That song...."I can only imagine"...whew!

The reason I am bring this old post back up today is the movie about the man who wrote  the song "I can only imagine" which became a megahit, is premiering tonight March 16th.  I hope to see it and would encourage you to if you get a chance. ...

The picture below was taken during a break in a play we did several years at Antioch Baptist Johnson City and the dramatists in the heaven scene of the production of "Judgement House" in the fall of 2001. they would put on every year around Halloween. The heaven scene was often the culmination of the play and if you were a person in the scenes or a guide, you could tell that it got peoples attention. This play swas one the audience walked from scene to scene and the 'actors' in the scenes may have performed the same part around 30 times an evening. A typical night ran 3 hours long, 3 times a week for 3 weeks. It was a huge commitment but it had a great impact.

 I am not sure but this may have been the year in the heaven scene when the song "I can only imagine" was a hit. My daughter Carol told me that she and the others inthe heaven scene would often sing that song as they waited until the next group to "come to heaven". I think Sal Cicirello played Jesus in the heaven scene every year we did this and did an amazing job. He made chills run down your spine as he shook each person's hand who was there for the drama and this scene. He would also look into each person's eyes and you just knew what he was saying without even saying it.."do you know you will be here someday?:" My daughter, Carol is standing right in front of Sal in this picture, and I know ...no, I KNOW that she is THERE---> in HEAVEN and I can only imagine how big a smile she has on her face and she tells me "it's true --you just have to believe, OH HOW HE LOVES YOU ...can't wait to see you!: And I say i wish I had put this in the book I wrote about her: "Carol's Smile". 

 I know that song was also helpful when I had my first brain surgery for my electrodes in my head, and it was stressful, and they asked what kind of music i liked and I told them Christian music...it wasn't long and I heard "I can only imagine"and I thought about Carol being in heaven and everything seemed OK from there on out.  (Yes I was awake when they were operating on my brain in order for the doc to tell if the implant is in the right spot.  So I had to give them some feedback verbally and with some hand signals).

So go and see why the man wrote this song that became so popular and is so very descriptive of how we will all feel when we meet Jesus!  So many special people in this picture.  Thank you for making my daughter's smile even bigger because of your love!  Judy 3/16/18

Thoughts from the past 5/3/2008

A very special book, written by a person with Parkinson's contains a poem entitled "From Whom All Blessings Flow" in which the author states in the last section "God is at work all around us;  looking back we will see, it's through trials, He helps us live more faithfully. I praise God for each moment of life that He gives,each one molding my heart, into one more like His."   by Tamara Cantore

I recently attended a women's conference and the speaker spoke of praising God
even in the midst of trials. Now that is so very hard to do, but i am learning that when I can do this, my whole outlook on life changes.  When I can get out of the way and put God in the middle of my life, things change.  God desires the praise of his people.

One familiar doxology comes to mind...
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures, here and below,
Praise Him above yea heavenly hosts,
Praise Father , Son, and  Holy Ghost.  amen

I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name
I will lift up my hands.  Psalm 63:4

slight modification 
3/6/2008
Judy

Thoughts from 2008

I recently found some journal writings I had in a booklet from 10 years ago.  As I read them and offer to share them with you, I can say  "Wow, ten years and I still feel much the same!"  A lot can change in each of our lives in 10 years.  Aren't you glad God does not change?  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  One thing that has changed in 10 years is my writing.  It is horrible due to Parkinson's disease. After awhile my journal entries are almost illegible.

This entry was dated 3/29/08

  Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.  Praise Him for His acts of power;praise Him for His surpassing greatness.  Psalm 150:1-2

It is looking alot like spring now, and that makes me happy.  New life is present in the buds on trees, and flowers blooming out in all their beauty.  I get excited this time of year because I can take pictures of God's beauty as it comes to be right before our eyes.  And to think God designed all of this for our enjoyment!  The flowers, the sun, the rain, the sunrise and the promise that HE has new mercies for us each day.  The prayer we learn as children touches on many things of God we are blessed with each day.   "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food"....and water, and the earth's first fruits.  He really is great, and good.  And He loves to hear us give Him praise.  So try it today!

Modified slightly on 3/6/2018
by Judy

5th year since Carol died 2/27/13

It has been 5 years since Carol died and some amazing and special things have happened. It started last weekend.   Karen and I took our Jim Good to hear his favorite bluegrass band in Greenville TN (Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver).  On the way home, I got a message

  that the boys team from Tri Cities had won the state championship for the TSAAC(Christian schools) in basketball.  And #22 was there again on Caleb Rose!  Way to represent, Caleb!  Caleb asked to wear #22 when he came to play at TCCS.  He and Carol were good friends when he was a yung fella, and I know she would be happy athis success this year (and his brother Aaron, too).

For reference, in 2010 when Cooper was a senior, the boys won the state basketball championship.The girls were there playing for the second year in a row, but they had not gotten their taste of a championship win, but they were next in line.  In the 2010 tourney the girls were playing with heavy hearts because their beloved Coach Anderson had just died from colon cancer.The girls  were not successful winning a state championship but they sure would have made Coach proud!  The next two years (2010-2011 & 2011-2012)the girls won the state championship with Carol Hensley (#22) taking MVP honors.  The next year the two teams were going back to near Nashville to play in the state tourney again, when they heard Carol had died.  The TCCS girls put Carol's jerzee (#22) on a chair at the end of the seats for the players and played their hearts out..AND they won!  They had dominated teams and came home with the 3rd Championship for the girls basketball program( '11,'12, '13).

The girls team was hit by tragedy again when Coach Jack Blevins passed after a hard fought battle against cancer in early 2015. But the one constant each time the girls played in the regional or state games was Coach Leuzinger's  pink converse she would wear.

So maybe this is the start again of great runs for the girls with next years team.....who knows?

Two friends met-up with me  with me to see the Lady Vols play their last home game of the 2018 season  on Feb 25th against South Carolina at Knoxville, and lady Vols won!(recall Carol & Cooper went to see the UT men basketball team play Florida the night before she died?)

The next thing was Caroline Singletary (Carol's sister-in-law) had blogged about Carol's death and how it changed her life's perspective.  She said it took her 5 years to get the courage up to write about it. It is excellent! Go to www.carolinesingletary.com to read it.

A dear friend of mine, Tammy Rowe, was able to eat lunch with me on the
Feb 27,2018.  We spoke about how long and short 5 years has been and I told her about how the the weekend had gone, we smiled as we knew her spirit was still among us in very special ways.

And on March 3, 2018 (the 5year anniversary of Carol's "Celebration of Life")
 I was in Knoxville again to hear a bereaved mother speak to a group in and around the Knoxville area who have experienced the death of a child.  I had read the book this speaker had written about the single car accident that took her teen son's life,  it is "Grief:A Momma's Unwanted Journey " by Shelley Ramsey.  It was such a great honor to meet her (and I gave her a copy of my book about Carol, "Carol's Smile.")

As I look back on the last couple of weekends surrounding the 5th year of my daughters death, I think so many friends and family have helped me get through this difficult time.  And I know I am closer to seeing her again  Thank you all for your concern for Cooper, too!  I think he is the best kind of guy and I would ask you to pray for him, cause I know it is hard for him as well.

And I pray that we all can keep her legacy and her love and her spirit alive for anyone here who needs to witness it.

judy
mar 5, 2018