The Way

Here is our annual Christmas picture and our prayer for you is that this will be a wonderful Christmas season as you celebrate the birth of the King.

I am including the tribute that I read at my mom's service yesterday. What an amazing lady she was. This is probably going to be my last post for the year. I am choosing to fast from blogging and just enjoy my family. I do want to say thank you for praying for our whole family during my mom's illness and home going. Please remember my dad, Charles. It was hard leaving him today but I know that he will be okay. God bless each of you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Hey Mom I just want to say thanks for a couple of things that you taught me: Actually it is a lot more than a couple, but people will think this will go quicker if I just say it is a couple of things. You have taught me how to laugh. Your quick, dry wit and your keen sense of seeing the funny stuff in the midst of difficult times has been a blessing. You have taught me how to influence others. There are many folks that we have talked to through the years and now in the past few days who have spoken of...

Today was long, sad, amazing, uplifting, and all in all a very good day. If someone would have told me that the day that we celebrated my mom's life and then buried her could have been a good day, I would have thought they were crazy. My day started around 6a and I got out for a 5-mile run and then back to ready myself and the rest of the family for the service. We arrived up at the church about 9a and visited with those who could not make it last night. More people than I can remember we talked to this morning. My best guess is that 350 people were present for the service. My dad did a welcome and had us laughing and his strength was amazing. The music was beautiful; Sondra sang a song that my mom wanted her to sing, my brother played victory in Jesus and said some of the sweetest things about my mom and I read a quick note to my mom. What an honor to be able to honor my mom. Dr. Tom Hunter, a long time friend of my parents who just lost his wife to cancer in August, did the major...

Two words for the day. I got up and did a 5-miler and then came back, cleaned up and then all of us headed to the funeral home to see mom. God's peace was present like I have never felt before. My dad, brother and I were just amazed by God's grace. The funeral home did a good job with mom's body and with all that she has gone through the past few months, they did a remarkable job. Lunch was provided by mom's school and it was good and plentiful. We must have greeted over 300 people at the church tonight and it was fun to see people I had not seen for 30 years or more and to be around some of mom's former students, friends and people who love my mom so much. What a blessing my mom has been to so many. What a privilege for me to have been born to the parents that I have. My parents' good friend, Tom Hunter, arrived this afternoon and will be doing the main part of the service. He recently lost his wife to cancer and is such a strong blessing and friend to my dad....

It has been a pretty good day today. Sondra and the girls arrived this morning via Southwest and it is good to have them here. We pretty much just hung out with a leisurely day. We did a few errands and the equipment that mom had used was picked up so the hospital bed and other stuff is gone now. Dad is doing pretty well and he spent time with Sondra, Shelbi, and Morgan telling them about mom's last few hours and final minutes on earth. What a blessing to have a dad like I do that is so sweet and tender and modeling grace. It was amazing to listen and watch him with them. We have shed some tears together and laughed quite a bit too. Tomorrow morning we all go to see mom and then tomorrow afternoon head to the church to receive people for visitation. I ask that you pray for us in the morning. I think it will be a tough time for us. Thanks so much for praying for us. If you would like to sign the online guest book you can do so at the Dickey Funeral Home website.

Not much sleep last night. Not really because I felt all that sad but my mind was just racing with some pretty good thoughts of mom. I was up around 430a to shower and get ready to catch an early flight to KC. The flight was on time and it was good for my dad, brother and sister-in-law to pick me up. We got to mom and dad's around 10a and it was really weird to come into the house without mom being here. It was dad's first time to come back home and mom not be here too. Today has been filled with tears, laughter, tears, laughter and then some more laughter. We headed to the funeral home to make final arrangements and then my brother and sister-in-law headed home. Dad and I caught some supper at Applebee's and it was the first time dad has eaten out in almost three months. It was good to just spend some time with dad. Sondra and the girls head up tomorrow am and it will be good for them to be here. Here are the arrangements for my mom, Frances Turner. Visitation will be from...

My brother called about 12:20 this morning to say that mom passed away around 12:15 this morning. He said that she just eased into heaven. I am so thankful for those of you who have faithfully prayed for my mom and dad. I talked to dad and he is doing pretty good for now. My cousin Barbara was there and dad said that she just sort of talked my mom into heaven. I fly up early today and will be with my dad and brother. We have already done most of the funeral plans and will just need to go by the funeral home to determine the day and times. I will post those here as soon as I know them. So many of you have been so faithful to pray for mom and dad and we covet your prayers still as we walk through the celebration of my mom's life. There are many things running through my head right now, but I do feel the peace and the presence of God in a great way.