At the Cross

On Saturday morning, our whole family and many, many others trekked up to the cross on Mt. Rubidoux in memory of Mark. It was a good time of remembrance, prayer, and worship...we sang "Blessed be the Name of the Lord," and "How Great is Our God," which were very appropriate songs.

Making the hike up to the cross.

People gather at the cross to remember Mark.Troy shares some words about his cousin's testimony.

Let it be said of us....

As of about 5:30 last night, Mark went to be with the Lord, as his family and close friends stood around him. It is never easy to watch someone pass away before your very eyes. However, the fact that Mark knew Christ as his Lord and Savior put a bit of sweetness into the bitterness of sorrow that we feel. We know that he is with his Lord, and he is rejoicing in His presence. But, still, there is the grieving...grieving for Angie's loss of a husband, for Nolan's loss of his daddy, for Jim and Barb's loss of a son, for Matt, Mandy, and Amy's loss of a brother, for our loss of a cousin and a friend....the list of Mark's roles here on this earth go on and on. I know that God has a plan, and for whatever reason, He called Mark home to be with Him. I cling to that. I know Angie is clinging to that. I pray that others will cling to that. The huge amount of prayer that the family received from Christians all around the world was astonishing. Christ was definitely glorified through this all. Mark would have been thrilled about that. I thank the Lord for the Godly example Mark was. I only pray that my testimony here on this earth would reflect the same qualities. I pray that the presence of Christ would be evident in my life as it was in Mark's. There is a song that I posted in a comment on Mark's blog and that I will post here because the lyrics are what I desire of my life and what Mark showed in his.

"Let It Be Said of Us

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore ev’ry cross we were given,
That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course,
Knowing within us the pow’r of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy,
By the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us: We were marked by forgiveness,
We were known by our love and delighted in meekness,
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity’s call,
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song."

I feel immense sorrow right now for the loss of Mark. But, I am so very thankful for the sweetness there is in the hope of Christ, and through this all, that still remains. Through this tragic event (humanly speaking), our great God is still on the throne. Christ still died for sinners. He still rose from the tomb. He still is in glory with God the Father. Mark is now with Christ experiencing that glory that is beyond our earthly comprehension. Those truths still remain true. Praise God for that!

PLEASE PRAY

We woke up to a call with some very horrible news this morning. The bleed in Mark's brain has increased in size and the doctor said it was catastrophic. Angie will be having to make the decision to take him off the ventilator. Please pray for comfort for Angie and Nolan at this time, and visit the blog http://www.prayforthelamberths.com for more details and updates. Thanks for all you prayers.

Another Friend for Jackson

Jackson has welcomed a new stuffed animal into his tight circle of friends. Previously, he remained loyal only to his doggy. Now, he carries around both his doggy and his monkey (Curious George). He affectionately calls both of them his "ah-ba-ba." He sleeps with both of them every night. What a loyal friend Jackson has become! :)

A Setback for Mark

Mark didn't go into surgery as planned today. The doctor discovered in the CAT Scan that he has rebleed (a place that was injured before is bleeding again). PLEASE keep praying for Mark, Angie, and Nolan. I don't know what God has in store for Mark, but it is comforting to know that God knows. Please pray for comfort for Angie. There has been so many ups and downs! http://www.prayforthelamberths.com

Great News!

I am sure that most of you read that Mark moved his hands yesterday in response to pain!!!! We are so excited and encouraged. The Lord has been so merciful! You can read more about it at http://www.prayforthelamberths.com

Christmas

I am finally getting around to posting about our Christmas! On Christmas day, we woke up to a cold, wet morning. I really enjoyed the cold, wet holiday because I can't remember the last time we had one here! In the morning, we (Troy, Jackson and I), opened gifts as a family. Troy got me a new camera, which I am totally excited about! The camera is pink, too! After opening gifts at our house, we went over to Troy's parent's house and had lunch with the family. We also opened presents there. Terry and Jan were in from Missouri, so that made it extra fun (they are also fun to hang out with!). The lunch was delicious! After lunch, we headed to the hospital to hang out with the family there.Troy opening the Seinfeld Scene It game I got for him. Jackson and I looking at one of the gifts Troy and I got him...touch and feel flashcards. He is really enjoying learning from them and can already say several of the words!Troy wanted to surprise me with some Christmas pictures of Jackson with my new camera.......somehow Troy forgot to put shoes on Jackson!!!

David and Robyn got Jackson New Balance shoes that matched Troy's....so cute!Jackson discovered coloring on Christmas day.
That discovery led to eating crayons. Green was his preference.The Spread. (And Jan.)Jackson fell asleep while eating. The poor boy was so tired from opening all the gifts!
All I can say was that my stomach was VERY full when I took this picture. I think everyone else's was too!Jackson and Troy at the hospital. Jackson loves going to the hospital. He gets to play with Nolan (who he has really enjoys), and he loves to run the halls (which we rarely let him do.) Christmas day, the waiting room was so crowded, we let Jackson have a shot at running down the hall.
So, he ran...
...and ran......and ran! Good thing I can catch up to him, at least for now!