Countdown to October 11, 2012……. So many people through the years have touched our lives, but today I give thanks for those who were there during the darkest week….

• Kathy (Norsworthy) and Linda (Alsup), for coming when I called…..and staying through the night
• Melody (Himes) for spending that last day with him in intensive care – I know you were praying …. seeing you and your mother come by the next morning made us smile
• Mandy (Hillhouse), for calling Linda (Haselwood) for dinner, making keys, checking in on us, answering the phone in the wee hours of October 11^th
• Linda (Haselwood), for delivering dinner – manicotti and brownies
• Linda (Haselwood), Anna (Looper), Mandy (Hillhouse), April (Humphrey), Suzanne (Brown) and Sabra, for unpacking our “goods” and having our house look like it belonged in Southern Living when we arrived — and, Billy (Brown) for hanging all the pictures – I know you were in the middle of football season
• Suzanne (Brown), for finding Cubbins, the hockey sticks, and boots….definitely led by the Holy Spirit to find everything that “was” John Michael
• Suzanne, Theresa (Dame) and Billye Sue (Hatch)…..I thought nothing could touch John Michael’s memorial table to greet all the visitors and family, until I walked into the church where another memorial table was surrounded by candles
• For all of you waiting on us as we drove into Clayton at my mother’s home with food and love….I dreaded stepping out of the car, but then saw so many who loved us….Byron and Gertrude Bohanon, Nita Hairrell, Laconia, and so many others
• Linda (Tallman) and Martha (Tallman) …for coming all the way from Tennessee – what a beautiful sight to see your faces that evening as you joined the family dinner
• The Holt family and Mary Beth Sneed…also making that long trip from Tennessee – you too loved JM so much
• Dr. Debi…..calling me every single day of those 8 weeks and then several times a day afterwards
• Dear Lindsey….. your beautiful letter of love and comfort – he loved you so
• My dear Arden….JM’s soulmate, teacher, and friend….and the touching eulogy
• The many, many friends of John Michael for being there for him..and, us
• Our many friends and colleagues from Shawnee
• Our many “old” friends from when we were “young”
• Marilyn, Charles, and Christopher Dorsey (one of JM’s first best friends from Kindergarten and 1^st grade)
• First Baptist Church…… the first church JM called home…thank you to all who cooked for us, prayed for us, and loved us
• Dottie and Todd….coming every night and having a wonderful service for us
• Many, many others who prayed for us, sent us messages of love and memories of John Michael
• Our family
  • Jim and Cassidy – for being with JM that afternoon, and then being with us every day as we prepared for the service
  • Tracy – thank you for the website, a comfort to hear from so many who loved John Michael
  • Karen, Dusty, and Blair – for rushing to our side and never leaving us that whole week – Dusty, I’ll never forget you cooking our breakfast each morning and then helping Skip clean our place at the cemetery, making the dreaded trip to the funeral home and flower shop
  • Ramona, you smelled so wonderful when you showed up at the hospital – I know John Michael could smell you and hear your voice
  • Jessi, for rushing to the hospital to be with JM and us
  • Val, I don’t know how you got a flight out so quickly from Nashville.  And, then driving us to Clayton as we knew we couldn’t let John Michael get there without us being there, also
  • Sara Jane, rushing from Canada, across the border and down to NYC to catch your plane in the middle of the night
  • John and Heidi, for coming so quickly
  • Pat, Joe, and Butch, for he loved all of his family
  • That night
    • Kathy, Linda, Karen, Dusty, Blair, Jessi, Val, Ramona……..his last hours, you were with us…… as we said goodbye
    • The Service
      • To so many Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania friends……thank you for being there with us
      • Our Shawnee family from Horace Mann, Shawnee Middle School (Pam for bringing Jerry) and my office…Marilyn, Steve, Allison, Anna, Sabra
      • So many near and distant friends praying for us, especially on this day
      • Our family……. Because of you, the service was so beautiful..John Michael was smiling as Karen, Mother, Valerie, Jim and John sang the words that touched us all…..and SJ as you read the cousin memories.
      • It was a perfect day…..

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do

October 7, 2012

everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:15-17