Requests

It's been a week...life continues...I've been riding the wave of "the after"...
Many family and friends have asked..."Will you continue to blog?"....I'm not sure I know how to stop.  The topic is still God, but my reason for blogging is with God.  This knowledge is what gives me the strength to carry on. 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him."

Psalm 28:7

The other request is to share here what Sarah and I shared at Tom's celebration service.  I will start with Sarah's tribute:

 

"I count it a true privilege to call Tom Anglea my Dad.  Most of you have experienced my dad's love in some sort of fashion whether you're family, a friend, through school, church, sports, college, growing up, or maybe even from a random setting.  Whether you know my dad as husband, son, brother, cousin, uncle, friend, principal, coworker, coach or acquaintance or friend of a friend I can honestly say that having Tom Anglea as a dad is like none other.

Matt and I consider it a true blessing to have been raised by such a godly father.  From the moment we can remember he loved us and Jesus with everything he could.

I would like to take a walk down memory lane to laugh and share with you a few of the many ways my dad loved us as kids...

Matt and I have many fond childhood memories which include walking to the elementary school and swinging on the 'big swings' as dad would push us and do underdogs - code for pushing us high in the air and running under us!  We would play out in the yard together, many times helping with family chores.  Dad invented a game called 'Sleep Monster' where he would lay on the floor with his eyes shut and then we would walk around him in circles waiting for the 'Sleep Monster' to wake up and get us!  As kids, we had the superhero dad...he did it all, made us laugh, and we thought he was the coolest!

The teenage years brought a dad who supported us even more in whatever we were doing:  baseball, basketball, tennis, piano...it didn't matter what, he was there and cheering us on.  Of course on the car ride home he always had his advice as to what we could have done better...he saw every moment as a learning moment!

I remember in high school receiving a bouquet of roses, completely shocked because I didn't have a boyfriend...sure enough my dad remembered me complaining about how I didn't like Valentine's Day because I wasn't in a relationship.  That surprise meant so much to me.  Matt and I rode to high school with dad in the Bonneville.  Those mornings to school were some of the best 'talks' and times together that we had.  We loved having him as our principal too...many special memories.

And finally the college and adult years.  Dad was still our hero, the guy we looked up to, the person we called with many questions, and the one who was proud of us no matter what.  But through all the memories and all the cherished times together dad taught us a few simple things through his life.  He loved mom and was committed to her for life.  He lived out what a covenant relationship looked like, and modeled for us what we both wanted/want in a spouse.  Dad also lived life with a purpose...he deeply cared about people.  The joy of the Lord was evident in his character, wisdom and personality.  Everyone loved Tom Anglea and Tom Anglea loved everyone.

Most importantly Matt and I were encouraged and supported each step of the way through life.  My dad told me that he loved me and how beautiful I was.  He told Matt that he loved him and was proud of him.  Dad had a special way of equipping us with the confidence of Christ.  The love that dad showed us was straight from the Heavenly Father.  I am thankful that through each memory and cherished time we spent together dad's love was representing an even greater love...the love of Jesus.  For the 24 years that I knew dad, his love as and earthly father was pointing me to my ultimate Heavenly Father whose love is freely given to those who trust in Jesus Christ.

Growing up my parents taught us a song entitled 'My Lord Knows the Way Through the Wilderness' the lyrics go:  "My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow".  This song in a lot of ways represents exactly what my dad did throughout his entire life:  followed Jesus.  Even after surgery when dad couldn't speak we began to sing this song and dad joined in with us!  The joy of Jesus was carried out in every aspect of dad's life.  I am thankful to have had the dad God gave me.  While we will miss him greatly here on this earth, I am even more thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who promises eternal life with Jesus forever.  I pray that the love that you have seen in my dad can point you to Jesus, the Ultimate Lover and Father."

 

Now my turn:

 

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE PAST 19 MONTHS HOW TO “GIVE THANKS” IN EVERYTHING…IT HAS TRANSFORMED MY LIFE.  I STAND HERE TODAY BECAUSE MY “LIFE COACH” RECENTLY CHALLENGED ME TO WHAT I AM DOING THIS VERY MOMENT…SAYING “THANK YOU” TO YOU IN PERSON AND NOT FROM BEHIND THE COMFORT OF MY COMPUTER SCREEN!

(LOOK UP) “I’M OBEYING!”

TOM, MATT, SARAH, ZAC AND I COULD NOT HAVE BATTLED THESE  MONTHS WITHOUT YOU.  THANK YOU FOR WALKING, PRAYING, SUPPORTING AND LOVING US THROUGH TOM’S TOUGHEST LIFE PRACTICE.  I REALIZE THESE NEXT DAYS AND WEEKS OF OUR LIFE PRACTICE WILL BE THE MOST CHALLENGING AS WE LEARN NEW PLAYS WITHOUT OUR BEST PLAYER, MY HUSBAND, THEIR FATHER, ON OUR EARTH TEAM.  WE NEED YOU, AS OUR ROLES AND POSITIONS CHANGE.  THE HEAD COACH HAS CALLED UP ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING EARTH PLAYERS TO THE REAL GAME.  TOM PRACTICED WELL AND WAS READY FOR THE COACH’S CALL.  AS WE COME INTO THE HUDDLE OR REST ON THE BENCH WE WILL FEEL AN ENORMOUS VOID. 

TOM’S GREATEST CONCERN, ALONG WITH US, IS…ARE YOU ON “OUR TEAM”?  IF NOT, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  IT’S THE WINNING TEAM.  NO TRY OUTS OR ABILITY ARE REQUIRED, JUST A WILLINGNESS TO BELIEVE IN “THE COACH” WHO SENT HIS ULTIMATE PLAYER TO SACRIFICE “REAL PLAYING TIME” TO VISIT US “EARTH PLAYERS” SO HE COULD PAY THE PENALTY FOR OUR ERRS.  HE HAS GIVEN US A PLAY BOOK TO TELL US THE DETAILS OF JOINING HIS TEAM IF YOU’RE NOT SURE WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO.  THERE ARE PLAY BOOKS ALL OVER THIS WORLD, GRAB ONE, READ IT AND JOIN US.  IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TEAM…ARE YOU LEARNING THE PLAYS?  HE SENT US THE GREATEST EXAMPLE SO WE COULD PLAY IN A WAY THAT WOULD TAKE US TO THE VICTORY CELEBRATION OF ALL TIME!  YOU CAN READ HIS STORY IN THE PLAY BOOK.

ONCE AGAIN, TOM WINS…

(LOOK UP) “HONEY, YOU BEAT ME AT EVERYTHING (LATELY, SKIPBO)…HOW COULD I NOT KNOW YOU’D BEAT ME TO THE ULTIMATE VICTORY?  SAVE ME A PLACE AT THE PARTY.  I CAN’T WAIT TO BE WHOLE, COMPLETE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR LIFE’S PERFECT COACH WITH YOU.”

UNTIL THEN…

THE GAME PRACTICE CONTINUES HERE ON EARTH.  WE PRAY THAT AS TOM ENJOYS PLAYING THE REAL GAME WITH A FULLY FUNCTIONING PERFECT BODY FOR A PERFECT COACH IN A PERFECT GAME WITH NO ERRORS, FOULS, STEALS, PENALTIES OR OUTS, THAT YOU WOULD JOIN OUR TEAM IN PREPARATION FOR THE “BIG GAME”. 

 

For those of you who were able to join us at the celebration service we say "thank you".  What an enormous outpouring of love and kindness shown to us.  I am just so sorry that I couldn't greet, hug and thank each one of you personally for your role in our lives.  I truly believe I would still be standing in line greeting each of you!

I continue to "Choose Joy" because I know that's what my Jesus and Tom would want me to do...