tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9926976928377627842023-11-16T05:14:32.529-08:00JAKE'S STORYMollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-56088723208622288742013-01-03T07:49:00.001-08:002013-01-03T07:49:25.205-08:00Happy Birthday Jake
Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to Jakey...Happy Birthday to you...............and many more!
These were the words I last sang to you Jake three years ago today as you and Mike prepared to go the the deer camp. How you loved going. For the past few years we didn't get together as a family to celebrate your birthday because you got to take a couple of days off to go hunting with Mike and I'd make or buy cupcakes for you to take with you and share with whoever was there at the time.
Today is a different way of celebrating your birthday as you've been gone from us 2 1/2 years and on this your third birthday away. You would be 43 years old today and I sometimes wonder what you'd be doing and how your life would have changed but I stop myself from going there because for forty years we were blessed to have you in our lives and with people we love we always want more.
To know how much I loved you and to stop and think just how much more Jesus loves you humbles me and I again receive another blessing in knowing you're with Him.
But that doesn't stop our missing you. That will likely never end but one day all our family will be together again and we'll never know this feeling of loss.
So today Jake I celebrate YOUR birthday. The day I gave birth to you and all the birthdays we had you with us.
Happy Birthday Son and with so much love from your momma.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-74383774464449047132012-12-26T09:09:00.000-08:002012-12-26T09:09:09.102-08:00Our third Christmas<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Merry Christmas Jake</span></div>
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December 26 and it is hard to believe that our third Christmas without you just passed. The first one was a blur and I though knowing you were with Jesus, Christmas was nonetheless not a happy or joyous day. Last year was perhaps a bit less sad but still not happy or joyous. There was a feeling of "what's the big deal".<br />
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But this year was different. This year I have Peace in my heart. We knew sweetness this year.<br />
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Many changes have led to this feeling. RoseMeredith was born just this very year on your birthday and as Buddy had practically given up on becoming a father this was just nothing short of a miracle. And of course all of us knew how very much you had wanted children and though bittersweet we still knew you would be over the moon happy. Personal heartaches and difficult times in the family occurred with misunderstandings and blessedly most of those got worked out because we are a forgiving and a loving family. Others will take some time but we are optimistic. Also there were health scares. With Mike, Buddy, Lori, and Shari. By the grace of God everyone is fine today.<br />
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Though I and the others at different times can be brought to our knees in anguish and to tears at the mention of your name, we have come to the place of Acceptance. We Accept that you will not return to us on this earth. We Accept and look forward to the day we will all be together on the other side.<br />
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In the meantime, we all try to take a big part of "Jake" with us in our daily lives. We love more, we forgive more, and we share more of what being a Child of God is today. In this way, we Remember and we know that you Jake are still very much with us. We all keep you close to our hearts and we feel that you watch over us and help guide. We miss you no less Jake but we are beginning to be able to miss you with a smile now rather than tears.<br />
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Thanks be to God.<br />
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<br />Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-64178559778064456932012-05-16T06:37:00.001-07:002012-08-11T19:47:23.812-07:00Fresh on my mindGood Morning Jake...my sweet boy.<br />
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Oh my goodness just one month from tomorrow will make two years since you left this world heavenbound. I was knocked off my feet when the news came that fateful afternoon on June 17, 2010 telling me that you had shot yourself. How did it happen. That was the question in all our minds, but today Jake, the reason does not matter. We have done as you always lived. We trusted our Lord. We prayed and we realized we had more friends than we ever knew who cried with us, prayed with us and spoke so lovingly of you and what you had meant to them.<br />
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One day became two and before it the days turned into weeks and then into months and now we can say "years". I can let myself go back to that darkest of days I'll likely ever know and the freshness is there. I can go back to shock, grief, disbelief and every other adjective describing heartache but I've learned through this process that I can also choose not to.<br />
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I never wanted your sweet 40 years to be defined in that one terrible moment in which your life on earth ended. No Jake, you deserve so much more than that. Your life was an inspiration to all of us who knew and loved you. We all strive to be better people because of you.<br />
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There is never a day you are not in my thoughts and there has never been a moment you are not felt in my heart. I'm grateful that it will never be any different. The difference in today than almost two years ago is that I now feel your presence, your love with a smile. My heart smiles today. I'd not want you back here to suffer, to worry, to fear and feel the feelings we feel when you now feel nothing but grace, mercy, love and all the heavenly feelings God promises his children.<br />
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I know you see us and I know you guide us in our daily comings and goings. I feel more closely to you today in the garden. My thumb has changed from brown to green and I happily think you helped me with that.<br />
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Each time I look upon the face of our sweet RoseMeredith or stop to think of her and what her birth has done for our family...when I look at the sweet face of Lanna, I see you Jake. How you loved children and what a precious precious Uncle you would have been to these little girls. Umpa Jake. How you loved is the measure for how you're loved today Jake.<br />
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Until we meet again Jake for our joyous reunion please keep smiling down and gently touching our cheeks.<br />
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I love you baby.<br />
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<i>Momma</i>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-60484097362988978422012-01-02T10:11:00.000-08:002012-01-03T17:02:08.614-08:00Happy Birthday JakeA birthday Gift Jake born on your birthday. Your niece Rose Meredith Wendling. So many ways we celebrate your life today Jake. You are so loved and missed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxjk0QNBQcnjGLtTHxhUIUGmtgU4F7Yp1zqyD2cAqZvxpB_UzPH99ObXaHka9xokXs_y-3qvXQwpzG5351d6Ii-XRYtvWOdLVAB6G2gFRoKjrLM_cjvvlDoody1VfCg3NH1BxKP2nVtYr/s1600/Photo547%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxjk0QNBQcnjGLtTHxhUIUGmtgU4F7Yp1zqyD2cAqZvxpB_UzPH99ObXaHka9xokXs_y-3qvXQwpzG5351d6Ii-XRYtvWOdLVAB6G2gFRoKjrLM_cjvvlDoody1VfCg3NH1BxKP2nVtYr/s400/Photo547%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693575504272275762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28LJPNChhMYnAANAOepEx154N10X-xCWc1lBTxmJ3MViNsOU6KOIjN7SEW1bU36cFt0hqTBHiJgJSMSe1qUXg4gKgs4-WeO_fIhz4S6Ggu8miQP7tu7Ty-YaEmsuPETAx-v6OhxHzQgma/s1600/for+jake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28LJPNChhMYnAANAOepEx154N10X-xCWc1lBTxmJ3MViNsOU6KOIjN7SEW1bU36cFt0hqTBHiJgJSMSe1qUXg4gKgs4-WeO_fIhz4S6Ggu8miQP7tu7Ty-YaEmsuPETAx-v6OhxHzQgma/s400/for+jake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693099056597895682" /></a>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-39983489294587405692011-12-23T11:15:00.000-08:002011-12-23T11:17:11.163-08:00Jake's second Christmas with Jesus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0IZ8CDqSRXLsRaan_Y20kYsgivutZlLlTYXnGdN1-3oTvPVLepMML9AYDIuOT7fOaTW7gfgZYKVBjrwRUqZNbAwwrY9jVnyLg7Xb_1T6mvPTOZPiUzw9b3QioLhug4Cwt3KJOhjY04b3/s1600/Jesus-Christ.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0IZ8CDqSRXLsRaan_Y20kYsgivutZlLlTYXnGdN1-3oTvPVLepMML9AYDIuOT7fOaTW7gfgZYKVBjrwRUqZNbAwwrY9jVnyLg7Xb_1T6mvPTOZPiUzw9b3QioLhug4Cwt3KJOhjY04b3/s400/Jesus-Christ.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689404811222823954" /></a><br /><br />Merry Christmas and God's Blessings to you and yours!Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-28418608398599926062011-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:002011-04-06T19:39:05.201-07:00Isn't this a Great picture?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMbsz7MLamlxwDjpvnwytWWdehgmHNdThU4LlMIJAo1rWo4emdam4-lr1hTpR6AcryPEY8Vp3s2WqMHdNS5U-rQvr4tSeQI_ypLtrSu2OqzomGaymA6cwmlmXuSyIlJSMeWxpvidTh8AU/s1600/Jake+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMbsz7MLamlxwDjpvnwytWWdehgmHNdThU4LlMIJAo1rWo4emdam4-lr1hTpR6AcryPEY8Vp3s2WqMHdNS5U-rQvr4tSeQI_ypLtrSu2OqzomGaymA6cwmlmXuSyIlJSMeWxpvidTh8AU/s400/Jake+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592665214301744866" /></a><br />I just ran across this picture taken of Jake a couple of years ago and I just love this image of him. His hair, his tan and he had some "meat" on his bones. He had a cute grin and just looked Happy. What more can I say. No words.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-60062729357008795722011-03-31T05:21:00.001-07:002011-04-01T05:48:47.313-07:00Jake's Favorite Time of Year<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff00;">Springtime.......... </div><br /><p></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsbAi8gPpEsabZgzrxzGt4g8JPztMCCUCFBiZa7sJ_bRuYQ1Wj0ec-RSCCx5h03_1vIpjaVgcZHBWrE51rf-gmdZxAJhuig-MF87KQiQUHPRq4bY84NqyBVswO74osNTX2WHRqZ32aZ2b/s1600/X-Spring-Flowers-in-St-Step.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 317px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590220868215793714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsbAi8gPpEsabZgzrxzGt4g8JPztMCCUCFBiZa7sJ_bRuYQ1Wj0ec-RSCCx5h03_1vIpjaVgcZHBWrE51rf-gmdZxAJhuig-MF87KQiQUHPRq4bY84NqyBVswO74osNTX2WHRqZ32aZ2b/s400/X-Spring-Flowers-in-St-Step.jpg" /></a> Jake truly loved spring and watching life sprout from the ground from which he'd dug and planted tiny seeds and dirty withered bulbs. Though he'd have liked nothing more, he knew he could not eek out a good living from doing just flower bed work but was so happy after designing his customers' beds to go to the garden section from You know <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">The Store</span> and select the plants, plant the beds and then tend them throughout the growing season. He even went back afterwards and as the last petal fell to it's death, cleaned out the beds for winter. No matter what else was going on in Jake's life or how slim and meager his pickins were he simply made time for his flower beds. And I'm reminded of the way he had set up his telephone answering machine at home to record, <span style="color:#ff6600;"><em>"Hell0, this is Jake and I'm sorry I'm not in now as I'm probably in someone's bed...uh Flower Bed that is so please be patient and I'll call you when I get in...Thank You and God Bless You". </em></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-J7YpkZRdLz4dc9dQjKdSuVaSV5FMAvSY3yzEniaheoFOaR_RdmvdLWkzsNxW7L5KJSXReKnmAmfIbX7HTpnHgutDUYkWZWKGbjwBuirNRtvjK7jtfa0MTj8DXE1atjEXM76609k70zq7/s1600/1048474-Royalty-Free-RF-Clip-Art-Illustration-Of-A-Cartoon-Guy-Smelling-A-Spring-Flower.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 382px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590222386689089266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-J7YpkZRdLz4dc9dQjKdSuVaSV5FMAvSY3yzEniaheoFOaR_RdmvdLWkzsNxW7L5KJSXReKnmAmfIbX7HTpnHgutDUYkWZWKGbjwBuirNRtvjK7jtfa0MTj8DXE1atjEXM76609k70zq7/s400/1048474-Royalty-Free-RF-Clip-Art-Illustration-Of-A-Cartoon-Guy-Smelling-A-Spring-Flower.jpg" /></a> It simply came easy to Jake because as the old saying goes "find a job you truly love and you'll never have to work a day in your life". You see Jake had found the secret...<span style="font-size:180%;color:#6600cc;">He took time to smell the flowers! </span>Happy Springtime my sweet boy. I can't even imagine the wonderful smell of the Flowers you tend today! </p><br /><p><em><span style="color:#33ccff;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit".....and it was done.</span><span style="font-size:85%;">So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw.</span>GENESIS 1:11-12</span></em></p><br /><p></p>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-5819579368535696392011-03-23T05:20:00.000-07:002011-03-23T05:43:59.046-07:00The Word Is ... HUMILITYHave you ever began answering the questions to fill out a Social Network Profile and when you come upon the section that says "BOOKS" you have to think? I mean some people are just not Readers. And what if you're a Single guy or gal and you're filling out your profile for say a Single's Site for Dating and you're wanting to not "lie" but to for sure put your best foot forward in answering all the questions so you appear to be uh......for lack of a better word..."Knowledgable" or "Well Read". Right? So you think and you think until you come up with a few titles that might not necessarily impress but will................... oh heck yes, that will impress.<br /><br />Are you with me here? You do know what I mean. Right? right?<br /><br />Well that is what Jake was faced with each time he filled out his Profile whether it be for a dating website or for a social network such as Facebook. For gosh sakes, he sure didn't want his Mom filling out his profile for him and his typing was of the hunt and peck group so to say it took him awhile is an understatement. He really worked at this and when finished I'm real sure he breathed a huge sigh of relief to be finished and probably looked back over at his answers before hitting the Continue button. If he went public with his answers then he was pleased at his abilities and his answers.<br /><br />I always got a big kick out of Jake's Profile on Facebook in several places but especially where it asks for the books he liked reading. There were four listed. And I am as sure as I can be that Jake did not have to ponder on the titles. He simply listed the four books he had read in his lifetime.<br /><br />Jake was NOT a reader. He had terribly bad eyesight and from the time when he was four years old wore really thick glasses. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGD0ex_5010T79Ev5d6H5OycnovANq1xP_1RRWwrxloNqXy5pB3I7INC6R4QaKJzXhai9yqU45EPdwfOvVvJNSLFwk82Thu2rMplbgwFBrf-f2EF9qVRyT6ZQiNjlUNOv1p08Rh6KVd9n/s1600/jake+with+that+shirt.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGD0ex_5010T79Ev5d6H5OycnovANq1xP_1RRWwrxloNqXy5pB3I7INC6R4QaKJzXhai9yqU45EPdwfOvVvJNSLFwk82Thu2rMplbgwFBrf-f2EF9qVRyT6ZQiNjlUNOv1p08Rh6KVd9n/s400/jake+with+that+shirt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587252404193737810" /></a><br />This little picture of Jake was when he was six years old.<br /><br />Then when he suffered a closed head injury at the age of 20 his eyesight took a swan dive south and they became even worse. So to read was a major sacrafice as he had to hold the book so close and he was a slow reader to retain what he had read. If Jake read a complete book then you can be sure he GOT IT. And get it he did when he read...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GLapy57pI-Ng3rPhpYVRQ-c_fKcb_KhWo2rjwR3TXvFb1Mwmhphk2SXaYpWCqAhzGMvTROsAAMzBkbEDB_D_yz5Zd9yTFAy3ZRNVOX-cBD4QGwEblqjC48AbQtJgDHdKkmSnqhS_XKW0/s1600/matthew.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GLapy57pI-Ng3rPhpYVRQ-c_fKcb_KhWo2rjwR3TXvFb1Mwmhphk2SXaYpWCqAhzGMvTROsAAMzBkbEDB_D_yz5Zd9yTFAy3ZRNVOX-cBD4QGwEblqjC48AbQtJgDHdKkmSnqhS_XKW0/s400/matthew.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587252638754681778" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXosE67g27ECimBQT1K6ZF_GBkST-f-eoSu60-MLE1WskyPCDequs-3aHeueZdnRyrali6V1eo6uo0ZZk7S2rFPMrdq9MZIZh5T7E46CyACnhJUFYnmivH9Z52omQkFnBYegYKIXHjqo2/s1600/mark.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXosE67g27ECimBQT1K6ZF_GBkST-f-eoSu60-MLE1WskyPCDequs-3aHeueZdnRyrali6V1eo6uo0ZZk7S2rFPMrdq9MZIZh5T7E46CyACnhJUFYnmivH9Z52omQkFnBYegYKIXHjqo2/s400/mark.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587252811806663794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6n3OTCBMf42MOmOdWMkRXcmqxAG2sdt55Wuoipm5_SKFOPefh8YBT0ySkCiEGyUAPIbPGOHm9zDwzUL0Sswa5xhWSg32oCw7PMCD0dVuj3HWz8FdHygj1yR0myPnYRoW1H-em_hbih2A/s1600/luke.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6n3OTCBMf42MOmOdWMkRXcmqxAG2sdt55Wuoipm5_SKFOPefh8YBT0ySkCiEGyUAPIbPGOHm9zDwzUL0Sswa5xhWSg32oCw7PMCD0dVuj3HWz8FdHygj1yR0myPnYRoW1H-em_hbih2A/s400/luke.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587252976632514898" /></a><br /><br />And<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hXHcInl1qhXpwCQDzBj5F4c8Pzs1CFGuAm4ojbLV88v2Mo-IwowgkVw_lP4Dzti-eauZWfKiq6-uNI6xAfj3MKb9uqsmbirDaZ4p8MIRTe-VdRuTtOCUbSozHHHnxCiQAN4JBUsy4IkS/s1600/john.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hXHcInl1qhXpwCQDzBj5F4c8Pzs1CFGuAm4ojbLV88v2Mo-IwowgkVw_lP4Dzti-eauZWfKiq6-uNI6xAfj3MKb9uqsmbirDaZ4p8MIRTe-VdRuTtOCUbSozHHHnxCiQAN4JBUsy4IkS/s400/john.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587253127358628450" /></a><br /><br />These were the books he had read and these were the only books he'd admit to reading when faced with that question. Not bragging. Not trying to be anything. He was just humble and naive like that. He was NEVER a showoff, haughty Christian. He was as simple as he could be with his love for Jesus. It just was what it was.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-4191460238065427602011-03-20T13:37:00.000-07:002011-03-22T05:26:46.262-07:00My Boy<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#ff6600;">I thought of you today,<br /><br />but that is nothing new.<br /><br />I thought of you yesterday<br /><br />And will tomorrow, too. I think of you in silence<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ff6600;">And make no outward show<br /><br />for what it meant to lose you<br /><br />Only those who love you know. Remembering you is easy,<br /><br />I do it everyday.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ff6600;">It's the heartache of losing<br /><br />you that will never go away.</span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#ff6600;"> </span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">I Will Love You Always,<br /></div></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Momma</div></span>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-50825004715410809702011-03-07T18:05:00.001-08:002011-03-07T18:10:03.307-08:00This one's for you Jake!<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.godtube.com/embed/source/2e99mnnu.js?w=400&h=255&ap=true&sl=true"></script>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-29288883959755414452011-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:002011-03-20T16:52:32.865-07:00YOU'LL NEVER GO WRONGWHEN YOU LIVE BY THE <span style="color:#cc9933;">GOLDEN RULE<br /></span><br />My good and sweet friend <a href="http://dayofthelily.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Peggy</span></a> aka "Queenmothermamaw" posted this morning the most amazing little story. A couple of her readers stated that this had been around for at least 20 years but I had never read it and when I did, I asked Peggy if I could re-post it because it made me think so strongly of Jake.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><em>A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.<br /><br />Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.<br /><br />He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.<br />I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one<br />I choose will be the next CEO."<br /><br />One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.<br /><br />Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.<br /><br />Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still<br />nothing.<br /><br />By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.<br /><br />Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.<br /><br />A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.<br /><br />Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at<br />the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!<br /><br />When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his youngexecutives.<br /><br />Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"<br /><br />All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"<br /><br />When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.<br /><br />The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!<br /><br />His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.<br /><br />"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.<br /><br />Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.<br /><br />All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new<br />Chief Executive Officer!"<br /><br /></em></span>* <span style="color:#3333ff;">If you plant honesty, you will reap trust<br /></span><br />* <span style="color:#ff0000;">If you plant goodness, you will reap friends<br /><br /></span>* <span style="color:#cc33cc;">If you plant humility, you will reap greatness<br /></span><br />* <span style="color:#cc9933;">If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment<br /></span><br />* <span style="color:#000099;">If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective<br /><br /></span>* <span style="color:#990000;">If you plant hard work, you will reap success<br /></span><br />* <span style="color:#6600cc;">If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation<br /></span><br />Jake was like that. Many times life was just not fair to Jake and there were also times when having been treated poorly and the opportunity to get a little even presented itself he was tempted to strike back. But he was a thinker and you could see him pondering greatly and see the far away look in his eyes as he considered whether to go right or left. Then mind made up he'd shake his head and strongly say "Nah...........it wouldn't be right". I think Jake might be gathering some little SEEDS in heaven for the Gold Crown he might one day wear!<br /><br />So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwznK0yr4jrnNfnLSGwstK2gSDbw4_u9XCPXeTPCKuiPbnaKI-gFGqaV_QAWVF17JN1Aw2NJpWX2pm5OlJ9XJ6QzfziDVNtSNhrJJQI2P_ASiFlWJsb5fIzMX4Ydf9S9jtHjaV91p6KsdA/s1600/jakes+house.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 215px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571412549152763282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwznK0yr4jrnNfnLSGwstK2gSDbw4_u9XCPXeTPCKuiPbnaKI-gFGqaV_QAWVF17JN1Aw2NJpWX2pm5OlJ9XJ6QzfziDVNtSNhrJJQI2P_ASiFlWJsb5fIzMX4Ydf9S9jtHjaV91p6KsdA/s320/jakes+house.jpg" /></a><br />Before Jake unpacked his dishes, he <span style="color:#006600;">PLANTED</span> in the front of his little trailer to show that it was his "home".<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc9933;">THE GOLDEN RULE</span>...it will simply never fail you. Oh of course there will be many times when you've treated someone as you wish to be treated only to be slammed to the floor. We all know that doing the right thing will not guarantee that everyone will do the right thing in return. But we are guaranteed to please Our Father each and every time we do the right thing as long as we're not doing it for our own glory.<br /><br />As Oprah says and I believe the quote came from her friend Mya Angelou "When You Know Better, You Do Better". I wish this were true in all cases don't you.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc9933;">THE GOLDEN RULE</span>...............just a downright good rule to live by.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-24468828341125667412011-01-15T17:02:00.000-08:002011-01-15T17:09:13.257-08:00ANOTHER FIRST.....HUNTING SEASON COMES AND GOESJust can't get my mind off of you today Jake. How I miss you. Mike is in the woods for one of the few remaining weekends left of hunting season and he is not enjoying his hunting without you. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JoUn-yJEUEAToIYGur6iu7pg-46wpsTs_uKWqzuO2pyzg_cLW0gm06ot5S7k4fvmQ4gGeuvtiSfuAKSY4ay6dgUq474TC4nKwZZ72atMikyxFpmfJ-eIGPiBh2y9zlD4h3_TDOAXIBjR/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JoUn-yJEUEAToIYGur6iu7pg-46wpsTs_uKWqzuO2pyzg_cLW0gm06ot5S7k4fvmQ4gGeuvtiSfuAKSY4ay6dgUq474TC4nKwZZ72atMikyxFpmfJ-eIGPiBh2y9zlD4h3_TDOAXIBjR/s200/IMG_0146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562583266844938002" /></a><br />This was your first deer and you got him at Buddy's one weekend last year. Buddy has not hunted this year but he may be able to go next year.<br /><br />Here you were several years ago practicing your skills.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2L2ouU39bmmpshghH5eMtwXLtz7P3qsxoQgSs6CE_AvyT3Gym8fwOv56MZKa2_xxhUVKef21PT-ZbENr9W-CPRkWZABx-7MZM7F6Guipz3rOE5OGSmir1JJI161Ax4oURGDV0Sq-sazY/s1600/attachment.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2L2ouU39bmmpshghH5eMtwXLtz7P3qsxoQgSs6CE_AvyT3Gym8fwOv56MZKa2_xxhUVKef21PT-ZbENr9W-CPRkWZABx-7MZM7F6Guipz3rOE5OGSmir1JJI161Ax4oURGDV0Sq-sazY/s400/attachment.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562583017145091186" /></a><br /><br />I love you so much DarlinMollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-12517405092773564262011-01-03T01:12:00.000-08:002011-01-03T09:24:55.398-08:00HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K3qlQLDJ3y62a8bcfy5XGPjPToK6nu3umQ2BW_Vc1IZ6GxczG0qR-PaR1Nsq-soo9u8N58Fo5mDvtWbNEwQJqa0O0nPFHIMmpp6cRRw5Z_oFXhJjm9XmYi9p7HVjYsYqqlSz1P8VBymE/s1600/IMAG0514.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556978043428820498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K3qlQLDJ3y62a8bcfy5XGPjPToK6nu3umQ2BW_Vc1IZ6GxczG0qR-PaR1Nsq-soo9u8N58Fo5mDvtWbNEwQJqa0O0nPFHIMmpp6cRRw5Z_oFXhJjm9XmYi9p7HVjYsYqqlSz1P8VBymE/s400/IMAG0514.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Today we Celebrate Jake Gregory Wendling....<br />my youngest child...the baby of the family; born January 3, 1970 in Bossier City, LA. Jake was the only of my four children to arrive on his due date. He weighed in at 6 lb. 10 oz. and I believe he was about 20 inches long.<br /><br />Jake was a good baby. He was the only baby I nursed and he seemed to be losing weight rather than gaining. What was up with this? We took him to his pediatrician and sure enough he had lost a considerable amount of weight for his tiny size and the diagnosis was "failure to thrive". I was devastated because I felt I was doing something wrong and it was all my fault. The doctor assured me that is was just something that happened and was not rare or my "fault". Once he began taking formula he thrived. Shortly after he was taken back to the hospital with a hernia and again I was assured this was quite common among baby boys (actually Buddy had had one too) and he had surgery as a tiny, tiny baby.<br /><br />Jake was always satisfied. Never whining for more of anything and he was so easy to please. He played well by himself and with others and he always had a sweet smile on his face.<br /><br />Now I know this sounds probably like such a biased mother and especially since Jake is no longer here on earth, but girls I am telling you the truth and his brother and sisters can vouch for me, he was a terrific kid and grew to be a terrific man. He was so admired by many and I know I can't say enough nice things about Jake. I mean I am his mother for goodness sake. But today is his 41st birthday and as it happens he is spending his first birthday in Heaven.<br /><br />You know the first year after the death of a loved one, we're filled with so many "firsts" and I was so dreading the thought of Christmas without Jake but I just had a good talk with Jesus and I then spoke honestly to myself and realized I can dread all these firsts and be despondent and depressed because Jake is not here and he is so missed, or I can turn it around and realize that this is the first of all of those firsts that Jake is in his heavenly home and I can only imagine how marvelous and wonderful it is for him and I know this may not be comforting to everyone and we all deal with grief in our own way and in our own time and I surely respect that but I am choosing to think of it this way and it truly is making the day somehow more normal and bearable for me.<br /><br />By Jake having his birthday so close to Christmas he kinda got the short end of the stick as far as gifts for his birthday as we were pretty much broke by then, and he was always still out of school for the holidays and a party wasn't easy to have. We usually celebrated his birthday with family and he always seemed to enjoy his celebrations. Nearly ever gift he ever received was a WOW with Jake.<br /><br />Jake was a cheerful giver too. He once gave me a little wood stand with a standing mirror and an etched poem on the front with Roses. (I can't photograph it for you because of the glare) I'd like to share with you the poem.<br /><br /><div align="center">WHAT MOM TOOK</div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><em>"Most often when we think of Mom, We think of what she's given; The softness of a loving touch, A gentle guide for living; A nightly tip-toe in a room, An understanding look; But sometimes when I think of Mom I think of what she took.</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em>She took a child and taught it how To live this life with pride She took those kindergarten tears, And kept them all inside. She took the hands that longed to hold Her child and not let go. Used them to push her child along The way, to thrive and grow. Took time to do some other things Like sew, and clean and cook, And never thought to ask for thanks For all the things she took</em>. Thanks, Mom."<br /></div><br /><br />This is just one of the many gifts Jake gave me. He never forgot my birthday, Christmas or Mother's Day and he usually also remembered me on Easter with a plant. He never had much to spend but he took time in choosing his gifts and his cards; well I have some funny memories I'll share with you one day soon regarding Jake's method of choosing cards. I've always kept this little mirrored poem in my living room on a shelf which I keep solely for the gifts from my kids and I'd catch Jake reading this from time to time and getting a huge smile on his face when he finished. I treasure this gift and there is no amount of money that could make me give it up. I am grateful for every gift Jake ever gave me, but the gift I'm most grateful for is the Gift from God for giving Jake to us for 40 years.<br /><br />So I must always try to remember and celebrate January 3 with Praise and Thanksgiving, not grief and sadness. For the past two or three years, Jake went to the woods with Mike (hubby) and I would send a plate of cupcakes or a small cake with them and they'd celebrate together or with whoever might be hunting that particular time. That was the special thing Mike did to celebrate Jake's birthday and they both enjoyed that.<br /><br />So Jakey my boy, I miss you more than words can say and I long to hold you in a big hug and kiss your sweet cheek and hear you say, "I love you Momma" and smile that sweet big ole lopsided smile of yours. Your sisters and your brother long for you and miss you terribly. We live in such a paradox with broken hearts and also with hearts of Thanksgiving that you did not live to suffer each day of your life with a broken body and a heart of pain. But reality smacks us in the face and we know we have you in our hearts forever and one day we will all be together for eternity so we'll just say.............Happy Birthday Jake, we love you and miss you and hope your special day is awesome.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-lkxk304A14eRnw4b9CX7hHaGKP_2X-q3FUkz_TYfP01TglYhgIzXCRP-1x0nfnE2Iw41zF00BOQmLAjMmAN5ijA6yTzgWIRe8mt3J6Cif1pe0xm1qvt7CHOAOntJm446PxTOJ1mg5-d/s1600/mem.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-lkxk304A14eRnw4b9CX7hHaGKP_2X-q3FUkz_TYfP01TglYhgIzXCRP-1x0nfnE2Iw41zF00BOQmLAjMmAN5ijA6yTzgWIRe8mt3J6Cif1pe0xm1qvt7CHOAOntJm446PxTOJ1mg5-d/s400/mem.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557926388487553442" /></a><br /><div align="center"><br />Memoriam published in The Shreveport Times 1/3/2011<br /><br />All our love forever, Your family: Momma and Mike, Dad and Jill, devoted brother Buddy and Jess, "big sis"Lori and Marcus, your "little sis, Shari and Wes. Andy, Erika, Joe, Emily and Michael. Malcolm, Addison and Bella. Kane, Nayda, Ellie and Luke. Celebrating your birthday today will be your Home Depot Family and a host of friends and your precious family at North Shreve Baptist Church. Smile on us Jake and ask the Lord our God to grant us Peace as we go about our lives remembering the love you gave to all you met. Thank You Jake for the gifts you gave to us. </div><br /><br />Read more of Jake's Birthday <a href="http://fruitofspirit-mollye.blogspot.com/">Here</a>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-37430142705945521402010-12-23T11:22:00.000-08:002010-12-23T11:24:58.501-08:00MY FIRST CHRISTMAS IN HEAVENMy First Christmas in Heaven<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG3riyq0-W1s8cALrtjmPw0BptIVUxsWo93rybLtdFhWrtLJGiRTxz50e4S73pvzzoCxl4qhjPnI3nwECR6Nb-yI89WMainek72B3_rnUDLeMperhtWbRZNbfhRg_KH7WF6d-Z2CzMe6d/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG3riyq0-W1s8cALrtjmPw0BptIVUxsWo93rybLtdFhWrtLJGiRTxz50e4S73pvzzoCxl4qhjPnI3nwECR6Nb-yI89WMainek72B3_rnUDLeMperhtWbRZNbfhRg_KH7WF6d-Z2CzMe6d/s400/IMG_0241.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553960610399348674" /></a><br />I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below<br /><br />With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars reflecting on the snow.<br /><br />The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear<br /><br />For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.<br /><br /> <br /><br />I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear<br /><br />But the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.<br /><br />I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,<br /><br />For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.<br /><br /> <br /><br />I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart,<br /><br />But I am not so far away, We really aren't apart.<br /><br />So be happy for me dear ones, You know I hold you dear.<br /><br />And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.<br /><br /> <br /><br />I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.<br /><br />I sent you each a memory of my undying love.<br /><br />After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold.<br /><br />It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do,<br /><br />For I can't count the blessing or love He has for each of you.<br /><br />So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear,<br /><br />Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year!<br />(sourced from internet)<br /><br /><em>Merry Christmas Jake, We love and miss you</em>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-81170313178736848842010-12-22T09:58:00.001-08:002010-12-22T10:12:34.063-08:00CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WITH JAKE<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TRI-phTRgDI/AAAAAAAAEh0/BQCV4295b6M/s1600/cherries.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TRI-phTRgDI/AAAAAAAAEh0/BQCV4295b6M/s400/cherries.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553570173536010290" /></a><br /><br />Yep Jake was a typical "man shopper". Like two days before Christmas and uh........ when I asked him if he had done any shopping he'd look at me increduously and ask "aren't the stores open tomorrow night"? <br /><br />The presents just weren't the priority. Jake loved Christmas, the visiting, the church music presentations, eating and eating and eating some more. And he loved getting together with all his family.<br /><br />Jake was fun to buy for. He collected Nascar, Tony Stewart items and was a huge NO Saints fan so he was so easy to please. He never asked for anything so therefore anything you bought him tickled him to pieces. He was slim and very easy to fit and the clothing you bought for him looked great on him. Jake was just a pleasure. Plain and simple.<br /><br />This year our family did little special things in Jake's memory and I know he is pleased and would be so happy to know he is still able to make people happy.<br /><br />He always felt badly when he wasn't able to get the family gifts he wanted to give to all of us. He always bought a nice assorted box of Christmas Cards and everyone he loved between numbers 1 and 25 got a card!<br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWjh8qeI42yzYG_S1RgoCYxBRBdBDyk2UBIiVT3yfWPA0l2Rr6FixeKQ5yoDudMWjNwP49CTPAMmy0DQ4hA0o9A-sEWdcHGEgjrAuBhovoTv6STWHH0LvTxdx9fwOdzlnnTcU4QjMJGDS/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWjh8qeI42yzYG_S1RgoCYxBRBdBDyk2UBIiVT3yfWPA0l2Rr6FixeKQ5yoDudMWjNwP49CTPAMmy0DQ4hA0o9A-sEWdcHGEgjrAuBhovoTv6STWHH0LvTxdx9fwOdzlnnTcU4QjMJGDS/s400/IMG_0183.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553570480129731394" /></a><br />Jake's Christmas Tree he decorated at his house in 2008<br /><br />Years ago he began giving me a box of chocolate covered cherries as that was something my momma always put in my stocking so that was a special little "you can count on" surprise. Then several years Home Depot would mark down some of the poinsettias that were a little banged up and Jake would love them back to beauty and surprise me with a beautiful plant.<br /><br />Last year our family decided to draw names for Christmas 2010 and Jake drew mine. I know without a doubt that God will let Jake surprise me this year. Maybe in the form of a special dream or a wonderful unexpected memory. I don't know how it will be but I am counting on it. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtrn2wtdKXHHu42g9h_TRKvD-1VqWsGyh97yxyp5k6vN38c-XeFZJ5a66K00VXRxxvLMsR4jcFZs0oEYHjurXilotzZAfvd3gO5cmB2LKaEGisjIKD5fNEh1ZP4Eu7ta5fxq8mMh1PTkX/s1600/IMG_1547.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 366px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtrn2wtdKXHHu42g9h_TRKvD-1VqWsGyh97yxyp5k6vN38c-XeFZJ5a66K00VXRxxvLMsR4jcFZs0oEYHjurXilotzZAfvd3gO5cmB2LKaEGisjIKD5fNEh1ZP4Eu7ta5fxq8mMh1PTkX/s400/IMG_1547.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553570709066865842" /></a><br />Christmas at Momma and Mike's 2008Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-9508239534764646512010-11-04T06:55:00.000-07:002010-11-04T12:47:23.684-07:00A JOYFUL NOISE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziwkvmbL7gXfVybA4wBGN-yYgM7ERgaovR8pnkYH0a4yEBig4aoeq6bDuizNoNXjQutjzf0uNO3OnVU6S3RDLN0wezrRmtuFmHCafFYEVFQmgIEvddxHTtZe8d0luRStNGuTVoYE59NW8/s1600/Top-12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziwkvmbL7gXfVybA4wBGN-yYgM7ERgaovR8pnkYH0a4yEBig4aoeq6bDuizNoNXjQutjzf0uNO3OnVU6S3RDLN0wezrRmtuFmHCafFYEVFQmgIEvddxHTtZe8d0luRStNGuTVoYE59NW8/s400/Top-12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535695972224475122" /></a><br /><br />Why is singing praises most always referred to as a "joyful noise"? In my case it certainly is because I can't carry a tune in a bucket and my late husband used to tell me in church when I'd begin to sing to "just pantomine". But in Jake's case it was very different. And when Jake sang, he smiled. He looked as if he was about to break out in a big belly laugh, he got such a kick out of singing.<br /><br />Yep our guy could sing. I mean really! He had an awesome voice. Not only could he sing but he could play the wash board or as we in Louisiana call it The Scrub Board. But his sweet voice; lots of soul. Volumn. Big pipes. He could sing a soulful song like Al Green. A soft bluesy rendition of Charlie Rich so close to him you had to wonder which came first. He did a fairly decent Elvis. But where he excelled was his gospel singing. He truly lit up when singing to the Lord.<br /><br />I just am convinced that Jake is so busy in Heaven today that he has no time to fret over anyone of us fretting over him. He has his flower beds to design and tend and all the children there (who await their own parents) to parent and play with and all the greats in music who are there singing and playing music none like we've ever heard. <br /><br />I believe he is in awe over the piano music of Anthony Berger who left us four years ago to join Jesus and all the angels and saints in heaven. It is said he died immediately after playing "We Shall Behold Him". And he must have in the next second beheld Jesus, arms wide open.<br /><br />I believe the second after Jake drew his last breath he beheld Jesus, arms wide open also.<br /><br />Sing it Jake. Play it Anthony. Awesome.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TNMNmmNhz_I/AAAAAAAAEZU/v3Ri08rryLE/s1600/melodiescover001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 327px; height: 323px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TNMNmmNhz_I/AAAAAAAAEZU/v3Ri08rryLE/s400/melodiescover001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535783323711950834" /></a><br /><br />Anthony Burger, 44, stricken, dies during performance<br />Pianist was part of the Gaither Homecoming cruise when he suffers fatal heart attack <br /><br />FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Memorial services were held March 1 for renown pianist Anthony Burger who died Feb. 22, while performing during a Gaither Homecoming concert aboard a Caribbean cruise liner. He was 44.<br /><br />According to published reports, Burger was performing with the Gaither Vocal Band aboard the ms Zuiderdam, when he collapsed at the piano. Attempts to revive him backstage failed. The ship, on an Inspiration Cruise, left port from Miami with more than 1,500 passengers. An autopsy revealed his heart had burst. He had no known heart trouble prior to the attack that killed him.<br /><br />Early reports originally indicated that Burger was playing “We Shall Behold Him” when he was stricken. But Ben Speer, who was on the cruise, said in a note posted on Mark Lowry’s Web site, that Burger had finished that song when, several numbers later, someone in the audience noticed Burger was doubled over.<br /><br />Burger, an accomplished pianist whose career included solo work, first began in the industry at age 16 as a member of The Kingsmen quartet. He joined the Gaither band a decade ago, performing more than 250 times a year. He also performed at the White House and for numerous Billy Graham crusades. Burger’s audiences included President George W. Bush, and his predecessors, Carter and Regan.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-54196133400641505692010-10-22T09:47:00.000-07:002010-10-22T13:21:50.259-07:00Another "WOW" Time With Jake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxzxhS3mcJY8KqU-6jMZeDRBEa3nkl0dU0jDml6soLtHcd5ZJOHMc_gyJUTSsfoWv7kLWQMN-TLcmjBjFYC1QcsdlmOQcUbwPHL1qS1VwxsxqQKtsIoEZ_gswctt3dHMyY3wmF0WNHyAA/s1600/fair+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 353px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxzxhS3mcJY8KqU-6jMZeDRBEa3nkl0dU0jDml6soLtHcd5ZJOHMc_gyJUTSsfoWv7kLWQMN-TLcmjBjFYC1QcsdlmOQcUbwPHL1qS1VwxsxqQKtsIoEZ_gswctt3dHMyY3wmF0WNHyAA/s400/fair+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530915513020598898" /></a><br /><br />You all understand the first year after losing a loved one is a year filled with "anniversaries" and special times spent with that person and when the event falls around for the first time after, you relive that time minute by minute remembering everything said and felt. <br /><br />Such is the case now as The Louisiana State Fair begins for 2010. Nothing magical about the occasion a year ago, but looking back a year. WOW. Buddy and Jessica were due to move to Mobile the following day and the four of us; them and Jake and I went to the state fair and rodeo. OK it was fun then. But little did any of us know it would be the last time we would go to a fair with Jake. It now seems precious. Magical. Surreal. Monumental. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb1hYbaRiUJSHU4yqU3r0HR26MLJV_cRuKoqDJ-oMfwWtemP4yUy5PeHrQloIM9UdiYaXwSZvWaWLiCg6SZi5XRHsobL36lAwMmeRz6mKPkdXk_xbgpFIVJgBjwENcATOKwGA9OVxoiWc/s1600/fair+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb1hYbaRiUJSHU4yqU3r0HR26MLJV_cRuKoqDJ-oMfwWtemP4yUy5PeHrQloIM9UdiYaXwSZvWaWLiCg6SZi5XRHsobL36lAwMmeRz6mKPkdXk_xbgpFIVJgBjwENcATOKwGA9OVxoiWc/s320/fair+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530915322956361522" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0BqqBWvlC0E4iPGBRdWJ9M64NyeFig-01KLTQ-wlNsScUE4L-Ic-tITSPIyvVhKF99TcsbNsQSy7p1yvxYvAd37biPeH_EjgnRhx9zwmTjYADP0f5kYZ46rZZ6f9vs8PF-Tjeevv0p5-/s1600/fair+3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0BqqBWvlC0E4iPGBRdWJ9M64NyeFig-01KLTQ-wlNsScUE4L-Ic-tITSPIyvVhKF99TcsbNsQSy7p1yvxYvAd37biPeH_EjgnRhx9zwmTjYADP0f5kYZ46rZZ6f9vs8PF-Tjeevv0p5-/s320/fair+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530915138828822882" /></a><br /><br />I can taste the ice cream bar Jake is happily devouring.<br /><br />I can feel the pride Jake felt as he showed us the bed of Mums he designed and planted as the Horticulturist for The City of Bossier City for a display at the fairgrounds.<br /><br />I can hear the laughter of the children and see Jake's smiles at the fun they were having.<br /><br />I can hear Jake's laughter.<br /><br />I can feel his hugs.<br /><br />I can feel our silliness as he modeled the huge crochet hat I had made and while crocheting the thing (which was supposed to be a slouch hat) lost count of my stitches which made it big enough to fit a toilet seat!<br /><br />I can hear all his "Wow's" as he thrillingly watched the bull riders.<br /><br />I can remember all the times he checked his texts to see if a new girlfriend had texted him.<br /><br />I recall the "far enchanted" looks on his face when we knew he was thinking about the first kiss he had recently shared with her. A big WOW!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLrZh3-3RxI3QeAi2sxxCvIb_aFl5Pfph0iWC10Z2dCXiin-KjaeK9N6L2S8V0A9VYfzoQSwRMVwecGVbsOgvjoHMZlf8fmf987v155gXWDieqMoO-hOv7ZdBVZKV7moPrxCM1yW1CqCh/s1600/fair+5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLrZh3-3RxI3QeAi2sxxCvIb_aFl5Pfph0iWC10Z2dCXiin-KjaeK9N6L2S8V0A9VYfzoQSwRMVwecGVbsOgvjoHMZlf8fmf987v155gXWDieqMoO-hOv7ZdBVZKV7moPrxCM1yW1CqCh/s320/fair+5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530914946656373074" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoAkhv_tJNRIVxZXKycDW2l3rpBfA8iGSC6tqB0QXQ1s-iLQ1XMMv-RUiYffdFi999Zt7ObcONY82aTS1IFIe7ccBMbpqXOCZ0_ZCLwzB9b3f5HnUoa3-bYqyQruTPg4KaIGxpbFIKCgt/s1600/fair+6.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoAkhv_tJNRIVxZXKycDW2l3rpBfA8iGSC6tqB0QXQ1s-iLQ1XMMv-RUiYffdFi999Zt7ObcONY82aTS1IFIe7ccBMbpqXOCZ0_ZCLwzB9b3f5HnUoa3-bYqyQruTPg4KaIGxpbFIKCgt/s320/fair+6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530914717533163378" /></a><br /><br /><br />And on the flip side, I can again as a hopefully "normal" reaction feel all the "I wishes" such as;<br /><br />wish I'd hugged him more<br /><br />wish I'd laughed with him more<br /><br />wish this and wish that.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TMHBXq82mcI/AAAAAAAAEVs/z9FQVCD9lEE/s1600/fair+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TMHBXq82mcI/AAAAAAAAEVs/z9FQVCD9lEE/s320/fair+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530914429798357442" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJPVppDCDDcXF5gP9f6CNg5InInPzg5firyG6nbQ-tI8hEB8oPvz_onRR2bKri2Xt_g9VYDAze5e7rdPJoLVZYogI8h8xHnOY72IAoviHXrZWrkvnf_02F9IuIpPMvLvJOBxgDcItYP31/s1600/fair+11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJPVppDCDDcXF5gP9f6CNg5InInPzg5firyG6nbQ-tI8hEB8oPvz_onRR2bKri2Xt_g9VYDAze5e7rdPJoLVZYogI8h8xHnOY72IAoviHXrZWrkvnf_02F9IuIpPMvLvJOBxgDcItYP31/s320/fair+11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530914206087698786" /></a><br /><br />But it is what it is. We go about our lives each and every day not thinking it might be the last of such that we will ever get to do with that one we love.<br /><br />We say we will cherish each day and live it as though it were our last. But do we do that always?<br /><br />No. We forget. We begin to be "normal" again and we take for granted. We're human.<br />We can't ever get a "do-over" here on earth but when we <strong>know</strong> we <strong>know</strong> we are a Child of the King, <strong>we know </strong>we will have an eternal do-over. And that is what keeps us going.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVw-Y6M7ELgPk8d0wSeQsIVts1rkSg0J7ZIjYb28UTyxW28AzcGNItXDQ8kkzE0XH7Ww6TBSL_tfwjvgbYry09tVlg87tuBWp9ur2yHsiS8u1_VXjnCfXl5NmeVShCWJPh88qMPRgAw5R/s1600/fair+8.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVw-Y6M7ELgPk8d0wSeQsIVts1rkSg0J7ZIjYb28UTyxW28AzcGNItXDQ8kkzE0XH7Ww6TBSL_tfwjvgbYry09tVlg87tuBWp9ur2yHsiS8u1_VXjnCfXl5NmeVShCWJPh88qMPRgAw5R/s320/fair+8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530913939876644930" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkJ-BfvU9DbEtLkAcbVDu4k7nz9DCeGtE0bgqP2lMwVdu1KsCCBtcDNGiWKgSrQaEJaGbCD2-5N-CSyJMPKOQf_5XNKihXv6fisFxkLZQ8r7q7Wz7fjP5M3NF_U-XZ2K20RB2L6A3XtwQ/s1600/fair+10.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkJ-BfvU9DbEtLkAcbVDu4k7nz9DCeGtE0bgqP2lMwVdu1KsCCBtcDNGiWKgSrQaEJaGbCD2-5N-CSyJMPKOQf_5XNKihXv6fisFxkLZQ8r7q7Wz7fjP5M3NF_U-XZ2K20RB2L6A3XtwQ/s320/fair+10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530913728253938946" /></a><br /><br />My lesson from today's little rememberance.<br /><br />Live each day satisfied. Not always wanting more ice cream, another cotton candy, more money to ride. Enjoy your ice cream with sprinkles, enjoy the fun of others and above all else<br /><br />... Stop long enough to smell the Mums!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TMHAXhQa6nI/AAAAAAAAEVM/c2H4lQRNilM/s1600/fair+9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TMHAXhQa6nI/AAAAAAAAEVM/c2H4lQRNilM/s400/fair+9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530913327684446834" /></a><br /><br />Jake sure did!Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-87118742400140245652010-09-26T14:09:00.000-07:002010-09-27T08:35:14.519-07:00IT'S ALL ABOUT HAPPINESS, SMILES AND GRINS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQqnhAZHSeasbKZrkastiVIy7mKmxYUpl8WLSZDMFZE_mPEuEbXYbdJsDgcInIPB8oiLlhM-CiO9zXWNuVmhpxpQbswRXOcoSHDB9t7rJmlhiomcn77qRF_bhOYvf09lU0Hza35mWYugL/s1600/IMAG0819.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQqnhAZHSeasbKZrkastiVIy7mKmxYUpl8WLSZDMFZE_mPEuEbXYbdJsDgcInIPB8oiLlhM-CiO9zXWNuVmhpxpQbswRXOcoSHDB9t7rJmlhiomcn77qRF_bhOYvf09lU0Hza35mWYugL/s400/IMAG0819.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521338015316732498" /></a><br /><br />I feel a little today like writing a letter to you Jake because I'm missing you so much. Missing hugging you. Holding your hand. Hearing you laugh. Watching you eat. A person could not stay down when you were around because you had the ability to just make them feel good by being in your presence. But I'm not gonna write you a letter.<br /><br />However I am going to share a feeling. The feeling is Happiness. That's what you were all about Jake.<br /><br />Happiness, Gratitude, Joy, Laughing, Grinning, Smiling and Feeling Good!<br /><br />Oh don't get me wrong. I believe with all my heart and soul that there is no greater hurt, no greater pain or heartache than that of a mother who has lost her child. I don't think I will ever in my lifetime know pain like the pain I feel of losing you. I don't mean "losing" you because you are alive in Heaven and I haven't lost you from my heart, but just from knowing you "died". It is a horrific and unnatural deep down wrenching hurt.<br /><br />I could write and write, hire novelists, poets and experts to write on the subject and all the elloquence and powerful adjectives could still not express the pain in a momma's heart when one of her children dies. A baby she gave birth to and no matter how old they are or how they died there are not adequate words to express the feeling. So why do it. I could try but what is the use. Nothing will change and telling someone how much my heart hurts will not make it hurt less ................. but I think I have found the answer!<br /><br />Truly I do. I will instead write about all the wonderful things that made up Jake Wendling!<br /><br />Jake Wendling was an awesome individual. He was someone everyone would have liked being friends with.<br /><br />I will let people know how kind you were. The values you had. How you made other people feel good about themselves. How it felt when you smiled at me and said "I Love You, Momma". How generous you were with your time, your efforts. How funny you were. Your wit. Your compassionate nature. Your gentleness. Your strength.<br /><br />Your passion for the N.O.Saints and for Tony Stewart and Nascar. How proud you were to work for an amazing company.<br /><br />How much you loved our Lord. The relationship you shared with Jesus.<br /><br />The fact you had an awesome voice. And you could dance like Michael Jackson.<br /><br />How tickled you were fishing and hunting with your brother.<br /><br />How you loved studying scripture with your little sister.<br /><br />How much you looked up to your big sister.<br /><br />How you loved your Dad. How much fun you had babysitting your baby nephew Luke who called you "Umpah Jake". The unique relationship you had with your step-dad Mike. How very respectful you were to your step-mom Jill.<br /><br />About all the many, many friends you had. What a green thumb you had. How you loved a pretty lady. <strong>All</strong> the ladies. And how much you wanted to be a daddy. How proud you were when you bought your home, your new truck.<br /><br />Skinning your first deer. Loving your little Bston Terrior Bugsy. How you loved family time. Holidays. How you loved dressing up for church. How much you loved to eat. The kind of music you liked. The fact that you could play the cajun scrub board. And had played with some famous people. How easy going you were. How I probably only heard you raise your voice maybe four times in your forty years!<br /><br />How proud you were when you got your teeth cleaned and whitened. The way you took pride in the city flower beds and being the Horticulturist for the city. Wow. How much you like wearning cologne and smelling nice. The funny way you could tell a joke.<br /><br />How you couldn't remember what or when you last ate, but you could quote scripture and the statistics of football heroes or racing stats!<br /><br />That you were a Sunday School Teacher. That you sang in the church choir. The Director of the Men of the Church.... Wow. How dedicated you were in scouts and that you were an Eagle Scout. How compassionate you were to the handicapable. <br /><br />Ice cream and Cake.<br /><br />Crawfish...Wow! <br /><br />Oh boy Jake, I have barely touched the top of the barrel and there are ten times more things that I know you loved, liked, got a kick out of and stood for. So you see I will <strong>NEVER</strong> run out of happy things to write about. I'll never run out of lessons you taught us.<br /><br />Fascinating things, simple things, funny things, serious things. But very very few sad things.<br /><br />Actually the only really sad thing I can really write about is the second you chose to leave us. And then I would be sobbing while writing, but why do that when I have hundreds of things to write about that make me smile and feel good. You see Jake I think I have a job to let others know you in the chance that someone out there may be blessed or helped in some way by knowing what Jake was all about. And if I write only about your death I can't think of how anyone could actually be helped.<br /><br />Also I know we're told there is never, never any hint of sadness in Heaven, but just on the very slim chance that you can see me being so sad, I believe you might just be a little sad yourself and I don't want to take that chance, Jake. I want you to look down at your momma and see me trusting Jesus and feeling your sweet spirit around me and know without a doubt that you're having the grandest time of your life and that the sheer joy is incomprehensible to understand and for that reason alone I want you to see me SMILE.<br /><br />I want to know my sweet boy that Jesus has called you over to stand by his side and that He has his arm around you pointing down here and you are grinning and saying to Him,"WOW".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKre28TdVTEOwdZBNNRUgCDpIYT3NDmtM_jHNihvtU3GI-ehUA0HUtbf2T7TRsQ9P41_9hF8Rtc5uP88zZMMMzQlR6pTMEx6FsL5sREMIyHq-t9ckF6wbjAgmcm0QF8QReMPZwr2CB6xNF/s1600/jake.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKre28TdVTEOwdZBNNRUgCDpIYT3NDmtM_jHNihvtU3GI-ehUA0HUtbf2T7TRsQ9P41_9hF8Rtc5uP88zZMMMzQlR6pTMEx6FsL5sREMIyHq-t9ckF6wbjAgmcm0QF8QReMPZwr2CB6xNF/s400/jake.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521337575190503314" /></a>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-15972781607116278952010-09-22T10:50:00.000-07:002010-09-22T12:07:04.181-07:00LUCK...OR FATE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYRFZIiDMSKEN_0tRQCgKRPL00BMXiAgDbiOqRUU66OQTYx3NwRjBfpTH1KOH8eJX0zxR2qIMc_IoDFNNU8vZ6THOpDu7qC5uypgLEU0dVjUv3QYLHWrtZZ5FWjFIjBnMYLfmn-iVOsLf/s1600/new.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 343px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYRFZIiDMSKEN_0tRQCgKRPL00BMXiAgDbiOqRUU66OQTYx3NwRjBfpTH1KOH8eJX0zxR2qIMc_IoDFNNU8vZ6THOpDu7qC5uypgLEU0dVjUv3QYLHWrtZZ5FWjFIjBnMYLfmn-iVOsLf/s400/new.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519812763960936706" /></a><br />Death is just so natural.<br /><br />When we are born, no one knows if we will be rich or poor, where we will end up living our lives and what occupation we'll follow. What we all do know for certain is that one day we will die.<br /><br />Jake was a guy who seemed to live his life as that of the proverbial cat with nine lives. From the get-go this little guy faces his difficulties.<br /><br />At the age of 5 weeks old, Jake was admitted to the hospital with a dual diagnosis. He was failing to thrive which meant he was malnourshed. He was the only one of my four children who was breast fed and he <strong>did</strong> seem satisfied when he nursed, but he was soon unsatisfied, never crying loudly but rather mewing and wimpering and he also had a hernia. So he stayed there a couple of weeks, with IV feedings and hernia repair surgery. Would he pull through? We were cautious as back in 1970 not as much was known and a tiny baby being put to sleep through anesthesia was risky. He weighed less than 6 pounds while sick. He survived and he thrived.<br /><br />From birth he caused much concern for our pediatrician who felt his head was enlarged suggesting water on his brain, and he had to be measured weekly for several months and endured MRI's and Scans to determine the cause of his too large head but not being able to pinpoint the cause, we were told that he would likely just grow into his head size. He did, but always had a head a little larger than most and as an adolescent and adult good naturedly accepted more than a fair share of teasing and being sometimes made fun of. Some people would not have been able to withstand these feelings but he shrugged them off and smiled and never let himself get into a pity party. He overcame.<br /> <br />At about age 5 he nearly drowned. My fault and another guilt I have wrestled with until I learned to let go of the guilt and could understand that God would carry that for me. My sister-in-law and I had gone to the Elks Club swimming pool with all our children which numbered probably seven or so and of course in that day I drank as did she and we were sitting beside the pool enjoying a bloody mary and depending on the larger kids to watch the smaller ones when the comotion broke out when my lifeless baby was pulled from the pool and given CPR by the lifeguards. He was taken to the hospital and was fine but another example of him making it through what seemed an inevitable early death.<br /><br />No more than a year passed when he tried to move an open bucket of paint only to stumble and overturn the entire gallon all over himself. Cobalt Blue enamel! His little head had to be shaved and he had the enamel paint in his ears, eyes, nose and mouth. He again was taken to the hospital and the paint was cleaned off and out but in thinking about it now, I can certainly see how it could have ended very differently.<br /><br />Jake came to live with us in northern California when he was 19 years old. My then husband and I were caretakers of a privately owned duck hunting club and he wanted to see California and wanted another chance to live with his mama. He began to make friends and most of them were into smoking weed and doing other drugs and using alcohol. An event occurred during a fourth of July gathering of family and friends and he obviously was under the influence of "something" because he became beligerent towards his step-father and he was hit by my husband also under the influence of alcohol and fell to the concrete below. He suffered a close head injury and was operated on for the damage caused by the blow and it was discovered at that time that he had a congenital Dandy Walker Cyst, the culprit from which his head grew faster as a baby. We had never been aware of this cyst. More guilt. Shame. Regret. Jake was implanted with shunts from the brain stem which naturally kept the fluids drained and he had a long recovery. We were told that he might well have no more than ten years of survival. He lived twenty more! He did more than recover. He became everyone's champion and hero. Shortly after his initial recovery he went back to Louisiana and lived with his Daddy. Both of them came to know Christ during this recovery period from his brain surgery. Jake was a different person. A new man.<br /><br />Probably 15 years later, Jake was with friends from Home Depot and at a place he shouldn't have been just for the plain fact that it was a spot where trouble was likely. He was playing pool and a scuffle broke out and he ended up being badly beat with a pool stick. He had been visiting these friends in New Orleans and was rushed back home to seek medical attention and recovered totally. A near brush.<br /><br />Jake's vision was never very good after his head surgery and his hand eye coordination poor. So as a result he was a pretty bad driver and scared the pants off of all of us thinking of his driving. Every single person in Jake's family uttered prayers for God to protect him and others when he was behind the wheel. About three years ago, Jake was going home after work and got drowsy driving the country roads and jerked in time to realize he was heading off the road and over corrected his truck and rolled in the ditch. The truck sustained minor damages as well as the driver. Whew!..a very close call for Jake.<br /><br />These are only the occurances I am aware of. When your kids grow up and move away a parent never knows it all and Thank God, because our worry somewhat ceases when they're grown, but I'm sure there were more close calls.<br /><br />The day he decided his life on earth was not in his command was the day he chose to end his life with a gun in his own hand. Something mercifully unknown to his family had been so dark and so hurtful that he could not survive.<br /><br />Was Jake lucky? Or were the hairs on his precious head counted before he was born? So many questions, so many mysteries. <br /><br />I choose to believe that Jake was spared so many times because it just was not "his time". I think God gave Jake the amount of mobility, of coordination and of vision to get the job done. The job he was created for. I think when God spoke to Jake he listened. You see Jake lived most of his adult life alone and when you're alone you seem to listen more. You have more quiet time. Jake became immersed in the Word. His prayer life was the life he loved. He sought God, he listened to him and he just delighted in telling us how much he loved Him. He would smile that big old toothy grin and his eyes would twinkle and he'd utter "Wow". And Jake would get that far away look in his eyes and just fall silent as if he could see something we could not or was hearing something we were not and he'd slowly shake his head and smile as if he just could not wait to go " <em>Home</em> ".<br /><br />I'm sure there are many lessons here depending on who is reading and where you are in your life right now, but the lesson for me that exceeds all others is that I can always present my concerns to God and ask him for his protection but after that I can rest assured that He <em>has it</em>. I can let it go. He'll take care of things the way he has planned to all along. As I love to say "we know not what the future holds, but we know who holds the future". What a huge load that takes from us not having to feel in control.<br /><br />Oh gosh my boy has taught me so very many lessons in the three months since he left us. And not just me.........his sisters, his brother, all of us are so blessed to have had Jake in our midst 40 years. A full ten more years than we thought we'd have him during that dark time when we didn't know if he'd recover from a head injury.<br /><br />Jake at the Lousiana State Fair,2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TJpQzwF4ZQI/AAAAAAAAEP8/gGlp3iWQIy8/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/TJpQzwF4ZQI/AAAAAAAAEP8/gGlp3iWQIy8/s400/IMG_1391.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519813143309083906" /></a><br /><br />My sponsor in recovery and her husband blessed me with a little book called "From Sunset To Dawn", and I'd like to share with you a beautiful poem, author unknown.<br /><br />Say not the boy is dead, but rather say<br />He's but a little farther on the way,<br />Impatient sooner to behold the view___<br />At the next turning you may see it too.<br />Say he's a child again, early to bed,<br />On night's soft pillow fain to lay his head.<br />Say he is off to track the mountain stream,<br />And lingers by the side in boyish dream.<br />Say by immortal waters now at rest,<br />He clasps a thousand memories to his breast.<br />Say to his wondering quests wise angels, smiling,<br />Tell the true story of the world's beguiling.<br />Say on heroic task his soul is thrilling<br />Where noble dream hath noble deeds fulfilling.<br />Say that he feasts with comrades tried and true,<br />But in his heart the banquet waits for you.<br />Say in the Presence, at a gentle word<br />He shows his wound-marks to his wounded Lord,<br />Say never is he dead, but rather say,<br />He's but a little farther on the way.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-28836251311333211272010-09-12T11:02:00.000-07:002010-09-12T12:20:22.085-07:00AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijui9s89CrDbFXWiNNH-ymujMc8fG9rm4exjJvDJJ8CFIQNc5YW33JOb_qS-P9nJPNePyfK7qQjTmYNuYiexIgwCaFAmd8DL1g14NOuyQlFlM_EBaTYzFFjxHqqO7CNYDt-savJzyb53AP/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijui9s89CrDbFXWiNNH-ymujMc8fG9rm4exjJvDJJ8CFIQNc5YW33JOb_qS-P9nJPNePyfK7qQjTmYNuYiexIgwCaFAmd8DL1g14NOuyQlFlM_EBaTYzFFjxHqqO7CNYDt-savJzyb53AP/s400/IMG_1344.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516094586458228962" /></a><br /><br />I confess.............I have for the most part been guilty of being a "yeah, but" type person. And as Dr. Phil (whom I adore) says, "If you don't own it you can't correct it". A "yeah but" personality is so busy thinking of her/his response to "get" the lesson there is to be learned. <br /><br />I really don't know God's purpose for my being here. There may be one and there may be many. But I do think I know <strong>one</strong> of Jake's purposes. I think he was sent to lead our family. The irony of this is that Jake was the youngest, the meekest and the one we all thought of as a follower, not a leader. Because he was quieter. I guess we were under the false impression that to lead you had to be boisterous, loud, demanding and assertive. He was none of those things.<br /><br />I wonder now how many many times Jake's feelings were hurt by remarks made by me and by others in his family. Well intentioned you understand, but with our thinking we had the answer, we had the smarts, the right thing for Jake to do. To do it our way, to smile differently when having his picture made, to be more assertive, to stand up for himself, to branch out and try different things; different churches, see different people, manage his money differently and on and on and on. As if Jake didn't have the sense to make up his own mind. As if he couldn't make it without our constant input. Funny thing is...Jake had a 401K Plan at Home Depot. He owned his home. He had a long time of continuous employment with the same company. He was a champion of souls winning more souls to heaven that I probably can count. He never gave up on the Saints of New Orleans and never made an enemy and was the first to get to Paradise. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbzsgFUvO6DQoJs5Z2MLtLEds1n2ps6psdyY5Obn0y5ycbOwjHGrxp5aW8b5uptqor0_pNkJGzd3kg7q9lztYa3FMXMJZiqHC-LxrCCvCX2Wcd2epLmylmNhMBm3n3fxgkskpXAvAn0yv/s1600/IMAG0708.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbzsgFUvO6DQoJs5Z2MLtLEds1n2ps6psdyY5Obn0y5ycbOwjHGrxp5aW8b5uptqor0_pNkJGzd3kg7q9lztYa3FMXMJZiqHC-LxrCCvCX2Wcd2epLmylmNhMBm3n3fxgkskpXAvAn0yv/s400/IMAG0708.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516094067893553538" /></a><br /><br />You'd just think that with all this interference and suggestions that Jake would once in awhile say "Yeah but........" But he rarely did. He looked us in the face nodding his head and would then say "right, right" and end with hugging you and saying "God Bless You". <br /><br />Oh good gracious now that Jake is gone from us the scenes replay over and over all the times I wish I could have some "do overs", but I know I can't. Oh the arrogance of it all. I hate the feelings of grief, despair and sadness, but I will go on and as sad and ashamed as I may feel, I must grab these lessons of Jake's and learn from them and go forward being a better person. I'll try oh so hard to bite my tongue before saying "Yeah but" again.<br /><br />I can learn from the smallest, least educated, meekest mildest person on earth. That is <em>Humility</em> and that is what my son Jake had. Some virtues of Jake's character were humility, kindness, selflessness, gratitude for being a child of God and his great desire for you to be his brother and sister in Christ.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QOVNJRrnvCrhViAS5GZNPozv9nvyV5g8yzr6Lp2ITH0vCWJDrvWnVqoE9XK3Q_6DYA9c4GXMVXgutOeW9wNbDBnNnuJXvHAfAwecCYfKB3kaKsU9-efNtW8YQRCQ8GpSAuPe1TJQ6m9I/s1600/46240_464863662315_537532315_6472089_7003677_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QOVNJRrnvCrhViAS5GZNPozv9nvyV5g8yzr6Lp2ITH0vCWJDrvWnVqoE9XK3Q_6DYA9c4GXMVXgutOeW9wNbDBnNnuJXvHAfAwecCYfKB3kaKsU9-efNtW8YQRCQ8GpSAuPe1TJQ6m9I/s400/46240_464863662315_537532315_6472089_7003677_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516093622025692434" /></a><br /><br /><br />Thank you baby for the many lessons. May you one day forgive my ignorance and know just how much I admired you and only wish I'd made it known to you while you were here. God willing, someday I might just have that opportunity!Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-29622635469560823262010-08-28T06:29:00.000-07:002010-08-28T15:59:45.801-07:00THE PITFALLS OF WANTING(Written by Buddy Wendling)<br /><br />My Brother Jake was a special person.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZuvsKOy6QPmH9f9xLH5Gua9tb-Ip2dpnopNRXtPI4LOY4ZU8itN9bDIkeqn-yqHMw-KvkU740dAWc8I4JwqV48uP1uFB7N2EXUg4NkDUeX1s-6ZY5jc1bzEzm2k0eUkIuH8b2C9x88YKA/s1600/orange+atc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZuvsKOy6QPmH9f9xLH5Gua9tb-Ip2dpnopNRXtPI4LOY4ZU8itN9bDIkeqn-yqHMw-KvkU740dAWc8I4JwqV48uP1uFB7N2EXUg4NkDUeX1s-6ZY5jc1bzEzm2k0eUkIuH8b2C9x88YKA/s400/orange+atc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510453175645249170" /></a> <br /><br />He loved everyone he met regardless of their religious views, political leanings, sex, age, or color. He saw us all as children of God and therefore something to be loved. He loved sunny days when the smell of fresh cut grass was in the air and the possibility of using his hands, head, and heart to plant some of God’s green creations. Planting and landscaping was his art, and the earth was his muse.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/THkSR6HYC0I/AAAAAAAAEKs/DucXNmmJRHg/s1600/attachment.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_K8ZiYg3H_yk/THkSR6HYC0I/AAAAAAAAEKs/DucXNmmJRHg/s400/attachment.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510455717931780930" /></a><br /><br />He loved to fish and hunt. He wasn’t too concerned with whether he caught fish or got a deer, he just loved the idea of being in the woods where God could be seen in every direction. Hunting and fishing was a love we shared.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-BhUkp5BJi3Vp9X9wWcgWnZRT_ZJWyM27VdrO3MzojGw-4YgW5TlfkdPwWg3UI-Alg-vClMRObPPEYAW1CCU1285dWA05jhQWL_dTYxztukqKyhDVT4M7hPlpjLcyKFr2lFICoQ4_3Fe/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-BhUkp5BJi3Vp9X9wWcgWnZRT_ZJWyM27VdrO3MzojGw-4YgW5TlfkdPwWg3UI-Alg-vClMRObPPEYAW1CCU1285dWA05jhQWL_dTYxztukqKyhDVT4M7hPlpjLcyKFr2lFICoQ4_3Fe/s400/IMG_0146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510456181758337410" /></a><br /><br />I looked forward to any time when I could sit in a boat with him, or sit around a campfire in the bayou explaining to him all of the night sounds and listening to his wonderment at such amazing and beautiful things. One of my greatest regrets is that I didn’t take the time to make more time for things like that with him. I always knew that he would be there all through my life, and that we would always be best friends and find time to be together.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AkOOu6a9KUQ98mRALmRW5bgqOHnPxITBihp8STDGSfWcvVw-XtTKnolMbGrUywr35IzBrWKbp-giWF0oF3o1fg30IDVWvTlE5LyvziBTJKLfcROMo3Jef_gfG5vOga4EGy7bQmyEWcPG/s1600/IMAG0497.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AkOOu6a9KUQ98mRALmRW5bgqOHnPxITBihp8STDGSfWcvVw-XtTKnolMbGrUywr35IzBrWKbp-giWF0oF3o1fg30IDVWvTlE5LyvziBTJKLfcROMo3Jef_gfG5vOga4EGy7bQmyEWcPG/s400/IMAG0497.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510456640145479858" /></a><br /><br />As it turned out I was wrong, his life was cut drastically short and so many people were robbed of the company of such a special man. When I look at his pictures I see his beautiful face and that smile that was the most real thing I’d ever known, but I also see all the mistakes I ever made in not taking every chance to be with him. Regrets are terrible things. <br /><br />I know that when people lose a loved one they often have a tendency to elevate that person to Sainthood. This isn’t the case with my Brother, Jake. He really was all the wonderful things you hear, and so much more. He did have his shortcomings like any other human, for he was not perfect. He didn’t always manage his money very well, and he had a tendency to spread himself too thin in an effort to please too many people. But when he told you something he meant it. If you needed something that he had he would give it. He would readily sacrifice his comfort for another’s. <br /><br />The thing Jake wanted most in life was to serve the Lord, and he did so in all that he did. He wasn’t always quiet about it but he was never offensive about it. He made it into a fun thing and would joke with people about it, which was incredible in it’s self because to him it no laughing matter. He just cared for people’s souls and didn’t want to hurt their feelings.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WGuNI5oOql5ngSSH3gvuKV3WaV53oXiUazIHylt2FxQkuF_jk-CXmBOMS1k19BSyouLsM6PTBP6wPNd2reW1boCl9GRQQFi_moXLOX22VhBnJrmR5ZYLH7acrtixC6_4Bt9_5_6ongPC/s1600/jake+and+beckys+baby.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WGuNI5oOql5ngSSH3gvuKV3WaV53oXiUazIHylt2FxQkuF_jk-CXmBOMS1k19BSyouLsM6PTBP6wPNd2reW1boCl9GRQQFi_moXLOX22VhBnJrmR5ZYLH7acrtixC6_4Bt9_5_6ongPC/s320/jake+and+beckys+baby.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510453421569484930" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbsUthLJwUDSJb3f0ziOXdDhyphenhyphenuGtFqC75X7sipOEQqSaq8otyvROOMiFzurE1arvrXM-ccYUA2N2RnrZD4viCPMfnWPzdimj6YfeKwZpXs4VUgH8u9bPGWUbuauQ4ObZlnr4SQHXT9GW8/s1600/jake+with+kane.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbsUthLJwUDSJb3f0ziOXdDhyphenhyphenuGtFqC75X7sipOEQqSaq8otyvROOMiFzurE1arvrXM-ccYUA2N2RnrZD4viCPMfnWPzdimj6YfeKwZpXs4VUgH8u9bPGWUbuauQ4ObZlnr4SQHXT9GW8/s320/jake+with+kane.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510453782545854674" /></a><br /><br />The second thing that Jake wanted most in life was to be a father. He loved little children, and he was also worried that his last name would not be carried on if he didn’t have a son. Anytime you saw Jake with a child or around children he would be beaming with a great big smile.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMdo7lymjtQF_39klBXVmjXBTwiElJnjMnImnYz0t7-l2wkN_IxJxrzX1gm2lZvQJvdeLoFlCrYpMOGGtVJzfWhrFZFcCJ-UzdkJ-TyYaM06771MAqJ5lUWTUjo6oQzmZl0HHrfZOvyMC/s1600/jake+rocking+joe.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 297px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMdo7lymjtQF_39klBXVmjXBTwiElJnjMnImnYz0t7-l2wkN_IxJxrzX1gm2lZvQJvdeLoFlCrYpMOGGtVJzfWhrFZFcCJ-UzdkJ-TyYaM06771MAqJ5lUWTUjo6oQzmZl0HHrfZOvyMC/s320/jake+rocking+joe.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510454058310987554" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUnVdUDH8J5YsHov_AGYQjLT8t3rBfH731TQEkeOwLGXmXErUxbH25gfouvulhyphenhyphenbCeejsiZNo6L2IgSKqjzAe_TUa43t2akP44qfeaSTlvW0Qg2lwnCid25m76qR4cZ8lAbGqeupZthpv/s1600/jake+with+joe.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUnVdUDH8J5YsHov_AGYQjLT8t3rBfH731TQEkeOwLGXmXErUxbH25gfouvulhyphenhyphenbCeejsiZNo6L2IgSKqjzAe_TUa43t2akP44qfeaSTlvW0Qg2lwnCid25m76qR4cZ8lAbGqeupZthpv/s320/jake+with+joe.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510454323417902530" /></a><br /><br />In many ways he had so much in common with them in that his faith and love was like that of a child. He had faith because it was real, he had love because it was natural. As Jake grew older he became more concerned that he might never be able to parent a child of his own, so he became somewhat obsessed with finding a woman to help him with this. Along the way he met several good women, but they never seemed to be in the same head space as him at the same time, so things wouldn’t work out. In Matthew 10:14 the word says “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.” In a way Jake applied this to potential relationships. It is what ultimately led him to the person who harmed him the most, who robbed him of all he had ever been and all he would ever be. <br /><br />In the Spring of 2010 Jake was introduced to a girl who was many years younger. He found her attractive and exciting and I think he likely saw her as someone at a good age to help him bring a child into the world. It must have seemed as if he’d struck gold. The eternal optimist in Jake took over and he began to foster a relationship with her.<br /><br />At first he was blind to her flaws. She would talk down to him, and as time went on she would threaten him with things that she knew mattered the most to him, such as the relationship they had. He began to discover that she drank alcohol and used drugs. Jake was celebrating almost 3 years of sobriety and even still he found ways to love her.<br /><br />It has been rumored that she was having a relationship with her ex-boyfriend and that while Jake was at work she would be carrying on with this person. I believe that Jake had arrived at a place in his heart that told him things would never get better with her. I think he realized that she was not fixable and that if he stayed he might eventually sink to her level. Still he tried, because he was the kind of person who never wanted to hurt another person. I’m sure she threatened him with terrible things like ending her life if he left her. It was revealed that she had a mental illness that compelled her to act this way. She knew it was so yet she knew that she had options which would allow her to be more normal. Still she chose to live without accepting those options. In doing so she put Jake through hell. She preyed upon his desires and used them against him. <br /><br />On the day of June 17th her hateful grasp was finally released. There are many versions about what may or may not have happened on that afternoon. She herself has told several versions to people. She told police and family that she and Jake had been laughing and joking around in his living room before they were to have dinner with her parents. We know from Jake’s neighbors that this isn’t the truth. Neighbors say they heard her yelling at Jake, cursing at him and talking down to him. Neighbors said that they often heard her yelling at Jake, saying mean and hurtful, hateful things to him. She also told police that Jake had gotten up to go get a shirt out of the closet and as soon as he entered the room she heard a shot. We know from witnesses outside that Jake had come out of his home and gotten into his truck, driven to his mail box and then driven back to his house, and a shot was heard moments later. It is believed that she told Jake that she was pregnant and that she had been unfaithful to him. I have heard that she said many things to many people, but because I was not there, I do not know.<br /><br />All I have to go on is the relationship I had with my Brother and how well I and the rest of his family knew him. Other family members had witnessed bad behavior directed at Jake from her and were alarmed enough to try to talk to him about it. He simply wasn’t ready to hear it or deal with it. Perhaps the Lord had a greater plan for Jake and no amount of talking would change that. It is said that “the Lord works in mysterious ways” and perhaps it was time for Jake to leave this sad world and enter into God’s arms. <br /><br />I will not continue to write about the many inconsistencies regarding her actions up to, during, and after my brother lost his life. I will say that there are a great many unanswered questions and a mountain of evidence to support that something happened in that home that detectives simply are not willing to explore. To them it is an open and shut case. They’ve seen it a million times and that’s all there is to that. But to the family and friends of Jake there must be more to the story. In the end Jake is still gone. Regardless of how he lost his life, or who was directly responsible, he is gone. <br /><br />We know where Jake is now, and for that we are so thankful. Never again will Jake toil under a scorching sun so that he can buy gas or food, or be lonely on a winter’s night, wishing he had a wife and child. Jake now only knows bliss. None of us can know what Heaven is like, but we do know through our faith that is eternity in paradise. Knowing that and knowing that Jake is living it is a wonderful thing. Even though I know these things I miss him. I long to be with him and to do more of the things that I should have made time for. I guess that in my deep down heart I also want to assuage my regrets. I know that I miss him every moment, as do the rest of the people that loved him so.<br /><br />The <strong>pitfall</strong> of wanting something so badly is that you can become blinded by that desire, allowing you to make costly mistakes. <br /><br /><strong>AVOID PITFALLS</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGNH2RLyjcnRu6PI7EQJtaqmkatFFpPp5LhlvTq0z0GvwxKTQCw49HfGW4zyrj4Y-4qIJwMcDAEDVDTcbmdbV4ta6ChnRHU33qkl9R4s-89AujF4gbZ1WwQ2MvyT6gzP3MVVkBP2BF92-/s1600/pitfall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 252px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGNH2RLyjcnRu6PI7EQJtaqmkatFFpPp5LhlvTq0z0GvwxKTQCw49HfGW4zyrj4Y-4qIJwMcDAEDVDTcbmdbV4ta6ChnRHU33qkl9R4s-89AujF4gbZ1WwQ2MvyT6gzP3MVVkBP2BF92-/s400/pitfall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510452615157007490" /></a><br /><br />MY LESSON TODAY IS:<br /><br />No relationship is worth taking one from their family. No humanly relationship is equal to one’s faith in God. God sends us signs, and it is up to us to read them and abide by them. If you are living with a person who is sick and refuses to be helped and who through this sickness is hurtful and abusive then you must not allow yourself to stay in this situation. You must get out. Life is too short to allow yourself to be so unhappy. Listen to your loved ones. Pray to God for the answers and act upon them when he gives them to you.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyACGdc4lx0O8UKKXXvg6bhbntkEwNXFbLdneYsTlyTVKuAbyz_Gak5fg8b9qc2wGIMeQnEHN1m8upM0lNDQ6XNhmt05t-S1nZsG9-chZnFQs3bWmyE2NoyRlINfoowwwcdS2D5O8u_3nB/s1600/jake+em+and+dilon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyACGdc4lx0O8UKKXXvg6bhbntkEwNXFbLdneYsTlyTVKuAbyz_Gak5fg8b9qc2wGIMeQnEHN1m8upM0lNDQ6XNhmt05t-S1nZsG9-chZnFQs3bWmyE2NoyRlINfoowwwcdS2D5O8u_3nB/s400/jake+em+and+dilon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510454588409928914" /></a><br /><br /><em>He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds</em><br />Psalm 147: 3Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-77270217328863374502010-08-19T17:02:00.001-07:002010-08-20T04:35:52.174-07:00THE LONLINESS OF A GIVING HEART (by Buddy Wendling)Jake and I <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCEfxEWAOrrnWTMMjHx6-gpZxCPhhNHm9CGXyV1K6vYWeYKIggJxonxzHuucHuDOHGjnh27u3ZeshzTHkehKVWZ5Uhyphenhyphen2N_tpLiyvqSrDsfXvanJsHG-D916TsvHjhJ1EmHSZMRjUsrfGo/s1600/attachment.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCEfxEWAOrrnWTMMjHx6-gpZxCPhhNHm9CGXyV1K6vYWeYKIggJxonxzHuucHuDOHGjnh27u3ZeshzTHkehKVWZ5Uhyphenhyphen2N_tpLiyvqSrDsfXvanJsHG-D916TsvHjhJ1EmHSZMRjUsrfGo/s400/attachment.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507282329151041938" /></a><br /><br />In 2005 I came home. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that I ran home. I had to leave California and all of the trappings that it represented to me. I came home and with the help of my family I made a new home. I carved an existence out of the wilderness and was at times hungry, cold, hot, and always alone. But I never really was alone. I had my family. I had my parents and sisters, and I had my brother. My Brother was and always had been my best friend. It was such a pleasure to be near him again. We did things like went fishing, hunting, went to football games, and spent Saturdays at my mother’s helping her with projects around her and Mike’s home. I didn’t know it at the time, but those were the best days of my life.<br /><br />This picture was taken of me with Sonny and Daisy Mae in my front yard there in the woods of Louisiana<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8A3p62CZbHczynM-OQvLm9PhsR41mHZa9DWYr_dEQFG7ujaASKZ4QzBC38AHAgspK1hJOov7sTBxHEpmfDtbnWZnA-WsTkIEsctxKPAplj2LKMLMAy1TUZ94z8lM-Q7vbH_DnjPREmKU/s1600/bud+and+doggies.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8A3p62CZbHczynM-OQvLm9PhsR41mHZa9DWYr_dEQFG7ujaASKZ4QzBC38AHAgspK1hJOov7sTBxHEpmfDtbnWZnA-WsTkIEsctxKPAplj2LKMLMAy1TUZ94z8lM-Q7vbH_DnjPREmKU/s400/bud+and+doggies.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507281512092108226" /></a><br /><br />In 2007 I met the woman who would later become my wife, and who lived in Alabama. We became serious toward each other and at first she would drive to my home and spend weekends with me. After some time I started driving to Alabama to spend time with her and the three wonderful children that she had sacrificed so much to raise on her own. Going to Alabama was no easy task. I would have to find time from work, rent a car, and then find someone to watch my place and care for my animals. That someone was always Jake, my Brother. Jake had a child like innocence as well as a child like faith. He loved animals and delighted in them almost as much as did I. I always had a garden, a yard full of chickens and turkeys, rabbits, and two dogs that I called my children. Sunny and Daisy May are and have been my children and I have always treated them as such. Allowing Jake to watch them was my way of giving him my greatest responsibility. I trusted him above all others. I would leave him detailed instructions and he would follow them to the letter. My animals were always loved and cared for as if I were there doing the job myself.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmgF4H1tarm24CnNLZy_K_g3dsfOgTzHKLyQl29QyIwRFZZ9ohoOuueaDN7wjObzvdPjZ67LvBOGmXR6VYie90Z1iNWYeWaBbj9d1-kZxbSEgMXbeuugPyuh1Z1cM09qSJpoNekcfeyzu/s1600/IMAG0287.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmgF4H1tarm24CnNLZy_K_g3dsfOgTzHKLyQl29QyIwRFZZ9ohoOuueaDN7wjObzvdPjZ67LvBOGmXR6VYie90Z1iNWYeWaBbj9d1-kZxbSEgMXbeuugPyuh1Z1cM09qSJpoNekcfeyzu/s400/IMAG0287.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507279594996367698" /></a><br /><br /><br />Jake would come and stay at my house and I would make sure that the pantry was stocked, for Jake loved to eat almost as much as he loved the Lord! The man had an appetite! These trips to Alabama went on for some time and Jake was always there, ready to sacrifice for me. He asked nothing in return and he gladly accepted each time I would ask him. I truly thought that he enjoyed being out there in the deep country, away from lights and city sounds, rude people, and all of the rest of the urban trappings.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvOnrh3O1mkN57ZEgJyASPl1O3kJ0EcAfJw-QPhqAfUaJcZYGVprDNGmtsipfxbcFcQaahnKS0rlTTs0t23e9adIkOMxJJdRcKtZ0FPmi4vrDRO7AsbqNh_8ZTmSvmzZeeOIhZpPS-9iD/s1600/IMAG0286.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvOnrh3O1mkN57ZEgJyASPl1O3kJ0EcAfJw-QPhqAfUaJcZYGVprDNGmtsipfxbcFcQaahnKS0rlTTs0t23e9adIkOMxJJdRcKtZ0FPmi4vrDRO7AsbqNh_8ZTmSvmzZeeOIhZpPS-9iD/s400/IMAG0286.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507279352906928402" /></a><br /><br />It wasn’t until I returned from Alabama for what would be my last visit before I moved there that my mother told me something that Jake had told her. He told her that he just couldn’t understand how I did it. He said the freezer was indeed full of food but it was all game such as deer, rabbit, chicken, and fish. It all had to be cooked and Jake was more of a “open the can, pour it in the pan, heat it up-eat it up” kind of guy. I never knew that about him. Something else I never knew about him was how lonely he was out there. He told my mother “I just don’t know how Buddy does it, living out there like that. It’s just so lonely.”<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMYzY0JAtWQpVv4ChvilMpwARtEMwxCUehdSQfhAN2MI_zdYB6_dlF_TGkLlynVXRPjLCIThuEigKHio4vhDtZjCgbXMA7NH8K3B6jZ7imOUX8AAF528CCTV34ILRCyH7PBi0I4kEfFlP/s1600/IMAG0290.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMYzY0JAtWQpVv4ChvilMpwARtEMwxCUehdSQfhAN2MI_zdYB6_dlF_TGkLlynVXRPjLCIThuEigKHio4vhDtZjCgbXMA7NH8K3B6jZ7imOUX8AAF528CCTV34ILRCyH7PBi0I4kEfFlP/s320/IMAG0290.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507278592014153522" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBjaqLs_0d2XLqIw77KtLauz_OwhpjztDKR_AWYml4CkzhqwOwGarUtOJYft_iAGoBEs40dpE9l_S39Q5xzYjjhSdi2DTmxmOujvMgQqCgAAxmhNV9KifAled9Arry4948N0p1-ygubGC/s1600/IMAG0289.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBjaqLs_0d2XLqIw77KtLauz_OwhpjztDKR_AWYml4CkzhqwOwGarUtOJYft_iAGoBEs40dpE9l_S39Q5xzYjjhSdi2DTmxmOujvMgQqCgAAxmhNV9KifAled9Arry4948N0p1-ygubGC/s320/IMAG0289.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507278971821443826" /></a><br /><br />I never even suspected that he felt so alone out there. He never let on. He just accepted the task and care took for me as if he were caring for his own home and animals. He just served with his heart, because that was the only way that Jake knew to be. He truly had a Servant’s Heart, in the way that Christ would want for us all to have. He served quietly and with love and devotion. He asked for nothing in return, yet he gave all that he could when he met someone in need. I don’t know if he knew it at the time, but he taught his big brother some things that I likely would never have learned had it not been for him. He taught me about giving. Not money or fancy presents, not coveted things gotten from monetary wealth. He taught me how to give of myself. He taught me that it is truly better to give all that you can, all that you have in order to better another person’s situation in life. He brought me closer to the Lord because of his gentle soul and caring ways. Jake’s greatest gift to me was the wondrous gift that I carry each day and that is the knowledge that someday I will see him again because he taught me what I needed to do to ensure that. I have since done so, and each day I try to be more like him, and to honor my loved ones and serve my Lord. I falter, and I do fail but I never stop trying because I know that like Jake, I am but a mere human. But knowing that I am not perfect and that he now is and why this is the case has made all of the difference. It is through child like faith the words of Jesus Christ and a servant’s heart that we gain our greatest accomplishment, eternity in paradise. I thank you Brother, for showing me the way.<br /><br />This picture of Jake was made a year or so ago at Mom and Mike's<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyHjBaZlFpTFC3utQ6RV5kZkggcug-B8Vdh6TJsGx0DXX4Tj6oDLIfFQzx9_5VkxhLBTxiuhbb4ClMwLAzMfQsBnVdIo1GJyTKmjNiFVkY3nUrdAjOLG1wfJz3vn_lJnETgkPdbq3G6qW/s1600/JAKE+STANDING.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyHjBaZlFpTFC3utQ6RV5kZkggcug-B8Vdh6TJsGx0DXX4Tj6oDLIfFQzx9_5VkxhLBTxiuhbb4ClMwLAzMfQsBnVdIo1GJyTKmjNiFVkY3nUrdAjOLG1wfJz3vn_lJnETgkPdbq3G6qW/s400/JAKE+STANDING.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507281865152577714" /></a>Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-63683761574771980792010-08-12T01:00:00.000-07:002010-08-12T09:08:17.020-07:00IS SCOUTING STILL ALIVE?Jake as a Cub Scout at around the age of seven.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBu5YGIJ5QQ_OR1Oi-u9yY1i2_Ov8jmvxYGJou9XqlS-YRPsRuFA9hALlgy7IfjIAi4-VcxoKgPbuHgfEnMdCSM8obb9sMEEGMhMaguxF31bsBzPZpWBko1Bn7DHk7QN5fWhYqFUJ6XQR/s1600/cub.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 279px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503789075383704018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBu5YGIJ5QQ_OR1Oi-u9yY1i2_Ov8jmvxYGJou9XqlS-YRPsRuFA9hALlgy7IfjIAi4-VcxoKgPbuHgfEnMdCSM8obb9sMEEGMhMaguxF31bsBzPZpWBko1Bn7DHk7QN5fWhYqFUJ6XQR/s400/cub.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Upon Jake's death, I "inherited" one of Jake's journals and this excerpt came from one he began in 2004 and was the story of his life up until that time. In Jake's own words and spelling:)<br /><br /><strong><em>"Shortly after my mothers father died which my whole family was close to, by then I was a freshman in high school I was a joker, and class clown but still I wasn't a good school student. I liked to get into a little trouble sneaking a cigarette once in awhile, cut class now and them. But there was one thing that I had great pride in I had become an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, I really understood the scouting ways and the way a young man should act and live, and at that time the Scouts was my only real Gold Star."</em></strong><br /><br />It gave me reason to remember sweetly about Jake's scouting days. He began as a Cub and I was his Den Mom and then he advanced to Weblow and on to Boy Scout. He proudly wore his uniform and made many friends, some remained friends all his life.<br /><br />I think Jake was about eleven here and had earned three badges at this point as a Boy Scout.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu9AYnVs0qOjMfGGXfhw_AFIW6k4jY9vOm2g-08hAxrpTnaGYLKPkjnapv1JJfBSHhOFotgS3-0-FB6w7N0hrEuw9nfv_Xm5ceD4O44f-lbI19VnF-htvmOSWoItfOrSCXwzXqHdBtXRI/s1600/bs+age+11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503789465011114482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu9AYnVs0qOjMfGGXfhw_AFIW6k4jY9vOm2g-08hAxrpTnaGYLKPkjnapv1JJfBSHhOFotgS3-0-FB6w7N0hrEuw9nfv_Xm5ceD4O44f-lbI19VnF-htvmOSWoItfOrSCXwzXqHdBtXRI/s400/bs+age+11.jpg" /></a><br /><br />It was with humility and pride that his "old" scout leader came to his funeral to pay his respects. He was so shocked that Jake's life had ended so soon. My son Buddy realized that we had neglected to mention in Jake's obituary that he was an Eagle Scout, so Buddy wrote on a plain piece of paper the following:<br /><br /><em><strong>"Jake was an Eagle Scout. Once (around the age of 14 or so) while at Garland Scout Ranch he and a close friend, Charles Young, were out hiking and were miles from camp. At some point in their hike they came upon a lake or pond and saw an overturned boat on it's shore. They decided to investigate further and when Charles reached down to turn the boat over he was bitten in the wrist by a venomous snake. I believe that the snake was a copperhead, although it may very well have been a cotton mouth water moccasin. Both boys were very frightened, but were able to keep their senses about them and struck out for camp. Jake stayed right beside Charles the entire time and worked hard to keep both himself and Charles calm. They eventually reached camp and were able to receive medical attention for the snake bite"</strong></em>(and this note was propped up in his casket. Mr. Langley, his scout leader also wrote his name and troop number on the note.)<br /><br />And Buddy goes on to write:<br /><br /><em><strong>"Jake had already been confirmed to the "Order Of The Arrow" http://www.oa-bsa.org/ and was well on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout. This incident cemented his ascension to that highest of Scouting ranks. It is both honored and coveted among both scouts and their families. Jake represented the true nature and qualities needed to be an Eagle Scout. He was unwavering in his faith in the Lord, his desire to help others, and his belief that in order to live in a loving, caring society one must live to be a loving and caring person. He set that example every moment of his life. There never was nor will there ever be an Eagle Scout that better fit the mold of what every Eagle Scout should be. I was there when he received that promotion and I have never known a more proud moment in my life. As well as being my younger Brother, he was and remains my hero. My greatest influence in life for what a good and loving Christian man is supposed to be like. My Brother, my hero, my best friend. I miss him beyond measure."<br />Buddy Wendling,Jake's brother.</strong></em><br /><br />Jake receiving his Eagle Scout award at about age fifteen. A proud moment.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6PWVoBLacJPf6yrFxbBabv4N7nBAQGndvsHBAF-UeHjfvJELudeqpGt6N97bcEqJ7Y9xJiI3RcUpjZQ7jkmo-c7RxY4A-me9-cAOeSbyaVEYtTn8nEoy_UTYXByCtqCP0K5ydy22JaXS/s1600/eagle.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 353px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503790003756505762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6PWVoBLacJPf6yrFxbBabv4N7nBAQGndvsHBAF-UeHjfvJELudeqpGt6N97bcEqJ7Y9xJiI3RcUpjZQ7jkmo-c7RxY4A-me9-cAOeSbyaVEYtTn8nEoy_UTYXByCtqCP0K5ydy22JaXS/s400/eagle.jpg" /></a><br /><br />All the family got to take a plant home from Jake's funeral and I chose a simple split leaf philodendrem and it was in fact given by Mr. Langley and his wife. I'm reminded each day when I look at the plant of the special scouting days with Jake.<br /><br />Awesome! I regret I didn't mention this more to Jake, but I think it is normal for us to have regrets. Isn't this just part of a humans make-up to assign some blame for things we cannot control even if the blame has to be on ourselves. I must stop doing that because it is a little slice of negativity that I cannot afford to have.<br /><br />Moms and Grandmas please encourage your boys in scouting. It is such a worthwhile organization and truly helps shape your boy into an honorable young man.<br /><br />And for you stay at home moms, consider volunteering. I promise you'll be so glad you did!<br />Check out <a href="http://www,boyscoutsofamerica.org/">Boy Scouts of America </a>today!<br /><br />TODAY'S LESSON FROM JAKE FOR ME: I believe that school and fitting in with the "normal" kids was difficult for Jake as he was diagnosed with a learning disability and may have seen himself as "different" from others so to speak, but as for his self esteem I think Jake exhibited a good feeling about himself because he saw the best in everyone and therefore I think overall he was treated fairly by most. He certainly had the opportunity to go "bad" and hang with the wrong crowd as it is often easier for kids to do, but he knew what was right and what was not, and he stuck to his values. I think when we're able to do that others admire and look up to someone who can do what is right in the face of adversity and with humility rather than arrogance, and Jake was not arrogant. So I think overall the lesson I got from this little story is to do the right thing even when doing the wrong thing would be easier. And not to live our lives riding the fence but to stand for something.<br /><br />Thank you Lord for the priviledge of being Jake's Momma for forty years. It just was not long enough.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-25696693457653076552010-08-07T07:26:00.000-07:002010-08-10T15:03:11.683-07:00PREDICTABLE IS GOOD...RIGHT?Have you ever known someone that regardless of the place, reason or event everyone wanted to HUG? <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKbuXczM2hndK1bzhFGm_0PNyT8xvC4bIG4yqm1JNpEBvGijinmjCGcBTu7SdgHtiDb3sWwvQQh78b5XwawXyJ07fzkxyzH_gC7H2hezlI37utYCu7YJ7Vq3EoCmqUsi1KpNZt07nYypH/s1600/HUGS+BY+JAKE.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKbuXczM2hndK1bzhFGm_0PNyT8xvC4bIG4yqm1JNpEBvGijinmjCGcBTu7SdgHtiDb3sWwvQQh78b5XwawXyJ07fzkxyzH_gC7H2hezlI37utYCu7YJ7Vq3EoCmqUsi1KpNZt07nYypH/s400/HUGS+BY+JAKE.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502727867202009986" /></a><br /><br />Jake was that kind of guy. He was a hugger. He like to give really small tender hugs to everyone. Man or woman and age or the length of time he'd known you didn't matter, he would just give a handshake if it were a man and reach out for a slight hug. If it were a female he'd forego the handshake and just hug. But while Jake's hugs were slight, he loved to be hugged tightly and this is what most everyone did to him. You could just predict it.<br /><br />Another predictable of Jake's was his phrases. He never left from talking to anyone that he did not say "God Bless You". And of course most folks said in turn "God Bless You Too". He also said this to people far enough away who could not even hear him. Someone who let him have the rightaway in turning or someone who gave him a friendly wave while driving. I don't even think he said this from habit. He truly wanted God to Bless everyone. He was working with our bird; a Sun Conure named Louise to repeat the phrase. So everytime he visited us upon leaving he told Lou several times "God Bless You". She has not repeated it yet, but these birds have such a long life span I feel she will begin saying it before she is really old. We continue Jake's legacy of Blessing Lou often now.<br /><br />The next phrase or "Jakeism" as one of his co-workers refers to is "Bless His/Her Heart". When he was at a loss for words or rather than saying something unkind about someone, he simply smiled and said "Bless His Heart". Then if the other person had been gossipy he stopped in his tracks upon hearing Jake want to Bless them as who can talk badly about someone when the other person is wanting to bless them. And I've been with Jake more than I can count when someone or something has occured to Jake that would make most of us curse and become bitter, and he'd just lower his head a bit, shake his head slightly in bewilderment and softly say "Bless Her Heart".<br /><br />What on earth can bring out these traits in someone constantly and consistantly? I think NOTHING on Earth can. I know God can and I know God did. Oh please don't get me wrong folks and think this is a bereaved mother who can only see the good in her son and will next think he should be nominated for sainthood. Jake had his faults, his character defects as we all do. He was human. But truly among our family they were so small and far and few between that we really as a whole have a hard time seeing them as anything glaring. He was just a special kind of guy!<br /><br />And I cannot forget to mention Jake's trademark phrase. WOW! Yes Wow is something Jake said so many times a day you just barely noticed. Anything he found to be good, amazing, unusual, funny, happy, sad, or any emotion you can think of Jake thought it to be WOW! And he drew the word waaaaaaaaay out like WOOOOOOOOW! I will never again hear that word without thinking of Jake and seeing his face either in amazement or disbelief or from just pure bliss.<br /><br />Predictability...I think it is refreshing. <br /><br />I've been doing a lot of reading, praying, listening to others and thinking and I believe that when the blast of the shotgun entered Jake's neck that his soul was lifted from his precious body at the same instant he was looking up seeing Jesus, arms wide open welcoming him into heaven, saying "Jake c'mon home" and Jake was trying to say WOW!<br /><br />I just miss and love my boy like crazy.<br /> <br />Bless His Heart!<br /><br />TODAY'S LESSON FROM JAKE: What I have learned is to ask God to give me a servant's heart and one that truly cares and then let people know that I care. Caring is contageous and it can change the world one person at a time.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992697692837762784.post-21193546262908271682010-07-28T15:59:00.001-07:002010-08-10T15:03:42.406-07:00A HOME DEPOT COMPANY MAN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0wKs_8dtGb_NhkiTVszllxNCq81CJZRgvAIwarGy6lQVUIClSTfYVS00cBb1btzpPf4Bt8XOrYXmi9RaKeTibHBbmUafIV0vsI1zNzjvEPKicMTLaoSh2HfTvSZYhIxrHehSo6x7DrYC/s1600/hd+jacket.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0wKs_8dtGb_NhkiTVszllxNCq81CJZRgvAIwarGy6lQVUIClSTfYVS00cBb1btzpPf4Bt8XOrYXmi9RaKeTibHBbmUafIV0vsI1zNzjvEPKicMTLaoSh2HfTvSZYhIxrHehSo6x7DrYC/s400/hd+jacket.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499120537064448914" /></a><br /><br />It seems to be hard to find someone today with long time employment at the same job. I've always had the tendancy to work somewhere for a period of time and when tired of the hum drum routine, or maybe tired of my boss, or in many cases my boss had grown tired of me!!! or whatever the reason, it was time for me to move on and find another job. There was just always a seemingly good reason why I needed to leave one job for another. <br /><br />I had a son who felt differently. He was my youngest, my baby, the least of us. He had a GED which he was very proud of. He also had worked hard to obtain his Horticulturist Certification and license. Double proud of that! <br /><br />Jake knew how to stick with something. He was hired over a decade ago to help set up and open the first Home Depot Store in our area. He didn't have a clue how long he might be there but was proud as punch and excited to be in on the ground floor of such an awesome company. I remember the first orange apron he brought home. You'd have thought it was ties and tails fit for the White House. Jake cherished his apron. He thought it was cool to be awarded the company merit badges and loved lining his apron with them. Badges and patches. Also you could write with Sharpie markers little motivational slogans on your apron and he did that and wrote his name JAKE in big letters with his marker.<br /><br />After the store opened he started in the garden center. He worked there several years and developed many friendships that stood the test of time with co-workers and vendors. And especially with his customers. Many of them later called upon him to come to their homes and cut their grass or build a flower bed and rake leaves in the fall. He did this on weekends and was always conscientious of not letting side work interfere with his main job with Home Depot. <br /><br />He later was trained to operate the fork lift and got to work in other areas of the store such as lumber and flooring. Later on he was moved to the Pro Desk and one of his daily tasks was to make coffee take charge of cleaning the coffee pot and always having supplies on hand. He too worked the lot and loaded trucks with lumber and other heavy purchases for builders and contractors. He was responsible for bringing in the buggies and keeping the lot clean. <br /><br />He got to help outside with the Christmas trees sales and with the chain saw helped trim and load them and he got a lot of pleasure from this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpuiO7Z5cGq6RA8gBkJekDYr6n4q1Nu2NhEXxOl50f6R1AqEQtVjpPfzTspCv8FhfrwS9Xz06vXOehK8LZgxcM1d8255GBq3W0RWrx60OEQLqreKZVJWtr0Y5ItiDVM_qkR6bKXer2nWU/s1600/jake+with+tree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpuiO7Z5cGq6RA8gBkJekDYr6n4q1Nu2NhEXxOl50f6R1AqEQtVjpPfzTspCv8FhfrwS9Xz06vXOehK8LZgxcM1d8255GBq3W0RWrx60OEQLqreKZVJWtr0Y5ItiDVM_qkR6bKXer2nWU/s400/jake+with+tree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499116357123087362" /></a><br /><br />Jake was discouraged and saddened that he had been passed over so many times to become a department head. I always tried to encourage him saying I felt that one day he would be a department head but that it was just not the right time. He never became bitter but kept on working and doing each task to the best of his ability. He just loved working for Home Depot. He loved so many he worked with.<br /><br />He had a 401K savings plan which helped him buy his mobile home and other things which made him happy but I don't recall ever hearing him boast of things like that.<br /><br />During his early days at The Home Depot he became a racing fan and of course that meant he was a huge Tony Stewart supporter. He and his wife Anna got to go watch him drive several times and it was nice for his family because we never had any problem with finding something to buy for Jake for Christmas or his birthday because the Tony Stewart merchandise was never ending.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq23F7Wno-hJtNTpj_PMEtzzj89fOtF-Dy224EvdXn4zRQlzr842IEq4WcdSFXciATemTGPYg9y59Dt5hFw7pTM81xm_1T4mQ9Jl_BxpqmCAEnfzCwQ74RU5LYkMFBNMYWJ5Yxv3kEU2-D/s1600/jakes+house+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 367px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq23F7Wno-hJtNTpj_PMEtzzj89fOtF-Dy224EvdXn4zRQlzr842IEq4WcdSFXciATemTGPYg9y59Dt5hFw7pTM81xm_1T4mQ9Jl_BxpqmCAEnfzCwQ74RU5LYkMFBNMYWJ5Yxv3kEU2-D/s400/jakes+house+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499116645199656162" /></a><br /><br />He amassed quite a collection and when he first bought his little home and invited me to come see it after his decorating was done, I opened the door and was nearly blinded by ORANGE. Well Jake just got the biggest kick out of all the orange, the Home Depot and the Tony Stewart.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TWc_VegzdVvMDf7KOTFOnnqykS2yHDsscJPjLXz57sX2Qzv0jWPmKZwLIZc0mSeZLEffZywoTJbjgDSIWVRgH49Fdg36NADqCkie5dvugO9wbStg9nc7wiEbH2QwV9D0YoTblINgOe0Z/s1600/jh+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TWc_VegzdVvMDf7KOTFOnnqykS2yHDsscJPjLXz57sX2Qzv0jWPmKZwLIZc0mSeZLEffZywoTJbjgDSIWVRgH49Fdg36NADqCkie5dvugO9wbStg9nc7wiEbH2QwV9D0YoTblINgOe0Z/s320/jh+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499120106796055762" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_36sQqnmrcvsDFY67kEXvZynU501Fc2YpLSWVUsxGMrECms2XqI4icBAtQ1K4bybFAD8fUN03DLVb07_S9OEEw0NKORt_hmD3U4KirHN_AknuyOG-MhR-bd1ZO2YzOo9mskFJ0EILyrgI/s1600/jh3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_36sQqnmrcvsDFY67kEXvZynU501Fc2YpLSWVUsxGMrECms2XqI4icBAtQ1K4bybFAD8fUN03DLVb07_S9OEEw0NKORt_hmD3U4KirHN_AknuyOG-MhR-bd1ZO2YzOo9mskFJ0EILyrgI/s320/jh3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499117564279236946" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0zFcHcFz-qfXXkL5qn4q68aqQq5O8AYwrRzje4tXw11flL0B4Uex4gIjz7LtwFAVfB_qbyc8YQQMqbhb_D8u7MA7hqgM0GchvNlOBEr8PaE9CrvJDbUCAWDpW611GJn2ICBW4a2yxdzu/s1600/jh4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0zFcHcFz-qfXXkL5qn4q68aqQq5O8AYwrRzje4tXw11flL0B4Uex4gIjz7LtwFAVfB_qbyc8YQQMqbhb_D8u7MA7hqgM0GchvNlOBEr8PaE9CrvJDbUCAWDpW611GJn2ICBW4a2yxdzu/s320/jh4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499118018987220594" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorxyviHNzRhgzdMMWidOuwl9uLpFIRQpFqamnMGwrk0tC_QSIJfqe2h8PJnNw5a5KmbYr229xtNGqup4ECLEkkLL5rnJUSfqg2ogY6FpVD1ucyg96783CbrWn9XXQLeI4bbCb3MvjAwsM/s1600/jh5.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorxyviHNzRhgzdMMWidOuwl9uLpFIRQpFqamnMGwrk0tC_QSIJfqe2h8PJnNw5a5KmbYr229xtNGqup4ECLEkkLL5rnJUSfqg2ogY6FpVD1ucyg96783CbrWn9XXQLeI4bbCb3MvjAwsM/s320/jh5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499118322343674626" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFBVOhhOT_Do8vmBYfp_veZ-85WvEL7mVf89zpLU44TRFimZ7-pLR5ufF7G-pvp5luRp0b-8PDR3nJjHaEIHtnn0vzT4Iw5AetgcrqIO5xa8_U9RmbFKmBWMqdGIGjCfC_iOU2okL6Gfm/s1600/jh6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFBVOhhOT_Do8vmBYfp_veZ-85WvEL7mVf89zpLU44TRFimZ7-pLR5ufF7G-pvp5luRp0b-8PDR3nJjHaEIHtnn0vzT4Iw5AetgcrqIO5xa8_U9RmbFKmBWMqdGIGjCfC_iOU2okL6Gfm/s320/jh6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499118657959079330" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7P6f0Hc2L-bIvB-7bntk1q0GCCu6e5o75CvE_4aZUuuCiAb_Q8CAHbUQoEK90-sZRYX-5oYmH4ieq9kxekWlwXIRmeomDxcqIKvfSRgopRRy-xGOWmdBKOhdhJO9d9F-3UMQHdg4OrR70/s1600/jh7.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7P6f0Hc2L-bIvB-7bntk1q0GCCu6e5o75CvE_4aZUuuCiAb_Q8CAHbUQoEK90-sZRYX-5oYmH4ieq9kxekWlwXIRmeomDxcqIKvfSRgopRRy-xGOWmdBKOhdhJO9d9F-3UMQHdg4OrR70/s320/jh7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499118983416857602" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqiAaIo8vVm2JvsEIHF1_7q1hj_SlNqEXVYCWQMO9CV0z_dPh-yyWkKZ6FvnnX531rzQUhc4VaYuU9GcnBEJ-6h_vKj_vodYb4bFm1o-SBkr_dbS8-GfU_9A7uCkt1OIsg0Ld0npxmhfJ/s1600/jh8.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqiAaIo8vVm2JvsEIHF1_7q1hj_SlNqEXVYCWQMO9CV0z_dPh-yyWkKZ6FvnnX531rzQUhc4VaYuU9GcnBEJ-6h_vKj_vodYb4bFm1o-SBkr_dbS8-GfU_9A7uCkt1OIsg0Ld0npxmhfJ/s320/jh8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499119292630308818" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP-jQ81ATFgyLbr_IlrlYuZcX1A8F8yjMyGTNx_Tg_79IuNizMVq98DuunJ2weXkrZjhuNk_vdh5rwyWqeHlyDS9h72uKJ7W4tOV25ctKUUkBmY3ZLf2znQ2AXqyyfv8yawf0gleBfJL7/s1600/jh9.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP-jQ81ATFgyLbr_IlrlYuZcX1A8F8yjMyGTNx_Tg_79IuNizMVq98DuunJ2weXkrZjhuNk_vdh5rwyWqeHlyDS9h72uKJ7W4tOV25ctKUUkBmY3ZLf2znQ2AXqyyfv8yawf0gleBfJL7/s320/jh9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499119660054086210" /></a><br /><br />He kept it all around his house until he began seeing a young lady and he thought he might just look a little childish or that his place might look a wee bit "batchelorish" to her that he decided to pack up much of his collection and let her have her hand at decorating and he also liked the new look as you can see here and felt more grown up indeed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMO6GSDzcTU5wqRcNT-EVJ84eiQSOBdOQ0zNuVmQKhz-6Lx-6Eb7VtZWd-o41fpXkOysaLVAXHRA4wYhFYZ9txlsTCt4IAzRB9y-hwnOkM8y1jPQb_qZInGsRDDYK_0zut1WT4OA7mji5/s1600/clean+house.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 339px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMO6GSDzcTU5wqRcNT-EVJ84eiQSOBdOQ0zNuVmQKhz-6Lx-6Eb7VtZWd-o41fpXkOysaLVAXHRA4wYhFYZ9txlsTCt4IAzRB9y-hwnOkM8y1jPQb_qZInGsRDDYK_0zut1WT4OA7mji5/s400/clean+house.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499116077459193410" /></a><br /><br />He was married much of the time he was employed at Home Depot and he and his wife enjoyed the parties and made friends they saw outside of work. He and his wife divorced about four years ago, but remained friends.<br /><br />About three years ago Jake felt he was having a problem with alcohol and he went to his supervisor who led him into a substance abuse program and with much humility and gratitude Jake was able with God's help to overcome his desire to drink and was coming up on three years of continued sobriety. I think this heightened his respect for "his company" and theirs for him.<br /><br />Two things Jake always wanted was to become a Daddy and to be Self Employed. He never had children but dated a couple of very nice women who had children and he thought so much of them. He was a terrific uncle to many and I will be writing soon about the impact Jake had on his nieces and nephews. <br /><br />He left The Home Depot for a few months to start his own landscaping business and saw that the challenges were too great. You see to make a success of your own business you must make a profit and Jake had a terrible time in charging his customers. He seemed to be just as happy with a sandwich and a glass of tea and of course the opportunity to share scripture with them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_1gbeeEFOxtrs3k_coJHg4thRA3CfclyiiNQj4mXgrxzaRRsxr8QnwMqHAj_ZD6Q9TiuikqKji9XAhPkHkNW-vG9-Q9uafN6CYJ8f6XbrxLqcH7qjhFszBgUk_kD2f0-DTBofV_nF7UC/s1600/jakes+witnes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_1gbeeEFOxtrs3k_coJHg4thRA3CfclyiiNQj4mXgrxzaRRsxr8QnwMqHAj_ZD6Q9TiuikqKji9XAhPkHkNW-vG9-Q9uafN6CYJ8f6XbrxLqcH7qjhFszBgUk_kD2f0-DTBofV_nF7UC/s400/jakes+witnes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499115571779600386" /></a><br /><br />He just could not get the concept of how to charge and many times made barely enough to cover what he had paid for the plants to put in someone's flower bed. So he abandoned the dream of self employment and he was hired back to work with the Merchandising Team of Home Depot. He worked with a great bunch of folks there and loved each and every one of them. How in awe Jake would be to know that because he had not been back long enough for his life insurance to be in effect that his family was reimbursed all of his funeral expenses from the goodness of a non-profit charity of this wonderful company called <a href="http://www.thdhomerfund.org/contact.shtml">The Homer Fund</a>. I think he knows.<br /><br />Many of his co-workers signed this brand new orange apron and presented it to Jake's family before his funeral.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBRrGs_4t1O4XT8VmwslZlv5k5qPuILnyLuVneS3uVwA-AE61_z-r7qsDRy-Zq5TSpBLvSQIOsMSIOyxseGmANNfNU8gN0KgqpR5uOq9Q6IAmfYY_mf7G4yZOD7I7KfekVbOGPcSwI3ta/s1600/apron.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 352px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBRrGs_4t1O4XT8VmwslZlv5k5qPuILnyLuVneS3uVwA-AE61_z-r7qsDRy-Zq5TSpBLvSQIOsMSIOyxseGmANNfNU8gN0KgqpR5uOq9Q6IAmfYY_mf7G4yZOD7I7KfekVbOGPcSwI3ta/s400/apron.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499124746499806242" /></a><br /><br />The church was full of friends he had worked for, with and had gotten to know as customers. Many, many eulogies were given and people told of how their lives were changed as a result of knowing my son. Many told of their relationship with Jesus Christ as a result of Jake's witness. How proud we were.<br /><br />Jake's family is broken up and broken hearted with his passing. He is missed at The Home Depot, at his church and in the hearts of all who had the pleasure of knowing him. We know he is with Jesus. We know he knows no sadness. Our grief simply comes from our knowing we won't be seeing him in this life and seeing that great smile of his. But we will go on and we will be a little better of a person because we knew Jake.<br /><br />TODAY'S LESSON FROM JAKE: The grass is not always greener on the other side. Loyalty is hard to come by but so richly rewarding. No job should be beneath us; if it needs doing just do it. And last but not least, a full day's work for a full day's pay. Honor and integrity is something money cannot buy. So many lessons from someone so much younger and believing even the smallest, the youngest can lead and can teach.Mollyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11659366521767357537noreply@blogger.com6