Diane

When he falls; he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Palm 37:24



It is comforting to know God is holding our hand and maybe holding Nicky’s in His other one.

Janet

These three items are always on my desk calendar (following). [Note to fellow proofreaders/editors: I have done some editing and added my own emphases.] Not sure if or how they might apply to you, today, but I find them encouraging. I pray the Lord gives you your “escape to a landing place” on a daily basis; may your confidence in Him and His Word and His unfailing love for you grow stronger every day, until you know the indescribable joy of seeing your Savior face to face.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (Amplified Bible)For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), no matter how it comes or where it leads, has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful to His Word and to His compassionate nature, and He can be trusted not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will always also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

(from a worship song)
“No guilt in life, no fear in death—this is the power of Christ in me!”

(from my dad, my ultimate encourager)
God knows the end from the beginning,
Has infinite wisdom,
And will always do me good!

Janet Carey

Andi

Excerpts from Psalm 91

“This I declare of the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my god and I am trusting Him…
For He will…protect you from the fatal plaque…no evil will conquer you…
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue them and honor them.
I will satisfy them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

“He alone is my refuge…”

There is nothing and no one that saves me and gives me hope and understanding. There is no comfort other than Christ who made the way for me to be with my son again.

“Protect you from the fatal plague”

Death is not the end. Grief if not the ruin of hope. The only truly fatal plague is the loss of my soul which Christ has redeemed for me.

“I will be with them in trouble”

He’s not promising to remove pain or shield me from the tragedy, but rather to walk with me through it. I will be expected to walk through fire, but He will be my fire repellant suit. I will be expected to ride through violently stormy seas, but He will be my boat. I am expected to run through dragon infested fields, but he is my Knight in shining armor.

“I will rescue them…”

It is not until I look around at the families with no flame-retardant suit, no boat or no Knight that I understand the true magnitude of the safety I am residing under. Pain is not removed, that is certain, but there has been made a way out – and through Christ alone am I able to survive.

“Satisfy them with long life…”

I am so glad that the life without Nick will be so indescribably shorter than the life we are promised together forever!

Andi

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18

Andi

"Jesus said to her, ' I am the ressurection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...'"
John 11:25

Jodee

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.....2 Timothy 4:6-8 NIV version

And I love the MESSAGE version also that says...
You take over, I'm about to die, my life's an offering on God's alter. This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way! All that's left now is the shouting--God's applause! Depend on it, He's an honest Judge. He'll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for His coming.

All I can add is.... COME QUICKLY, LORD JESUS! COME!

Jodee

"....many will come from the east and the west, and will take their paces at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob....: Matt. 8:11
As I think about what to prepare tonight for dinner for my family, I think about Nicky's dining at the Master's table! And WHO he is dining with. As much as he was in awe of Peyton Manning or watching Brennden play ball.....he's in a whole new ballgame right now...eternally. And after dinner, WHO will toss the ball around in the Heavenly "Field of Grace"....oh how it tickles me to think of Nicky's tackling Paul or giving Jesus a "high-five." You can't get much higher.
Can't wait to come to the game one day.
-Jodee

Jane

"Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." Isaiah 35: 10b

A complete picture presents itself to me in these few words. The Morice family is walking through a wooded area in the cool of the morning. Their path is sun-dappled and the sky is already brilliantly blue, but yet they trudge slowly, burdened by Sorrow and Sighing, their nagging companions. The sound of footsteps is heard approaching from behind. Suddenly, Gladness and Joy burst into view. “Surprised by joy”, Sorrow and Sadness melt into the darkness behind them as the family steps into the sunlight.

Nana

Andi

"The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away, and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death."
Isaih 57:1-2

Andi

I'd love it if everyone would take the time to submit scriptures that were particularly helpful to them during this time. I know not everyone is up to reading their bible, yet, however, maybe just reading through the little nuggets that others leave will bring encouragement.

I'll start....
I was reading Lamentations 3 because of a wonderful (brief) bible study for those in grief (The one year book of Hope by Nancy Gutherie - I HIGHLY recommend it) and I pulled out all the verses that spoke to me. I hope they're helpful to you, too...

Lamentations 3 various verses from 9-57:

"He has barred my way with blocks of stone; He has made my paths crooked.
He pierced my heart with arrow from His quiver
I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So, I say, "my splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord."
I remember my affliction...
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed.
I say to myself, "the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him"

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord had laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be hope.
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.

Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love.
For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men

Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamites and good things come?
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

Streams of tears flow from my eyes...
My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief,
until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.

The waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off.
I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: "Do not close Your ears to my cry for relief"
You came near when I called you, and you said,

"Do not fear"