Back Home Again...

Well, it has been quite an extraordinary few weeks. When my Dad called to tell me that he was diagnosed with liver cancer, this pass May...he started the conversation by saying..."I have bad news." I don't think I really understood the impact that those 4 words would have had on him and on my family. I asked him " what does that mean?" and he had said, "its not good"...you don't ever want to think that it is not good, especially when it is concerning your parent or a family member, but although the disease is not good, the man was and is...Because of the tenderness of my Father in Heaven, working through the angels that are my friends, I was able to be with my father as he passed on through to the next part of his life. All my siblings and my sweet mother were at his side as he took his last breathe. We were able to laugh and cry together as we remembered our father. I saw changes in the hearts of my brothers that could have only happened because of this experience. I was able to learn more about the type of man that my father was in the acts he did for others. We were able to have the "redneck funeral" that he would have always wanted. But as we stood over the grave where we said goodbye to his body, the thoughts that we could and will see him again spoke peace to our hearts because we know the truth. That was one of the things that my dad always said to me..."Know the truth and the truth shall make you free." I may not have understood exactly what he meant by that until I watched some suffering more because of our loss, because they understood not the truth.
Another truth that I know is that I would not have been able to experience all these things without the love, prayers, support, and service given to me by all of my wonderful friends. The Savior said..." Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." I have truly felt that love from each of you, my friends. Thank you doesn't seem able to cover how I have felt because of each of you...but Thank You. My dad was a true example to me of the kind of friend that I would want to be. He was able to make and keep friends for a lifetime. He had friends from his childhood that came to visit him when he was sick, that were uplifted by Dad's strength, although they were there to strengthen him, and it is my prayer that I can be that kind of friend to each of you, because that is what you have been to me.
Here is the program from My Dad's service that I think is neat and you can laugh at the funny, big hair pictures if you like...