In Memory

Last night, while enjoying my evening at a graduation party, I received a text message from a very, very good friend of mine. I was so excited when I saw it was Lauren. We had been planning on hanging out in a couple days, when Kyle and I are visiting San Jose. The text said "Please pray for my dad, he's having a heart attack." That was then followed by messages and phone calls from other friends, making sure I knew and that I was praying, as things didn't look good for her dad (Terrence, but we all called him Terry). Paramedics and doctors tried for hours to revive him.

Lauren lost her dad last night. He was only 52, and was in good health, with no history of heart problems. Thankfully, Terry was able to spend his last day on earth wind surfing with his son, one of his favorite things to do. Also, thankfully, he was a Christian, and now is getting the biggest sailboat heaven has to offer.

Lauren became one of my best friends in middle school, and we stayed very very close all through high school. Even now I consider her to be one of my dearest friends, and I cherish so much all the time I was able to spend with her family over the years. Terry was an amazing, fun man, and he raised two terrific kids, and influenced so many lives as a teacher. He had just stepped down from his position as a Christian high school teacher, and had accepted a position as a professor at San Jose State University for the upcoming school year.

It's so incredible for me to see the influence he had for Christ. I believe he grew up with some sort of belief in God, but had mostly abandoned that, and Lauren and her brother were not raised in a Christian home. It's not that it was an anti-God home, just no real belief. I invited Lauren to church in 8th grade, and then to Hume Lake Christian Camp that summer. It was a miracle in itself that she was able to go to camp - it was full by the time her parents decided she could go, and there was a waiting list. There was a cancellation, I believe the day before camp, and Lauren was able to go. At camp that summer, ten years ago, Lauren became a Christian. Her immediate concern was for her family, and their salvation. We prayed often, and in time, the entire family came to belief in Christ. Terry then went on to teach at a Christian school, in the area of media, and his goal was to restore Christian values to the media.

Please pray for this family. Terry leaves behind a wife, Robin, and daughter Lauren and son Chris. I can't even imagine what they're going through right now. Please pray.