Dear Mike.

I regret not knowing you as well as I could have. I only met you when you first got here and we never really hung out much. I had New Testament with you though and i DO remember laughing almost every time you said something, or gasped when you got a question wrong, or shouted when you got it right.

I've sent you a friend request that I know you can never answer... but I also know that if you were still here you would have accepted it right away, happy to have a new friend. Just wait buddy, when I get to heaven I'll get to know you better than I ever could have down here.

My Memories of Mike.

Mike was a great friend to me. Mike was a great friend to everyone. As I thought back over the short two months I spent knowing Mikey, I thought of all the great qualities he possessed. The main thing I noticed about Mike was his closeness to God. He always had something good to say about his relationship with God. Mike was a great testimony to all those around him. Another quality I notice about Mike was his infectious smile. I never saw him too depressed or overloaded with homework to smile about something. That smile made you feel like you had known Mike your whole life rather than just a few short weeks. Mike was always up for a little mischief and he always had a joke to share. I believe that Mike never met a stranger and I know he made a huge impact on my life. Although we are saddened by his passing, we must carry on with happiness knowing that Mike is rejoicing in Heaven. I know that his life is an inspiration to me and I am striving to live a Godly life so that one day I will be able to my friend in Heaven once again.

The day that Mike passed I was in a Bible class with him, and in that class he testified as to what God had done for him, and how he had turned his life around. As I was thinking about it later, I thought how glorious it was that Mike had left no doubt in our minds as to where he was going to spend eternity. I will never understand why God chose to take Mike to be with Him so soon, but I trust God's wisdom and I know His plan is perfect. Your upbeat attitude and ever present smile will be greatly missed Mike!

Dear Mike,

I never got to say goodbye,

And I do not understand why.

I know God has a plan,

And I must trust His hand.

Now you’re on the glory shore,

And I’ll see you here no more.

Though it hurts to see you leave,

How long can I bereave?

For this I surely know,

Whate’er may come or go,

Again I’ll see my friend;

Heav’nly rejoicing without end.

For then we’ll be together,

And share our time forever,

Talking on the streets of gold;

Telling stories untold.

Words cannot express the way I felt when I received the news of Mike's passing. It came as a uncontrolled shock wave. My knees went weak as a feeling of helplessness forced adrenaline through my body. I honestly didn't know what to do. Every time I thought of Mike I wanted to pray for him, then realized it wouldn't help. I don't understand it, and I can't express my feelings but I tried to through this poem anyways. Mike, you will be greatly missed until the great day when we all get to go home.

My Memories of Mike

One of my best memories of Mike is the time two guys wanted to give him a haircut. He was trying to decide who could come up with the better deal. I thought it'd be fun to be the negotiator and we quickly decided the best deal was for him to receive ten dollars for his haircut. However, the guys offering to cut his hair did not agree to these terms.

I didn't know Mike well, though I wish I did, but I knew he was a fun guy to be around. He was always smiling and always happy. And he had a good reason to be happy. God had come into his life and made him a new creature. And I know he's happy now because he's with the one who made him happy.

Even though we miss Mike very much, it's good to know he's in a better place. And one day we can see him again, and he'll have the biggest smile ever.

Mikee.. the guy with a smile

Mikeeee!! Oh, how I'm missing you and your cheerful spirit! When I was down you'd always find some way to pick me back up. I'm thankful that I got to know you better in the short time that we were in classes together here at GBS. Also thanks for being just a good friend. One thing about it, when you studied you studied, and when you played you played hard. You lived for the ups and downs of life. Remember how you desperately wanted a young lady to like you? Well, you certainly don't have to worry about getting married now.. Your waiting for the marrage supper of the Lamb. Ohh ya! (But, now I'm stuck on this earth patiently waiting.. haha!;)
    You also, were guy that has been an incouragement to me! I remember the youth camps we were at together, the study times, the laughing and the crying times. You definitely loved Jesus! He changed your life!
    I will miss you, but I know you are in a better place. I'm praying for your family MIkee! I'll never forget you... see you in heaven someday. ~ "Jeffeyy."

So long Mike,I hardly knew ye

Monday, October 03, 20111:31 AMI am sorry to say I didn't know Mike all that well, but I know he was very happy here. He always had a smile on his face. He was one of the few I have ever met who could show an ear to ear grin even after spraining his ankle in a volleyball game. Campus wont't be the same without him, but I have no doubt in my mind that he is happy where he is now and can't wait to see us there. I was also among those fortunate enough to hear his testimony in that New Testament class. It was amazing. I have no doubt in my mind he was content. In my book Mike you are irreplaceable and will be greatly missed, even by those like myself who didn't get to spend alot of time with you. You had a huge impact on us all. If through nothing else, your attitude and sense of humor touched us all. It was indeed an honor to know you, and to call you friend.

You will truly me missed

All though I did not know Mike that well He will truly be missed. I believe i lost the chance to get to know a great person.

It Is Finished

It is finished, the battle is over.

It is finished, there'll be no more war.

It is finished, the end of the conflict.

It is finished, and Jesus is Lord.

God gave me this song the morning after Mike died. Thankfully, the war is over for Mike, but for us still on earth, sometimes it's hard to see it that way. I think one of the main things I liked about Mike was the way he was friends with the entire school. He was literally friends with everyone. We all miss you Mike, and can't wait to see you in Heaven!

Mike

I really didn't know Mike all that well but that just makes me sadder that i cant get to. What little i did know about hi was good he always seemed to be happy and was always smiling. One of my favorite memories of Mike was one day that we played softball he had hurt his leg and really wasn't able to play but wanted to so bad that he would limp around thus not getting to first without being hurt. But perhaps my favorite memory was the time before a test in christian beliefs he was saying to many people that it was going to be his last day at GBS, he did it in such away tha it was really funny and i enjoyed talking to him about it. Mike was a great guy and i wish that i could have got to know him better.

Dear Mike,

I'm so glad you chose to serve Jesus so that one day you could spend eternity with Him and so that I could see YOU again one day! You made such an impact on my life during college and I never want to forget those amazing times we had together! You are greatly missed!

..."Nothing we can say, and nothing we can do, can take away the pain, the pain of losing you."

"But we can cry with hope, we can say goodbye with hope, cause we know why goodbye is not the end, and we can breathe with hope cause we believe with hope, there's a place where we'll see your face again..."

~Steven Curtis-Chapman

Mike's Last day

Thursday, September 29 2011 started out like any other day. I had atleast one class with mike, New Testament. In our New Testamnet class our teacher asked if anyone wanted to give testimonies, and mike stood up and gave one. I thought it was just very appropriate and memorial, for it to be the exact day that mike went to be with his Father in heaven. He talked about how God saved him, and turned his life around.
I also sat right across the table from mike at lunch time on thursday. He was his normal happy self! Just smilin' and talkin' with everyone. Even though Mike had such a short life, I know God still used him. Mike was a great guy and added extra life to this campus.
Im so glad that i got to meet and know mike, and I am SO thankful that He is with God in heaven right now!
-Katie Bryan

The Kaddish for Mike

There is a traditional prayer/blessing in Judaism that is recited when mourning. I will only give the English translation, for the sake of the ones who cannot read Hebrew. The Kaddish is for the mourners; may it bring comfort to those who read it.

Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are uttered in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

*You do not have to be physically Jewish for this to apply to you :)

- A Poem for Mike-

You made us smile with your out going spirit. Your genuine love assured us when we wanted to give up and quit. Mike you left so soon, there is an empty place in your room. 18 years old and in my freshman class, I knew you for only a moment, but it made a friendship to last. You cared for ohers, even if they didn't care for you, and that is the type of person I look up to. God is good, so good to me...for He sent you to us for a short time in this eternity.

Mike Made It Home...

"This is our temporary home.

it's not where we belong.

Windows and rooms that we're passin' through.

This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going.

I'm not afraid because I know this is our

Temporary Home."

I don`t usually listen to secular music, but these lyrics really spoke to me when I realized how free Mikey is now as he made his way home on Thursday. I don`t believe he was afraid at all as He looked into God`s face as God welcomed Mike into His kingdom. Mike was a walking testimony. You rarely saw him without a smile. It was quite refreshing to see him laughing during a bad day.

We imagine what it will be like when we die, if Heaven is like what our Pastors describe... like the pictures we see in our illustrated bibles, and in the songs...

"I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is looking at me. Surrounded by your glory what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus? Or in awe of you be still Will I stand in your presence? Or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? Imagine, I can only Imagine I can only Imagine all creation bowed down The whole universe saying your name out loud I can only imagine all our broken lives Resurected in the healing light, Surrounded by forgiveness what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus? Or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in your presence? Or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine oh I can only imagine"

Our comfort now rests in the fact that Mike is in the presence of All Mighty God! Quite a few of us heard his testimony in New Testemant on Thursday, we should have no doubt where Mike has gone... He is home! While the rest of us wait to join him, we should be so thankful for where he is.

I saw on Rose`s post where she said "Give God a high five for me" and i can just imagine him doing that for us!

Mike-we will miss your laughter, your jokes and your smiles! Thank you for the inspiring testimony you left for us! Though we are left with the sadness of your death, we rejoice in the eternal life we know you have inherited! We love you! We will miss you but your memory is forever engrained in our hearts! As Rose said, Give God a high five for us!! :)

Forever Friends,

Jessie

What do we know?

Will we ever know why?

Maybe not,
but we do know some things:

"…I Know WHOM I have BELIEVED in, and am persuaded that He IS able to keep that which I have committed, unto to Him against that day." 2nd Tim 1:12

"Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of DEATH. I will fear NO evil. For THOU art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they COMFORT me." Psalm 23:4

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward YOU, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jere 29:11

"And we KNOW that ALL things work together for GOOD, to those that love God, to them who are the CALLED; according to His purpose." Rom 8:28

"For THOU art my ROCK and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake LEAD me, and GUIDE me…
Into thine HAND I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, oh LORD God of TRUTH.
…I will be GLAD and rejoice in thy MERCY: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast KNOWN my soul in adversities." Psalm 31, selections.

Just some verses that helped me to trust God, even in this most difficult of times.

Mike

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" Philippians 1: 21

I couldn't know Mike as well as others, but if he was here I'm sure this verse was his desire. We don't know when is our time to leave. God is the only one that knows that. That is the reason why we trust that Mike is now with the Lord, where everything is happiness and joy, there is no pain, no suffering, Mike is doing what we want to do but it's not our time. Being face to face with our precious Lord. He is happy now!

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be conforted" Matthew 5: 4

We were not close, but we knew eachother. We did not ever hold deep theological discussions, but we shared many laughs and mutual friends. We came from different states and different family backgrounds, but we were both students at GBS, and we were both part of the family of Christ. I always see faces of students in the cafeteria, I may not talk to you then or sit with you for that meal, but it was affirmation that everyone who needed to be there was there. Now I will glance back during chapel and see that empty chair, even after it's been filled. I will step outside to eat supper and I will no longer see you sitting at one of the tables. I will always wait for you to stand when we've been asked for testimonies. I will watch as attendance is taken, and search for your name long after it's been erased. Everytime I enter the commons to check my mail I will picture you sitting there smiling at me like you always did even on my grumpy days. I will look back at the group of guys laughing behind me and realize that you're not laughing with them any more. Even with this empty feeling, I know that God has a plan. I know that you are joyful in Heaven and that at least you are now able to understand why everything has taken place. I am so amazed that the last words I directly heard you say were honoring God and I know that God was more than honored to welcome you into the kingdom. I don't want to say rest in peace, instead I want to say live in peace Mikey, because I know that you are dwelling with a great and mighty king. Miss you, and praying for your family.

Like Mike

Mike and I attended the same camp for several years. I was well aware of who he was and of his testimony. We both graduated this year, came to GBS, and were in the same division. Though our paths crossed in so many ways throughout our teen years, I regret that I never took the time to get to know him and build a friendship. One thing I do know about Mike is that he was an extremely happy person. So many times when we passed each other on campus, he was either laughing or smiling. I also believe that he lived in such a way that his testimony was clear and that, today, he is standing in the presence of God praising Him for His amazing grace. The last thing I remember Mike saying was that he didn't understand why he had to take English. He already knew how to speak that language, so why didn't the school teach him a NEW language:-) It was just Wednesday of this week that he made this statement and today he's gone. My mind can scarcely even comprehend this.

This tragedy has so vividly reminded me of how fragile life is and of how much we take it for granted. I have decided that I want to be like Mike. I want to live life with a clear testimony, a cheerful attitude, and to be used of God to have a positive impact on others' lives. Mike, you have definitely left a hole in the GBS family and will be greatly missed!

I

I am still in shock from Mike's death. I didn't know Mike very well, although we've known each other for a few years from camps and such. I actually hung out with and talked to him more this week than the entire two months we've been at GBS.In fact we had planned to hang out today, but I guess God had a much better place for Mike to be. It's so strange..hanging out one day, talking and laughing with friends,waiving at each other when you pass by..and then a person can be gone just like that. If nothing else is learned from Mike's passing, we should all be a little more thankful for our friends and family and to always be ready at any time for God to take you home. I miss you Mike and I wish I'd taken more advantage of the opportunity to get to know you better sooner. I'll see you in heaven.

Not Enough Time...At Least Not Now.

I truly did not get the opportunity to get to know Mike well, but what I saw from him, he seemed like an awesome guy. He always seemed to enjoy life and look at the best in every situation. I am in a different New Testament Literature class, but I heard of the amazing testimony of salvation that he gave. I believe that it was a gift from God of peace that we can have in our hearts, that he is now even as I write this, Mike is in Heaven.
The Bible says in Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Mike is with God right now rejoicing and praising the Lord for His Goodness. My only regret is that I did not spend enough time trying to get to know Mike. But, in eternity, we will not have forever!!

Mike

Mike I will miss you so very much! Even though I only knew you for a short time you were and are one of the greatest friends I have ever had. I will never forget how every night you would be in our room untill two and three in the morning. There is no doubt in my mind that someday when I look back on the time that I will be spending here at G.B.S that those nights with you will certainly be my fondest memories. It was such a privilage to be your friend. I can not wait to see you again someday in Heaven.
Love ya,
Nick Adams

Mike would come to our room an hang out, and I loved his sense of humor. If you were down or had a bad day, just take a trip over and talk with Mike and he would cheer you up. I told him the other day that he needed to be on the ministerial department, because I always thought he was in the first place. You could see the joy he had, and his constant laughter made a huge impact on me. I always wanted to make plans to hang out with him more, and now I really regret not following through. I'm going to miss Mike but his testimony he left behind has shown me that I've got to stay focused on God's purpose for my life, so I can touch lives like Mike did.

Where are you Mike?
You left us so soon.

But you left us with your love.

You left me with a big smile.
My mind understands that God has called you.
My heart refuses to accept that you are gone.
My mind knows that although we love you,
God loves you more.
However my heart still wants you around.
I know you are happy,and I am happy for you,
But I am sad for my self,
I am sad for those left behind.
Give God a high five for me.

Mike was an awesome guy. I didn't get to become as good friends as I would have liked but he always made me laugh. He always was an encouragement to me. Every memory I have of him is when he was smiling. Thankfully though I know that even now he is still smiling as he sings praises to our King. Praise God that we know we can see him again! Love you Mike!

Mikey you were an amazing guy. I am so glad that I got to become friends with you the past two months. I will always remember how you brightned my day everytime time I would see your big smile or hear you laugh. I still can't beleive you are gone; but I know that you are rejoicing in Heaven today with Jesus and I will get to see you again! You will be missed but I can say that I will see you again one day.

"We feel sad, for what we have lost.

We feel poor, for the empty spaces.

We feel rich, for we have each other.

We will cry, for what we can't have.

We will laugh, for our memories abound.

We will hurt, for the love we can't give.

We will rejoice, for the love we have received.

We will be restless, for our lives are not whole.

We will be peaceful, for we know it is not forever."

~Nanette Hamilton

Mikey, I am so glad that we have the hope of seeing you again someday.

I know I always gave you a hard time about wearing your white shoes after Labor Day, but life is too short to worry about silly fashion rules when you have amazing white shoes like you did. You always looked so cool, and you were always fun to hang out with.

After people pass away, there are always nice words being said about them, like they were friends with everyone, and they were always laughing. Well, that really was you. When I think of you, I hear your voice so distinctly, and your laugh is right there too.

I feel blessed to have known you, although the time was way too short.

No one is ever gone until they are forgotten, and we will never forget you Mikey.

O Death, Where is thy Sting?

Last Wednesday I was sitting next to Mike in English Composition class. I laughed at the jokes he whispered in the middle of class. Today, Mike wasn't sitting next to me anymore, but he was sitting next to Jesus, which is far better.

Today, while meditating on what happened, these verses kept popping to my mind:

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corithians 15:53-57)

I don't understand why things happen the way they do. I think none of us does, but one thing I know and that is that in Jesus we have hope and victory.

See You Later

Mike,
You were a great guy. We don't understand why God does this type of thing. Why did he have to take you so early? Why did you have to go? Didn't God have more work for you to do here so you could stay and share yourself with the rest of us for just a while longer? Why did you have to go? These are the questions that we will ask for a while. But we must always remember that God has a much better plan in mind than we think. No matter what happens to us, we must always remember this. God has a bigger plan in motion. We don't understand why these things happen, and sometimes we question or doubt, but God always has something better in mind. Mike, we will always remember you and the joy you brought. Even though we miss you dearly, we know that you are in a far better place than we could ever imagine. A better place than any of us could imagine.
I am reminded of the song sung by the Nelons, "Christians Never say Goodbye."

Christians never say goodbye,
We only move to our home on high,
Free from pain and never die,
With Jesus we will reign,
A wife may lose her husband,
Or a mother lose her child,
Whatever the case we all can say,
Christians never say goodbye.

Thank you for leading the way Mike, I will follow you home.
I will never say goodbye Mike. I will see you in heaven!

Mike,

Although you were a member of my class, I never really knew you.  You were just another one of the crowd, another member of my big GBS family.  Yesterday, you made me realize how short and uncertain life really is.  You make me wonder, what would I have done differently if I knew your time here was so near its end?  You make me step back and take stock of my life.  Life is so short.   Am I living every moment with the reality that I might never see tomorrow?  Am I showing my loved ones how much I care? Or am I waiting for a better time?  A time that, as you showed us, may never come? 

Thank you for helping me figure out my priorities;  I look forward to getting to know you better in heaven.


Moments swiftly pass, and our loved ones soon are gone,
Thoughts of love we feel, reach the heart but not the tongue,
Words we speak in anger tumble out and cause regret;
Words of love are often never said.  
 
Say I love you while the heart can feel.
Say “I love you” while the hurt can heal;
Make the heart rejoice, give your love a voice,
Speak the words while you can, say “I love you.”

The Smile of Great Comfort

Though I didn't know you like some, you were a light on my dark day. During orientation week I was sitting outside on the sidewalk. I was homesick and you were there to make me smile. The encouragement you gave me, helped me through. The kindness and witness you showed to me and everyone around. Your testimony was incredible, and an encouragement to all. You were a blessing to those that knew you and will be greatly missed by all. Especially your smile of great comfort on the dark days.

Hello, Goodbye

Wow...I have only known Mike for 2 months, but he has really made me feel like a friend. I have half of my classes with him, and I really loved seeing his perky self every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I remember a few weeks ago, he was working on a blog that was due by the next bell. I teased him about being a slacker, and he asked if I would read it before he posted it. So he handed me his laptop, and I helped him with it. Then I got on and posted on it. Just the other day, on Wednesday, we were joking about calling him "Mikey." He was laughing because I was saying it was a cute name. He was really looking forward to reading my English profile. He was SO helpful! I was having problems with my laptop, and he took time to sit down with me and try to fix it. Here are a few lyrics that come to mind:

"Where's the Navigator of our destiny?
Where is the Dealer of this hand?
Who can explain life and it's brevity?
'Cause there is so much here I don't understand" (Michael W. Smith 'Hello Goodbye')

"Even though I'm walking through the Valley of the Shadows
I will hold tight to the Hand of Him, Who's love will comfort me
He will carry me" (Mark Shultz 'He Will Carry Me')

"I will follow You through green pastures
And sing hallelujah to Your name
I will follow You through dark disaster
And sing hallelujah through the pain
And even in the Shadow of death I will praise You
Even in the valley I will say
'Holy, My God. You are worthy of all my praise'" (Selah 'All My Praise')

Unfortunately, I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Mikey that well. What I have seen of him around campus, he was always smiling, making others laugh, and just being himself. He made an impression that will stick with us for a very long time. We miss you and love you Mikey.

A great loss

Although I didn't know Mike very well, I will never forget him. I rarely talked with Mike, we only spoke directly to each other a few times. When we did speak we never managed a conversation without argument, but strange as it sounds, I've never had a better 'arguing buddy'. Mike and I would regularly intentionally irritate each other about the most random things. We argued about weather, coffee, good qualities, pets, and what color of the visible spectrum was the best. Although we rarely, if ever, agreed on anything, we both enjoyed our funny friendship. The loss of Mike Vollmer is the loss of someone very special, Mike is a friend I will miss greatly.

Memory of Mike

I didn't know Mike that well, unfortunately. When I would see him around campus though, he seemed to always be smiling and ready to laugh. He had a fun, enthusiastic personality and was always ready to talk and joke. In the short time he was with us, he left an impact and many memories. He will be greatly missed.

". . . When I cry, You cry. . . "

Thursday, the 29th of September, was a beautiful day. The temperature was perfect, the sun was shining, and everyone was happy. I finished work and supper, then headed down to the library to do some homework. Because of the slowness of the computers in the library, I didn't stay long.

When I came back up onto the main campus, I noticed that everyone was standing around in groups, looking very forlorn. I ambled over to one group of friends and asked what was going on. It was then that I heard that Mikey had been found unresponsive in his room. Everyone was weeping and praying. When we got the announcement to move into the chapel to find out what exactly was going on, we were apprehensive. No one wanted to hear what we feared would be the case. And we were correct. Mikey had passed away. Our days would no longer be brightened by his presence.

After leaving the chapel, I once again went to the library, in hopes that another computer would be faster than the one I had tried earlier. I was disappointed, however, to find that all the computers in the library are slow. So, I left. Upon exiting, I looked up at the sky and noticed how dark and stormy it looked. I remarked to one person that it was very appropriate. As I walked back up to main campus, it started to sprinkle. The thought came to my mind that God was crying along with us.

When I reached my dorm room, the sky was nearly black, and the wind was blowing hard and furious. Then the rain came down in torrents. How very like the events of the day the weather seemed at that point. Mikey brought a ray of sunshine whenever he was around. He was always joking and making everyone laugh. But with him gone, we were all mourning. Then the song came to me: When I cry, You cry. When I'm hurt, You hurt. When I've lost someone, it takes a piece of You, too. When I fall on my face, You fill me with grace. 'Cause nothing breaks Your heart, or tears You apart, like when I cry." Jesus knows what we're going through, and he weeps along with us, even though Mikey is now rejoicing with Him in Heaven. Though we miss Mikey, he's with God, and he could never be happier than where he is right now.

You Will Be Greatly Missed..

I did not know Mike very well, but I do know that he was an awesome person. Every time I saw him, he was always happy. He was one of those people that was friends with everyone. His death made me realize that we must never take a single moment or person for granted. Make the most of every day, for we never know when we or someone in our life will be snatched from this world.

I love this song, and the words fit so perfectly for this time that we are going through.

"Blessings" by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

We will never know why God chose to take Mike home until we get to Heaven. But I do know that God has a reason for everything that He does. I am so thankful that Mike came to GBS this year. He is now in Heaven - a much better place than this world will ever be. I take comfort in the fact that one day, we will see him again!

We love you, Mike.. You will be greatly missed here on campus.

Safely Home

After work yesterday evening, I slid into my minivan, feeling rather numb after hearing about Mike.  I habitually hit the button to turn on the radio.  Instead of the normal talk radio program, though, I heard this song by Steve Green, a providential reminder of the goodness of God.  No, I don't understand why, but I believe that Mike is "Safely Home."

Safely Home by Steve Green