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Dear Grams,

It was a bittersweet feeling the moment I had heard your time had come to enter Heaven. You truly lived a righteous life and didn’t tolerate sin. You held your ground, you loved others as you desired to be loved, even if it wasn’t returned to you anyways. You were always willing to lend a helping hand because you seen the value and worth of others more than the riches this world has to offer. You lived life embracing others because you knew what the Love of Jesus really meant. You recognized having a relationship with Jesus as a lifestyle, not a simple idea, something you do in moderation or a weekly habit. You did your best to display that love in your daily life, despite the good and bad times, you lived by the verses…

John 3:16-17 (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

Matthew 7:12 (NKJV) 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV) 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

The richness of your character reflected the richness of Gods scriptures written out for us so that we may grow closer to Him and come to an understanding of who we really are and our purpose here on earth, for the short time that we are here. We are indeed no more than a small breath on this world where our bodies are soon returned to the ground from which God had first given man the breath of life. I image what it would be like experiencing Heaven for the first time. I wish you could send a letter back describing it. But for now I’ll continue doing what you have done many years, praying for our family and friends to turn away from sin and wickedness and turn their lives over to Jesus so that their spirit may be awaken in The Holy Spirit that is given to all believers who trust and obey. I’m glad I can say I know why you’ve chosen to follow Christ. Despite the turning of the times, God always remains the same. We understand the experience when scripture says

Philippians 4:7 (NKJV)

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I could go and on what you mean to me and how you lived your life, but I also know you’d rather have us who are still here to take the advice of the lyrics of this song

Turn you eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

Thank you for the wonderful life you have lived, and please say hi to gramps and of course Jesus! Looking forward to seeing you again…I Love YouYour GrandsonRev Gary L Woods, JrP.S. I missed the times when you had me help build your gardens out of the railroad ties, or hanging out in that red sketchy fort thingy in the back yard, or how bout bouncing on that old trampoline that would fling me farther than it’s own radius. Gramps sure had quit the old gaming system hookup in the dirt basement with commodore 64’s, Atari and Nintendo’s. Sure was a fight if anyone dared to face you at Dr. Mario! I wonder if Jesus handed gramps a mouth harp once he went to Heaven, he was the talk of the school anytime he came for ‘Show & Tell.’ I will always remember how you had to bat is grand kids away from your cooking before it was even done… especially when you decided to bake cookies. Not sure you ever quite had a full cookie jar! There was this one time I was riding in the golf cart while cousin Bruce Jr didn’t turn sharp enough and we went into the ditch… well we got it back out and put the weeds back in proper order… we decided to say nothing and luckily no one found out… oh the memories!

Arlene Tower

9/5/1936 – 5/24/2018