A beautiful home-going, and a time to share memories!

Lori's "home-going celebration" (a.k.a. funeral) was beautiful!  The church was filled today with family and friends from near and far who came to honor and say goodbye to a woman who touched many, many lives.  Bouquets of flowers surrounded the altar, as did the stories that were shared by some of those closest to her.  Stories about fun times growing up with her cousins, aunts and uncles.  Stories about the incredible, life changing impact she has had on some of her honorary grandkids' lives.  And stories about fun times with friends who thought of her as a sister, and about the way that she and Mike used to banter back and forth with eachother in their own love language (I think the words "shut up" and "weirdo" were among them :)  Lori's cousin shared about the last words that Lori spoke to him, and possibly the last words she spoke here on earth...."take care of Mike".  Even though sometimes they both drove eachother nuts (I can attest to that!) Mike was first and foremost in her mind and heart, even up until her last breath. 

Many people have shared their stories and memories of Lori, and now I'd like to share some of mine.  I met Lori and Mike at a homegroup/bible study at the Peaslee's home, about 5 years ago.  To meet Lori was to instantly become her friend.  She wouldn't have it any other way.  We attended homegroup together for several years, encouraging eachother through the valleys of life, and celebrating the victories.  Lori was so open about everything in her life - good and bad - she made it very easy to be real.  We shared hugs, lunches after church on Sundays, movie nights, bon fires, and more hugs. 

One bon fire night in particular ended up changing my life in an unexpected way.  At the time, my mom (Dorothy) lived about 2 hours away, and had come to visit me and my sons for a week.  I brought her to Lori and Mike's that evening, and I think that was the first time they met.  Mom stayed up on the deck talking to Lori while I joined the party around the fire in their backyard. After about an hour, I went up to the deck to check on Mom - only to find that in that hour Lori had not only met and gotten to know my mom, but she had  talked my mother into moving to Winona!  And if you know Lori, you know that she doesn't just talk about things, she does them.  Not only did she talk my mom into moving here to be closer to us, but she and Mike helped me organize the entire move, including renting a uhaul trailer, commissioning people to help, and driving with me all the way to western Minnesota to move her here only a few weeks later!  I'm not sure that would have all happened had it not been for Lori.

I have many more memories of Lori that I cherish, including the day on the river last fall when she tried to get me to go tubing (not!) and when we saw and photographed an eagle.  And on my wedding day - when I'm pretty sure she stepped right out into the aisle during the recessional to hug me!  She did not hold back her emotions, that's for sure, and for the past few days I have not been able to hold mine back either.  I have learned something from Lori's life, and that is to make time for friends and family.  Lori cherished relationships...not from afar.  She and Mike made time in their lives for those they cared about.  Whenever possible, they traveled to visit family and friends.  They invited people to their home, and to go places together.  And now I am inspired to do the same.  I'm not going to wait anymore until my house is perfect to invite people over.  I'm going to call friends that I haven't seen in a while and make plans to visit.  I'm going to buy a plane ticket and go visit my sister in California.  I'm not going to wait...for we never know how many tomorrows we have left on this earth. 

Thank you, Lori, for teaching me some things about living...and some things about dying.  And most of all, thank you for being my friend.

Please share your memories of Lori - leave a comment by clicking on "comments" below!  If you have a picture that you'd like to share, email it to me and I will post it - takemetomaui (at) hotmail (dot) com.  This blog will remain here as a place for friends and family to come and share memories, and as soon as we teach Mike how to use the computer, he'll be able to see them too =)

Come to Jesus

This song will be sung at Lori's funeral tomorrow...I don't know if she knew the song or not, but I know she would have loved it.  Lori had a heart for those she loves to know Jesus, and if that is you, I pray that her prayers for you are answered.  Lori knew that hope is only found in this life when we come to Jesus...

(You'll need to turn off the music player at the bottom of this blog before you play this video...scroll all the way down and click on the "pause" button on the stereo.)

Come to Jesus (Untitled Hymn) - Chris Rice

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

Oh and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

In the Arms of Her Savior

Lori has made her journey and is in the arms of Jesus.  She passed away peacefully this morning, with Mike and her cousin Chris by her side.  I can only imagine the joy, the reunions, and the beauty that surrounds her now! 

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."  John 14:1-3

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."  Philippians 3:20-21

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:28-31

We will miss you, dear friend.  But until we meet again...walk!  Run!  Dance in the presence of the Lord!  Soar on the wings of the eagles that you loved so much!  We'll be there soon...

Lisa

Nearing the end of the journey

Lori's health continues to decline...she is nearing the end. 

Even though Lori is not experiencing physical healing as we have prayed for, God IS answering our prayers for her to be comfortable and to hold back her pain.  Her nurse has said that she has never seen someone in this stage be relatively pain free and as comfortable as Lori is, so PRAISE OUR GOD for answering our prayers for her! 

Lori has now requested not to have visitors.  She just wants Mike by her side, and seems to prefer the room to be quiet.  We still do want to support Mike, so if anyone is willing and able to go up there and wait in the waiting area, you are encouraged to do so.  Mike needs our support, and he also needs a break sometimes, so it would be a blessing if someone was always there and available to encourage him and sit with Lori when he needs a break.  He is not planning to leave St. Annes anymore and will be there overnight.  I told Mike that I would ask people to stop in and let him know they are there, but give them this time together.  Also, Lori's nurse has said that she is restricting children from coming up at all, as it is no longer appropriate for children to be there. 

Mike and Lori, we are surrounding you with love and prayers, as our Heavenly Father is surrounding you.

Lisa

Almost home

Lori is nearing the end of her journey. She is very weak and sleeps most of the time.  It takes a great deal of effort for her to talk, and even then it's not much more than a whisper.  Her nurse said that her body is showing signs that it is shutting down.  I spent a few hours with her this afternoon, along with many other friends and family, and Vince and I went back up there tonight along with my mom.  I just really felt God calling me to go back tonight, and I'm glad I did.  I had the opportunity to thank Lori again for her friendship, remind her that she is loved, and most of all that God is with her.  I asked her if she knew that, and she whispered "all the time." 

She is ready to go, and is longing for that now.   This afternoon as I was getting ready to leave, I leaned in close and told her I loved her.  She looked me in the eyes and said "Lisa, I have to go."  I told her it's ok for her to go.  She said "Is it?" I said yes...we will take care of Mike.  You can go to Jesus, it's ok.  I reminded her, as I know others already have, that Jesus is waiting for her and that she will never be alone.  I told her not to be afraid, that she can just rest now.  She nodded, told me "thank you" and drifted back to sleep. 

Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."  It is a precious thing to be with Lori during this time.  She is at peace, she knows what awaits her, and she feels the presence of the Lord very strongly. 

Please continue to keep Mike in your prayers.  This is so very hard for him as he watches the one he loves drift away.  Don't let his quiet demeanor stop you from reaching out to him, he very much needs and appreciates the reassurance and support of the body of Christ.

I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me

I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side.
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine...

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine, when that day comes, when I find myself standing in the Son!
I can only imagine, when all I will do, is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!

Leave more comments!

Lori looks forward everyday to hearing the comments that people are leaving for her, so keep them coming!!

I talked with Mike around 3pm today.  He said that Lori had slept alot today, and is still dealing with nausea.  Even though she is tired much of the time and drifts off to sleep, she still enjoys visitors and honestly I don't think she wants to be alone.  Sometimes she does not have the energy to talk much, but she is comforted by having people there and says that she likes just listening to conversations between her visitors.  The swelling in her legs and abdomen continues to increase and cause more discomfort.  Let's continue to pray for her to be relieved of her pain and nausea!

Mike says he is doing ok, and is glad that his mom is here.  He has to work tomorrow, so will not be able to attend church, and he's very dissapointed about that.   I wish there was a way for both he and Lori to come!  I know they miss it terribly, so we'll just have to bring church to them!  Lori has been comforted and encouraged by those who have come and read scripture to her and prayed with her. 

Vikings game tomorrow!  And Lori is ready!  See??

I'm not sure what the plan is, but I know Lori has been excited about the game and would love to watch it with friends!  Hopefully she will be feeling good tomorrow and can enjoy it....maybe a phone call tomorrow afternoon to see how she's feeling would be good before we all invade? 

More blessings!

Mike's mom arrived yesterday from California!  Both Lori and Mike have been anxiously waiting her arrival and I'm sure they will be blessed by her support.

Lori got her nails done yesterday morning!  Who can guess how she got them done?  I'll post pictures later.  My friend Janice did them and told me how much it blessed her to do it.  She refused to be paid for it and said she was paid in other ways...she felt honored and humbled.  She said that even though she didn't know Lori before this, she can tell that Lori is strong in her faith, and has a heart of gold - she could sense that strongly.  Janice told me that she could see the Lord in her and that she looked beautiful, even in the midst of tragedy.  Praise God!  How many others is God touching through Lori's life, especially now?  Lori, your peace and your strength through this time is a testimony of Jesus in your life.  He is shining through you now.

Janice also shared with me that her cousin passed away from liver cancer at the age of 52, and that God held back alot of his pain.  I was so encouraged by that!  Let's continue to pray fervently for Lori's pain to be controlled, and even be so bold as to ask for her to be pain free!  And healed!  We can still ask for that...God is able.  Whether she is healed on earth or in Heaven, we know for sure that she will be healed.

"Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise."  Jeremiah 17:14

"Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever."  Psalm 30:10-12

Lord, I ask You to put a song in Lori's heart today.  A song of praise, hope and joy as she is surrounded by Your spirit and by those she loves.

Lisa

Blessings

Lori is really enjoying everyone's comments here!  They are such a blessing to her, as well as all the flowers and the cards that are filling up her walls.  It is just amazing...even in her weakened state, and all the discomfort she is dealing with, she is still so appreciative of how everyone is reaching out to her.  God is providing what she needs when she needs it, and He is answering all of our prayers.  Lori's pain and nausea was less today than it was yesterday, although it is still there.  Please continue to pray for her comfort.

Lori said today that many people have been asking her if she is having dreams, and many of her friends have told her that they are praying for God to give her visions and dreams of her Heavenly home that awaits her.  God must be putting that on the hearts of alot of people to pray for her and I believe the dreams will come when she needs them most.  God is just awesome that way!  He has been providing for both Lori and Mike in so many amazing ways - practical things that people are doing and bringing for them.  Even things that seem small - like a bottle of lotion that someone brought for her.  She loves getting her arms and hands massaged with it, it has been a blessing for her.  God is even sending visitors at just the right times.  I didn't want to leave tonight because I was the only one there at the time (Mike couldn't be there tonight because he had to work).  I didn't want to leave her alone, but I needed to go, and with hesitation I left the room.  Just as I was walking down the hall, someone else was coming to see her.  God knows her needs and He is providing.  Even the staff at St. Annes are wonderful!  Every one that I have seen interacting with Lori has been very caring and attentive.  She's being well taken care of. 

Lori has some things that she is looking forward to as well...such as getting her nails done tomorrow morning (she's so excited!) and the Vikings game on Sunday (can you say early superbowl party in room 211?) 

'The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor."  Isaiah 61:1-3

Lori & Mike - we love you and are lifting you up in prayer daily that the Lord will continue to wrap you in His loving embrace.

Lisa, Vince & the kids

Leave Lori and Mike a comment!

There is no internet access in Lori's room, only around the corner and down the hall.  For some reason, St. Annes frowns on the idea of stringing 50 feet of cords from Lori's room so that we can hook up her laptop.  Hmmph. 

Soooo, I am printing out this blog and all the comments people have been leaving and I will bring them to her each day.  Please keep leaving her comments of encouragement, memories, and love and know that they will get them!!

Lisa

Girl time

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am".  John 14:1-3

I spent some time with Lori this afternoon, along with two other friends and sister's in Christ...Holly M. and Becky W.  We all happened to arrive at nearly the same time, and what a blessed time it was!  God orchestrated that, for sure.  Lori was not having a good day physically - she continues to weaken and her pain is not as well controlled by her medications as it has been.  She is also struggling with nausea, and had not been able to keep even liquids down all morning.  They might start giving her a medication to help ease her nausea, which would be a blessing.

Even through her discomfort, Lori enjoyed our "girl time" today.  We all talked, laughed, prayed with her, sang to her, cried a little, read scripture, and talked about Heaven...our true home.  This earth is not our home, sometimes we forget that.  Lori knows that God is able to heal her body, and many of us continue to pray for and believe for that.  But if His will is to bring her home, she is ready...and it is going to be amazing!!  Her room is filled with beautiful flowers, and we told Lori about the gorgeous snow and frost covered trees this morning...and how that is nothing compared to the beauty that awaits all of us when we are called home. 

"You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand."  Psalm 16:11

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,
like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder,
shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!"  Revelation 19:6-7

When asked what we can do for her or what she needs, Lori asks for our prayers.  She asks us to pray that her pain would be under control, and for this nausea to subside.   God is faithful and He is able!!! 

Lisa Howard

Welcome to Lori and Mike's blog!

While visiting with Mike and Lori tonight, Mike shared with me that although they deeply appreciate all the phone calls they receive  everyday, it is a bit overwhelming for him and he simply can't keep up!  They don't want people to stop calling, but there are times that Lori is not up to talking on the phone, and Mike is unable to call everyone back.  So, as a way to help Lori and Mike during this difficult time, this blog is being created as a way for all of their friends and family to be informed on how they are doing.  I plan on connecting with them everyday, and posting updates here everyday - maybe even several times a day. 

There are a couple ways that you can participate in this blog...if you talk with or visit with Mike or Lori and want me to post an update here (aka:  if you know something I don't know!), you can email me at: takemetomaui (at) hotmail (dot) com.  I will post it as soon as I am able to.  You can also leave a comment by clicking on "comments" at the bottom of each post.  (You'll be asked to choose a "profile" and you can just click on "anonymous".  After you write your comment, click on "publish".  Sometimes you have to do this more than once to make it go through.  I know, lame.  Let me know if you have problems).

This is more than just a place to share information...I would like this to be a place of hope.  A place of prayer.  And a place to share the love of Christ with our dear friends Lori and Mike, as well as with eachother - those of us who know and love them and come along side them as they walk this journey together.

Tonight, Lori is feeling very weak.  Her pain is being controlled by medication and they are keeping her as comfortable as possible.  She says she is at peace...a peace that passes all understanding for sure.  I asked her and Mike recently what specifically we can be praying for them...Lori said "courage", and her concern is for Mike more than for herself.  Mike only asks for prayer for Lori, that she would not have to suffer.  Lori was in pretty good spirits tonight, and enjoyed the many visitors she had while I was there.  She drifts in and out of sleep, and even though she needs her rest she still wants people to come.

Just in case you aren't fully aware of what is going on, Lori was diagnosed with primary liver cancer in October, 2009.  She had a short treatment of chemotherapy, which was not successful.  Other treatment options were unfortunatly ruled out. Last Friday, Lori was told by her doctors that she had about a week to live. 

That is what the doctors are saying......now here is what God says: 

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:21-23

"Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones". - Isaiah 49:13

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be." - Psalm 139:13-16

We love you, Lori and Mike, and are standing in the gap for you!!

Lisa Howard