Some thoughts shared at mom's funeral

I have no intention of converting this blog (if you could call it that) into a memorial site, but I do want to share what's in my head. It's nice to have some thoughts in one place so I can refer to them later.

Any way, here's what I shared at mom's funeral. It was a great time, a worship service, just like she wanted it to be.

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The verse in your program (Ephesians 4:16) is one that mom and I talked about often. She was always the most alive, the most full of joy and hope, when she was discussing the church and what God was doing in the earth. She strived to help each individual part find its proper working through healing and love. We spent many hours long into the night talking about the church, ministry and her love for Jesus. She laid the foundation for my understanding of God’s truth.

She also literally taught me everything I know. Through years of home schooling, she taught me how to learn, how to seek wisdom and knowledge and how to appreciate the importance of both. Through her work, I was able to attend an Ivy League university, which I hope highlighted and honored the time she invested in my schooling.

One of my strongest memories of mom was while attending UPENN in February 2001. I had just returned from a conference in North Carolina with thousands of college students seeking God and called home to tell her all about it. She shared with me the news about her first cancer diagnosis. I can remember crying and wanting to quit school to come home and be with her. I’ll never forget what she told me. She said, no matter what happens, don’t stop doing the work God has called you to. At the time, I had started a small Bible study on campus and during the conference I felt called into the full time ministry. She convinced me of her passion and devotion to doing the things God has destined each of us to accomplish. I knew in that moment, she would beat the cancer and she did. The last 6 years we've had together have been wonderful, sharing our ministry experiences, having her meet my wife, seeing her become grandma Sue.

Even at a young age as "her little lukie", I always knew that my mom loved me and was proud of me. It was a love that I never had to earn or question, it was just always there, overflowing towards me.