Something UPBEAT! (salvation, gospel, baptism, Earth)

[happynoodleboycey]

I've had a great day today. I went ice skating and really enjoyed myself but that's not the only thing. My best friend is off on a trip to Iceland at the moment and I'm really missing him. This is the longest we've ever gone without talking to each other (we normally see each other every day). He's like a human anti-depressant, it's just impossible to be down in the dumps when he's around. Today I just realised that he's coming back not tomorrow, not the next day, but the next day. I hope he's having a great time but it'll be great when he's back because his birthday was on the 22nd so we're going to a movie.

It may sound a little daft but I'm really happy now. Yay!

[Miss Blue]

Originally Posted by boycew02

I've had a great day today. I went ice skating and really enjoyed myself but that's not the only thing. My best friend is off on a trip to Iceland at the moment and I'm really missing him. This is the longest we've ever gone without talking to each other (we normally see each other every day). He's like a human anti-depressant, it's just impossible to be down in the dumps when he's around. Today I just realised that he's coming back not tomorrow, not the next day, but the next day. I hope he's having a great time but it'll be great when he's back because his birthday was on the 22nd so we're going to a movie.

It may sound a little daft but I'm really happy now. Yay!

Boyce, see it is catching..I love your term "human antidepressant". That is what real friends areWhat country do you live in?

[happynoodleboycey]

Originally Posted by blue62

Boyce, see it is catching..I love your term "human antidepressant". That is what real friends areWhat country do you live in?

I live in England but I'd like to move to the States when I'm a bit older (or at least go to college there, I'm just coming up to my 17th birthday at the moment).

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by aiangel_writer

Hmm, something upbeat...it will be hard ( giggles) let me see...

Oh yeah, last Wednesday I took off heading back down to the coast, for the last time this year I might add. I wanted a mini-vacation and some good memories to tide me over once I get swamped with work again.

My cousin, my youngest son and my nephew went with me. We had a blast. Shopped all day Thursday, got school clothes for the youngest, I found a suit on sale and bought a bathing suit so I could go swimming. LOL...but this was just icing on the cake, the real reason I went down there was the big prize....

My oldest son was graduating from rehab on Friday. I was anxious, nervous and so ready to see him. He sounded so happy when I talked with him on Wednesday, and he was thrilled to know I was on my way down there when he called. Bright and early Friday morning, I awoke, well, I didn't sleep much to be honest. I had to drive almost an hour to where he was and needed to be there by 8. Now, I am not a morning person, he knows this as well, but I was determined I was going to get there on time. I got there at 5 after 8, he was pacing the sidewalk outside the office and watching the drive. He sprinted to the suburban as I drove up, his handsome face all smiles and a huge bounce in his step. He got me out of the car, and brought me up to the office to meet a couple of people, and to reaffirm that I knew he was to be in Pascagula at 9 for a late breakfast with his graduating class. So, we headed there and had a great breakfast with his friends. The comradarie between them was awsome! The guys had their families there, some had parents, others had wives and children. It was an emotional time, but filled with laughter and love. The way the guys bonded again with their children, the way the children clung to their dads. It was beautiful.

All too soon we had to leave. Chris, my son, was free until 1:00, when church started that led into graduation. So, we headed back to Biloxi, laughing and talking and bonding again all the way back. Raced into the hotel and met up with the rest of the gang. My youngest was glad to see his brother and they clowned around some. We hurridly went about packing our stuff, actually, we threw stuff in bags and suitcases as we were changing rooms, we needed two and got ocean view connecting rooms, that way we were not so cramped and the view was amazing.

All too soon we loaded up into the vehicle and headed back to the center. Mid-way back, Chris told me he had to change out of his shorts, yikes, we were not going to make it in time, lol, we raced back, he ran into his room and grabbed pants, and actually put them on as I drove to the chapel.

I wish I had a picture to show you guys this chapel, it is beautiful yet simple. made of stone and wood with an arched ceiling, it stays very cool in there during the summmer, but they had the a/c on since there was 350 people in it this day.

We opened the door to the most vibrant singing I have heard in a long time. The male choir was singing and praising God. Their entheusiasm was unreal. Men and young men from all walks of life, coming together to make beautiful music for God and praising Him and loving him. The emotions on their faces, in their body language and from the tear streaks down their face immediately grabbed me and pulled me in. They clapped, they shouted, they sang, they worshipped. God was filling this simple little church to overflowing with His grace. I could feel it moving around and through me. It was almost overwhelming, this feeling of love and peace and happiness all wrapped together.

Then the pastor preached, and he spoke in a way that these young men could relate and understand God's word. It was breathtaking to listen to them shout Amen, to see their hands raised and the love of God on their faces.

Then came graduation. Their speaker was a Mississippi Supreme Court Judge and he was so elequoent, so humble, so sincere it brought tears to my eyes.

And finally, time for diplomas and speeches. Chris was first as they went in alphabetical order. His face was flushed, he was nervous, yet the joy of the moment was etched in his face, and he was smiling such a beautiful smile. I saw the young boy he once was, full of laughter and love, full of life inside this young man he was today. I cried for the beauty of it, for the happiness I could feel coming from him, for the suffering he endured these past three months, I cried because I didn't know if I would ever see this happiness shining from his eyes ever again, I cried because I was so thankful I was seeing it again.

He began his speech with "I thought about what I wanted to say today, and had a great speech planned, about how I hated coming here, but knew it was necessary, about how I had almost turned into an athiest ...but I'm not gonna give that speech...instead, I'm gonna tell you that anything is possible if you love God, and I want to simply say, Praise God for all He is...."

I was outright crying now, and took pictures of each of the 9 who graduated with him so I could make a memory book for him. Then they all started singing and I cried harder, so happy I felt at that moment. I wished my husband had come to feel the emotions that was radiating out from these young and old ment. To see the changes that God had made to my son, to witness him being so in tune with God and with the praise that was being given so gracefully and heart felt. In that moment of time, I knew that Chris had finally made it, had finally gotten the meaning of life; had finally learned to love himself and gain confidence; but most importantly, he had allowed God into his life, and found a sense of peace that he had most likely never had.

Upbeat...yes, I believe this fits that cirteria. I am one humbled mom and am most proud of her son. With his peace, I now have my peace. Life is good.
Praise be to Him that loves us beyond human understanding. Praise God always.

Sounds like it was a truly wonderful day, aiangel!

[Miss Blue]

Aiangels post is bsolutely beautiful..I can feel her joy and praises to God for the wonderful things that the Lord has helped Chris to overcome. That is not the only blessing in her post..Besides Chris's blessing and his familys blessings, every other person was receiving blessings from God, because of the love and happiness and fellowship in that little church.

All of us here are receiving Gods blessings from aiangels post. Each blessing has a "ripple effect" if it is shared, as we do in this thread

[kaykay]

Well, here come this thread again! I'm trying to keep it active. Well, finally, finally we are getting the manuscript for my grief recovery book mailed off to the publisher. Yes, I think I shared with you guys that we were finished about one or two months ago! Getting the absolute final product done has been quite a process though. For example, just recently, I found an "embarrassing" error! I quoted the apostle Paul "in the book of Corinthians" as saying something. Turns out it was in "Thessalonians!" Glad we caught that one!

One interesting thing happened this morning regarding this. My husband went to get a special padded envelope to mail all the book stuff off in and he noticed an interesting Liberty Bell the clerk had there where she worked. He commented on it and she told him it was her father's who had died and she kept it there in memory of him. My husband asked her when he died, and she told him July 7, 2001. That was the exact date our son, Aaron, died. I thought that was a little interesting to say the least! Kind of a God-incidence if you ask me.

[aiangel_writer]

Kaykay, I am so glad you are getting this book off to the publisher, I know how much it means to you.

I just think this is such a wonderful tribute to your son. Blessings heading your way.

aiangel

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Well, here come this thread again! I'm trying to keep it active. Well, finally, finally we are getting the manuscript for my grief recovery book mailed off to the publisher. Yes, I think I shared with you guys that we were finished about one or two months ago! Getting the absolute final product done has been quite a process though. For example, just recently, I found an "embarrassing" error! I quoted the apostle Paul "in the book of Corinthians" as saying something. Turns out it was in "Thessalonians!" Glad we caught that one!

One interesting thing happened this morning regarding this. My husband went to get a special padded envelope to mail all the book stuff off in and he noticed an interesting Liberty Bell the clerk had there where she worked. He commented on it and she told him it was her father's who had died and she kept it there in memory of him. My husband asked her when he died, and she told him July 7, 2001. That was the exact date our son, Aaron, died. I thought that was a little interesting to say the least! Kind of a God-incidence if you ask me.

kaykay! I haven't kept up with this particular thread so did not know you just wrote a book! And it's being published? How absolutely wonderful. This all gives glory to God first, but credit is due to you both for taking such an unthinkable and awful loss and turning it into something that will bring ministry and hope to people.

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

kaykay! I haven't kept up with this particular thread so did not know you just wrote a book! And it's being published? How absolutely wonderful. This all gives glory to God first, but credit is due to you both for taking such an unthinkable and awful loss and turning it into something that will bring ministry and hope to people.

Thanks, Jeff. Yes, we are self-publishing the book. I'm not so naive as to think that a major publisher like Thomas Nelson or somebody is just gonna snap up some unknown author's (unknown outside of CD, of course!) manuscript. I think they get hundreds, maybe thousands submitted a year. But we found a publisher who someone else in my church had used and was very happy with the product. We found they would do it at a very reasonable price...provided it was "print ready" which meant my husband had to do a lot of computer work on it to get margins and everything else to that point. You know "miss computer illiterate" here didn't even know what they were talking about! It is primarily, but not totally directed towards bereaved parents. Unfortunately, I have already had several occasions to give people the book. (in the form we have it-binder bound) I say, unfortunately, because I wish nobody ever needed to read it. I wish I never could've written it for that matter. But...I am happy to be able to hopefully minister to others in a similar situation and it is evangelical so I hope that somewhere sometime, someone will read it and find a relationship with the Lord.

[kawgpz550]

That is wonderful Kaykay! Definitely something "upbeat" and something to be proud of. I will be praying for you both and that your book will help a lot of people overcome the sadness and desperation of loss.