This will most likely be my last up-date. I wanted one more chance to thank all of you that have supported us in prayer and any other means over the last 2 + years. GOD was/is so merciful to hear and answer so many thousands of prayers on our behalf. I also wanted to say a very special thank you for all that attended Nathans memorial and funeral service. The support was very much appreciated and needed. I also want to thank all that wanted to come but were unable to attend, we prayed for you. Both the memorial service and funeral were beautiful. Uncle Tommy Cole did a wonderful job, blessing both Nathan and us by performing both ceremonies. Reminding us that the only way to heaven is thru the blood and salvation of JESUS CHRIST. And that we must accept GOD as a little child – completely trusting, doing what HE tells us thru HIS word – The Holy Bible.
I also wanted to give you a web-site that you can view some pictures we picked out for Nathans memorial service. – www.mem.com then type in Stovall Nathan. Unfortunately the songs we played at the service are not the same ones on the web-site, but the pictures still tell the beautiful story that was Nathans life.
I have also included a letter that I wrote for Nathans memorial service. I do want to add one thing that Uncle Tommy brought to our attention and I can not believe that I did not think of it before. – Nathans middle name is Andrew and in the bible Andrew was always introducing people to JESUS – starting with his brother Simon. Nathan was always introducing himself and any family members to complete strangers. It was so sweet. But more importantly, I pray that Nathan, thru the life he lived and the faith he had – a childs faith – introduced some one to JESUS.
Nathan means gift from GOD. I don’t think a truer name was ever given. Nathan truly was, is and will always be one of the best gifts that his family and friends have received from the LORD. Nathan had a great passion for life, even when he was quite ill. Nathan loved cartoons, and pretending to be the characters from those cartoons with his brothers and parents. He was very elaborate in his imagination, having to have the right tools for every job, to be a pirate we had to have hats, spotting scopes and the treasure map, playing doctor required the doctors kit and band aids. To rescue mom from the snow monster he had to have his sword and gun and to race around the world required his race pack that had all the stuff needed to help his fellow racers. Nathan got so much enjoyment out of eating, for someone who threw up much more than most. He loved BBQ Pringles, Chick-fil-lay nuggets with BBQ sauce and dark chocolate M&M’s. His smile could brighten any room and his laugh made your heart race to the stars. Laughter was very important to Nathan. He was always coming up with new knock-knock jokes, putting funny things on his head and making funny faces at the dinner table with his food, straws and utensils’. He would hang up-side-down make a funny pose with his arms and say “take a picture.” Then he would look at the picture and laugh at how funny he looked. He love to go very fast in his Gator with his little brother Luke laughing with delight and giving his papa quite the work out! He loved to see his mama in bright dresses with flowers in her hair, he would tell her, every time, “mama, I like your dress” or “mama, you look beautiful.” This made her heart sore to the heavens. He constantly looked out for his little brother Luke, letting mom know if Luke was crying or needed help. Playing with his brothers and wrestling with papa always brought so much enjoyment. Even when he was really sick, he would pull himself up off the couch or out of bed to play with Play-doh, in the box of beans or with his farm animals. He also loved water balloons and glow-stick bubble baths. Being an artist at heart, he was rarely seen with out his dry-erase markers and board. Over the last couple months of his life he became scared of the dark and slept with a glow stick in one hand, his dry-erase marker in the other and glow-baby under his arm. Mom told him shortly before he died that he would never have to be afraid of the dark again, there is no night or darkness in Heaven, because JESUS is light, and the light of the world. It is because of the love of JESUS CHRIST, the blood that HE shed, that Nathan is in heaven today. Our life is but a vapor, but we all have the chance to live forever with GOD, JESUS and Nathan. Nathan lived his, way to short, life in a way that spoke of, loving others more than yourself, laughter, finding joy in the most difficult circumstances’, and most of ALL loving and thanking GOD, because as Nathan always said, “GOD IS IN CONTROL!”
Thank you again, with love and prayers for you all – Lee, Michelle, Nick, Ethan, Nathan, Luke and baby boy Stovall (due January 25th, 2009)
