Thursday, May 20, 2010

Cupcakes

As I have mentioned here on the blog Jo, a dear and wonderful women, friend and saint in our church very sadly died ten days ago. Her funeral and thanksgiving service were on Monday and it was a truly special day. She particularly wanted us all to eat cupcakes so even I baked some which was a messy first! Jo just loved her cupcakes.

Jo's life, although only lasting 32 years, impacted so many lives and situations for good. She joined our church about 2 years ago and I had the joy of taking her through Alpha and seeing her love for Jesus grow and witnessed her use her many amazing gifts (she didn't like being described as 'amazing' as she wrote in a post once) but she was. She soon developed the most incredible friendships and served and loved others in all sorts of ways. She even bravely agreed to be in our Alpha video (Jo is the one interviewed on the balcony) sharing her testimony.

I remember the time Jo chatted with me after church and confessed that she kept a blog. Not many knew of this secret but her blog was a deeply important way Jo coped with cancer and expressed her journey of facing it. She tried to write something each day even when she could hardly muster the energy. I have many days when I have thought writing my own blog is a complete waste of time but Jo has convinced me that a blog can work for good and hers has done so incredibly already and will continue to do so. She wrote so beautifully and honestly and today John her husband has courageously done a last post of 'The Tribute' given on Monday. Do please read it and click about on her blog posts. John is going to make hard copies of Jo Blogz which is a wonderful thing to do.

As all of us mourn, I have found this talk called Death is not dying a helpful reminder and encouragement of the truth of the gospel and of the hope of things to come.

Thanks be to God for Jo's remarkable life.

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Saturday blog-sweep

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