Greetings from Austin St. (a long reading, but please read to the bottom)

Blessed Sunday! I have missed writing to you these past two days! But my editor did a smashing job filling in for me last night. Thanks Bruce!

As Bruce shared with you we held a memorial celebration event at the (near) one year anniversary of Casey’s passing. I really hesitate to say his death and passing is such a much more fitting term. As Christians we are promised an eternal life. So Casey passed from this life onto the next. Yes, his body is gone, but his spirit will forever live in our hearts as well as in heaven with Jesus. The celebration was met with laughter and tears. But in reality it was met with family and friends who celebrated the love of God through Jesus as they saw in Casey’s life. We gave thanks for all of these communities of faith that helped and supported us so very much over the last two years.

I did not script Pastor Joel as to what to say or do except that we wanted the tree planted in Casey’s name to be blessed as well as the table which now resides in the place where he slept for almost a year. Pastor Joel spoke of the table. Not just the place at which we eat daily, but the table of grace where we gather each week in worship, or in small groups in hospitals or in other gatherings where the presence of God is there in the representative elements of bread and wine. We passed the bread and dipped the bread in the wine as it was passed. We shared at this table as communities from Happening, Kairos, Advent Lutheran, St. John Lutheran, immediate and extended family and dear friends. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord’s presence in our lives. Communion meant so much to Casey as it does to our family. It was the perfect venue for Pastor Joel to celebrate the table.

We then went outside to bless the tree. The tree now surrounded by colorful fall flowers and standing straight and true. It has been almost a year since it was planted and just like our family it has weathered the heat of the summer, the wind and rain of spring and the cold of winter. When it was planted, it began to lean so Bruce staked it with a pole and a rope to keep it straight. So just before the blessing, Bruce removed the rope and the tree seems to be aimed towards the sky ready to receive the sunshine and rain it needs to continue to grow. A memorial stone was given by a friend with a beautiful poem and Casey’s birth and death dates on it. There is also a cross cut out in the body of the stone. We placed the stone so it now rests in the flowers at the base of the tree. This tree will forever be blessed and a constant reminder that life goes on and even when life really contains some tough storms, we can weather them because our roots are anchored in the love, grace and the healing power of the living God. And that a wonderful young man had a profound effect on so many lives. We were blessed to have him in our midst as our son, brother and friend for 24 years.

Psalm 34: 1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

“God is good; all the time. He put a song of praise in this heart of mine.” I love this song. Sometimes this is a hard song to sing when your heart is broken, but God calls us even in distress and grief the first step is Praise. Do I cry daily because I miss my son? Yes! Do I cry because he is in heaven with Jesus? Absolutely not!

Bless the Lord when when troubles are overwhelming. In your greatest distress, search until you find thankfulness.

Take joy in the journey, wear comfortable shoes and carry an umbrella. Love you all so very much, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS As my sister-in-law, Sheena, and I were tidying up the table yesterday she brought the chalice of wine to me. She asked me what to do with this blessed wine. I told her if we were Catholic or Episcopalian we would be honor bound to finish off the wine. The volunteers lined up for this job! But in fine Lutheran tradition we poured it on the ground. Guess where? It was poured on the Casey tree. Casey would be so pleased! I am sure he is still laughing at that one now. gc

PSS The singing of “This Little Light of Mine” in the front yard was totally awesome. Completely a capella and with great joy. The dismissal went something like this: “Go in peace and be served some cake!” Thanks be to God. gc