In Memory of Gwen

In loving memory - Gwen Pace




             

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 Words from Pastor Keith Enko

I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT PASSAGE FROM THE PSALMS THAT I READ EARLIER FROM PSALM 27. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE IT MEMORIZED ALREADY. IT GOES, THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION. WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRONGHOLD OF MY LIFE. OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?
NOW, THAT PASSAGE TALKS ABOUT FEAR, OR RATHER, THE LACK OF FEAR. AND THE REASON WHY I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THIS TODAY IS TOWARDS THE LATER STAGES OF GWEN'S ILLNESS WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS PASSAGE. IN FACT, GWEN CAME TO MEMORIZE IT. EVERY TIME I WOULD SAY IT TO HER, SHE WOULD SAY IT RIGHT ALONG WITH ME. AND EVERY TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT, SHE WOULD SAY THAT SHE HAD NO FEAR OF DYING AT ALL. SHE KNEW THAT SHE WAS IN THE LORD'S ARMS. SHE KNEW THAT HER LIFE WAS IN JESUS CHRIST. NOW, THE REASON WHY I KEPT GOING BACK TO THIS ONE VERSE IN THIS ONE PSALM WAS BECAUSE, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE LATER STAGES GWEN REALLY WAS IN QUITE A BIT OF PAIN. AND WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO THERE IS GET HER BACK TO FOCUS ON THE LORD IN EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAD IN THE LORD. I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE HER WITH THIS PASSAGE. WELL, AS IT TURNS OUT I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS ENCOURAGED BY HER BECAUSE AS I SAID, EVERY TIME SHE WOULD TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT SHE HAD IN THE LORD. SHE HAD NO FEAR OF DYING AT ALL. HER WORDS AND HER BEHAVIOR SHOWED THAT SO VERY CLEARLY.
I WONDER THOUGH HOW MANY OF US HERE TODAY RIGHT NOW HAVE NO FEAR OF DYING. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WITHOUT A DOUBT DEATH IS THE MOST FEARED THING IN THIS WORLD. IT'S FEARED BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING WITH THE UNKNOWN. WE JUST DO NOT KNOW FROM OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE POINT OF DEATH. AND IT'S FEARED BECAUSE IT'S THE END OF OUR LIFE IN THIS WORLD. AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE. IT'S THE END OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH. EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE COME TO KNOW AND EXPERIENCE. AND FRANKLY, THAT SCARES ME. IT SCARES THEM A LOT.
BUT GWEN HAD NO SUCH FEAR. NOR DID SHE HAVE ANY DOUBTS OR ANY WORRIES EITHER. YES, SHE WAS IN GREAT PAIN WITH THIS CANCER, BUT SHE WAS ALSO AT PEACE. SHE HAD SUCH A GREAT CONFIDENCE IN HER LORD AND IN HIS PROMISES.
THERE WAS ANOTHER PASSAGE THAT WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON AS WELL AND IT'S ONE THAT WE ALSO READ TODAY FROM JOHN'S GOSPEL WHERE JESUS GIVES US HIS WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PROMISE. HE SAYS, I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE AND WHOEVER LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME, SHALL NEVER DIE. WE SHALL NEVER DIE. NOW HERE AGAIN, THIS WAS ANOTHER PROMISE THAT GWEN CLUNG TO. SHE TRUSTED IN THIS. SHE KNEW DEEP DOWN THAT SHE WAS NEVER GOING TO DIE. SHE KNEW IN HER HEART THAT JESUS, THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE ON THAT CROSS AND HIS TRIUMPHANT RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, THAT HE FREED HER FROM EVERY LAST ONE OF HER SINS. SHE KNEW THAT SHE WAS NOW A CHILD OF GOD AND THAT HER HEAVENLY FATHER WAS HOLDING HER CLOSE TO HIM. AND THAT HE WOULD NEVER LET HER GO. SHE KNEW THAT THIS PLACE, THIS WORLD, IT WASN'T HER HOME. HEAVEN WAS HER HOME. AND THAT'S WHERE SHE BELONGED. AND FOLKS, WHEN YOU KNOW ALL THIS, WHEN YOU KNOW IT WITH YOUR WHOLE BEING, WHEN YOU KNOW IT TO THE DEPTHS OF YOUR SOUL, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE, WE ARE HERE TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR ALL OF THIS AND TO REALLY CELEBRATE THE LIFE THAT GWEN HAS. NOW, I KNOW WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT GWEN, PROBABLY EVERYONE WANTED TO COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER BECAUSE SHE WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON. BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON WHY WE'RE HERE. WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE THAT SHE HAS RIGHT NOW IN HER LORD JESUS. BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS THAT EVEN THOUGH HER BODY IS DEAD AND IT'S BURIED IN KANSAS, SHE IS NOT DEAD. SHE IS VERY MUCH ALIVE. HER SOUL, HER SPIRIT, WHO SHE IS, WHAT SHE IS, HER VERY BEING. THE PERSON WHO YOU LOVED SO MUCH. SHE IS ALIVE. AND SHE IS IN THE PRESENCE OF HER LORD RIGHT NOW, CELEBRATING THIS LIFE THAT JESUS WON FOR US. AND YEAH, I'VE GOT TO BELIEVE SHE'S ON THAT WELCOMING COMMITTEE. AND WHEN JESUS DOES RETURN ON THAT LAST GREAT DAY, GWEN IS GOING TO BE REUNITED WITH A RESURRECTED GLORIFIED BODY AND SHE IS GOING TO CELEBRATE THAT LIFE TO ITS FULLEST WITH HER LORD AND WITH ALL OF US IN HEAVEN. NOW, THIS IS WHAT JESUS CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED FOR GWEN. THIS IS WHAT HE'S ACCOMPLISHED FOR YOU AND ME AS WELL. AND THE REASON WHY I'M SHARING THIS WITH YOU TODAY IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANY ONE OF YOU TO BE AFRAID. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON AT ALL FOR YOU TO FEAR. BECAUSE JESUS HAS PROMISED YOU COMPLETE FORGIVENESS FOR EVERY LAST ONE OF YOUR SINS. HE HAS PROMISED YOU THAT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO DIE. YOU HAVE A LIFE IN HIM AND THAT LIFE IS ETERNAL. HE HAS PROMISED YOU THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, IT IS YOURS. IT BELONGS TO YOU. IT IS YOUR HOME. AND YOU CAN COUNT ON IT JUST AS GWEN COUNTED ON THAT.
FOLKS, WHEN JESUS TRULY IS YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR SALVATION, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO FEAR. WHEN HE IS THE STRONGHOLD OF YOUR LIFE, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF. AND SO TODAY, LET'S CELEBRATE THIS TRUTH AND LET'S CELEBRATE THE LIFE THAT GWEN HAS AND THE LIFE THAT YOU AND I ALSO HAVE IN OUR LORD JESUS.



 

Eulogies

 

              Remembering Gwen - Eulogies

Memories from Martha Hughes:

ONE DAY I HAD TAKEN GWEN DOWNTOWN, I THINK FOR A PET SCAN AND AS WE WERE LEAVING SHE SAID TO ME, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO REPAY YOU. AND I SAID GWEN, EVERY TIME YOU SAY GOODBYE AND TELL ME YOU LOVE ME, YOU PAY ME BACK. AND I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON OR ONE OF THE REASONS WHY GOD HAS BROUGHT US TOGETHER IN THIS CHURCH BODY, TO BUILD EACH OTHER UP. GWEN ALWAYS INSPIRED US. SHE WAS JUST KIND OF CONTAGIOUS. SHE WAS TIRELESS IN WHAT SHE DID, WHETHER IT WAS DOING SOMETHING FOR THE DEAF OR SETTING UP COMMUNION. ONE SUNDAY I CAME IN HERE AND SHE WAS SETTING UP COMMUNION AND I CAME UP AND TALKED TO HER. AND SHE FELT IT WAS A PRIVILEGE AND A JOY TO SET UP THE LORD'S TABLE AND TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND SHE DID IT A LOT. SHE GOT STUCK WITH IT A LOT BECAUSE SHE WAS LATE SERVICE AND SHE WOULD CLEAN UP. AND I JUST I JUST REALLY AM BLESSED TO HAVE KNOWN HER AND HER FRIENDS AND ALL OF US AND I THINK IT'S JUST ONE OF THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD GIVES US. THANK YOU.

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Memories from Kent Bessee:

ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO I WAS INVITED BY SOME PEOPLE TO JOIN A GROUP THAT WE SHARED ONE THING IN COMMON, IS WE ALL HAD A HEARING LOSS. I HAD NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH A GROUP LIKE THAT BEFORE AND WAS QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE AND ALSO WHEN YOU HAVE A HEARING LOSS, IT'S A PERSONAL THING AND YOU HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT IT.
AT THE FIRST MEETING I MET A GROUP OF FINE PEOPLE AND ONE LADY SAT DOWN AND STARTED ASKING ME A LOT OF SENSITIVE QUESTIONS. WHO ARE YOU? HOW BAD IS YOUR HEARING LOSS? HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD IT? DO YOU WEAR HEARING AIDS? DO YOU WEAR THEM ALL THE TIME? A WHOLE GROUP OF WHAT I CONSIDERED SENSITIVE QUESTIONS. WELL, I WENT ALONG WITH HER TO HUMOR HER, BUT AS IT WENT ON AND ON AND SHE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS, THEN FINALLY SHE STOPPED AND LOOKED AT ME AND REACHED UP AND PATTED ME ON THE HAND AND SAID YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE IT HERE.
THAT STARTED A FRIENDSHIP THAT I'LL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. EVERYONE THAT KNOWS GWEN HAS A SIMILAR STORY TO TESTIFY TO OF THAT NATURE. SHE IMMEDIATELY SETS YOU AT EASE, SHE ASKS A LOT OF SENSITIVE QUESTIONS, BUT SHE DID IT WITH A PURPOSE. TO KNOW HER WAS A TOTAL PLEASURE. THE MORE YOU KNEW HER, THE MORE YOU LOVED HER. A FEW EXAMPLES I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, DURING HER ILLNESS, CONCETTA KREPS FROM ALABAMA, HER AND HER HUSBAND CAME TO VISIT GWEN WHILE SHE WAS IN MICU, IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. CONCETTA HAD MADE GWEN A SMALL COMFORTER AND SHE BROUGHT IT AND PUT IT ON HER BED IN THE INTENSIVE CARE. THAT COMFORTER STAYED ON HER BED AND KEPT HER WARM ALL THE WAY THROUGH HER HOSPITAL STAY AND UP UNTIL THE TIME WHEN GWEN LEFT US TO BE WITH THE LORD.
HER SINCERITY AND DEVOTION TO HER CHURCH AND HER FRIENDS AND CERTAINLY THE HEARING LOSS COMMUNITY HAD ALL BEEN AN INTUBATION TO US ALL. ANOTHER EXAMPLE THERE WAS THAT AFTER OUR HEARING LOSS MEETING THE SATURDAY BEFORE GWEN DIED WE HAD A GROUP THAT VISITED THE HOSPITAL. THERE WERE 11 OR 12 OF US. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT CHAOTIC BECAUSE WE HAD A GROUP OF PEOPLE, BUT WE WENT IN THREE AND FOUR AT A TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A FEW MINUTES WITH HER AND TO VISIT WITH HER. WE DIDN'T REALLY REALIZE BECAUSE IT WAS SO MANY PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON. AFTER THAT VISIT AND ESPECIALLY THE NEXT DAY THERE WAS A SMALL WHITE STUFFED BEAR. IT HAD A LITTLE HEART ON IT AND IT SAID LOVE YA. IT WAS LAYING AT THE SIDE OF HER BED AND SHE HAD HER HAND ON IT. NOW, STRANGELY ENOUGH, AND IT SEEMED FUNNY THAT THROUGHOUT HER STAY THAT BEAR STAYED IN THAT BED WITH GWEN. AND WHEN SHE WAS IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND VISITING WITH US, IT APPEARED SOMETIMES THAT SHE WOULD GROPE AROUND. IT WOULD GET LOST IN THE BED CLOTHES. BUT IT SEEMED LIKE WHEN YOU FOUND THE BEAR, YOU PUT IT THERE AND PUT HER HAND ON IT, SHE SEEMED TO SETTLE DOWN. SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER SHE GOT SOME COMFORT FROM THAT BEAR.
THE BEAR WAS PLACED IN THE CASKET WITH GWEN AND CHERYLE, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. I SEE IT AND I'M SURE THE REST WILL SHARE WITH ME, THAT BEAR REPRESENTS THE LOVE FROM SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THIS SPECIAL LADY CARRIED WITH HER. AND IT WENT WITH HER TO BE WITH HER IN ETERNITY.
I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. AND I FEEL ESPECIALLY BLESSED BECAUSE I FEEL AS A BIG MEMBER OF HER EXTENDED FAMILY. I HAVE SORROW IN MY HEART FOR HER LOSS. BUT I ALSO REJOICE THAT SHE HAS ASCENDED TO THE SPECIAL PLACE THAT GOD HAS RESERVED FOR HER. SHE IS IN PEACE AND I GIVE THANKS EVERY DAY THIS SPECIAL LADY HAS TOUCHED MY LIFE AND SHE WILL DWELL IN MY HEART FOREVER.

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Memories from Shari Koeper:

 I CAN STILL REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME THAT I MET GWEN. IT WAS AT A SPEECH READING CLASS AT THE LEAGUE FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING. WE HAD JUST MOVED HERE FROM FLORIDA. GWEN AND ERNESTINE BOTH SAW ME WALK IN AND KNEW THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ME BEFORE AND LIKE THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE THAT THEY ARE, THEY FOUND A CHAIR NEXT TO THEM SO I COULD SIT WITH THEM. ONE OF GWEN'S FIRST QUESTIONS FOR ME WAS, HAVE YOU FOUND A CHURCH HERE YET? SHE HUGGED ME WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THAT I WAS LUTHERAN, TOO. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER WE MOVED TO OLD HICKORY AND WE DECIDED TO COME AND VISIT EMMANUEL. WE WALKED IN THE THE DOOR OF THE SANCTUARY AND THERE WAS MY WELCOMING COMMITTEE AGAIN!
WITH A BIG SMILE AND A WARM HUG, SHE LED US UP TO THE FRONT PEW AND MADE SURE THAT I WAS SITTING WHERE I COULD SEE AND HEAR THE BEST.
GWEN HAD SO MUCH FAITH IN ME, MORE THAN I HAD IN MYSELF. GWEN ENCOURAGED ME TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION CHAPTER. SHE FELT I HAD THE STRONG QUALITIES OF A LEADER. I THINK SHE MIGHT HAVE MEANT THAT I TALK A LOT.
BUT HER CONFIDENCE IN ME PUSHED ME TO BE THE BEST PRESIDENT THAT I COULD BE. SHE WAS ALWAYS, ALWAYS BEHIND ME, HOLDING ME UP, CHEERING ME ON. I STILL REMEMBER HER WORDS TO THE CHAPTER. "I THINK SHARI WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEAD US INTO THE FUTURE".
LATER ON SHE NOMINATED ME FOR A SPIRIT AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OFFICE. I WON THAT AWARD AND WAS PRESENTED WITH A PLAQUE AT AN AWARDS CEREMONY IN THE ATLANTA, GEORGIA CONVENTION. GWEN WAS PROUDLY SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE CLAPPING WILDLY AND SMILING, STILL CHEERING ME ON. I STILL HAVE THAT SPEECH SHE WROTE THAT WAS READ WHEN THE AWARD WAS PRESENTED TO ME AND IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
I WISH I HAD THANKED HER FOR HER CONFIDENCE IN ME. SO IN A WAY THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW.
WE WILL REALLY MISS GWEN. BUT I CAN IMAGINE THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE THAT WAS WAITING FOR HER. I CAN IMAGINE THE SPECIAL JOBS SHE HAS THERE. SHE'S IN HEAVEN'S LEGISLATIVE PLAZA.
AND SHE'S ON HEAVEN'S WELCOMING COMMITTEE. I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING HER WELCOME ME ONCE AGAIN.

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 Memories from Kate Kanies:

I FIRST MET GWEN HERE AT EMMANUEL. WE WERE BOTH WORKING ON A LIBRARY PROJECT. WE WERE THROWING OUT OLD BOOKS AND ORGANIZING. WE CONNECTED IMMEDIATELY AND SHE STARTED TELLING ME ABOUT HER TRIP TO GERMANY WHERE SHE VISITED MARTIN LUTHER'S HOME AND DIFFERENT PLACES THERE. GWEN LOVED TO LEARN NEW THINGS AND TRAVEL AND EXPERIENCE NEW ADVENTURES AND ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP OUT. WHEREVER THERE WAS A NEED, IN FACT SHE HAD SO MUCH ENERGY AT HER AGE I COULD NEVER KEEP UP WITH HER MYSELF.

WE ATTENDED SEVERAL HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ANNUAL CONFERENCES AND SHARED A ROOM A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, SHE HOGGED THE COVERS. 

GWEN WAS A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WITH HEARING LOSS. SHE WAS ALWAYS ORGANIZING HEARING SCREENINGS FOR LEGISLATORS AND LOBBYING FOR INSURANCE TO PAY FOR HEARING AIDS. SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE OFFERING SUPPORT WHEN YOU'D NEED IT AND ALWAYS THERE TO CELEBRATE FOR YOU WHEN YOU HAD A GOOD TIME. SHE WILL BE SORELY MISSED.

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Memories from Debbie Ondras:

HEBREWS 13:20 QUICKLY WITH EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING HIS WORK GOT CREATED EACH ONE OF US. EACH ONE HAS A SPECIAL PURPOSE. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT TALENTS, WE ALL HAVE AREAS THAT COME EASY, THINGS THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH. SOME OF US RECOGNIZE AND HEAR OUR LORD'S COMMANDS. SOME OF US HEAR IT HERE. SOME OF US HEAR IT HERE. SOME OF US HEAR IT HERE. BUT IT ALL COMES FROM HIM.

SOME OF US READ AND UNDERSTAND THE IMAGE OF OUR LORD JESUS. AND WE TRY TO LIVE IT. WE TRY TO BREATHE IT. WE TRY TO SHOW IT. SOMETIMES IT'S NOT EASY TO SHOW HIS PASSION. BUT SOMETIMES IT COMES REALLY EASY TO PEOPLE LIKE GWEN. SHE SHOWED IT THROUGH HER EYES, THROUGH HER LOOKS, THROUGH HER SMILES. SHE NEVER JUDGED. SHE ALWAYS LOOKED AT US AND SHE NEVER COMPLAINED. ANYTIME WE COMPLAINED OR HAD JUDGMENTS I CAN'T SIGN HERE. SWELLED ALWAYS COME AND PUSH YOU ON, JUST LIKE SHARI SAID. AND ENCOURAGE YOU. SHE TAUGHT ME THROUGH HER ACTIONS HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO ALWAYS COMMUNICATE OUR LORD'S WORD. WHENEVER I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, SHE WOULD JUST LOOK AT ME AND GO. A LITTLE FROWN WOULD COME ACROSS HER FOREHEAD AND SHE WOULD PURSE HER LITTLE LIPS AND THIS WHITE SMILE WOULD COME OUT, AND EYES LIGHT UP AND THE LOVE OF JESUS WOULD JUST HIT YOU, BAM. IS THAT NOT TRUE? YEAH.

IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT EVEN WITHOUT SIGNING I STARTED TO LEARN TO SIGN, I WOULD SIGN THE WRONG THINGS. GWEN WOULD LOOK AT ME AND LIKE. AND SHE WOULD CORRECT ME AND THEN I WOULD GO ON. SHE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD AND SHE LOVED EVEN ALL MY IMPERFECTIONS.
I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT GWEN HAD A PASSION IN EVERYTHING THAT SHE DID. WE'VE HEARD SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SHE'S DONE HERE. BUT EVERYTHING THAT SHE TACKLED, SHE WENT AT IT WITH A PASSION, JUST LIKE JESUS. JUST WITH A BIG HUGE PASSION. WHETHER SHE WAS LIKE SHARI SAID AT THE LEAGUE, WHETHER SHE WAS HERE COUNTING, SHE WAS IN THE BACK COUNTING, WE SHARED MANY A TEARS BACK THERE COUNTING, JUST GOING ON AND ON.

WHETHER SHE WAS DOING THE COMMUNION LIKE MARTHA SAID. SHE JUST ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR EVERYTHING THAT SHE SOUGHT. SHE HAD A PASSION FOR PLAYING THE PIANO. SHE COULDN'T EVEN HEAR THE PIANO, BUT SHE HAD A PASSION FOR IT.

AND THEN SHE GOT HER C.I. AND A WHOLE NEW WORLD, HEARING AND NON HEARING WORLD CAME TOGETHER. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JUST WAS COMBUSTION IN GWEN. AND SHE HAD TO SHARE THAT. SHE HAD TO GET THE WORD OUT. AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. AND YOU WANTED TO BE A PART OF THAT WORLD.

SOME OF THE FUNNY STORIES THAT GWEN SOMETIMES DIDN'T ALWAYS REMEMBER THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON AND SHE'D BE SIDETRACKED IN OTHER THINGS AND COME FLYING INTO THE CHURCH. WELL, WE WERE HAVING A PICTORIAL MADE HERE FOR THE CHURCH WITH EVERYBODY'S PICTURES AND ADDRESSES AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE SHE HAD BEEN. SHE HAD COME FLYING IN AND MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE IN HERE AND WE WERE GETTING READY TO HAVE OUR PICTURES MADE. AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, THE THE WRINKLED UP FOREHEAD AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID PICTURES, PICTURES. LIKE WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO. I SAID. SO ALL THREE OF US WENT FLYING INTO THE RESTROOM, I TOOK OFF MY SHIRT, LAUREN TOOK OFF HER SHIRT, PULLED OFF GWEN'S T SHIRT AND PUT ALL THESE CLOTHES ON HER AND SAID GO, GO HAVE YOUR PICTURE MADE. AND SHE DID. AND IT WAS A GREAT PICTURE. IT WAS A GREAT PICTURE. SOME OF THE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES THAT MY DAUGHTER HAS SHARED WITH HER IS SHE SAID, GWEN NEVER THREW AWAY THE STALE BREAD, WE HAD TO GO FEED THE DUCKS. SOME OF THE CONGREGATIONAL MEMORIES I THINK I CAN SHARE WITH Y'ALL IS GWEN LIKED TO PARTY. WHETHER IT WAS HERE AT CHURCH, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE LEAGUE, WHEREVER IT WAS, SHE ALWAYS LIKED TO PARTY. AND SHE ALWAYS HAD A GREAT TIME AT DOING IT. I TELL YOU, I WAS PRETTY ASTONISHED WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU COULD LEARN FROM THIS LADY. EVERYTHING SHE DID, LIKE I SAID, WAS FILLED WITH PASSION.

AT CHRISTMAS TIME I ASKED HER, I SAID WOULD YOU LIKE LAURA TO COME THAT'S MY DAUGHTER TO COME AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU DURING THE HOLIDAY. AND SHE SAID OH, NO. SHE SAID NO, NOT TODAY. TODAY IS NOT A GOOD DAY. I SAID OKAY. SHE SAID I HAVE TO GO WRAP PRESENTS DOWN AT THE BOOKSTORE. AND I THOUGHT I DON'T EVEN LIKE TO WRAP CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AND SHE'S GOING AND DOING THIS FOR OTHER PEOPLE SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW. JUST BECAUSE SHE'S SERVING HER COMMUNITY. AND SERVING HER GOD.

GWEN WENT OFF ON A TRIP, A WONDERFUL TRIP TO GERMANY AND HAD A BLAST IN DOING SO. AND SOME OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN SHE WENT OFF AND DID THAT. I EXPECTED WHEN SHE CAME BACK THAT SHE WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOMETHING WONDERFUL TO SHARE WITH US. GWEN CAME BACK AND SHE BROUGHT A STATUE OF MARTIN LUTHER, THE THINGS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO HER. AND THIS WAS HER GIFT TO ME. AND SHE WANTED ME TO USE THAT AND GO OUT WITH A PASSION AND SHARE THE WORD. NOT A LITTLE GIFT BUT SOMETHING THAT I COULD USE TO SHARE THE WORD. TO GO OUT WITH A PASSION AS SHE SAID YOU HAVE TO SHARE THE WORD.

I HAVE TO SAY ONE THING. WE HEARD THE MUSIC. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT GWEN PLAYED THE PIANO HERE AND IT WAS WITH PASSION. IT WAS WITH SUCH PASSION. AND EVEN IF YOU COULDN'T HEAR THE MUSIC, YOU CAN FEEL THE MUSIC. AND I CAN IMAGINE HER RIGHT NOW. SHE'S UP THERE PLAYING LIKE NONE OTHER FOR OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

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