January 4, 1961-September 30, 2011
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of HIS saints." Psalm 116:15
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. I Thess. 4:12-17
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
I learned after I had sent this out this morning that Darlene went home to be with her LORD and SAVIOR about 1:45 a.m. this morning...visitation will be tonight at Limestone Chapel from 6-9 and a Celebration of her precious life will be tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at Limestone Chapel. In lieu of flowers the family has asked that donations be made to an education fund being set up for her children. So, below is the original email as i sent it to my family and friends this morning before i learned of Darlene's HOMEgoing...
You have been so kind to ask about my friend Darlene, and to pray for her and her family. I have included a picture of my sweet friend and her precious family so you can put a face to them. This was taken when Philip was an infant, his first CHRISTmas it looks like. He will be nine this year, i think. This is at their house for CHRISTmas...Darlene always decorates the house so beautifully for CHRISTmas and we used to spend an evening together every year with our families celebrating CHRISTmas together, singing CHRISTmas carols, reading the Scriptures and opening gifts.
It's been a tough week for Darlene and Arthur and their family. I had the joy and sorrow of visiting with Darlene and her family on two separate occasions this week. Sunday night, after we finished singing at church, i felt like the LORD was prompting me to go see Darlene, and not wait until the service was over. I am so glad i did...it had been a very difficult weekend for Arthur and his family. as they watched Darlene being unable to eat or respond to them as she had been earlier because of an increase of her pain medication. Arthur was really struggling with Darlene's situation, and I saw this man who was is so devoted to his wife, cry in anguish. He was not angry with GOD, but he felt like it was wrong the way she was being medicated and he was not going to rest until he felt like she was being taken care of better. He got on the Internet and researched and the next day he found out through the pharmacist that her dosage had been lessened on Friday by the doctor, but no one had changed it for Darlene over the weekend. Thankfully, Monday her dosage was halved, and then Arthur had it changed where he would have to push it for her every hour around the clock if she needed it so that she wouldn't be totally out of it. This man who has loved his wife like CHRIST loves the Church was once again laying down his life for his wife.
Monday, I took some food by their house that Johnny had brought in from the restaurant, but i just couldn't face going in and seeing Darlene. Thankfully, Arthur was sitting outside in his van charging up his phone battery when i came, and he didn't didn't ask me to come in. He was busy working on getting Darlene's medication reduced, but i later told him, i just wasn't able to see her that day and he said he understood. Arthur told me on the phone later that he had gone to the funeral home here in town to make arrangements for Darlene's funeral that morning, which is going to be a CELEBRATION. He said it was raining when he and the man went out into the cemetary to pick out a couple of plots, one for him and one for Darlene. You can imagine what that felt like. But he said that he and the man who helped him had the best time you could have in that situation...GOD's grace was upon dear Arthur, who said when he got up that morning he felt like he couldn't face that day. GOD gave him the grace to do what he needed to do once again. One of our former pastors, Br. Fred Lackey said he would be honored to come back and do Darlene's funeral...
Yesterday (Wed.) i was feeling some better and i promised Arthur i would come over to see Darlene. It was also the one year anniversary of Tony Greene's homecoming to heaven and as I exercised i watched some of the Greene's videos, "Hold On," "O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem," "When GOD Has Another Plan," "GOD Will Turn Your Test into a Testimony" and it reminded me why i love this dear family so much...i've included this website for a "mix" of their wonderful songs that have encouraged me so greatly since I met them....http://www.youtube.
The house was so peaceful when Arthur came to the door to let me in. I was very thankful that I wasn't coming at a bad time...Darlene's Mom had just finished giving her a bed bath and she was through. Darlene opened her eyes wide a few times, but wasn't able to respond much beyond that, but i knew that she could hear me, and i talked to her just like she was talking back to me. I took out that Greene's picture and asked her is she remembered "stealing" it the very first time we went to see them. I drug Darlene to a bunch of Greene's concerts so it was special the picture was from the very first one we went to together. I told Arthur about the song on the "Glimpse of Glory" CD that had come out when Darlene and I first started knowing the Greenes, that meant so much to me. Tim had written it one night after he got a card asking him what did he do to deserve his sickness. It takes a lot to make Tim Greene mad, like it does Arthur, but he wrote that song in response..."I don't have to know the reason, I don't have to ask HIM why, I know HE knows what's best for me, best for my life. So I'll daily surrender to what HE has for me, i will keep on trusting GOD." I knew this is where Arthur and Darlene were walking and I shared those words with them, that have meant so very much to me since i first heard them. After we talked about the Greene's a little while, i pulled out the plaque Darlene had given me, and read it to her. The last verse on it says, "Greater love hath no man than this than to lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. I told Darlene and Arthur, who was standing beside me, that verse was so true for Darlene...she was constantly laying down her life for her family and her friends. When I was in Texas one year being treated at the clinic, Darlene came over and helped give a birthday party for Hannah Beth. She was forever doing things for me or for my kids and helping me every way that she could when i was homeschooling and was sick. She was always there for me just to talk and help me through rough times, and it wasn't just me she was like that to. I told Arthur the food coop used to meet at our house, and it started getting to me, and Darlene volunteered to meet at her house, and we had it there for a long time. The coop took up at least half a day if you were the one hosting it and she was always more than happy to have everyone and their kids over there running and playing while we broke down the coop. Even in her sickness, their house is often like grand central station with friends and family coming and going constantly...her and Arthur both have such loving and giving hearts.
After I read the plaque to her that she had given me, i asked Arthur if he minded if I read a Psalm to her. I hadn't planned to do that, it just popped in my mind...i know the LORD put it there. I read to her Psalm 34, one that I have shared in my Friday emails recently that has meant so much to me through the years, and afterward, Arthur and I sang, "I Am Thine Oh LORD," to her out of the Baptist Hymn book. I was so blessed to get to do that for my friend. I have shared with ya'll how Arthur has read Psalms and sung hymns to Darlene to bring comfort and peace to her soul, and now i was privileged to do this with him. I couldn't help but notice the words to that last verse of "I Am Thine Oh LORD"..."There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross
the narrow sea; there are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with thee. " Arthur and I both knew that forebearing a divine miracle, it wouldn't be long til his beloved wife, and mother of his children would be crossing that narrow sea and experiencing the depths of love and heights of joy with her sweet SAVIOR that we cannot know until we rest in peace with HIM. Arthur said he was jealous and wanted to go with her.
the narrow sea; there are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with thee. " Arthur and I both knew that forebearing a divine miracle, it wouldn't be long til his beloved wife, and mother of his children would be crossing that narrow sea and experiencing the depths of love and heights of joy with her sweet SAVIOR that we cannot know until we rest in peace with HIM. Arthur said he was jealous and wanted to go with her.
As I sat beside Darlene on a stool, and held her hand, Arthur and his Mom were in and out of the sun room where Darlene lay peacefully. We started talking about today, (Thurs.)this day, being Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year and it being the Feast of Trumpets, one of the seven Jewish feast the LORD commanded the Jews in the Old Testament to observe each year. I told them about a DVD i had just watched about how JESUS fulfilled each one of the Spring Feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Weeks, or Pentecost, on the very day of the Feast, and there are those who teach that when JESUS comes for his CHURCH, HE will do it during the Feast of Trumpets to fulfill it. Since it's a two day feast, the teacher explained that's why no one will know the day. I heard this teaching a long time ago from Zola Levitt, and each year during this time, i am always hoping the LORD will return during the Feast of Trumpets. It sure did raise our hearts talking and thinking about how prophecy is being fulfilled, and it can't be long until JESUS does return for HIS BRIDE...what if it was this year? There is still time for HIM to return and fulfill the Feast of Trumpets...it started at sundown yesterday i believe, and will go through probably sundown Friday...keep your eye on the sky! If you are interested in learning more about the Seven Feasts of Israel, you can order these DVD's from www.wnd.com. The DVD's are entitled, "The Feasts of the LORD," or you can check out Zola Levitt's website...www.levitt.com and order his booklet entitled, "The Seven Feasts of Israel." Both of them are fascinating studies...and will increase your faith in the LORD JESUS, i promise.
Arthur read the passage I used above to his Mom and me, and Darlene as we talked about JESUS coming back soon. After we visited awhile and talked of the LORD's return...Arthur had some phone calls to make, and I needed to return home. I said a prayer with my dear friend, kissed her and told her that I loved her. Once again, it was a very peaceful time and I knew that JESUS' Presence was right there with us... and in the midst of the sorrow, there was joy and peace.
I know there has been a lot of joy and sorrow in Arthur and Darlene's hearts and their family and friends. I know how much Darlene loves her family and that it is very hard for her to leave them...even for heaven. Darlene told Arthur just last week that she wasn't ready to go to heaven yet. She is a fighter and wants to stay here as long as she can and how Arthur has loved his wife and poured out his life for hers. Their parents and family have been so faithful to come and help and be there for Arthur and Darlene, Jeremy, Natalie and little Philip who will be 9 i think in Dec. As I watched Darlene's Mom come in and love her daughter and rearrange her oxygen tube, i thought how difficult that would be if that were my daughter laying there. She has been there for weeks now, camping out in the driveway in her van, doing whatever she can to help Arthur and Darlene and the kids. Arthur's Mom and Dad are there too, having made several trips back and forth from Georgia, along with all of their family on both sides...it's been a beautiful sight to behold watching these families brought together through their suffering, and watching them minister to one another and care for Darlene and her family.
We have been working on a song in choir called "Where Joy and Sorrow Meet, " and we're singing it this Sunday morning. I had never heard this song before, but each time we practice it the words minister to me more and more and it sure is appropriate for what i'm sharing this week.
"There's a place of quiet stillness, 'tween the light and shadows reach,
where the hurting and the hopeless seek everlasting peace.
Words of men and songs of angels whisper comfort bittersweet,
Mending grief and life eternal where joy and sorrow meet.
There is a place where hope remains in crowns of thorns and crimson stains,
and tears that fall on JESUS' feet where joy and sorrow meet.
There's a place the lost surrender and the weary will never retreat,
full of grace and mercy tender in times of unbelief. For the wounded
there is healing; strength is given to the weak. Broken hearts find love
redeeming where joy and sorrow meet.
There is a place where hope remains in crowns of thorns and crimson stains,
and tears that fall on JESUS' feet where joy and sorrow meet.
There is a place of thirst and hunger, where the roots of faith grow deep,
and there is rain and rolling thunder when the road is rough and steep.
There is hope in desperation; there is victory in defeat at the cross of restoration,
where joy and sorrow meet.
JESUS paid it all, all to HIM I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain;
HE washed it white as snow. And tears that fall on JESUS's feet,
where joy and sorrow meet.
I just listened for the first time to the Prestonwood Baptist Church choir in North Dallas, singing it on youtube, and it is so powerful. GOD is so powerful through the soloist, who is the Minister of Music's wife. Please take time to watch this video and ask the LORD to let the words and the meaning of the song sink deep into your heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I'm sure I don't grasp all the meaning of this song, but I know that it is at the Cross of Calvary that our joy and sorrow meets and that we join in the "fellowship of HIS sufferings," as Paul shares in Phil. 3:10. There is a joy that only CHRISTians can experience in the midst of our sorrow, because of what CHRIST has done for us on the Cross.
Taking Comfort in CHRIST's Cross
Are you a distressed believer? Is your heart pressed down with sickness, tried with disappointments, overburdened with cares? To you I say this day, “Behold the cross of Christ.” Think whose hand it is that chastens you; think whose hand is measuring to you the cup of bitterness which you are now drinking. It is the hand of Him who was crucified! It is the same hand which, in love to your soul, was nailed to the accursed tree. Surely that thought should comfort and hearten you. Surely you should say to yourself, “A crucified Savior will never lay upon me anything that is not for my good. There is a needs be. It must be well.”
~ J.C. Ryle
The worst day in history became the best, as our LORD was crucified for our sins, and then was raised in newness of life...so that we too, might be raised in newness of life. Because of the hope in CHRIST JESUS, Arthur knows that he will be with Darlene again for all eternity and he can have joy in sorrow knowing that there separation is only temporary. We also know that JESUS can transform our sufferings as we offer them up to HIM and turn them into joy, as HE gives us beauty for ashes, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."—Isaiah 61:3.
Do you know JESUS , personally and intimately. Have you trusted in HIS sacrifice alone to save you from all the sins you have done? If not, I invite you, JESUS invites you today, to trust HIM, repent of your sins, and you too, can find "Where Joy and Sorrow Meets," at the feet of JESUS.
"But GOD, who is rich in mercy, because of HIS great love with which HE loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with CHRIST (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in CHRIST JESUS, that in the ages to come HE might show the exceeding riches of HIS grace and kindness toward us in CHRIST JESUS." Eph. 2:4-7
I love you and thank you so much for your prayer for my friends...they are precious and I wish that you could know them like i do. I hope these emails help you to realize what a very special family they are because of CHRIST WHO lives in them and the love HE has put in their hearts that is shed abroad to all who know them.
I mentioned last week that our former pastor's son, Jordan Johnson, had fallen three stories high onto concrete. He is now in Shepherd's Rehab Hospital in Atlanta where he got his new wheelchair today...it's the first time he's been out of bed in 11 days. The doctor's are saying it will be CHRISTmas before he can put any weight on his legs to try and learn to walk again. They are encouraged that he has feeling and can move his legs a tiny bit now...please pray for this dear family as they go through this time of great trial with their son. Br. Aaron shared on FB today, that except for a few hours, his wife had been by her sons side constantly and he asked for prayer for her too. You can visit Jordan's Caringbridge page here http://www.caringbridge.
Please remember my in laws in your prayers- they are both experiencing some difficult medical issues. My mother in law is a trooper, and she doesn't complain, but she let me know this is a very hard time for them. Pray the LORD would strengthen me to be of more help to them...they have been so wonderful to me, and our family, and I know that they and my parents are going to need more and more of our help in the days to come.
Also, i want to close with two praises...i made it through my second round of parasite medicine this week and GOD helped me to take all the medicine this time. It was very uncomfortable last time and i stopped short of taking it all. Please pray that this will kill them and we will find out why i have a propensity to get these over and over and be able to break the cycle. The LORD just reminded me that i am fearfully and wonderfully made...in acceptance lieth peace. I still want to find out and do something to prevent it if that is possible! And John Mac was accepted into UAB's medical school! We thank the LORD and praise HIM for HIS goodness in all of our lives...now, you can keep busy praying him through med school for the next several years.
Thank you so much for your prayers for our family and friends, and thank you for spending this time with me...you really bless me by taking time to read these emails. I pray the LORD will bless you with HIS love and tender care for you "Where Joy and Sorrow Meet," at the precious feet of JESUS.
With all HIS love,
mitzi
"The LORD is my SHEPHERD;
I shall not want.
HE maketh me to lie down
in green pastures;
HE leadeth me beside the still waters.
HE restoreth my soul.
HE leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for HIS name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For YOU are with me;
YOUR rod and YOUR staff, they comfort me.
YOU prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
YOU annoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
-Psalm 23
Just wanted to include this song in memory of my dear friend Tony Greene who is already in heaven, and for my precious friend Darlene, who is close to heaven's door....one of my favorites the Greene's sing: The Glorious City of GOD http://www.youtube.com/
"Men ought always to pray and not to faint." Luke 18:11
"Pray much for others; plead for GOD's mercy upon them; give thanks for all HE is going to do for them." -I Tim. 2:1 TLB
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