Well, I have plenty of excuses, and none at all for not keeping updated on my blogs. But here we are just a few days before Thanksgiving. We have had our share of valley experiences the past month with the passing of my dear Uncle Stan who I loved with my whole heart. He had suffered for about 23 months with cancer. His homegoing was beautiful and stories I've heard about his last moments here on this earth were nothing short of truly a heavenly experience. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is in the presence of the Lord. I miss his smile, his blue eyes that sparkled. I miss his stories and jokes. He gave the best hugs in the world too. I know he is in a better place now, but I still wish he was here with us. He certainly left us way too soon. The picture is him holding my Gentry when he was 3 weeks old and his PRECIOUS wife, Kathy behind him.
We enjoyed having our best friends, Glenn, MaDonna and their children, Easton and Chapel with us during the end of September. It was SO good to be able to see them all again and visit, laugh and enjoy old memories while making new ones as well. We got to go to a Cardinals baseball game while they were here. There is a picture of MaDonna and me at the stadium. The Cards lead 6-0 until around the 7th or 8th inning and the other team (can't remember who)...started STOMPING the Cards. We stayed til the very last out with our hopes high of a major comeback, but left with a 12-6 loss over the opposing team...the Twins maybe??? Now, Glenn and MaDonna and of course, my husband are NOT Cardinal fans, but they were kind enough to cheer my team on with me...and for that I thank them!! :) :) :)
MaDonna has been working on a new project for several months and it just released this past week. I've heard all the "rough" cuts and I have to tell you...YOU NEED TO BUY THIS CD! I think it's her best yet and she sounds as good as ever. You can probably get her information and address on their church website: livingway.cc.
My sweet little grandma Sullivan (pictured in my Father's Day blog) has just been diagnosed with breast cancer on top of having pneumonia that she is being hospitalized for. I think they said she will be in the hospital for about another week. She has Alzheimer's disease, but they say she is taking all of her newly diagnosed problems gracefully. I think she will be taking some sort of chemo in the form of a pill.
This past Sunday we received a devastating phone call getting news that our dear friend, Rich Wynn passed away from complications with double pneumonia. Rich and his family were the very first members of our church out in Virginia. From the moment we met him and his amazing family, we connected and over time they became our surrogate family while we lived in Fredericksburg. So, with broken and heavy hearts, we headed out to Virginia as soon as we had packed a few things and just got back home this afternoon.
Rich was from New York originally, so we had a memorial service in Virginia and the funeral in New York. It was amazing to see how many people he had impacted over the years. He spent many years caught up in an addiction with alcohol, but when God delivered him, he became a completely changed man, committed to the cause of Christ and telling everyone he came in contact with about the great things God had done in his life.
He leaves behind a beautiful wife, Rosalind and 5 children, Ivan (&Maddie), Maggie, Marian, Danielle, & Tommy. He told us so much about his extended family and we had actually had the privilege of meeting several of them, but the ones we hadn't meant in person yet, we finally got to meet. What a beautiful, close-knit family he was a part of. So, Rich's family as well as Roz's family...you've just acquired three more members of the family! :)
I love you, Rich...you will always be in my heart.
We also got to see our good friends, Mark & Chantel who pastor at Church on the Move. It was so good to see them again as well and their 3 boys who are nothing less than handsome, cute, good-lookin' kids! Thanks for all your help with Rich's Memorial Service too!
Well, I hope this hasn't been a depressing e-mail. But life is full of ups and downs and you can't always be on top of the world. My heart is heavy with sadness for my uncle Stan & Rich, but I also find comfort in the fact that these two men followed the plan of salvation and are at peace. Thank God for the comfort of the hope beyond the grave.
I will sign off for now. I have some funny Gentry stories I'll post later on this week. Heading to Mississippi at some point this week to be with the Rutland family for Thanksgiving. I wish you all a blessed holiday season. Don't miss an opportunity to tell your loved ones what they mean to you. Those memories are the ones that will be cherished for years to come.
Thanksgiving Blessings - Mel
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