll hear that it was meant to be,
There will come a time, we promise you,
Although we’ve never breathed your air,
When tomorrow starts without me and I'm not here to see…
I
wish so much you wouldn’t cry the way you did today…
I
know how much you love me, as much as I love you…
But when tomorrow starts without me, please try and understand…
He
said my place was ready, in Heaven far above…
So
when tomorrow starts without me, don’t think we’re far apart…
I wished you were here to give me away
I feel ever so lost without you around
It’s ( Groom's first name ) role now to look after me
There’s always a place for you in my heart
So it’s time for me to go my new way
Life is not a journey to the grave
Fill not your heart with pain and sorrow
Although my leaving causes pain and grief
Because I will remember you all
Poems and Verses by Edna TuckerThese Poems and verses were written back during WWII by my grandmother. They were published in a small hometown newspaper in Oklahoma. SWEET MEMORIES OF MY CHILDREN
I often thought when they were small
And marked crisscrosses on the wall,
That childless couples had the breaks.
I realize now, 'twas my mistake.
I often thought on baking day,
When they were always in the way,
That it would be, oh well, just fine
To have my kitchen cleared, one time.
I longed for solitude, it seemed,
Some leisure time to sit and dream.
But, as they leave the old home nest,
I'm being subjected to the test.
I find that youngster's noisy ways,
Are better far than lonely days.
Today, my house is orderly,
But yet somehow, it don't suit me.
I have a lot of leisure time,
But, they keep straying through my mind.
My daydreams are of by-gone years,
I salt my baking with my tears.
I don't believe I'd mind at all,
To see cross marks on the wall.
To once more hear, 'twould be so grand,
"Please mommy, may I lick the pan?"
A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER
Within the temple of my heart, there is a lovely pictured face So deeply etched by memory's pen that time and tide cannot erase This face I see within my dreams, Her soft brown eyes, her smile so dear When in the arms of sleep, I drift back to my happy childhood years. I hear her read the Word of God, I kneel beside my little bed, I feel her blessing as she lays her gentle hand upon my head. I was so young when she went home, I we wondered why she had to go. How death could strike our little home, And take the one we needed so. But yet, I would not now recall her, Back to earth, she is at rest. And some sweet day we'll understand, Just why God's way is best. But as the months and years roll on, Within my heart her memory glows. And in that home of peace and love, I feel my mother sees and knows.
IN MEMORYWritten in memory of our dearly beloved father and grandfather, Robert Milton Brown Whom God called home August 31, 1943
He's gone. The sunlight doesn't seem so, bright today. A haunting sadness lingers in the air. The old armchair is vacant, The voice we loved is stilled. For God has called our loved one over there. Yet, we cannot help but listen, For his foot fall on the walk. And for the gentle tap, tap of his cane. For it seems his spirit lingers Around the old home place. Altho' we'll never see him here again. His last few, days on earth, he prayed so hard to die, His shrunken body was so wracked with pain. But, now bathed in the fountain Of the crystal stream of life, His body will grow strong and young again. Just why this life must hold so much Of heartbreak and of tears, Is something that we cannot understand. But, Jesus will reveal it. all to us some happy day, When we are gathered there at God's right hand. We don't know why we grieve Because God called his spirit home, And we were forced to lay him in the tomb. He has only crossed the valley That we all must cross someday. To a paradise where fragrant flowers bloom. We know that heaven now retains the treasures that it gave, That earth the lonely casket only keeps. And we feel the golden sunbeams love to linger round 'The sacred place where dear old daddy sleeps. The star of life has sunk from sight For just a little while. To rise again upon that blissful shore Where like a precious jewel In the crown of life he's won T'will shine amid the saints forever more.
More Poems and Verses Coming Soon! Please Bookmark this Site. Thanks for visiting!
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