A very Different Christmas

 

 

Bob's Amazing Poinsetta

 

 

　

Happy Holidays

 



The holidays have always been my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp air, the first snowfall and all the hustle and bustle of family and friends. The songs and the pageants, the concerts and the parties the Holy hush that comes over the sanctuary as we remember Christ’s birth.

It’s a time in our lives where some of our favorite memories reside. It starts with our almost unbearable anticipation as children and gradually changes as we grow and add new members to our families. We start new traditions and argue about old ones. As time goes on it both changes and stays the same.

Last year Bob and I decided to stay at home and not travel to a family house party. We felt that it Was not safe to travel and the demands of his care made staying elsewhere very difficult. We are glad we did. We had a very laid back day. We stayed in our pajamas and ate everything that wasn’t good for us. We watched movies, and texted some friends who were watching the same movies at their house. We skyped family and showed each other our new Doglettes - nothing funnier than seeing some poor dog being held up to the webcam. We waited with huge anticipation for the Holiday 50^th anniversary episode of Dr. Who and went to bed early.

It had been hard to make that call, because we were saying not just no to coming for that Christmas, but that as far as we knew we had to create a new Christmas normal. Traveling in the winter was no longer an option. Fortunately the year before we had a wonderful family celebration and now we could look forward to creating new ways to celebrate. We enjoyed that Christmas very much. Bob and I have always enjoyed each other’s company and it was a lovely day with just the two of us.

And once again it is time to create a new set of Christmas and holiday traditions.

 

On May 5, 2014 God took Bob home

Recently I attended a seminar on how to cope during the Holidays after the loss of a loved one and I came away with a few thoughts. Most importantly about how this season is the season for Hope and Joy and especially in the light of Bob’s going home this year.

Because God sent His Son Jesus to earth as a little babe who grew and lived just like us for 33 years before taking upon himself the burdens of our sin and carrying them to the cross to pay the price we couldn’t pay. Because he conquered death and rose again, we are reconciled to God and look forward to spending eternity with him in a new heaven and a new earth. A new home where there is no more pain, no more sorrow and no more death.

Because of Christmas and what it means to us, Bob is not “Lost” to us. He is home with God and waiting for us to join him.

So I have Joy that he is no longer in pain. In fact he is probably running around looking at everything, taking stuff apart and asking a gazillion questions. “Just out of curiosity….” was a favorite phrase of his. I have the Hope of being ushered into God’s presence someday and Bob will be right there ready to greet me.

So I will spend this holiday adjusting to new ways of celebrating, looking over precious memories and embracing the Hope and Joy of the season and being grateful for all it stands for.

May you all be embraced by the Magic of this season, look forward with Hope to the future, have many reasons to be Thankful and have a Joyous Holiday.

Love,

Susan & Suzette

Out on the Balcony

 

 



In the last month many have asked me "What are your plans?" And the most simplistic answer is that I do not have any. But the truth is a little more complex than that. What I am going to do is, not make any major changes, to learn how to live on my own, take time to heal physically, emotionally, and thru study of the word, prayer and seek his presence and will in my life.

I call it spending time out on the balcony. I got the call to do this last October at the Women's retreat. God clearly told me I needed to "Go back to the Balcony". This phrase has a particular meaning for me, let me explain.

When Bob first became sick with the Adrenal gland tumor we lived in a second story apartment that had the most wonderful balcony you could imagine. Our building was one of several that surrounded a huge open green space and we had so many trees growing around our balcony that you could just imagine that you were out in the wilderness. I spent a whole summer out there reading the word and seeking God.

Our whole life was changing and we didn't know what we should do. Bob was sick, My job was in limbo, all of my family had moved out of Spokane. What should we do? The most natural thing for us would have been to pack up and moved to Portland with the rest of the family. But through that summer of prayer and seeking We were told to stay.

Because of that summer on the balcony I learned to hear His voice and obey. Because I obeyed, all the mighty wonders that have been chronicled in this Blog occurred. So when I heard him say "Go back to the Balcony" I knew it was time to renew my study in the word and to seek His presence with the single mindedness of that summer.

I tried to start doing that right away, I sort of thought he was talking about getting prepared for loosing Bob. I have learned that there really is no getting prepared for that and Bob's needs made it almost impossible to have an extended daily quiet time with God. Thankfully through the years I have continued to study and pray and I believe those years sustained me as I tried to catch a moment with God every time I could. He carried me, I know this because that's what friends do when you need help. I have a relationship with Him that allowed me to lean on Him and let Him minister to me while I ministered to Bob.

The first week of life after Bob was taken up with getting ready for his memorial service and going down to California to bury him. During that week God's command became clear. Now was the time he was talking about. When I came back from California, He wanted me to "Go back to the Balcony." So with clarity I spoke to Mark the owner/ boss man  and we agreed that I would be staying on when I came back.

My family would love nothing more than to have packed me up and moved me to Portland. But that's not what God want's me to do. He wants me to stay put, spend time in His word and seek Him in prayer. He wants me to rest and heal and grow closer to Him so that when He speaks to me and tells me what His plans are for me, I'll be ready, I'll hear His voice clearly.

I know He has plans for me, during one of my bible study's He told me so and if I wasn't clear on that I could always refer to the scripture.

^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

 

So If you want to know what my plans are. I am staying here in Spokane surrounded by an amazing community of friends and believers. I am staying on at the Mini-storage and I am "Going back to the Balcony" to wait on God.

 

 

 

 

 

 





Time to say Goodbye

I'm not saying goodbye to this blog. I believe that I still have a lot to say and share. However....

Robert Peter Pasini - Sept 20,1945 - May 5, 2014

Robert Peter Pasini passed away on Monday May 5th, 2014 and has been freed from the torment of a decaying body that had trapped the most amazing man and husband.

This notice was delayed due to all the chaos of the last two weeks. We had family arriving, a memorial in Spokane and then we traveled down to Calif to bury him. If I have not contacted you prior to this I appologize. There was a point where there was just too much to do or more than I could cope with and I just had to let go and catch up later. There are those here that read this blog and I want you to know you are no less precious to me, so please forgive me.

I am doing as well as can be expected. I have been surrounded by family. Sunday they released me to my new normal and watched me climb into my van with a trailer full of our original furniture to take back to Spokane with me. I was a little cautious. Even though I had pulled a 33 foot sailboat behind our truck years ago it was the first time I was on my own. This will be the first time I have ever lived on my own, I think I can do this and I have a trusty sidekick named Suzette to hug and lick my elbow when I get lonely or sad.

Suzette and I arrived home safely and we have gone about our business settling in to this new life shedding tears now and again. He was my best friend and partner in crime. He leaves a huge hole in my world,  but while he was here he filled it with Joy, Laughter, Adventure, Courage and Hope.

He made a date with me. He told me that when I arrive in Eternity that I was to find the Sheep Gate in the New Jerusalem, he would be waiting for me there. I believe that he will.

Through out all of this God has been amazing. As Bob was going to the hospital He told me I could trusted Him with Bob's life, both in the here and now and in his life to come in Eternity. As I crossed the border into Washington he greeted me with a rainbow - I sobbed buckets. Then when I was crossing the Spokane County line I was greeted with a double rainbow. My God has made a promise, he will always be with me and I can and will navigate this new path I am on.

For now it's time to say goodbye. Farewell my love - Fair winds and a following sea.

Clap your Hands!

Happy Resurrection Sunday! We were reminded all week what an amazing
God we have and what he did for us, starting with Palm Sunday. On Friday my Brother Flew in from Calif and went to Good Friday services with us. Had an absolutely wonderful time visiting with him. He and Bob had wonderful chats and he shared with Bob the impact he had on him when he was a young man in his twenties. He then flew to Portland to be with our folks.

 Then on to Sunday and celebrating that we serve a LIVING God! Our women's bible study was made whole when two of our members returned from being gone for a while. We were able to love them and hug them. One- Tina  has been battling cancer and the other- Kathy- her husband, Larry, went home to Jesus Saturday. While our hearts were heavy with the trials these two women have been enduring we could rejoice in their return to our class so that we could love, support and encourage them in person.

 So even though our Sunday afternoon was a matter of going home and taking long naps, we did have a meaningful and complete Easter celebration even though it looked different from other years filled with family, big dinners, Easter eggs and kids. This disease may have changed our lives drastically but we refuse to let it suck the Joy from our lives.

In our class we are working thru the Psalms and this week was Psalm 47.
It is an amazing joyful Psalm - "Clap your Hands and Shout!!!" kind of Psalm. It is believed that it was written during the reign of Hezekiah when the Israelites were being threatened by the King of Assyria. Up to this point the Assyrians were batting a 1000 with no losses. They are so sure of themselves they taunt the Hebrews saying "Who do you put your confidence in?"

So in the most devastating times of my life who do I put my trust, my confidence in? I know that this has been tested thoroughly this last year. Especially as Bob has been in the hospital at least four times since March 2013. I must confess that there have been times when I have hung onto my hope and trust in God by my fingernails as I dangled off the cliff.

He's always there, it's just that I can begin to panic and I'm hanging off the cliff for no other reason than I was running and not looking where I was going, so as I hang there I remember who my God is. He is alive! He is terrifyingly awesome and he has my back. As Beth Moore says He is HUGE! What are my problems compared to who my God is???

So when the Assyrians in my life ask me "Say to Hezekiah (read Susan), thus says the King of Assyria (read - my challenges and tribulations in my life): What reason for confidence is this in which you trust?" Isaiah 36:4

I reply - "O Clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and sing songs of Joy! For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe and dread; He is a great king over all of the earth. He subdues peoples under us, and nations under our feet." Psalm 47:1-3

One more thing - Beth Moore writes this in her :Believing God" bible study

The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, David, John the Baptist, Mary of Magdala, Mary of Bethany, Peter, James, John and Paul Is Your God!
 
He is the Same- Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and Forever!
 
A God so Holy, Powerful and Present that He revealed Himself to Ezekiel and John and they both dropped like dead men.
 
He is - The Magnificent One, Full of Splendor, Beautiful beyond comprehension. The I AM through out every generation.

Whenever you have no idea what to believeHim for, Believe Him to be HUGE!

Come Holy God and be Thy self!

So life has changed and it isn't always the Hallmark Special experience. But We will find Joy, Fulfillment and Contentment in all things. I find that my thanksgiving in the middle of terrible events is more sincere, heartfelt and satisfying than when I express gratitude when things are going great. But as always I am reminded to "...be content in whatever state I am."  Phil 4:11

So I hope that you all had a wonderful and meaningful Easter Weekend.

He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!