Tribute to a life well lived

I am mourning the loss of a dear friend--

For any of you who are believers in Jesus Christ as am I, you may know of this gifted and dedicated man, Joey Holder. If you don't know his name, you DO know his worship music.

Here is a link to the worship song that has literally influenced and encouraged millions in their devotion to a living and gracious God...

Unto the King Eternal

I met Joey and his beautiful wife Kathy in August of 2000 when we first traveled to the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama.

Considering a move to that area, the Holder's dining room was the first home we visited in what would come to be our hometown. They were gracious and welcoming as we fellowshipped and enjoyed one another's company late into the evening. (Musicians tend to be night-owls...in our enthusiasm about sharing with them we may have overstayed our time. Kathy never complained!)

Joey was effortlessly disarming...hilarious while he demonstrated a unique mix of deadpan expression and sincerity of heart. He was also a quintessential Bama boy whose deep south accent almost required translation when I first spoke to him during a long distance phone call to set up our trip South.

We entered into their lives at a critical time--Joey's health, balance and functionality were increasingly  disintegrating. I hoped Bruce and I had communicated some understanding of the challenges and needs of this precious couple, as we have dealt with disabilities in our own life together.

The outcome for the Holders was a decade long battle with Lewy body dementia--Joey's body gradually succumbing to the ravages of lost motor control, yet always with his grace-filled smile intact along with an indomitable spirit.

We lived only blocks apart and I would often see Joey out walking as he worked to keep his balance and motor coordination honed through exercise.

He always had something funny and thought provoking to share when I stopped to talk with him.

Kathy Holder became for me an embodiment of the perfect Christian woman-- rising to the challenge of the incredible needs of her husband and family as she stepped into the role of breadwinner, head of household, caregiver.

We would occasionally bump into each other  downtown where she worked and I was always blessed to see her surrounded at a lunch table or visiting with other women. I was truly grateful that she  had supportive relationships surrounding her in what had to be grindingly difficult circumstances.

Often, when I became despondent over my long journey through our own losses and lack in our Autism-affected marriage, I would think of and pray for Kathy. My first thought was always this--thank you God for Kathy's faithfulness, for her life choice of honoring our Father and demonstrating dignity for herself and her family.

Day by day, this unassuming lady who had never seemed to seek stage or spotlight became an incredible heroine to me--her luminous attitude of service spoke to my own weariness and fear.

I attended the beautiful service of memories and celebration for Joey today, my heart broken and exulting in the same moment.

As hundreds worshipped, laughed and wept, we sang some of his songs and gave thanks for the evidence of a life well lived. Joey raised so many to a higher place of joy in friendship, musicianship, passionate pursuit of a God-inspired life and particularly the presence of God through his worship gifting. He relinquished himself to his heavenly Father in ways that very few know.

Those of us who were there to express our good-byes became the grateful recipients of one more encounter with the Lord's presence, as Joey's life celebration gathered us and led us from an eternal platform.

I am honored to have known two individuals who have so embodied grace and service to the Body of Christ and to the Lord.

Joey we rejoice in your victory--Kathy we are praying for you and your family.

11yr old Asperger's Girl Found!

So many of us across the nation held our breath, praying for a good outcome for this situation.

What wonderful news to hear that 11 yr old Nadia Bloom was found in good condition, and returned safe and happy to be with her family.

As a person of faith, I'm often curious and intentional about looking at what God might be speaking to us as we move through the commonplace news and activities of our days. Something in the media reports was particularly intriguing to me and I believe it might be to you as well.

I've had a rough year or so as an Asperger's individual with both financial and health issues (see my much-procrastinated-over blog on invisible illness http://invisibleids.blogspot.com/2010/04/no.html ).

So when the mainstream media is reporting on a direct answer to prayer regarding the recovery of this little girl, I found myself wondering why her rescuer's statements would so utterly captivate CNN's newsroom editors.

James King, a member of the Bloom family's church, set out this morning with a singular purpose in his mind. King told reporters that he "prayed for direction from God" asking for the utmost miracle, to find Nadia in a mucky, gator-infested swamp.

King went on to say he felt impressed that he should go in a particular direction, not wavering from that sense even when the trail led him into murky swampwater.

"Working alone King was able to do what scores of trained officers, divers and a specially equipped helicopter could not," CNN's David Mattingly reported.

HLN's breaking news banner broadcast this on the crawl: 'God "led me directly to Nadia", Florida rescuer says'.

After seeing this news piece, I wondered about Nadia's name. I felt like God whispered to me..."check this out--there's a message here for those who will hear it."

The meaning of her name? Nadia is of french derivation: hope or hopeful.

Hope blooms.

Frankly folks, I needed this message today.

I'm dealing with loss and struggle in a multitude of directions.

A predatory lender is manipulating my mortgage and threatening us with foreclosure action.

I am uninsured, with a chronic immune illness and unable to see specialists who could really treat this and get me in a better place healthwise.

My Asperger's husband continues to be classically immature in his developmental skill-base...barely navigating the shallow waters of learning to network for a job (he's been unemployed for 10 years) while I work 3-4 part-time jobs to try to keep us afloat.

But hope blooms!

Later this afternoon in a follow up report, Nadia's mother reflected on the events her daughter shared about.

"Nadia prayed, and she was quoting scripture. She repeated Proverbs 3:5-6 over and over."

Her rescuer was praying too, and speaking bible verses as he moved in desperate pursuit of the missing girl.

One reporter inquired about the verses he was quoting. His answer?

Proverbs 3:5-6.

I get the message Lord...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. Commit all your ways to the Lord, and He will direct your path." Prov. 3:5-6

MTBI- minor traumatic blog ignoring!

No actually friends, MTBI stands for minor traumatic brain injury.

Yep! As if life wasn't exciting enough already in my topsy-turvy autie world...

I hit myself on the head just a few days after my last post in 9/09.

Now, on good days I can focus for several hours without needing to reboot. (read: "eat chocolate, stare out the window for awhile, take a refocusing walk or a nap").

On bad days like today...every other word comes out indise I mean inside out...oh this is so much fon I mean fun for a professioanla oops! professional wrtier/writer like myself to keep hitting the back button to corrrect/correct my spelling.



Anyway, I'm back again...NOT newly improved but newly humbled and appreciative of what our brains do for us. (even asperger's/autistic/neurodiverse ones).

Back soon to tell you more news of the autism inspired life!

Sharon