Grace and Peace
My words are not adequate to express our incredible gratitude for the outpouring of love you all have showered upon us. You have ministered to us in profound and meaningful ways during the most difficult season of our lives. I could not have asked for Cindy's Celebration of Life service on Tuesday evening to have gone any better. When I realized several weeks ago that Cindy's time on this earth would be short, I began praying that her service would honor God and be a blessing to our children. The service did both. Every person who spoke, I think had our children in mind. Our kids will be blessed for years by the sentiments that were shared. Though Cindy's life on this earth by many standards was short, her influence and legacy, especially in the lives of our children, will be enduring. And then on Friday afternoon when we arrived at the cemetery we were blown away by the number of people at the cemetery. It was an encouragment to our family to see friends and family from several states on hand to honor Cindy. My uncle said he had never seen that sort of crowd gather for a burial at our little family cemetery. Again, the words that were spoken were just right. Though it had rained and was dark and overcast the day before the service, Friday was a beautiful day as the sun peaked through the clouds. I somehow had the sense that Cindy is smiling up in heaven.
Today, I am writing these words from my sister's home in Nashville, TN. Before beginning the trek back across the country to our home in New Mexico, I thought it good for our kids to spend some time laughing and playing with their cousins. All in all the children are doing OK. The day after Cindy went home to be with God, Reid our 6-year-old said, "Daddy, I sure do miss mommy." I said, "I know son. I miss her, too." I know part of my job will be to keep her memory alive for them. We are already beginning to have conversations about mommy. I think this is all very positive and healthy. But, quite honestly it is difficult. And yet the gospel makes this impossible situation "doable." When you face a crisis of this order, one is faced with questions like, "Do I really believe the gospel? Will I allow God's glorious truth to make an appreciable difference in my life?" These few days have been very, very difficult filled with tears and memories and wonderful conversations. At times I find myself smiling and thinking about wht Cindy would say or do. At other times I cry because I miss her so deeply. I can tell you, however, the gospel does make all the difference. I really believe Paul's words in Phil. 1:21; 24"For me to live is Christ and to die is gain...it is better by far to depart and be with the Lord." Because of the gospel there is hope, there is life and there is an incredibly bright future for us. My precious bride just got to experience it a little sooner than the rest of us.
Someone mentioned something to me at the viewing that I think is a great idea. One brother said, "Kevin, ask us to share our memories of Cindy on the blog. This will be very helpful to the boys in the future." Great idea. So, I am asking you to share whatever memory you have of Cindy on this blog. At some point I will collect these and make sure they are kept for Chase, Reid and Trey.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! My prayer is that God will bless you abundantly.
Your fellow struggler,
Kevin Owen
Today, I am writing these words from my sister's home in Nashville, TN. Before beginning the trek back across the country to our home in New Mexico, I thought it good for our kids to spend some time laughing and playing with their cousins. All in all the children are doing OK. The day after Cindy went home to be with God, Reid our 6-year-old said, "Daddy, I sure do miss mommy." I said, "I know son. I miss her, too." I know part of my job will be to keep her memory alive for them. We are already beginning to have conversations about mommy. I think this is all very positive and healthy. But, quite honestly it is difficult. And yet the gospel makes this impossible situation "doable." When you face a crisis of this order, one is faced with questions like, "Do I really believe the gospel? Will I allow God's glorious truth to make an appreciable difference in my life?" These few days have been very, very difficult filled with tears and memories and wonderful conversations. At times I find myself smiling and thinking about wht Cindy would say or do. At other times I cry because I miss her so deeply. I can tell you, however, the gospel does make all the difference. I really believe Paul's words in Phil. 1:21; 24"For me to live is Christ and to die is gain...it is better by far to depart and be with the Lord." Because of the gospel there is hope, there is life and there is an incredibly bright future for us. My precious bride just got to experience it a little sooner than the rest of us.
Someone mentioned something to me at the viewing that I think is a great idea. One brother said, "Kevin, ask us to share our memories of Cindy on the blog. This will be very helpful to the boys in the future." Great idea. So, I am asking you to share whatever memory you have of Cindy on this blog. At some point I will collect these and make sure they are kept for Chase, Reid and Trey.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! My prayer is that God will bless you abundantly.
Your fellow struggler,
Kevin Owen
posted by Kevin Owen | 10:10 AM
19 Comments:
Dear Kevin, Chase, Reid and Trey,
I was constantly inspired by Cindy, she touched my heart everytime I was around her. I was in her ladies class and was in "awe" of her and often thought "what an awesome woman she is" When she prayed for you or your family, she would put her whole heart and soul into it and you could feel it so strongly. At the end of ladies class, she would ask for prayer requests and get down on her knees and pray and more often than not, tears would fall. I am fortunate and blessed to have known her.
Love,
Lisa Foust
My story about Cindy is one I've shared with several people, and it always brings a laugh when told. Everyone who knew her knows what a great mom she was. What everyone may not know is that she was a great mom to everyone else's children before she had children of her own. That being said...
One Sunday morning when we lived in Georgia, I was at church with my son Jake, and Mark was out of town. Jake was about 3 1/2 years old. In the middle of services, Jake asked if he could go use the potty...by himself. I thought about it for a few seconds, and then decided that since he knew where the bathroom was located, he could go and if he wasn't back in a few minutes, I'd go after him. Well, in a few minutes he came back and all was well...or so I thought. Cindy came up to me after church and whispered "You owe me SO big." "Okay" I responded, "Why do I owe you??" She replied, " I was walking down the hallway when I see Jake come out of the men's room and walk to the auditorium and put his hand on the door handle...with his pants and underwear around his ankles!" She ran up to him and said "Jake, let me pull your pants up." Jake looked at her and said, "No, Mommy do!" Cindy looked at him and said "No, I do!!" I always laugh when I think about what would have happened if she hadn't been there for me. I love her for many things, but I'll always think of her and smile when I think of how she saved me that day. It's one of my favorite memories of her!!
Cindy was one of the most resourceful people I knew. One weekend while I was visiting you guys in Georgia, I noticed the the locksmiths were there installing deadbolt locks on your doors. I asked Cindy why they decided to install them and she told me a story. Apparently one evening she came home and somehow got locked out of the house. She called you at your office on her cell phone and you were going to be a few minutes getting home. While Cindy was waiting on the front steps with her purse, she decided to try opening the front door with her credit card. She said that she had seen this done in the movies many times so she'd give it a try herself. She said that she slid the card down the door jam and "click" the door opened just as sweet as you please. Needless to say, that explained the new locks on the doors.
Our prayer is that God will bless you and your family abundantly this year.
I did not have the privilege of knowing Cindy. But her life has still had an impact on me through your words and the words of those who love her.
Thank you for letting us peek into the way God is working in your lives through all of this. You are blessing us through sharing about your walk.
I'm glad the cousins have had some down time together this week. Have a safe trip back and a good Thanksgiving.
I met Cindy when I was very young and her family lived in Olney, IL. I remember Cindy being one of the sweetest people I had ever met. She was such an inspiration to me, one who shared with me her faith and also her talent. Cindy gave me piano lessons for nearly two years. She had a beautiful voice and most of us younger kids wanted to sit near her at church so we could listen to her sing. We moved from Olney and lost touch with the Terrells for many years. Cindy, however, never left my heart. She will forever be remembered. Cindy is definitely an angel in Heaven, looking down on her family. May God bless you all.
To Kevin and the boys
Thanks for continuing to share with us. I'm thankful that you all are surrounded by love and that the boys are being boys...God is good!
Anyway, we remember Cindy calling us - out of the blue - to tell us about where to go eat in Gatlinburg. TN, and what to see - esp. Cades Cove - before my first visit there in 2000. We probably had hardly spoken to one another prior to that! Susan fondly remembers sharing maternity clothes with her - that will stay in her heart forever! It reminds us that Cindy was a wonderful mother.
We miss her too, Kevin...thanks for letting us share.
We Love You All...
Chris Susan Kyle and Kendall
Kevin,
I feel so blessed to have known Cindy for such a short year. It became so evident to me at her service just how amazing she really was. While I do not have a specific story I will tell you that I think of her everyday. Oddly enough, I think of her in my moments of frustration with my kids or with others. Those times, though rough, are precious too. There are times that I stop and handle a situation differently now because of what I have learned these last few months. Our families are gifts..Our lives are gifts. We only get to dwell in them for a short time. We were made for eternity.
With all of our love and support,
Bonnie Bassham
I always loved when Cindy would have prayer and devotionals before we started planning the ladies retreat. She gave each one of us a package of flower seeds and a small booklet called "As My Garden Grows". The booklet sits on my shelf and is a reminder to me of what a special preson she is. And I will always remember the beautiful smile on her face.
I wish you all God's blessings,
Judy Lassetter
I'm so glad Rachel mentioned going to Freed-Hardeman with Cindy. That was such a special time! I hadn't forgotten the Cherry Lie-ade either. Mom and I were able to go to Dickson on Friday. After the service we noticed a Sonic and I had a Cherry Lime-ade in her honor. She also introduced me to Janine. I worked for 3 years as her student secretary. I felt so privileged that Cindy wanted to share a special place. It also became one of my favorite places.I spent 3 wonderful years at Freed. Cindy was a part of that.
Jenny Bennett
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for reaching out to all of us this Thanksgiving. It has been a bittersweet one for all of us who loved Cindy and love you and the boys. So many thoughts are on you and the boys and so many prayers are being prayed for your peace during this difficult time.
Reid touches my heart with his spirit. On Sunday morning during our Ladies Class, we were told of how Reid had massaged his mother's feet on Thursday, asked for some lotion, and continued to lovingly attend to his mother, until he had to stop because of the cut on his hand. The lotion was hurting it. What a sacrifice for someone so young. We can all learn from that. They said that after that, he laid next to his mother and just lovingly stroked her face. Cindy must have felt truly blessed during that special time with her spirited Reid.
When I think of Chase, I think of his quiet courage during this difficult time. It's hard for us adults to understand God's plan, so I know this was especially difficult for him. I see in him the man he's going to be and Cindy is going to visible in him as he goes through life.
Little Trey will know his mother through the words of all who knew and loved her. He will hear stories of things she did with him and how much she loved him and fought to see him grow up.
Mike, Kyle, Travis, Dustin, and I are praying for safe travel as you come back home. Thank you for blessing us with your words of faith as you travel down this difficult path. WE LOVE YOU.
Prayerfully,
Anne Marie Van Horn
dear kevin and boys; you; have shown such great strength . It must have come from the greatest power .Our God is with you. God will lift y0u up. In due time there will be wonderful things to come, Just You wait and see. I am always here for you. Dad
Kevin: I knew your family briefly when you lived in Atlanta. While you are a great man, Cindy was also an awesome woman. Both of you walk with Jesus. Her passion for Jesus was evident in the way she served at your side and touched the lives of many of us here. I have often prayed for her during these months and was so grateful for the pager that let her know. Thank you for your transparency in this part of your journey. At the risk of being too invasive, I want you to know I gave your blog out to a friend several months ago who is going through this same thing. It has been such a help to that family. I hope that over the next weeks and months you will continue to use this blog to process your grief and let us reach out to you. It is invaluable to others who are now going through a similar experience and will do much good for you and your boys. May God bless you as you lead your family. May He bless you as you remember all Cindy meant to us. May He bless you as you mourn. May He always give you reason to rejoice.
I knew Cindy from Freed-Hardeman. Although we weren't close friends she always said hello to me as we passed on campus. When I think of Cindy I see her chearful smile that she shared with everyone. Oh and her voice . . . she sang soooo sweetly. I loved her voice.
She was an encourager. You knew when she was trying to help you with a problem that her heart was in it. She would listen to whatever the trouble was and then help you to figure out what YOU (I mean I really)needed to do to set things right. I wish I had more specific details for you but my memories are very general.
I'll be praying for your family. May God touch you all with a special blessing as you face your first Christmas without her. Buy a special ornament to go on your tree this year that honors Cindy. Buy something that she would have loved. In the years to come it will mean so much to you that you have a special time each year that is just for recalling your love for her. It may be a hard task this year but I think that you will find that you are very glad that you did.
God bless you all.
The Hardins
Kevin, Chase, Reid, and Trey,
I want you to know how much Cindy meant to me. She was an amazing friend, wife, mother, and teacher. I pray that she knows how much I treasured our friendship. We had so much fun in small group, soccer games, and that one game night where I have never seen Cindy laugh so hard. I will treasure our time together, especially our Mother's Day Weekend! That weekend I told Cindy a saying I had for her. It was "What would Cindy do" I admired her and looked up to her and her opinion really counted. Everytime I needed to make a decision, I would think "What would Cindy do?" It made my decisions easier and right. I am so blessed to have known her and to have her in my life. I pray that I can be a light to someone as she was to me. I miss her and think of her daily.
CINDY
IS
A
BEAUTIFUL
REMINDER
OF
JESUS!
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I will leave a very fond memory of Cindy, and the boys! We loved to meet at Chick Filet to discuss current events. I know that Cindy and the boys loved Chick Filet, as do I. I am sure that will be a nice place to take the boys to remember the MANY times she took them there. We miss you guys.
The Mundies
(Brent, Laura, and Savannah)
I have so many beautiful memories of Cindy, that trying to pick out just one has taken me a long time. I've decided on THREE wonderful memoris that I'll share with you here: First, I gave Cindy the baby shower for Trey and part of the shower included a little booklet that each guest was given. It had a poem and a "thank you from the baby" as well as some GAMES we'd play during the shower. Well...Cindy just LOVED the games part! She would do her little "hee haw" laugh...you know the one where she would sort of SNORT! It just cracked me up...to see her and hear her laughing with such great abandon! No meek little giggles here...just great gefaws of laughter unashamedly unleased. To me this was precious because it showed how comfortable she was to be with those who loved her...she could just "let herself go" and know it was safe and that we loved her even more (if that were possible!) because of it. I also cherish the time she confided in me that she made "The Best Chicken Salad" recipe in one of my cookbooks as often as possible...sometimes 2 or 3 times in one week because she loved it so much. I will NEVER be able to make that chicken salad without thinking of Cindy and the joy it brought her. If I ever have another reprint, I think I will change the name to "Cindy's BEST LOVED Chicken Salad". Finally, I agree with Lisa Foust that seeing Cindy, on her knees, praying for others was awe inspiring and gave us all an example of how prayer ought to "look" and "be". Many of us used that model over and over in praying for Cindy's healing.
Why God chose to take her home so soon we will know someday, but (for today) it hurts. Her absence has left a HUGE hole in our hearts that no other can fill. She was just too special for that. I, for one, look forward to kissing and hugging her again in heaven and maybe even whipping up a batch of "The Best Chicken Salad" together!
Kevin & Boys,
I am sorry for your loss. I only knew Cindy briefly, but she touched my life. I was visinting Montgomery after Hurricane Katrina. Looking for a class, I didn't know where to go. Someone introduced me to Cindy, and I followed Cindy to class as she carried her things and chatted with me. We got to class, and she shared how she forgot the video tapes as she was in a rush that morning trying to get everyone to church. You had taken separate vehicles, and I think she lost some of her stuff trying to get everything in the car and get to church on time. Anyway, that morning, I was touched by her love of people. She shared how her parent's congregation was going to help the victimes of the hurricane. She also was a prayer warrior. She prayed for her friend who was going to have a baby and had just moved to a new state. She shared how she had prayed with her while she was in the hospital. That morning her friends' daughter was baptized. I just remember how Cindy was so full of life and as the ladies sat in the room sharing prayer requests she was ministering to everyone. It was the Beth Moore serious, " Believing God." I was so inspired by what everyone was sharing and how they were reaching out to each other, that I went and purchased Beth Moore's study "Breaking Free,". Anyway, I know Cindy's time here was brief, but you were blessed with such a wonderful women, and I know your boys will cherish the momories of such a giving mother. Thank you for loving her and sharing the love your family shared in her final days. It's touching. I know we don't know why God chose to take her, but He must be confident that through the love you shared you will do the best to raise the boys in to wonderful Christian men. I only learned that Cindy went Home on Christmas Eve. I had wanted to check and see what time the Christmas Eve service was and I noticed a web page saying celebration of life service for Cindy. I had learned of her cancer when I visited the congregation in October and saw the bulletin with her blog spot. I had visited the page before, but the Fall was busy for me. I had shared with Aria Cook's mom that Cindy was going through this, as Aria had gone through a cancer scare last January. I am sorry I did not check in more frequently. Through her passing, I will try to share God's love more with my own children and cherish the time that I have with them. You see, almost 10 years ago, God almost took me home. I had a heart attack at the age of 27, and they lost me for 3 seconds. I can share with you that in those 3 seconds I was at peace and relaxed as the doctors were nervous about what had happened. I thought I had just lost my breath. Anyway, God granted me more time, and in that time I have grown, and got the opportunity to meet Cindy . Yet, I have not reached out as Cindy did , and knowing that life is short, I pray it inspires me to live with the zeal she had. To reach out to my children, and others and let them know that God Loves them and so do I.
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