Dearest Prayer Warriors,
Yes, we still need your fervent prayers……and always will be thankful for each and every one of you.
I have so much to say. It has been so busy here. Family and friends came from so many different places and so many different chapters of our lives.
We were simply overwhelmed with the love. And we could feel your prayers in a great way.
We still have several relatives here with us, so our time has been busy with them.
Nick’s Celebration Service simply was beautiful. We had a dear friend videotape the entire service and I will be posting it as soon as I can for any of you who would like to share the special service with us. I can’t even begin to thank everyone who worked so hard to make the service something I will cherish for my entire lifetime.
I’ll share more about it when I am able to focus. Right now I can’t even process my thoughts.
My heart is just so heavy with grief and yet so thankful that Nick’s struggle has ended. He put up such a fight!
Oh, I miss him so much. I still can’t really believe that he is not here somewhere.
Everytime I see his chair empty, my heart sinks with the reality of what we are facing.
I know that God would not bring us here to leave us, so I find myself whispering prayers for strength almost constantly.
I wish I could write more now.
The words will come………………..in time.
i won’t quit praying…even though i couldn’t come to the service you were in my thoughts and prayers, too. thanks again for your testimony throughout all of this. your faith is such a strong witness for Christ and an encouragement to me. i hope to be half as an encouragement to you as you have been to everyone who knows you or has read your blog.
sara hatch (was wickline)
You are right God would not bring you to this point and leave you. He is with you. Don’t rush anything. God will give you time to Take the time to grieve and mourn your lose. God will give you the time you need and then will gently guide you down the road he has mapped out for you…. Can’t you just imagine the celebration in Heaven when Nick got there!!!!!
You and your family are in my constant prayer.
Sweet Tammy… I know that emptiness… it’s sometimes overwhelming and at the beginning… will always be overwhelming. I haven’t stopped praying for God’s grace and strength for you… allow yourself all the time you need to grieve and to sort through your thoughts and feelings. Don’t allow others to rush you through this process. Keep leaning on Jesus and He will continue to carry you through each step and each minute of every day. I love you so much Tammy.
Love,
Bonnelle
We were inspired by the service and know that Nick must have been pleased! You are such a blessing to so many people, but you need to take care of yourself now. Give yourself time to process all that has happened in the last few weeks and rest knowing that you and Tim did everything right and you did all you could. God mercifully removed the pain from Nick, and He will continue to be good to your family. Many people are lifting you up in daily prayer, with much love.
I’m praying for you Tammy and your beautiful family. I can’t imagine how sad you are. Just know I am thinking of you.
Tammy and Family,
I have kept checking the blog every little bit to see if you had written yet today. I wanted to know that you were OK and yet I knew that you were fine. God is with you. He takes care of you. God gives you great strength. You and your faith are such a blessing to everyone. Rest now. Take time. May God Bless You and yours. With much affection we are thinking and praying for you.
You are never alone, and a hug for you is only a phone call away. I wish I could take this pain from you so you wouldn’t have to endure anymore. But God is still using you, and He’s still using Nick – in mighty ways. I was very touched by the beautiful service yesterday. Your family has changed my life forever, and I hope that I can be only half as good a mother and Christian as you are! You are thought of often, and you are still in my prayers every second of every day.
I love you,
Trish
Precious one, I am heartbroken and rejoicing all in one- heartbroken to know that Nick will not grow up in your wonderful family, heartbroken as I think of your grieving heart, and heartbroken because Nick had so much to give to those who knew him. I am celebrating, though because he is in His Father’s arms, celebrating mothers who introduce their children to Jesus so they can spend eternity with him, and celebrating that Nick is alive and waiting for the day his family joins him. You are in my prayers.
Tuesday morning at about 10 am this song came on the radio:my thoughts went to you. Again tonight same thing-it came on the radio and I thought of you.I just knew I had to leave you a link to it.
I think one of my favorite names for the Lord would have to be Deliverer. He reigns for forever Tammy-because of Him you will most assuredly see your son again. Praise God and the strength will come.
Really tight hugs to you and prayers always, Cheri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwRx1uNwHQ
Tammy,
I will never stop Praying for you and your family for the day’s ahead you.
I wish you peace and rest.
Love and Prayers
Brenda
Tammy
It is good that you are taking some time to process what has taken place.Please give Rich and Oralee a big hug from Keith and I. We are keeping you all in our prayers.
Love and Peace~ Deborah Peterson
Tammy first and foremost I continually pray for you and your family day in and out. It has been a while back I want to say around Nick’s birthday, but the two of you had come into Melini’s and I had the privilage and blessing of waiting on the two of you. I just wanted to let you know a few things, which I am sure you hear continually but won’t mind hearing again, Nick and YOU both have touched my lives (well your entire family). Since the day at the restaraunt Nick’s spirit and yours both amazed me. And it put my life into a better perspective. It made me aware that if Nick and yOu can both walk around with smiles on your face and look at the good in life, that my daily struggles should be put in the same perspective. My struggles are minute to battling cancer, and if you can be strong and positive through that than I need to learn to look at the blessings that I am giving daily. Second Tammy you have inspired me to be a better mommy, and to make sure I enjoy the time I have with Izack. I have the blessing and joy have seeing him grow into a healthy young boy, and I want to treasure all that I have while I have it, cause I realize that others out there would give anything to be able to have just one more minute or one more day with a lost child, and you must treasure it and enjoy it while its here. Then there is Evan. I am in some classes with him at college right now. I just wanted to let you know you have raised a strong, intelligent young man. I was thoroughly impressed and moved to see him in class this past monday and wednesday. Yet again I get a perspective change. But now that I have rambled on enough. I just wanted you to know what has been on my heart the past months, and I just wanted to share with you how You, Nick, and Evan have changed my life, and trully blessed me! LOVE IN CHRIST!
Rebekah Everman
We are praying for your family. JJ was very saddened by the news of Nick’s passing. He said he will miss his buddy Nick.
With love from Ohio,
The Snider Family
Thinking of you……..xoxo
Your new journey has just begun, and we are here for you now.
Take it nice and slow.
Praying for supernatural strength and grace for the days, months and years to come.
God is with you…
PS Thanks for taking the time to let us know how you are doing. You are so kind and thoughtful. We appreciate you Tammy~
Sweet Tammy, praying for you and your family. As I was checking just now to see if you had posted anything new I had songs being shuffled on iTunes and the song that came on just as I opened your blog really touched my heart–it was “Go Rest High On That Mountain” by Vince Gill. So many of the words he sang could have been written specially for Nick–if you haven’t heard this song or listened to it lately, I urge you to do so whenever you get the chance–I hope it will bring a smile to your face along with the tears as it did mine! Praying for God to lift you up and comfort you in whatever way you need.
Love & Prayers,
Bridgett
Tammy-prayers are being said each time the Holy Spirit brings you and your family to my mind. I found this devotional–wanted to send it to you. God bless.
Luanne
“I will…heal your wounds.” Jeremiah 30:17 NIV
Philip Yancey said: “Peter once said to Jesus…’Lord, to whom can we go?’…
You’ve heard, ‘Things will get better. You’ll get past this.’…Those who offer such comfort mean well, and it’s true what you feel now you won’t always feel. Yet…you’re a different person because of that day…
When three of my friends died I came across these lines: ‘Grief melts away like snow in May, as if there were no such thing as cold.’ I clung to that hope, even as grief smothered me like an avalanche.
It did melt away, but like snow it came back in fierce, unexpected ways, triggered by a sound, a smell, a fragment of memory.” Yancey continued, “Pain is a sign of life and love. I’m wearing a neck brace because I broke my neck in an accident.
Initially medical workers refused to give me medication because they needed my response. The doctor kept asking, ‘Does this hurt? Can you feel that?’ The answer he desperately wanted was, ‘Yes, it hurts, I can feel it,’ proof that my spinal cord hadn’t been severed.
Pain offers proof of life, of connection. In deep wounds two kinds of tissue must heal: connective tissue, plus the outer protective tissue. If the outer protective tissue heals too quickly the inner connective tissue won’t heal properly, leading to complications later.”
Don’t attempt healing alone. Real healing takes time. It takes place where God’s presence, God’s peace, and God’s people are. Are you hurting today? Turn to God. His promise to you is “I will…heal your wounds” (Jer. 30:17 NIV).
Constantly praying for you!!!!!!