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This week for our church family has been absolutely terrible. Two weeks ago, we all rejoiced and gave thanks to the Lord for a new baby that came in to our church family, little Sydney Channell was born to proud parents, Justin and Melissa on August 30th, 2006. Today, we had her going home celebration....to those of you that don't know what that it is, it's a better way of saying funeral or memorial service. Things were going fine, mother and baby were in the hospital for three days, and discharged as normal. They brought her to the House of the Lord for the first time on September 3rd. And as I said, everything was good. Last Sunday morning, September 10th, they brought her in, and a little while in to the service, it was obvious she was having some respiratory discomfort. So Bro. Justin brought her to the altar, we anointed her with oil, prayed for her, and they took her to the hospital. Her blood sugar was dangerously low, as was her blood pressure. Later that evening, Bro. Justin came to church with a good report, that she was doing well. He preached an amazing service.
Tuesday morning, at 4:55 a.m., they put her on a LifeFlight helicopter and took her to Portland. To quote Pastor Smith, and I thought this was a beautiful way of saying it; "There would be only one more LifeFlight...with angelic pilots, and The Great Physician at her side. Sydney went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday morning." We were all stunned...a colleague of mine sent me an e-mail saying that they just announced it in the Orono calling center for Bank of America. I confirmed it with Sis. Sadie, and for the rest of that day, and really since then, I, like everyone else in the church, have been walking around with this shell shocked look on our faces.
Last night was the viewing. And I thought I held up pretty well, I went and viewed the casket, and shared a brief moment with her grandfather, Bro. Tom Channell, and her uncle and my upstairs neighbor, Bro. Johnny Channell. I had kind of been dreading the moment all week that I would have to view the body...but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, all though it still shook me up pretty bad (and I still am shaken up at this moment.) She looked like a porcelain doll...almost not even real. Then came the moment I had really been dreading....expressing my sympathies to Justin and Missy. As I said, at that moment, I was doing good. Justin saw me, he stood up, extended his hand and said; "Hey Bro. Matt, thanks for coming." And I said; "Hey, Bro. Justin, I'm so sorry for your loss, if there's anything I can do....just let me know...you know where I live." Justin kinda cracked a bit of a smile and then we hugged and that was when we both started crying. I talked with Missy for a few moments, then I went and lingered in the back of the room at the funeral home. After a little bit, because I was still shaken up, and trying to compose myself, I went over to talk to Byron (that's Missy's dad, so Sydney's maternal grandfather), he was doing OK, and he stood up and I expressed my condolences and asked if there was anything I could do for him, and he hugged me and said; "Just being here is good enough. I love ya, dude. You know...it's a weird thing we're all going through...but...what can we do?" And he was right. There wasn't much we could do. I stayed around for a while, then I went up to the casket one more time to talk to Johnny and Tom. Then Pastor Smith came in, and we were all standing there talking, and it was like, at the same time, we all started to weep again.
Last night, I had a rough night, and didn't sleep a wink. This morning, for some reason, I was running late, and I left the apartment at 7:05...I knew that I could make it to Belfast in time for work, provided that the enemy didn't put any snags in my path..which he did. I got pulled over in Hampden, the officer claims he clocked me in at 47 in a 25, and that it was a school zone. Then he looked at me and he saw that I was having a rough time and he asked me what was going on, and I told him, and he said; "Tell you what...I'm gonna pretend you weren't in that school zone...and I'm gonna knock your speed down." That was at 7:25. Total time to write out the ticket, fifteen minutes...and how late was I to work? Fifteen minutes. Our educator is the biggest stickler for tardiness, and she all ready put me on corrective action for being in at 8:06. She said that she had no choice this time, and it would be escalated to personnel, and if they wanted to, they could put me on final warning...which means any slip in the next six months, and I'm through. I hope that I can just get through to April with no problems.
The funeral was good, and the place was packed. Our church can hold up 350 people in the pews, plus we had the back walls lined with chairs, as well as two seats on both sides of the pews in the aisles. In all, I think we had close to 400 to 450 people there. Justin and Missy didn't want to have a funeral service to speak, and when Justin got up to do a little bit of preaching, he explained it all there. And we didn't really have a funeral, but we had a church service like it was a Sunday or Wednesday service. We had singing and praying as we usually would, and I thought that was nice. Then Justin got up and started to explain: "We just wanted to have regular ol' church. Yes, I know why we're here...that's my baby girl lying in that casket. You know...if just one sinner that's here today can recognize Jesus Christ as their savior...it's all worth it to me." Gutsiest thing I've ever saw in my entire life. And that does take guts. It was tough getting through the service...we all had tears in our eyes, and our voices were quivering. Then, we had the paying of respects, and we all went down to the front, viewed Sydney one last time and talked to the family members. And that was good, you know, it was good. Justin and Missy were glad that we could make it. And again, we were all outside, and some of us lost it again, when we saw Justin carrying his baby girl's casket out of the church to place it in the back of the hearse. That's something that no man should have to do...but, I agree with him for being the soul pall bearer...you want to make sure it is done right.
We went to the Mount Hope Cemetery for the interment. That was brutal. Tears were streaming down our faces as Bro. Smith read the 23rd Psalm. But it was beautiful....the sun was just about ready to set as we were there. I about lost it as I went up to Justin afterwards and said that if there was anything he needed, to just stop in, my door was always open for him.
But, I want to close with this....this is the poem that Byron wrote that was in the bulletin that was handed out at the service.
Beautiful Baby
A flawless child died on a cloudless day
Why do you ask no one can say
She had dark hair and beautiful eyes
She captured our hearts and changed our lives
We had big plans it was easy to see
To hold her and set her upon our knees
Thought she couldn't stay long we know where she'll be
For we'll see her forever in eternity |
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I've had many tears and sorrows,
I've had questions for tomorrow,
There've been times I didn't know right from wrong:
But in every situation God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come to only make me strong.
I've been to lots of places,
And I've seen a lot of faces,
There've been times I felt so all alone;
But in my lonely hours,
Yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus let me know that I was His own.
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.
I thank God for the mountains,
And I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms
He brought me through;
For if I'd never had a problem
I wouldn't know that He could solve them,
I'd never know what faith in God could do.
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.Current Mood:  excited |
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This afternoon has been cancelled....that is all. |
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Well, I am going to make it a short post today, but, I thought I should just mention that I feel like if there are people who read my LJ who aren't right with God...it's high time they get right with God. That is all. |
| » "Hey, Brother Matt, we won't call you a Sally if you don't take the kayak down the rapids..Sally" |
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Yeah, thanks for that inspiring message, Brother Tim! Woooohooo! What a day it has been...I've been up since quarter after 7 and I spent a very, very large portion of the day (from 9:15 a.m. until 5:40 p.m.) paddling Pushaw Stream...well, I take that back, from 9:15 until about 2 p.m., I was paddling, from 2:15 until we landed, my kayak was towed behind Brother Plummer's canoe as I was listed as an official casualty on the trip, more on that in a moment.
We started out at Mud Pond in Old Town, Brother Plummer and Pastor Smith took one canoe, Brother Tim Birmingham and I took the other canoe, and Brother Charlie, Brother Johnson, Brother Justin Channel, Brother Chris Channel, Brother Eric Burdo, and a guy by the name of Brian took kayaks down Pushaw. It was pretty good going for a while, and then we hit our first snag trying to get from Mud Pond into Pushaw Stream...a beaver had dammed the place up, so what ended up happening was Tim and I tried three times (unsuccessfully) to power our canoe up over the small ridge that the beaver had made and hoped that our momentum would carry us into the stream, but we got stuck about four feet past where my end of the bow went over to the ridge, so what ended up happening is that we got out on a very narrow portion of the dam, and then we put half of the canoe in the water, and I got in and then Tim got in and Chris pushed us through with his kayak.
Things went pretty smoothly for a while and then Charlie decided that he wanted to canoe and asked me if I wanted to try out kayaking, so I said; "Sure." And we docked our boats near a beaver lodge, and Charlie got out of his kayak and I got out of the canoe and we switched. As we were doing this, we all kept cracking jokes about; "Gee, don't step there, you might go down through their bedroom" or; "Hey, Charlie don't step there you might go down through his chimney!" And; "I hope they have insurance!" I took the kayak for probably a good half hour before I really got the hang of it and as we were going to shore to break for a little lunch, Charlie decided that it would be fun to go for a swim....he shouts out; "Hey Tim...man overboard!" and then jumped right into the water. Then Charlie hung on to the back of the canoe as Tim paddled them to shore.
We stopped for probably 20 minutes at quarter after 1 for some lunch, nothing but junk food, too. Cheese danishes, gold fish, chex mix, pop tarts...you know...all the things that their wives wouldn't let them eat at home. At this point, they started talking about the rapids that were coming up....the majority of the group, sans myself, Brother Plummer, and Brother Smith decided that we were NOT going to go down the rapids. Tim looked at me and said; "Hey, man, you know how to paddle, right?" "Yeah." "Ok....hey Brother Matt, we won't call you a Sally if you decide not to take the kayak down the rapids....Sally." So we got in and the majority of the group took off at high speed, Tim and Charlie took up the rear in the canoe, and praise you Jesus that they did. Because we got into some fast moving swift water, and I was doing a pretty good job for the most part, and then behind me I hear; "Matt, paddle right, paddle right!" And I saw the rock coming up at my one o'clock, and I started paddling to avoid it, and I must have overcompensated as I heard a; "Matt, paddle left, paddle left!" And as I was doing that, the starboard bow of the kayak hit the rock, and I thought I was going to glance off of it, and in seconds, I was in the drink. And I heard Tim yell out; "Charlie, man overboard! Man overboard!" And Charlie wasn't paying attention and doing a good job at navigating and I was trying to stand up (at that point it was maybe two feet deep), KASMACK! And then CRACK! Their canoe hit my right shoulder, at a high rate of speed, and my left shoulder went tumbling into a boulder, but, again, praise you Jesus, there was no damage. I heard Tim say; "Matt, grab onto the canoe, grab onto the canoe!" And I grabbed on to the side, and I started to panic a little as my body was starting to get pulled under the bottom of the canoe. And I heard Tim say; "Don't tip us, man, don't tip us! Inch your way to the back of the canoe and hold on, we'll get you to shore." So I did, and then I felt some painful bumps as my legs started smashing into rocks and I kept saying; "Ow! OW! Ooof!" and I heard Tim say; "Charlie, watch the rocks, man, Matt's crashing into them." And I hear a; "Sorry, Brother Matt! We'll get you to shore don't worry." And as we got to shore, they swung around and Tim said; "Ok, make your way on to shore." But as I did that, the current started to pick up and I started going down stream, and even as my head was going under, I knew I wasn't going to die...I could feel the Holy Ghost instictively tell me to reach up and there would be something to grab on to. And when I reached up, I felt Tim's paddle and I grabbed onto it and I could hear him shouting; "He's got it! He's got it!" Then they got me over to shore and took off downstream at high speed to catch the kayak...and by the way, I was amazed that they found the kayak and the paddle about a quarter of a mile downstream.
As I crawled on to shore and started checking myself over, I realized that I was ok, and I just started praising God. Then I walked down to where they were and we sat down and I rested for a bit, got back in and started going down to where the rest of the group was. When I got up to the landing point, my shoulders just completely gave out on me and I couldn't move them at all....so, for the rest of the trip, Brother Plummer towed me behind his canoe that he had attached a motor to. When I got back to my apartment, I checked myself out and my shoulders and my back is bruised up, and I think I am going to be tender for a while, but....I made it out of there alive...and I was even able to make it out of there with my glasses...which was a good thing. And even more amazingly, I was in cold, cold water for at least four minutes...and then spent another 4 hours in wet clothes being towed behind Brother Plummers canoe, and I am feeling OK, but, we will have to see what morning brings for that.
May. 13th, 2006 @ 07:52 pm
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| » More songs of encouragement |
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I Am
I am the maker of the Heavens
I am the bright and morning star
I am the breath of all Creation
Who always was
And is to come
I am the One who walked on water
I am the One who calmed the seas
I am the miracles and wonders
So come and see
And follow me
You will know
I am the fount of living water
The risen Son of man
The healer of the broken
And when you cry
I am your savior and redeemer
Who bore the sins of man
The author and perfecter
Beginning and the end
I am
I am the spirit deep inside you
I am the word upon your heart
I am the One who even knew you
Before your birth
Before you were
Before the Earth (I am)
The universe (I am)
In every heart (I am)
Oh, where you are (I am)
The Lord of love (I am)
The King of Kings (I am)
The Holy lamb (I am)
Above all things
Yes, I am almighty God your father
The risen son of man
The healer of the broken
And when you cry
I am your savior and redeemer
Who bore the sins of man
The author and perfecter
Beginning and the end
I am
Big House
I don't know where you lay your head
or where you call your home
I don't know where you eat your meals
or where you talk on the phone
I don't know if you got a cook
a butler or a maid
I don't know if you got a yard
with a hammock in the shade
I don't know if you got some shelter
say a place to hide
I don't know if you live with friends
in whom you can confide
I don't know if you got a family
say a mom or dad
I don't know if you feel love at all
but I bet you wish you had
Come and go with me
to my Fathers house
Come and go with me
to my Fathers house
It's a big big house
with lots and lots a room
A big big table
with lots and lots of food
A big big yard
where we can play football
A big big house
Its my Fathers house
All I know is a big ole house
with rooms for everyone
All I know is lots a land
where we can play and run
All I know is you need love
and I've got a family
All I know is your all alone
so why not come with me?
This Man
In only a moment truth was seen, revealed this mystery
The crown that showed no dignity, He wore
And the king was placed for all the world to show disgrace
But only beauty flowed from this place
Would you take the place of this Man
Would you take the nails from His hands
Would you take the place of this Man
Would you take the nails from His hands
He held the weight of impurity
The father would not see the reasons had finally come to be to show
The depth of His grace flowed with every sin erased
He knew that this was why He came
And we just don�t know
The blood and water flowed
And in it all He showed just how much He cared
And the veil was torn so we could have this open door
And all these things have finally been complete
May. 7th, 2006 @ 01:28 pm
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| » Some of my favorite hymns |
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I figured I would share with you folks, some of my favorite hymns:
I See A Crimson Stream:
On Cal'vry's hill of sorrow
Where sins demand were paid
And rays of hope for tomorrow
Across our paths were laid.
I see a crimson stream of blood,
It flows from Calvary
Its waves which reach the throne of God,
Are sweeping over me.
Today no condemnation
Abides to turn away
My soul from His salvation
He's in my heart to stay
I see a crimson stream of blood,
It flows from Calvary
Its waves which reach the throne of God,
Are sweeping over me.
When gloom and sadness whisper,
"You've sinned --- no use to pray"
I look away to Jesus,
And He tells me to say;
I see a crimson stream of blood,
It flows from Calvary
Its which reach the throne of God,
Are sweeping over me.
And when we've reached the portal,
Where life forever reigns
The ransomed host's grand final
Will be this glad refrain.
I see a crimson stream of blood,
It flows from Calvary
Its waves which the throne of God,
Are sweeping over me.
I've Anchored in Jesus
Upon life’s boundless ocean where mighty billows roll,
I’ve fixed my hope in Jesus, blest anchor of my soul;
When trials fierce assail me as storms are gathering o’er,
I rest upon His mercy and trust Him more.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I’ll brave,
I’ve anchored in Jesus, I fear no wind or wave.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, for He hath power to save,
I’ve anchored to the Rock of Ages.
He keeps my soul from evil and gives me blessèd peace,
His voice hath stilled the waters and bid their tumult cease;
My Pilot and Deliverer, to Him I all confide,
For always when I need Him, He’s at my side.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I’ll brave,
I’ve anchored in Jesus, I fear no wind or wave.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, for He hath power to save,
I’ve anchored to the Rock of Ages.
He is my Friend and Savior, in Him my anchor’s cast,
He drives away my sorrows and shields me from the blast;
By faith I’m looking upward beyond life’s troubled sea,
There I behold a haven prepared for me.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I’ll brave,
I’ve anchored in Jesus, I fear no wind or wave.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, for He hath power to save,
I’ve anchored to the Rock of Ages.
May. 4th, 2006 @ 12:45 am
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| » (No Subject) |
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Go to http://images.google.com and type in your answers to the following questions:
1. Place you grew up:
2. Place you live now:
3. Your Name:
4. Your grandmother's name.... (Note, these are my grandparents!)
5. Your favorite food:
6. Your favorite drink:
![](http://www.longos.com/uploads/emarket/barqs.jpg")
7. Favorite Song:
8. Favorite Smell:
9. Favorite Shoes:
Mar. 9th, 2006 @ 11:20 am
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| » Song Thing |
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1. open your music player and set it to shuffle.
2. write down the first line from each of the first 25 songs that come up (with lyrics); no skipping because you're embarrassed.
3. let people guess, and then underline or strike out songs as they are correctly identified.
1. The continent of Atlantis was an island which lay before the Great Flood in the area we now call the Atlantic Ocean
2. Oh I need your love babe, I guess you know it's true.
3. Imagine there is no Heaven, it's easy if you try.
4. Every time I look into your loving eyes, I see a love that money just can't buy.
5. There's a lady who is sure, all that glitters is gold
6. Hello Mary Lou, good bye heart, sweet Mary Lou I'm so in love with you
7. It's not unusual to be loved by anyone.
8. It was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June.
9. Y'all gonna make me lose my mind.
10. It was a beautiful day the sun beat down.
11. When I find myself in times of trouble.
12. When the truth is found to be lies.
13. I was tired of my lady.
14. Hey Joe, where are you going with that gun in your hand?
15. On the first part of the journey.
16. When the day is dawning on a Texas Sunday morning.
17. After the turn of the century in the clear blue skies over Germany.
18. The Eastern world it is exploding.
19. Her name was Lola she was a show girl.
20. Who's that whispering in the trees?
21. So you think you can tell Heaven from Hell?
22. I guess I shoulda known by the way you parked your car that it wouldn't last.
23. How long will I slide?
24. Closing time, open all the doors and let you out into the world
25. If you could only see the way she loves me
Feb. 22nd, 2006 @ 12:19 am
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mciceflash's journal
