I know many of us were praying yesterday for the memorial service. Yesterday afternoon Kyle Knight called Toni Spence and said it went well (he and his lovely wife Monica attended the service). I can't remember the exact word he used but I think he said it was very moving and an emotion packed service. Prayers for the slide show were answered, the glitch was fixed! The slide show was a blessing.
The Lord provided someone who would share about the memorial service ... you'll know who he/she is when the post comes out. I just want to post this to make sure you'd come back ... stay tuned ... keep praying for Joe and Karen and their family.
Liza
Monday, June 2, 2008
The LA Memorial Service ...
Posted by Liza on Maui at 5:42 PM
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11 comments:
Dear Joe & Karen,
We were absolutely stunned to hear of the loss of your son. What an interesting, cool guy he was. It is clear that like his parents he touched many lives. You have been in our prayers each day. I wish it were possible for us to bear some of your grief and pain. We love you so much and are forever indebted to you for your wisdom, guidance, hospitality and love. We miss you.
John, Bonita & Joey
karen and joe,
I am so sorry that i wasn't able to meet you at the service yesterday. i am a friend of rachel's from college and had to leave right away after the service. i have been thinking about you and your family so much. i have never been to a memorial service like Joey's service (i worked for a long time as an events coordinator at my church and i have sadly coordinated dozens of services). i have never been to a service as powerful, moving, and as beautiful as Joey's. i sadly never met Joey, but through the service i felt like i knew him. i felt like in some way he lived the kind of life that i only dream of living. i felt inspired and captivated by the way he loved his family and friends. he seemed to live with a passion that few people live with. i felt like if i met him i knew he would want to talk and converse with me about anything in life for hours. He was soooo gifted and talented. The song you played of his at the service was amazing! It was as though he just soaked up life and gave it back for others to enjoy. i was so touched by the words of his nephew and grandfather. i have a one year old boy and i just can't imagine the agony in your hearts. i am praying for you and your family. my heart aches and lifts you up to our heavenly father. i just wanted to say thank you for sharing your son and your hearts so beautifully yesterday. God was glorified. and Joey was honored. i have been touched so deeply that i just can't stop thinking about him and your family. i pray that i can in a small way live a greater life because of how Joey lived his. My arms reach around you. He was honored. Again, i can't stress enough how perfect and beautiful the service was (from the flowers, pictures, slide show, worship, message, and heart felt sharing). I left feeling like i had known Joey for years. i hope one day i can meet you and learn more about this amazing man that you raised. Blessings and prayers.
Anjuli Paschall
Liza...
Thank you so much for keeping this blog up and for all the love you have and are pouring in to it! I know how much Joey and the Johnson family means to you and your family. What a blessing it has been to have this blog to love on the Johnsons with! Thank you again Liza! Love you!
Joe and Karen,
So much love and hugs to you!! What a wonderful picture Anjuli painted of the service yesterday for the rest of us who couldn't be there. You both are still such a blessing to others even thru this very sad time. God's blessings and comforting on all of you! Love you so much!
In case some are curious as to why there was one comment deleted ... I think it was just a duplicate comment so it was deleted. (I will double check with Lisa B to make sure it was not accidentally deleted.)
Liza
Dear Joe & Karen, we've been praying for you these 2 weeks, reading your blogs since day 1. It's still so hard to believe what you are going through and how all our lives will be changed. Your pain is our pain, just as you both have made our pain your pain all these past years.
As we look at Joey's pictures & memorials we are so comforted that he lived such a full and wonderful life and he was such a lucky boy/man, to have you two for parents. (The way you pour love into all of us at Hope, one can only imagine what it would be like to be loved by such parents!)
We all at Hope have been on a emotional roller coaster ride, grieving, then celebrating, then grieving. Thank God, the creator of heaven & earth holds all things together...we love you, are praying for you, we are sooo sad with you, may God pour His mercy & grace on you and the family. Love Steve & Ivy
I have not stopped thinking about you guys.
The slides are amazing.
I love you and miss you!
Maisha
Dear Liza...I wanted to write about the memorial service, but we were exhausted afterwards. I want you and everyone who is reading the blog to know that it was absolutely perfect and beautiful. Thank you for the prayers...they made all the difference.
The slide show came together and every other part of the service as well. It was everything we had prayed it would be. The Lord was honored and lifted up for all to see, and we wanted people to know who Joey was, and that was also accomplished. The Lord carried us and helped us through the most difficult week of our lives.
We are now mourning in a new way as we pack up his little bungalow, and sort through his things...some to give away and some to keep for ourselves. That is very difficult and heart-wrenching. It makes real to us that his earthly life is over and we weep over the mementos of his life--his guitar and ukulele, his t-shirts and board shorts, his wallet and glasses and toothbrush. It really hurts.
We are so comforted that he is spiritually alive and living in eternity. We keep our focus by remembering that He is with the Lord...he is safe. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We are relying on them as we close down Joey's life. We think we'll be home this weekend.
Much love, Karen
Joe and Karen..I am sooo sorry for the loss of your precious son Joey..although we never had the opportunity to meet him, it is apparent what an amazing person he was..just know that we are praying for you continually that the Lord's unending strength and love surround you as you finish packing up Joey's bungalow and the things that were him...I know that you have lost a part of your very selves, and I pray that the Lord fill that place in your heart with Himself..and that you continually feel His peace and comfort as you begin your journey back home..
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul..
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me..." --Psalm 23
Love and hugs , the Correas
Dear Karen & Joe,
We look forward to your return as we so wish to extend our Aloha.
The Stricklands
Dear Karen and Joe,
A friend said it would be an honor for him to write about the memorial service. He's working on it ... I know it's a huge task. It's such a phenomenal, beautiful and inspiring service, it would be very hard to put them in words. He's praying as he writes and whatever comes out will be for God's glory.
Love,
Liza
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