--GOODBYE FOR NOW~~ SEE YOU LATER ~

--'You do not grieve
like the rest of mankind,
who have no hope."
--(1 Thessalonians 4:13)
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Our deepest sorrow, comes when we are parted by death and say goodbye for the last time in this life. That separation seems unthinkable. We mourn. We weep. How can we face the heartbreak of never again embracing the ones we have loved?

Still....we do not grieve like those who have no hope. Paul writes of a future reunion for those who "believe that Jesus died and rose again" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). He declares: "The Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel," and those who have died, along with those who are still alive, will be united with our Lord. What a reunion!

And--best of all--we will be forever with Jesus. That's our eternal, and Blessed Hope. ~~

--'Thank You, Lord, for the assurance that this world is not all we have but that a blessed Eternity awaits all who trust in You.'~

--AT DEATH, GOD'S PEOPLE DON'S SAY "GOODBYE" BUT WE'LL SEE YOU LATER."~~ --/-'Dancing in the Sky' / Dani and Lizzy ~<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4dci4Z7p6A>
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--Believers have this blessed HOPE, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord Jesus."
--(2 Corinthians 5:verse 8)

--SAVE A PLACE FOR ME/ Matthew West ~~
<https://youtu.be/fOjZomB6Mio>

--THE LAST CALL ~~

"How the mighty
have fallen."
--(2 Samuel 1:27)--

~~~AFTER serving his country for two decades as a helicopter pilot, James returned home to serve his community as a teacher. But he missed helicopters, so he took a job flying medical evacuations for a local hospital. He flew until late in his life.

Now it was time to say goodbye to him. As friends, family, and uniformed co-workers stood vigil at the cemetery, a colleague called in one last mission over the radio. Soon the distinctive sound of rotors beating the air could be heard. A helicopter circled over the memorial garden, hovered briefly to pay its respects, then headed back to the hospital. Not even the military personnel who were present could hold back the tears.

When King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle, David wrote an elegy for the ages called "the lament of the bow" (2 SAMUEL chapter 1 verse 18.) "A gazelle lies slain on your heights," he sang. "How the mighty have fallen!" (V.19) Jonathan was David's closest friend and brother-in-arms. And although David and Saul had been enemies, David honored them both. "Weep for Saul," he wrote. "I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother" (VV. 24,26).

Even the best goodbyes are oh-so-difficult. But for those who trust in the Lord, the memory is much more sweet than bitter, for it is never forever. How good it is when we can honor those who have served others! ~~

'Lord, we thank You for those who serve their communities as First Responders. We humbly ask You for their safety.' ~

--WE HONOR THE CREATOR WHEN WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF HIS CREATURES. 'IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL' ~~

--ODB/TG~~--"Even If" / by: MercyMe~~(No words on screen. Please turn up your speakers for this beautiful song.)<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6B8SjPxo8o>
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--MYSTERIOUS WAYS~~
-[MORE THAN COINCIDENCE]

--OUR FAMILY FILLED DAD'S room at the care home, surrounding his bed. Dad was 92 and in the final stages of Alzheimer's. We knew it was almost his time, but he seemed determined to hang on. His heels were literally digging into the bed.

What would make this easier for him? I took his hand, remembering a peculiar story Mom told me. Over the last few years, as Dad declined, he would ask why his parents and siblings who had already passed on weren't helping Mom with his care. He mentioned a few of them by name, including his sis, my Aunt Arina, who had died of a heart attack more than 19 years earlier. Dad had been the youngest boy out of nine siblings. Six of them had already died. It was like he knew they were waiting to greet him when he was ready.

"It's okay to go," I said to Dad. "You parents and sisters and brothers are waiting for you. Don't worry about Mom. We'll take care of her."

Later that evening, around 11 P.M., Dad died. His body was just too tired to fight on any longer despite his stubbornness.

The next morning, my family members planned to meet at my parent's old farmhouse. 'Is Dad at peace? He seemed so determined to hang on...', I wondered on my drive over.

That evening, my family and I went back to my place to eat some dinner. We sat down and checked the voice mails people had left on the house phone. Caller ID said the name of each caller in a robotic tone before the message played. First was my nephew Larry. The second message had no ID. A woman's voice came on. One that I recognized.

"Arina Faske," said the voice. That was all. Then the caller ID robotically announced the next message, from my cousin Edna.

We stared at each other in disbelief. Aunt Arina? I ran to the answering machine and played the message back. There was no mistaking it. That was her name on the voicemail. Stated in her distinctive voice.

I wasn't looking for a sign. But now there was no doubt in my mind that Dad had been reunited with everyone in Heaven, Face to Face with our Lord and Savior, Jesus.~~

--Guideposts/EB~ /--"HE WILL CARRY YOU"--/ Scott Wesley Brown ~~ /<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh3WuenttBM>
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