KKSmith.net

I don’t know what tonight looks like where you live, but I just came back inside after enjoying a few solitary moments under a gorgeous, bright moonlit sky. The temperature out is ideal, the air smells fresh. Out in the middle of my lawn, I just stood staring up at the full moon and gave thanks to God for the memory of Kristin and the promise of one day being with her again. I, too, thanked the father of the heavens for the miracle of birth — Haley’s perfect little boy, Caleb, my grandson! I also prayed for God to demonstrate his miraculous healing power for little Abby who has been so faithfully and bravely fighting brain tumors for nearly 18 months. You don’t have to pray with your eyes closed; it doesn’t have to be anything formal. Just gaze to the sky, speak your heart, and watch the stars wink back at you in approval. God bless each of you.

I am so sorry that I am late in writing, but as you know I have been pretty busy. I gave birth to my beautiful son, Jonathan “Caleb” Brown on Oct. 9. Kristin, I wish that you could be here so we could have celebrated your 19th togther. It makes me wonder what you would be like. I know for sure that you would be a beautiful young woman. As I look at my son sitting here, I know that you would have been a great second cousin to him. I miss you so much and you are always with me close to my heart. I love you! Love your cousin, Haley

Happy birthday, Kristin.

I have been thinking of you today and wondering about your wonderful life with Jesus. As much as we wish you back with us, I know you are more joyful living with our Lord.

Baby Sienna is laying here on my lap. I look at her and come to really appreciate, in a new way, how fragile life is and I can really understand now how much your Mom must miss you and love you.
Our little girl and I didn’t get the chance to know you here but we look forward to that meeting, some day!

May your hearts be comforted as they overflow with many precious memories, Taryn, Amber and Cheyenne.

My love and thoughts,

Aunt Laura, with Baby Sienna

My name is Brandi and my screen name is blana. I am a new memeber to GROWW, and i just wanted to introduce myself and say that this is a beautiful site. I am deeply sorry for your loss.

You know you’re getting old when you have to subtract the year you were born from the current year to find out how old you are… I had to do that for Kristin as well as for myself this year…(hey, no Grandma jokes here!)

KK, I think of you this special day, your 19th birthday, as I do throughout the year. I ache at the separation that we have to endure, and I long for the time that we can all be together again. I have to keep telling myself — this earth is not our home. Our real home is a beautiful place with no sickness, no sadness, a place where peace, joy and celebration goes on forever.

Love you!

My thoughts have been on Kristin a lot this week and I wanted to share why. This week our church has us studying the following passage from Luke 15 verses 1-10.

1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people even eating with them! 3 So Jesus used this illustration: 4 “If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? 5 And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. 6 When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. 7 In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten valuable silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she has found her lost coin. 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

As I was studying this passage with our kids, they were drawing pictures and acting out what the “heavenly rejoicing” might look like. It occurred to me that all those who are in heaven with Jesus and His angels are probably participating in these great parties…including our dear Kristin! What a wonderful priviledge to join all of heaven rejoicing because one of God’s lost has returned to Him. Some day we will join the rejoicing and what a wonderful day that will be!

Aunt Amy

Happy Birthday Kristin,

I know it has been several months since I wrote on your site, but this has been a very difficult and busy year for our family. Abby has been fighting brain cancer for more than a year. This has been very hard and all of us have to stay close to the Lord for help and strength every day. Abby’s birthday is October 23rd and we hope to make it a very special day for her. Aunt Amy told me today that Abby has asked that presents she gets this year go to the hospital because she has lots of things and some of the children there don’t have very much.

Shelly wrote that Uncle Rich and Aunt Laura had a beautiful, healthy baby girl on September 13th and named her Sienna. She is very sweet and I know for sure that you would have held her at every opportunity and been very gentle with her. On our refrigerator I still have the picture of you, smiling happily and holding baby Abby.

When Haley has her baby soon, you will become a second cousin and grandpa and I will be great-grandparents.

We miss you and all our loved ones who have gone on before us so very much.

Taryn, Amber and Cheyenne we keep you in our prayers.

Lovingly,

Grandpa and Grandma