2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

"My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

We walk on this journey in life as followers of Jesus. Some of us believe that our faith in God should make us believe that our faith in God should make us exempt from pain and hurt. Other think that if we pray hard enough, God will hear us and make things right. The reality of our journey with God is that he does not promise to shower us with a life free of pain and hurt. He does not promise to make our lives "perfect" - whatever that means. What he promises is that he will walk beside us every step of the way.  He is our strength when we are weak.

When you have faith, death is not a bad thing. It is a celebration of your eternal life that we spend our entire lives here on Earth preparing for. When we think about a birth, we smile, we think about an occasion that is very special and worth celebrating.  Lloyd's birth was just that. He was born the first child in the Dufour family. THAT IS A BIG DEAL! Throughout his life he participated in abundance of celebrations, family gathering, birth of his children and grandchildren, wedding, anniversaries.  48 to be exact. And every special occasions you can think of. So, why wouldn't we think of the death as a celebration of his life. Every person that reads this has been invited to a celebration with Lloyd. Some of us have even been fortunate enough to receive a gift from his woodworking shop in his basement.  Lloyd has always been giving from the heart.

Lloyd dedicated his life to his children, grandchildren, and family. His was always present, and that never went unnoticed. He may not have been the loudest at the party or the most talkative, but his presence is what we all miss as we continue family gatherings in the years to come.

John 14:1-2 "Do not be worried and upset, believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so."

This verse may seem like just-another-verse-from-the-bible...

And to some it will stay that way. For Lloyd, it is no longer just-another-verse-in-the-bible. This is Lloyd's kingdom, his celebration now. Celebration in his eternal life with other loved ones who passed before him. FOr those of us left here on Earth, we struggle to celebrate because we miss him and love him so much.

May we all find comfort in the time that we were blessed to have with him, and in all of the memories that we created with him. Amen!

Love, your brother, Allen