Heaven Bound

These are the words I read to my beloved husband, just before he flew away to heaven.  It is a paraphrase from the Song of Solomon.  Here I sense the beauty of God's immense Love for us, I feel the Lord's great joy as He leaps and runs to meet Bud, to hug him and to lead him into heaven. 

Our Lord comes

Look! here He comes, 
leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.

Our Lord speaks to us.

He is like a gazelle or a young stag!

Look! He stands behind our wall gazing through the windows,

Peering through the glass.

Our Lord speaks  to you:

"Arise my darling son, my precious boy and come with me

"See! Your winter is past; 
the rains are over and gone.

"Flowers appear on the earth; 
the seasons of singing has come.

"The cooing of doves is heard in the land whence I come.

"The fig trees forms its early fruit; 
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.

"Arise, come, my darling son, my beautiful one.

"Come with me!" 

~ A Paraphrase by Eva J. Gibson 

To see Bud's Memory Book, please visit Peake Funeral Chapel.

The Miracle of Birth

One of the most significant moments of my life was to be present when my granddaughter, Malaya Leigh, entered the world.

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March 2, 2007--I stood at the bedside of my daughter, Leigh. Delivery was imminent--I couldn't help but think about the miracle of birth. For nine months this little one, soon to be born, had been surrounded by fluid. For nine months this new life had floated in protected warmth and darkness, close to my daughter's heart.

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Then . . . within a matter of seconds, a dramatic change took place. The tip of our baby's head appeared, no bigger than a dime. Then the head disappeared. Another contraction and Leigh pushed hard. Once more a bit of dark hair appeared, then disappeared. So close--our Baby was about to be born.

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Our daughter cried out and pushed again--the top of our baby's head appeared. Within moments Malaya's entire head emerged . . . then her shoulders. My granddaughter burst into the world . . . and took her first breath. Her first cry brought to tears to my eyes.

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The doctor lifted our naked granddaughter high.

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I'll never forget the moment when her eyes made contact with mine; the wonder of that moment defies description. The Almighty Spirit had breathed into Malaya Leigh the breath of life.

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There is something beautiful about the breath of the Almighty. Even His name, the Holy Spirit, carries the idea of moving, vitalizing breath. The breath of the Almighty takes the thoughts of God and gives them voice.

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In His presence we discover a deepening joy. A baby's fingers wrap around our own; we bite into an icy watermelon on a hot day; we discover an expected flower blooming in a desert, or the wonder of a delicately formed snowflake. Our spirits are moved. We respond by allowing God to still our hearts, give us a song, or deepen our adoration as we stand shoulder to shoulder with others in worship.

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When we allow these experiences to imprint our lives, they teach us more about what it means to reverence and adore our Lord.