Our dear friends Paul and Suzanne Allen and their family have experienced a heart-breaking loss of their son and brother JJ. JJ was one of our Clints friends. JJ was called home to heaven on the 9th of February. The funeral and viewing were last Friday and Saturday. Doug was asked to talk, which he did and shared a perfectly beautiful message and testimony. It was a beautiful funeral. We are so blessed to live in such a loving, caring, family of a neighborhood. Everyone lives up to the covenant they have made to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort, to love their neighbor as them selves. A huge out pouring of love was manifest. This is why we live where we do. We are all so blessed.
Brandon, our first born, wrote a beautiful message on his blog which I have borrowed. "One thing we have learned from direct experience with death is that it is an important part of life. Even when death is accompanied by tragedy and great loss, it offers great time for reflection and evaluation. The mourning, feelings of loss and the process of moving on, as hard as they are, are an essential part of life and its process. It is our duty and obligation, as those left behind so to speak, to either continue on with their legacy or create your own legacy based on a remembrance of the person who passed. No matter what is happening in your life, the death of a loved one stops you dead in your tracks. Sadly it quickly affords time for evaluating your own life, allowing you to determine if your life's course will get you where you ultimately want or need to be. Remember, death (physical and spiritual) is not an end. It is only a SEPARATION. a separation that lasts only a minute in the grand scheme of things if we align our will with God's."
We love you Paul and Suzanne, and all your sweet family. May the Lord continue to be with you and bring you comfort and peace. We know JJ is amongst some of the best of the best as he joins our "Morningside warriors". He is in good company.
