When I first found out that Emma had gone to be with Jesus, I was in shock. I kept saying, “No God, please no.” Then I spent all of Tuesday afternoon telling Him how much I didn’t like this decision. I didn’t think it was fair. In the same breath as I said I didn’t like what He was doing, I also told Him I wanted to see how He was going to use this for His glory.

I saw a glimpse of it today at the funeral. Mark and I were blessed with a wonderful friend to watch our children while we attended Emma’s memorial service. We were able to grieve with our friends as well as serve them. My heart broke when I saw a good friend, Emma’s young cousins, crying over the loss of their sweet baby cousin.

Emma’s daddy, Denny spoke and felt it was so important to tell people that he was grieving but he knew that Emma was with Jesus and couldn’t wait to be with her some day.

I was drawn back to when Kennis went to be with Jesus and my heart ached even more. We were not able to attend her funeral because I was so far along in my pregnancy. Today I grieved over my niece’s broken heart for her best friend leaving her for now.

I had sweet thoughts today that not only is Kennis praising God in Heaven, so is sweet baby Emma, and even our sweet second baby that was “miscarried” at 9 weeks (in 2003). They are all whole and well and worshipping the one who created them.

Thank you God, through my tears, for making these sweet beautiful children. I know that you make all things new! I praise you for making Emma and for giving her a new body as she worships You, her Creator. For making Kennis in her “diva” style and giving her a whole body as she sings praise to Your Name. And for our sweet baby that we will only get to hold when we see You again.

1My voice rises to God, and I wil cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.
4You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
6I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:
7Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
10Then I said, “It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 77

How great and mighty is our awesome God!?!

Please continue to pray for Denny and Vickie and all of their family as they grieve this loss. They’ll be getting away this week to draw closer to God and each other, so please pray for this time.

I don’t know what to post this morning. I’m so very sad for Denny & Vickie and their whole family. For Zoe’s best friend who lost a cousin. I’ve been talking to God and just telling Him that I don’t like what He did. I know He had to do it. I know it was all in His plans. But I hate it. For little Emma and her family. For Kennis and her family. It’s hard and not fun. But He has a reason for it all. I see it so often with Kennis’s family and how they have reached out to others. I doubt they will ever know the full impact Kennis’s life has had on people. Not only that but their living through it being such a witness to others. I still hate this for all of them.

I guess, all I need to do is repost this video. God always has a plan A. He doesn’t choose different routes. He knew when Emma first was created…well, He created her, that she was going to be everything that she was. That she was going to be here for two months only. I am so grateful that He is in control. I just pray that He brings the peace and love that Denny, Vickie, and their family need right now.

Smith Family Story from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

Please pray for one of the ministers from our church. He’s the one I’ve been posting about. Baby Emma went home to be with her Heavenly Father today. As a church family, we are all hurting for her and for Denny and Vickie. Please remember them in your prayers as they say good bye to their precious daughter.

They dedicated her and their raising of her to the Lord on Sunday. How fitting, that she is now fully with God. Fully healed. Not hurting. She is wrapped in her Savior’s arms. Whole.

I’m in a ladies Bible study on Saturday mornings (every other Saturday). We’re going through a book right now called, Between Walden and the Whirlwind. I have to say it is an awesome book and through scripture and lots of prayer I am learning to focus on my Creator and Director.

After Bible study this morning, I got home to rush getting stuff ready for a Sunday school party tonight and just general clean up since Mark and I were going on a great date (we went bicycling and I’ll post more on that later). However, I checked our phone messages. Mark had missed a call from my mom while he was trying to get things ready for us to go. I checked the message and learned that my grandfather passed away. Talk about focusing on God!

Please pray for my family as we face another good bye on my mother’s side. He was the last of my grandparents living.

I’ve mentioned before about Baby Emma, one of our minister’s new daughters. She has been diagnosed with a genetic disorder that causes her to break out in blisters. She is just one month old, and has been in and out of the hospital three times. She is currently in the hospital with an infection in the sores. There are three forms of this disorder. She has the intermediate form which means that she will always have these sores. Please pray for her, her parents, and the rest of the family. We are so blessed to have healthy children. My heart breaks for this family. They’ve lost the ideal for the perfect baby, perfect family.

Another family that I have been reading about here, has been experiencing another form of loss. Todd Smith is a member of the Christian music group Selah. He and his wife recently lost their fourth baby two and half hours after she was born. Their story is below. For anyone that is dealing with the loss, especially surrounding their children, their story brings true encouragement from God’s Word!

Smith Family Story from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

I learned yesterday afternoon that Rick Burgess from Rick and Bubba (a radio show) lost his 2 year old son due to a drowning accident. Uggghhh. This has just bothered me and I can’t get it out of my mind. I guess when I know of children who have passed recently, it was because of a disease, almost expected. But this, totally unexpected and it brings home the reality that we are only promised heaven (if we believe in Christ) and not tomorrow. It also reminds me how precious time with our children is…so hug your kids some more today and show them Christ’s love every moment!

And please pray for Rick and Sherri Burgess and all those parents who have empty arms because their children are with Jesus.