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But I'm not sentimental, this skin and bones are a rental, and no one makes it out alive. -Where I Belong, Switchfoot

This last week has been pretty chaotic from both family festivities with Thanksgiving (Happy late Thanksgiving by the way!), to something that happened to our family friend. A great man from our church Dan H. Kelley passed away last Sunday morning. He had been fighting a rare bone cancer since August and lost the fight. I could talk forever about the whole illness and issues, but I won't. If you're curious you can find more on his GoFundMe page for his family here: www.gofundme.com/878fhcmw

I try to not get too personal or even preachy on here, but this is a time I really feel the need to. The entire Kelley family are amazing, incredible, loving people. I've only had the pleasure of knowing them the last few years and they have loved me without a second thought. My husband, Jared, has known them for about a decade or so and they have impacted his life immensely. Jake (Dan's son) and his wife Suzanna, invited me to Lake McConaughy the second they found out about Jared and I dating. They always invited Jared and his best friend Shane every year and treated them like family. Jake was always a great father figure to both Jared and Shane, since they lacked an actual father figure. Even though the Kelley's went to Lake McConaughy for a family vacation they invited everyone they could and would find a way to house us all with either tents or cramped in the camper, they found a way. They also were the only support we had for awhile while going through a rough time in our own lives a few years ago.

Now Dan was an amazing man, he never worried and never let things get to him. He was confident in God and His promise and showed that to us as well. Lake McConaughy is infamous for its random storms and whenever one came, no matter how crazy, Dan kept us all laughing and calm with reassurance. My favorite memory when I really got to know who Dan was at heart was my second time to Lake McConaughy. We would always go tubing and wake boarding while out there, but usually on Jake's boat, I had never been on Dan's boat before. So Dan asked us if we want to and of course we were ecstatic to go. However, Jake would take it easy if you were a girl, Dan on the other hand..not so much haha. But in a good way, if you could take it he'd give you the ride of your life. So, after we had a few runs and had enough of our bodies smacking the water, we decided to meet with Jake and the others to go in and get dinner on shore. I had noticed on the water earlier an oily-ness in the water, but figured it was from another boat since there are hundreds of boats on this lake. As we're coming in though, I see that the oil is all around Dan's boat in the water and I pull his granddaughter aside and she yells, "Grandpa! Look there's oil around the boat!" Suddenly the boat stops and we're stuck. Dan goes and looks over the boat and laughs, "Well look at that. She is getting old." While the rest of us are all worried Dan sits in his captain's chair and lights his cigar saying, "Jake will notice were not back eventually, he'll come get us." I was so shocked at his unwavering character. Not only wasn't he worried, he trusted that everything would work out. And yes, not much later Jake did come and tow us back to shore.

There are many more stories I could write about Dan but this one always stuck with me. Dan didn't care if his boat got damaged from letting us tube, he didn't care what it cost, he just wanted to live a selfless life like Jesus. Every morning I would wake up at McConaughy and he was already up cooking for everyone and he was the last to go to bed from cleaning the camp. Dan loved his wife Twila like I've never seen, they still acted like they were newly weds and I loved that about them. You could see that fruit in Jake and Suzanna's marriage as well. Dan went on every mission trip to Mexico he could and that's where he taught Jared to be a man of God and that his circumstances didn't define him, Jesus' work on the cross did. Dan lived a life loving everyone and without judgement. He would accept you at your worst but wouldn't leave you there, he would love those around him and show them how to be a better version on themselves. I saw for myself how many lives Dan touched yesterday at his memorial. Instead of wearing all black and being sad, we all wore Hawaiian attire and remembered the great things Dan accomplished. And while there was a sadness for his absence here on earth we were joyful for what he has found in the Lord above and that he can now rest with Jesus.

I know a lot of Christians can come off judgmental and very unloving, sometimes we really suck at representing Jesus and I'm sorry for that, I know I've messed up as well. But I say this out of love for all of you, if you don't know Jesus and who He is, please take a couple hours and read the Gospel of John. Even read all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) if you can. I promise Jesus won't disappoint you. He is who He says He is and He loves us like no other and wants to give us life. This isn't a "religion" as people call it, it's a relationship with a real God who really, truly loves us, and sent His son because He SO loved us. There's a lot of people who will say and believe if God exists He doesn't care about us, but I can tell you from my own life experiences that, that is not true and I have seen the Lord in not only my life, but in the life of other's like Dan Kelley.

One of my favorite pastor's, Matt Chandler, has a great 3 minute video I recommend you watch on God's love and how He views us. www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Y7fq…

I also want to leave with a few verses on the hope believers in Jesus have in life after death.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" -John 11:25-26

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. -1 Thessolonians 4:13-14

With love,

Paige

Art and Ky (C) Paige Coffer

Description
But I'm not sentimental, this skin and bones are a rental, and no one makes it out alive. -Where I Belong, Switchfoot

This last week has been pretty chaotic from both family festivities with Thanksgiving (Happy late Thanksgiving by the way!), to something that happened to our family friend. A great man from our church Dan H. Kelley passed away last Sunday morning. He had been fighting a rare bone cancer since August and lost the fight. I could talk forever about the whole illness and issues, but I won't. If you're curious you can find more on his GoFundMe page for his family here: www.gofundme.com/878fhcmw

I try to not get too personal or even preachy on here, but this is a time I really feel the need to. The entire Kelley family are amazing, incredible, loving people. I've only had the pleasure of knowing them the last few years and they have loved me without a second thought. My husband, Jared, has known them for about a decade or so and they have impacted his life immensely. Jake (Dan's son) and his wife Suzanna, invited me to Lake McConaughy the second they found out about Jared and I dating. They always invited Jared and his best friend Shane every year and treated them like family. Jake was always a great father figure to both Jared and Shane, since they lacked an actual father figure. Even though the Kelley's went to Lake McConaughy for a family vacation they invited everyone they could and would find a way to house us all with either tents or cramped in the camper, they found a way. They also were the only support we had for awhile while going through a rough time in our own lives a few years ago.

Now Dan was an amazing man, he never worried and never let things get to him. He was confident in God and His promise and showed that to us as well. Lake McConaughy is infamous for its random storms and whenever one came, no matter how crazy, Dan kept us all laughing and calm with reassurance. My favorite memory when I really got to know who Dan was at heart was my second time to Lake McConaughy. We would always go tubing and wake boarding while out there, but usually on Jake's boat, I had never been on Dan's boat before. So Dan asked us if we want to and of course we were ecstatic to go. However, Jake would take it easy if you were a girl, Dan on the other hand..not so much haha. But in a good way, if you could take it he'd give you the ride of your life. So, after we had a few runs and had enough of our bodies smacking the water, we decided to meet with Jake and the others to go in and get dinner on shore. I had noticed on the water earlier an oily-ness in the water, but figured it was from another boat since there are hundreds of boats on this lake. As we're coming in though, I see that the oil is all around Dan's boat in the water and I pull his granddaughter aside and she yells, "Grandpa! Look there's oil around the boat!" Suddenly the boat stops and we're stuck. Dan goes and looks over the boat and laughs, "Well look at that. She is getting old." While the rest of us are all worried Dan sits in his captain's chair and lights his cigar saying, "Jake will notice were not back eventually, he'll come get us." I was so shocked at his unwavering character. Not only wasn't he worried, he trusted that everything would work out. And yes, not much later Jake did come and tow us back to shore.

There are many more stories I could write about Dan but this one always stuck with me. Dan didn't care if his boat got damaged from letting us tube, he didn't care what it cost, he just wanted to live a selfless life like Jesus. Every morning I would wake up at McConaughy and he was already up cooking for everyone and he was the last to go to bed from cleaning the camp. Dan loved his wife Twila like I've never seen, they still acted like they were newly weds and I loved that about them. You could see that fruit in Jake and Suzanna's marriage as well. Dan went on every mission trip to Mexico he could and that's where he taught Jared to be a man of God and that his circumstances didn't define him, Jesus' work on the cross did. Dan lived a life loving everyone and without judgement. He would accept you at your worst but wouldn't leave you there, he would love those around him and show them how to be a better version on themselves. I saw for myself how many lives Dan touched yesterday at his memorial. Instead of wearing all black and being sad, we all wore Hawaiian attire and remembered the great things Dan accomplished. And while there was a sadness for his absence here on earth we were joyful for what he has found in the Lord above and that he can now rest with Jesus.

I know a lot of Christians can come off judgmental and very unloving, sometimes we really suck at representing Jesus and I'm sorry for that, I know I've messed up as well. But I say this out of love for all of you, if you don't know Jesus and who He is, please take a couple hours and read the Gospel of John. Even read all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) if you can. I promise Jesus won't disappoint you. He is who He says He is and He loves us like no other and wants to give us life. This isn't a "religion" as people call it, it's a relationship with a real God who really, truly loves us, and sent His son because He SO loved us. There's a lot of people who will say and believe if God exists He doesn't care about us, but I can tell you from my own life experiences that, that is not true and I have seen the Lord in not only my life, but in the life of other's like Dan Kelley.

One of my favorite pastor's, Matt Chandler, has a great 3 minute video I recommend you watch on God's love and how He views us. www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Y7fq…

I also want to leave with a few verses on the hope believers in Jesus have in life after death.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" -John 11:25-26

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. -1 Thessolonians 4:13-14

With love,

Paige

Art and Ky (C) Paige Coffer