You make all things new....

Well, it is hard to believe that a year has passed since Eric's exit to heaven.  I had been dreading and thinking about the day for weeks prior.  I thought about Eric all the time in those weeks and would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about him and crying.  Everything that was happening again this time of the year would trigger thoughts of Eric at this time last year as he was at Hospice in the end stages of ALS.  Me and the kids started to look at home videos and old photos and miss those good days so much.  My devotional for April 21st spoke volumes to me as I thought about the man Eric had become since getting saved in 1998.  It said "He did not waver.. regarding the promise...being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  Romans 4:19-21  Abraham didn't weaken in his faith as he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead.  He didn't look at himself,  but Almighty God.  He didn't waver, but stood straight, not bending beneath the staggering load of God's blessing.  Instead of growing weak, his faith grew stronger, exhibiting more power, even as more difficulties became apparant.  Abraham glorified God for His complete sufficiency."  When I read this, tears streamed down my face as I pictured Eric when he took his last breath standing straight up out of his wheelchair and entering into glory in the presence of the One he was persuaded would do what He had promised.  Eric was healed in an instant and welcomed with open arms as he heard "well done, good and faithful servant."  I can only imagine what awaits us on the other side of death as we that are still here feel the grief of our loss. 
The day arrived and it had been a week full of cold, rainy weather.  We even got snow on the ground on Monday that week that stuck around for a little while.  But Thursday, April 21st was not like the rest of the week.  The sun came out and beamed gloriously down all day.  Eric's parents and close family friend, Carol came here at noon and we went to get the kids out of school and headed to Fort Custer National Cemetery.  We brought flowers to place on the grave where Eric's body was buried one year earlier.  If you recall, last year when we buried him, it had been rainy all weekend and then after he was buried, it got dark and then before we headed home on the bus, the sun shone brightly through the clouds as the song "In Christ Alone" went through my head.  "Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again" reminding me that Christ had conquered death on the cross and that Eric was with Him and bought with the precious blood of Christ.  As we sat by his grave with the sun shining down, I know God gave us that sun again to remind us of that hope, probably at Eric's request knowing what it would do for me.  We cried as we sat there and thought about Eric and how much we miss him, but the thought of Eric with his new body gives me so much peace.  We took our time on the way home and the kids decided to miss their sports that night and we had a nice dinner on the way home.  By that evening, I felt completely exhausted emotionally. 
The next morning as I woke up, I felt joy and a spring in my step as I started to clean the house and prepare food for family and close friends to come over to celebrate Eric's life that night.  I turned up the radio and was praising God as I prepared.  It's really hard to explain, but I felt like it was a new day and I had a fresh start again.  It just felt new like a change of seasons.  Especially the season of Spring as things come up from the ground and new life starts as we see the green buds.  We had nearly 100 people come over to our open house and I had put tissues all around for people if they needed them and I don't believe a tear was shed.  We ate Eric's favorite foods, his favorite pasta from Carabba's, salad with olive garden dressing, pineapple, BBQ meatballs and a belgian waffle bar with all the toppings, plus chocolate chip cookies and rice crispie treats for dessert.  We watched some old videos of Eric when the kids were so little, looked at photo albums and enjoyed eachother's company just as Eric would have loved.  It was a perfect way to start a new year.  I am blessed with amazing friends and family.  I have created a video of the night below.  Click on the link after you pause the jukebox at the top of the blog.
Celebrating Eric's Life one year later
On Saturday, we had a crazy day of games, practice, team pics and then headed to St Johns to celebrate Easter with the Fox side for dinner which was really nice. 
On Easter Sunday, we headed to Holland to go to my parent's and sister's family's church.  The music was great as the choir and kids sang of Christ's resurrection.  One of my favorites that I keep singing and catch Maddie singing all week is Matt Maher's "Christ is Risen"  It is such a powerful song about the resurrection of Christ and how he conquered death by death once and for all.  The link to the song is below if you don't know it. 
https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-mXeA0G_xKc%26feature%3Dshare&h=ba993
The Pastor talked about Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.  As he preached, I listened and read the whole chapter and kept borrowing Maddie's pen to underline.  I know it is a lot but I want to share with you some of what I highlighted because it is written and true in God's word and is a promise to all who believe in Christ and call upon Him to be saved. 
1 Corinthians 14 says "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." but it goes on in verse 20-22 to say "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."  Then later in the chapter it talks about the reserrection body and the last Adam (Christ) who gives us new life.  in verse 42-45 "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;  it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;  it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit."  This is so encouraging to me as I think about our earthly bodies that can't even in the healthiest state begin to compare to our spiritual heavenly bodies:  perishable vs. imperishable, dishonor vs. glory, weakness vs. power. Eric now has the latter of these and that is an amazing truth for me to wrap my mind around.  The chapter ends as powerfully as it begins in verse 54-58 "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory."
 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
So that is where I ended my weekend, thanking God for the victory on the cross and standing firm as I seek to continue to give myself to God's work just as my beloved husband did until he saw first hand that his labor was not in vain. 
I hope you were able to celebrate Easter and the Resurrection last weekend and know that Christ swallowed up death with victory once and for all. 
He is Risen!
Love,
Lori