Joel, here are some words that someone once said.
Lance Armstrong won, and John lost ? No, I think not. Lance Armstrong won and John Creveling has won. John was given an additional 5 years on this earth. 5 years to watch his children grow; 5 years to continue helping people; 5 years to continue with his humor, his jokes and smiles. It is instilled within the human spirit, the human soul to want to live, to live forever. The human mind can not comprehend death, no one knows for certain where we go or what happens to 'you' when you leave this earth. What we have is our faith, faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; faith that there is one true God, God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit. No one is in any position to say whether John's decision is right or wrong. This was John's decision and every single person should honor it. Death is not the end. If death is the end, then what is the meaning of life ? If we all simply die and that is the end, what's the whole point of being alive in the first place ?
Lance Armstrong may have "beaten" cancer, but he has not beaten death. People are so accustomed to saying "the doctor saved my life". Doctors, hospitals, nurses, they do not "save" lives, they simply extend them for a period of time here on earth. Jesus Christ SAVES lives.
John is my brother in-law. I am very proud to know him, he has helped me throughout my life and it is a true honor to call him my friend. John is not giving up; John is not quitting; John has simply chosen to move on to the next stage in life. Where we are today, John is with us, where John is 'tomorrow' we shall all soon join him.
God's speed to you John. I love you and you will most certainly be missed. Have faith my friend, this is not the end, this is simply part of the journey. I once gave you a small card that you could carry with you, it was laminated and the paper was colored yellow. Please take that out and read it my friend, read it, hold on to it, believe in yourself, have faith in your God, and accept Jesus Christ as your savior.
Your friend, your brother in-law, Joel -
MARK 5 -
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Joel Wigman
Phoenix, Az USA - Thursday, December 31, 2009 4:37 PM CST
Lance Armstrong won, and John lost ? No, I think not. Lance Armstrong won and John Creveling has won. John was given an additional 5 years on this earth. 5 years to watch his children grow; 5 years to continue helping people; 5 years to continue with his humor, his jokes and smiles. It is instilled within the human spirit, the human soul to want to live, to live forever. The human mind can not comprehend death, no one knows for certain where we go or what happens to 'you' when you leave this earth. What we have is our faith, faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; faith that there is one true God, God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit. No one is in any position to say whether John's decision is right or wrong. This was John's decision and every single person should honor it. Death is not the end. If death is the end, then what is the meaning of life ? If we all simply die and that is the end, what's the whole point of being alive in the first place ?
Lance Armstrong may have "beaten" cancer, but he has not beaten death. People are so accustomed to saying "the doctor saved my life". Doctors, hospitals, nurses, they do not "save" lives, they simply extend them for a period of time here on earth. Jesus Christ SAVES lives.
John is my brother in-law. I am very proud to know him, he has helped me throughout my life and it is a true honor to call him my friend. John is not giving up; John is not quitting; John has simply chosen to move on to the next stage in life. Where we are today, John is with us, where John is 'tomorrow' we shall all soon join him.
God's speed to you John. I love you and you will most certainly be missed. Have faith my friend, this is not the end, this is simply part of the journey. I once gave you a small card that you could carry with you, it was laminated and the paper was colored yellow. Please take that out and read it my friend, read it, hold on to it, believe in yourself, have faith in your God, and accept Jesus Christ as your savior.
Your friend, your brother in-law, Joel -
MARK 5 -
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Joel Wigman
Phoenix, Az USA - Thursday, December 31, 2009 4:37 PM CST