The Resurrection Body

One thing that's really been a struggle for me (as mentioned in one of my earlier posts) has been a certain question: What does dad look like now "in heaven"? Does he look like dad? Is he a younger version of himself? Is he an angel? Is he a mist? Is he a sphere of light that floats around and glows brighter the closer he physically is to God? Is he still dad or now just another being in heaven with no distinct form?

Alisa and I were both wondering that same thing while visiting dad's grave site the other day. I asked her what she thought and she said something like "I don't know. I've been trying to understand that too." I'm not sure if anyone else has been thinking about this or not. I guess no one will know the exact, literal, most accurate answer until we join him in heaven but hopefully this helps someone else like it's helped us:

1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (some verses skipped)

  "35 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come? 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another...41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

  42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor,  it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body...50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable...55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

  56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

  58 Therefore, my dear brothers, 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."

Daddy, even though your body was "sown in weakness, it is raised in power". Love you so much.

-Diane

Struggling for Memories

Time has a deteriorating effect on my mind it seems. Maybe it's the rush of everything trying to capture the something that washes by like a tidal wave against a soccer goal. Somewhat disappointed that I could not recount that 'one story' or that 'one memory' to share, I realized suddenly this evening that beautiful jigsaw image is made of pieces each telling its own story. There are many memories or at least snippets. Some of which I choose to lock away forever for personal reasons. There may be some that don't think this is a fair approach but I think all will have something to keep personal.

SO what is it that pops into my mind at this late hour? Music, Saxophone, Creativity and appreciation. My memory(ies) tonight are captured in song.

I give you these to cherish, to remember, to step back into days gone by. Songs that I remember dad playing or listening to time and time again. - Mike

And one more:

April Shower

I wasn't able to sleep very much the week dad passed away. Actually, I was averaging about 2-3 hours a night. I would stay awake late looking at pictures. Once I finally went to bed, I'd just lie awake...WIDE awake and think or cry or pray..then I would get out of bed, usually around 3:30 or 4am and sit in front of the window, just watching the world slowly come to life.

I'd watch the sun slowly come up making everything bright and new. I'd get angry with the sun. I'd feel like it was teasing me just by rising, like it was obnoxiously saying: "GOOD MORNING, WORLD!! It's gonna be another BEAUTIFUL day!! Even though, well.......you know.....but anyway, GOOD MORNING!!". I felt (feel) like every day that goes by pushes me farther and farther away from the last time I talked to him, ate with him, hugged him, looked at him, heard his voice.
 
One morning, Thursday morning to be exact (2 days after dad went), I decided to take Oliver out for a walk before too many people and cars crowded the streets (like dad said to Laura in her "Three Deep Breaths" post). It was quiet. Cool. Still. Not the slightest breeze in the air.

I was walking, thinking, just missing dad. I was looking at everything around me, trying to find something that I could relate to him. I thought "Are there any pick-up trucks around?" I looked around....no. "Anyone working on a car in their driveway?" Looked again.....not this early. "Any fathers teaching their daughter to ride a bike???" I probably wouldn't have wanted to see that yet anyway.

Now, instead of people or things, I just wanted there to be something, anything in nature that I could look at and be reminded of him through. I thought "Daddy, I wish we had the chance to share something in nature together that will always remind me of you." Just then I was walking under a line of trees and out of the still air, came a sort of swirling rush of wind, causing the trees to sway and completely shower me with hundreds of spinning maple seed pods (which I think of as helicopters). They were landing on Oliver's back and head and in my hair and all over the street. I reached my hand out, caught one, gave it a kiss, then tossed it back up into the air and watched it disappear among the others. Then I said "thank you" to dad.

Yeah, maybe it was a coincidence. But maybe it wasn't.

Daddy, you flew helicopters, drew helicopters, even built little model helicopters.
Now you'll be remembered through them too. Love you, daddy.


-Diane

Dad's T-Shirts

Dad had a collection of t-shirts with some of the funniest sayings. I'm going to start a list here and as we remember them, we can add to the list.

Here are some of the sayings from his t-shirts:

1. "Welcome to America. Now speak English." lol

2. "My Kids Think I'm a Bank"

3. "You Might Be a Redneck If..." (I'll have to find this one and write down the list of things it had on there..funny stuff..)

4. "To Be is To Do - Socrates
     To Do is To Be - Sartre
     Do Be Do Be Do - Sinatra" :)

Will add more as we find/remember them. :)


-Alisa

Addendum:

5. "Liberalism is a mental disorder" (I'm actually wearing this t-shirt right now. Dad apparently didn't care much about offending anyone. haha.)

-Diane

"I'll Never Forget Your Pops"

Yesterday I was out in the front yard of my mom's house and an old friend of the family happened to be driving by. When he saw me, he pulled over and got out of his car to say hello. We talked for a little while and he told me how sorry he was to hear about Dad. Then he told me a story that really lifted my spirits that day.

He said, "Man, I'll never forget your Dad. I remember one time when I was just a kid at church, some of the bigger kids were bullying me, telling me I couldn't sit next to your Dad at lunch. Then your Dad said, 'Don't listen to them, Lawrence, you come sit right here beside me.' I'll never forget your pops." I could tell it got to him as well to even hear himself tell that story, because he had to put his head down for a few seconds.

As we said goodbye and he got back in his car and drove away, it dawned on me, what an impact my father had had on so many different people--young and old, male and female, whatever.

He definitely had a way of making every person he met feel special; my sister Laura described his ability to do this so well in her last post. He always rooted for the "underdog", he always made sure people were treated fairly around him and he never played into any of society's "games" about the "haves" and the "have-nots" as he would like to put it. He was the real deal.

I was so thankful our friend Lawrence shared that story with me. It was a quick, two-second story, but it really reminded me of Dad's heart. So thanks to my friend Lawrence. And thanks to you, too, Dad. :) Love you so much and missing you still.

-Alisa

Three Deep Breaths

As many of you know, Dad had a way of making each of us feel special, like we were the most important thing to him and that he cared for us more than anyone else.  He had special songs he would sing with us when we were little or little nicknames he’d give us…mine was Bunky.  Of course I knew deep down that he had enough love inside to go around and loved all of us so much.  But from as far back as I can remember I cherished any time I could spend with him, especially our one-on-one times. 

One memory in particular was when I was about 14 and I went to visit Dad at Ft. Belvoir.  I brought my friend Sheree along so most of that visit had to be shared.  But one morning, I woke up and saw Dad at the kitchen table putting on his shoes (Sheree and I were sleeping on the living room floor).  I asked Dad where he was going and he whispered, “For a walk.  You want to come?”  Of course I replied yes and hurried to get up.  He put his finger to his lips and said “Shhh, don’t wake anyone else”.  As we walked, he told me how he liked to go for walks early in the morning, before too many people were out and about.  He told me that before the cars started crowding the streets and polluting the air, I should take three deep breaths to fill my lungs with clean air.

I’m sure we talked about so many other things that morning, Dad always had great words of advice, but for some reason, the “3 deep breaths” stayed in my mind.  If I find myself out and about early in the morning, or even just thinking of him now, I remember that walk and breathe deep.

Laura

Oliver, stay!

As many of you know, Tee and I have a dog named Oliver. He is HUGE! We're not sure what breed he is exactly, but we're pretty sure wild stallion is mixed in there somewhere. What you may not know is that Tee and I almost made the HUGE mistake of giving him back to the seller that we bought him from.

After Oliver's first night home, Tee and I were debating on whether or not we should keep him. You see, it was a very loooong first night. Complete with a lot of pooping, peeing, and whimpering. Tee and I decided that we just weren't ready to be parents. So the next day, we brought baby Oliver over to mom and dad's house to ask them what they thought about us possibly taking him back. It was so hard for us because he was just so darn cute. That, and we hated the fact that we brought him into a loving, safe, forever home only to rip it away from him. Lord only knows who would've ended up with him (poor thing).

Anyway, mom and dad were trying to convince us to keep him. I don't remember much about the exact conversation but I do remember Oliver sleeping soundly in a basket in front of a cozy fire and the four of us sitting around him, just watching him and talking. Tee and I were so torn.

Ollie woke up and looked around for a place to potty so Tee took him out. A few minutes later, Tee burst into the room and said "Dee, I told him to go peepee outside and he did! He went outside, he went outside!" (this was the first time in 2 days that he didn't go in a house). Right after Tee said that, I looked over at dad. And dad said "If you keep him, he will be a great dog." Just like that. Like he just knew.

Well, to make an even longer story short, we kept Oliver. Those words that dad said still ring in my ears even to this day and everyday I look at Oliver and I'm so glad we decided to keep him....I think "he is a great dog". And he loved, loved, LOVED his grandpa.

You always knew exactly what to say, daddy. I love you.

-Diane