Grandma's Poem

This morning I felt compelled to write this. Last month my grandmother was diagnosed with aggressive brain tumors and was given 6 months to live or a year with treatment. Since she had just gone through a mastectomy and chemo she said, 'just send me home'. This was the pinnicle of a 5 year battle with various cancers that kept popping up after they would find and treat one. She was done. She was ready to die, but not in a morbid longing for death kind of way. In a peaceful resignation of her life here on earth and yielding her spirit eternally to the one who first created it and then saved it. Her words were, "I'm ready to go home and meet Jesus." Today she did just that.

This morning, before I got the phone call from my dad (her son), I wrote a rough draft of this poem. It is for her. For the woman who I, my daughter, and the daughter of a pastor's daughter in India are named for Barbara Sue Dean. The name we all share is 'Sue'. The three of us named for her all share the middle name 'Suzanne'. I loved her very much and she will be missed and thought of fondly. There were too many good times to count. There were some not so good (only three I can think of), but mostly good.  Please enjoy my tribute to my grandmother.


Restored and Renewed!

‘Into your hands Lord I commit my spirit.’

Words uttered with a last breath before the greatest gift was given.

You said them when they told you ‘You are soon going to heaven’

Peace and calm were your gifts sent from above.

From the Savior you taught so many to love.

You gave and gave your whole life through.

There was no other way about you that I ever knew.

It grew and grew into a beautiful tale of salvation and love,

Prayers and thanksgiving all from our Lord God above.

I’ll miss your smile and those kinds eyes,

Your hugs and kisses at all our good byes,

Your cookies and cobblers and pies.

I’ll remember you tenderly from all the grand times gone by.

Grandma you were love and cheer and surprises every year.

You accepted death gracefully, without fear

But it was time and you knew,

And your peace got me through.

Grandma I miss you with all of my heart.

But in heaven it will seem to you as though we were only one day a part.

We gather to say goodbye one last time.

The testimony of your faith is here in this sign.

There are tears in our eyes

But there is joy in our hearts

Because death had no victory and it had no sting

Since your soul and life you committed to Jesus Christ the risen King.

So mourners, turn your sorrow to laughter, your sadness to joy, and let praises ensue.

Barbara Sue is in heaven restored and renewed!

Leigha (Dean) Cabrera

Living Sacrifices: Part 2

Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.

1. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God
   • Christ offered himself to save our soul from death and destruction and an eternity of separation from God in hell. He asks that we emulate him by doing the ‘same’ thing. Simply put, we are not of this world and we should not indulge in the same fleshy desires that those who serve only themselves chase after. 
   • If we have bowed our soul to him our bodies/actions should follow suit.

             i.     How?

 We have all heard the phrase die to ourselves daily and pick up his cross. Whaaaa…? Really the Bible says it best, ‘We are in this world and not of this world’, ‘Man judges the outward appearance…’ Basically if you look and talk and walk like a duck what is the world going to think? As Christians it is so very very important that we separate ourselves from that image. Unfair? Not ‘with the times’? Yes, and yes, however, we serve a never changing God, he is the same today and tomorrow as he was yesterday and the thousands of years that came before yesterday and the thousands years that come after tomorrow. He doesn’t want us to ‘move with the times’ He wants us to move in Him and He in us, He will guide us. He will set our path and feet right. He calls us to shine in the darkness. So when we go out and causally cuss, and party with our friends and coworkers not only are they watching and recording, but God sees you too. Those same people who you party with will think, 'He/She says they are a Chrisitan, but they sleep around and drink and swear etc etc. If that's what a Christian is than what is so different?' I've heard these comments made, recently as in the past year, about people who say one thing and do the opposite. Remember we are to be different and yes we are held to a higher standard. If God is the same and you believe that than what he asks of us is also the same. The world will always judge us. If anything we should thank them, because without that judgment we may not see ourselves or our sin (that must find us out) and we could continue down a destructive path. So thank you world, thank you for noticing that we should be different! Now Christians let’s be that different. 

Remember, don't be silent!

Leigha