Tonight as I was tucking Al in for bed he said he wanted to leave me something to remember him by. He told me to go get my camera and take a picture of him and me so I could have this to hang on to. I knew it would not turn out as well with me holding the camera but he said it had to be done tonight. Here is his gift to me.
Beautiful.
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Thank you Julie
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What a beautiful and precious gift.
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I think it is the best gift ever from him
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Good memory 🙂 May The Lord be with you and Al.
>
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Thank you Yoshiko!!
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You’re both angels to me. xoxo
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you are my angel. you continue to lift me up always. hugs
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The making of priceless memories. May the angels protect you both and bring you peace SOON.
Hugs, Linda
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thank you so much Linda
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God Bless! Thank you for sharing this!!
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thank you so much!!! Merry Christmas
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Wonderful…just beautiful, treasure it always, Love and Hugs, Ann
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It is the best gift ever!!! Merry Christmas Ann
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Hope today went well…Hugs. Ann
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Hope you Holiday went well, thinking about you. Hugs Ann
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it went better than I hoped
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! To my precious, wonderful friends…….my brother and sister. WE (this family) are so still praying for the both of you. I know that our Fathers guardian and warrior angels are ministering to the both of you and that Fathers Spirit IS filling you both and filling your home with His peace and love…..take a moment of quiet so to feel Fathers arms wrapped around you….He IS with the both of you…..feel His love for you….I know how immense His love is…His love is so HUGE!!!!!! I wish I was closer to ya’ll cause I want to give you big hugs too!! May your night be one of peaceful and loving dreams……a night of our Father ministering to your emotional needs. Blessings on both of you……you ARE loved. 🙂 ! XOXOXOXO!!!!
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God bless you my dear friend. Without your encouraging words and God’s arms around Al and me I would not be this far in this journey with Al. Things have definitely changed today. I think Al is ready to go , or at least a lot closer. He is calmer and has been asking for certain people. I am doing my best to do as he ask
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Really beautiful Terrry..hang in there..
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Thank you, I am hanging on ever so tight
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Priceless…
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Hi RoSy! thank you and Merry Christmas
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What great love he has for his big sister. In the midst of all of his suffering, he knows it’s Christmas and he wanted to bless you. That is selfless love, and that picture will bring you great comfort in the months to come, Terry. I pray that everytime you look at that picture, the Lord will remind you not only of Al’s great love, but also of God’s great love for you, and that you will feel the warmth of His comfort and perfect peace. I pray that in time, that comfort and peace will turn into joy. I know those things don’t seem possible right now, Terry, but this is a prayer and a blessing that will come to fruition over time, and one day, when you look at this picture, you will smile a real smile, and you will shed more tears that day… only on that day they will not be tears of pain and grief, but tears of joy.
May God bless you and Al, and may you always hold tight to the memory of this special night, when your brother blessed you with one final very special Christmas present… the gift of himself.
Much love to you,
Cheryl
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You have been the best Cheryl. You always know how to calm me. I am so lucky to have you as a friend
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God bless you Terry. He has placed you on the hearts of many people who love you, and we are lifting both you and Al up to Him in prayer. You are loved, Terry, by many people, but most importantly, by the Almighty God of the universe who created both you and Al, and He is always merciful, even in this, as hard as it is.
People often misquote one of the scriptures and say, “God won’t allow us to suffer more than we can endure,” and then, when our suffering does go way beyond what we are able to endure, we are angry with Him, thinking that He lied to us, when that isn’t what He said at all. The truth is that we often do suffer way more than we can endure, and the only way we can pass through that suffering is by His grace alone. The very fact that you’re still functioning on little to no sleep, while witnessing and enduring your brother’s suffering and pain at your age is a testimony of God’s grace carrying someone through, because what you are going through goes way beyond human endurance, and yet there you are, still finding a way to steal away periodically and reach out to your friends online. This is amazing, Terry, and can only be an act of God.
As for that scripture that people keep misquoting, what it really says is…
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)
You see, God’s promise is to deliver us from tempation, not from suffering. Think about it, my friend, over two thousand years ago, God’s own Son left the splendors of heaven, to be planted in the womb of a young peasant girl. He could have chosen to come at any time throughout eternity or for that matter, He could have chosen not to come at all, but at just the right time, He came to a poor peasant girl to be born — not in a mansion or a palace, and not in a nice clean, sterile and safe hospital — but in a filthy stable, with animals, and He did that for you and me. When I think of a teenager giving birth in a dirty stable to the King of Glory, I can only imagine how scary and painful that must have been, not to mention how dangerous it was. Disease and infection could have killed one or both of them, But God, in His mercy, had a plan…
Then, while her little one was just a toddler, imagine how frightened she was to be awakened by her husband in the middle of the night, urging her to get up, grab the baby and let’s go to Egypt, because the angel of the Lord had showed him that evil men were coming to kill the Child. Terry, you’re a mom and a grandmother, and so am I. Can you imagine the suffering that went on in the little town of Bethlehem when Herod’s men swept into town, killing every single male child aged 2 years and younger? Can you imagine the pain those little ones endured as their lives were ferociously snuffed out? That kind of suffering, like yours, is beyond endurance, except for God, who gives us strength beyond human measure, to come through even that pain.
And then, more than thirty years later, on a lonely mountain, we see that same Jesus, praying and crying out to God, His Daddy, and the scriptures say His suffering was so great — just knowing what was to come — that he sweat drops of blood. Girl, I’ve suffered in my life, and I’ve dealt with all kinds of anxiety, but I’ve never ever sweated blood in all of my pain and fear. Still, knowing what was to come, and the suffering that He would endure over the next 12 hours, Jesus, who is God in the flesh, and could have easily called legions of angels to His rescue, and could have slain His murderers with just a word, instead chose to endure the shame and the pain of the abuse and the cross, for the sake of His murderers, and for our sake.
He knows what it is to suffer, and He feels our pain. That’s why the scripture says, “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” Terry, my friend, you just keep on, crying out to Him, shouting out to Him, and leaning on Him, and though it seems like it will never end, He will be with you, and He will continue to give you the strength to endure until the end. Yes, my friend, this is way more than either you or Al can handle, but it will soon come to an end, and if you will place your trust in Him, He will comfort you and give you rest when it is over…
Meanwhile, those of us who love you, because He has placed you on our hearts, will continue to pray for you and for Al, with much love and much fervency. I pray that this cup soon passes from you and Al, and that you will one day be able to look back at this and see that even in this, when the enemy did his worst, torturing you and your brother, God was good to you, and He carried you through. God bless you, my friend.
Love always,
Cheryl
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Cheryl, your comment brought great comfort to my soul. I am so tired, more tired for Al than for me. I thanked God for allowing Al to be here for Christmas, even though he slept most of the way through it. Sometimes when things look so bleak and I carry my own cross on my back I can look to your words and draw more strength, enough to carry this to the end. thank you and big, big hugs
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A perfect gift!!! So precious and a fantastic suggestion from Al. Excellent photo, Terry.
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Hi Vivi, thank you. I hope you feel peace around you this holiday
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Thanks, Terry … had a very pleasant Christmas … with friends. New Year I will be home alone by choice, so looking forward to it. ‘smile
I hope you had a lovely Christmas too.
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I had family here, so it made it nice, because Al slept through it. I don’t like to go out on New Years Eve. Too many drunks, so I will be home with Al
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Totally agree with you …. too many drunks out. Even on private parties … things always goes out of hand., on New Years Eve.
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Purrfect..just Purrfect! Pawkisses for a Merry Christmas 🙂
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I thought so too. hugs and Merry Christmas
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A touching, precious gift. I know you will treasure it always.
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I certainly will. Merry Christmas Mimi
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This is a lovely gift and a really nice picture for treasuring always.
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I think it is the best!
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Absolutely
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there are no words – what a precious gift from such a precious brother.
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Thank you Patty
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God bless you both, Terry. What a sweet gift!
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Thank you Cynthia!
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What a wonderful gift and one you will cherish forever! Merry Christmas.
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Thank you, Merry Christmas
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The perfect gift, may the Lord continue to bless you both. hugs!
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I think it is the best gift ever
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For AL:
Homeward bound
I am returning
I am not settling
I am ascending
Like a shooting star
I will fade away
I could for greater good stay
Linger I can not for I am
leaving all pain, hurt
And shadows behind
I do not fear to rise up
All will be well forever
The portal of darkness
Will not claim my cup
My chains now unbound
No longer wrapped around
Link after link I have broken
Now I am free, free, indeed
I am going to hang with angels
Going to my loving God
See His offered hand
I see the Holy stairwell
Going home…ascending above
copyright/ 2013 / lwc/myownheart.me
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Oh this is so very beautiful. It hits me right in the heart. It sticks with my soul. I will always treasure this. I may use this even at his funeral. Thank you so very much
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I just keep thinking of you both and what you are going through, wishing I could be there to help you. God Bless
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Thank you. He has cried and made peace and is going to see his aunt who is the one person he has been waiting on
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What a magnificent gift.
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thanks Al!! big hugs
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great gift and very thoughtful!…
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yes it sure was
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The most treasured gifts are above perfection. Merry Christmas, Terry and Al.
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Merry Christmas Kim. Hugs
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What a sweet, thoughtful, and blessed gift!
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I think so too.Merry Christmas Mona
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