Struggles... In Loving Memory...

 My weekend was wrecked by the news that a dear, dear friend of mine went to be with the Lord on Saturday. To say that it was a shock is an understatement!! She was 41 yrs old and left behind a husband and 7 children (ranging in age from 15 to 5 mths.). From the news on her facebook page, she died of a brain aneurysm on Saturday morning.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS FAMILY!

Kristen was BEAUTIFUL... a one word description that summarizes everything about her! She was a true Proverbs 31 woman with a heart of gold and a smile that was infectious. We met at a crazy time in both of our lives, and Kristen became my inspiration! Brad and I had made the decision to change churches (hopefully moving to one closer to our home), and we were raising 3 little boys...one that was starting Kindergarten. We chose the church, we would come to call home, because we awakened to late on a Sunday morning to go to a church farther away. We had remembered the church with the little blue roof, literally down the street from us. The minute we walked through its doors, we knew we had found a place that was very special, a place to call home. Within 5 minutes we had met tons of brothers and sisters in Christ, and Kristen was the first to greet and welcome me (with her big beautiful smile). From that day forward our friendship would grow. We shared the common love of Jesus and the second love of our husbands and children. She had three children that were near my boys ages with her daughter being of school age. Alas, we would begin to form the common bond of homeschool. She would be my mentor and help as Brad and I began the journey to homeschool our children; however, she was more than that ...she was another sister, a soul sister and dear friend. We would meet weekly, sometimes daily to pray, study the Lord's word, and share our dreams, struggles, and joys of being mommies. We would sometimes meet at our house and sometimes theirs, and more often than not we would end up at a kitchen table with a cup of tea,studying God's word, and spending hours talking and sharing our spiritual walk while our kiddos played together. We refered to each other as "kitchen table" friend, and a sisterhood began, a love for one another that can only be formed with Jesus at the center.  In recent years(she moved to Houston, and I moved to Missouri),we hadn't seen each other as much nor did we talk on the phone much, but we thanked God for the gift of facebook (so we could keep up with the things happening in each others lives... God would bless their family with 4 more children, and ours with 3,and one waiting in China). She would send me facebook messages with hopes of us getting our families together and meeting all the newest members of each family. Kristen loved without measure and lived her life totally devoted to God and her family! She gave of herself. She radiated JOY, and she was a person whose presence lifted you up and made you want to strive for more. She was an amazing wife, mother, and homeschool teacher. She lived life to serve the Lord, and she often shared that she wanted nothing more than for her children to grow up serving and loving the Lord with all their hearts, minds and soul.
Me...the tears keep flowing and won't stop... I have been alternating between tears and joy. I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kristen is in the arms of Jesus...dancing,dancing,dancing...oh and singing (what a glorious voice she had). I know that God has a reason ... that He needed her and that she is more than happy to serve HIM. Oh but it hurts... and I hurt for her husband and children... so How can you be filled with Joy and filled with sorrow at the same time? ... all because we know that Jesus lives so that we can have eternity with him. Kristen, my sweet, sweet Kitchen friend...we will meet again...we already agreed... I'll see you in heaven!!
Would you please join me in praying for her husband and children? They are hurting and struggling, and I cannot imagine how their life has been turned upside down...