The LORD gives in abundance. We miss so many of HIS blessings, HIS gifts, HIS mercies. But we sure do notice when HE takes away. I'm in the midst of two more of HIS "taking aways".  A dear friend of mine whom I have worked closely with at church is moving to Africa. :o(  She is such a special, unique lady; I will miss her and her patience with me at church!

Today I attended a funeral. It was for an elderly neighbor that we had befriended over the years. I already regret that we didn't spend more time with him. It's so hard for me to know how to juggle everything. I wonder if we said enough. I wonder if he is in Heaven or in Hell. It hurts to not know. It hurt to see such small attendance. It hurt to see that he had not spent his time with his family well; you could sense the hurt relationships. You could hear it in the letter that was read. Though he may not have been even close to what he could have been, I will still miss him. :o(

I also found the marker for a boy in our church who died almost a year ago. I never had the courage to go to his graveside before today. :o( But I do know he is in Heaven, and I will see him again, so there is more peace in that. However, that does not take away the pain I feel for their family and the great "fracture" it has caused in their lives. The pain of the death of a child never goes away.

I'm thankful for Heaven. Imagine how despairing life would be if we only lived to die and be no more or worse, go only to Hell. We have the opportunity to escape it. We have the opportunity to help others escape it. I need to remember to make EACH moment count, for I don't know when my last one will be. I don't know when their last moment will be.