An April Memorial Service

On Friday April 5th I attended a memorial service for a friend of mine from years ago. When I go to memorial services they always remind me of our own mortality and the fact that we are all heading in that direction. Now this one was at a Lutheran Church building and that is neither here nor there except for what the group believes saves them; in other words what they believe that makes them right before God. Many Lutheran Churches do in fact believe what the Bible says in regards to being Saved, and by that I mean having your sins and the penalty for them taken care of  by the vicarious death of Christ on the Cross. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ alone saves us as we believe that for the purpose of being saved.

I am not sure what this particular one believed but by the rituals they carried out I would say they may not believe that Christ's death is altogether sufficient to save them and they need to perform some good works. But that is not consistent with the Bible God's word. That is the Good News, that we don't have to try to earn it, for we can't in any way please God, so He sent His only Unique Son to die on the Cross in our place.

Any attempt to do good works is futile, and even if you tried and wanted to have God evaluate them on the day of Judgement you will be compared to Jesus Christ the Beloved Son. Do you think you are near Him? Remember God said if you fail in one you have failed them all. There is No room for even one sin, act of unrighteousness or trespass.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Myrtle Rockwell in fact did believe this and was wonderfully saved by God. Her life reflected His love and forgiveness in so many ways. I study the Bible God's word each day, but I am so thankful to have had the privilege of caring for Myrtle Rockwell for ten years and had such a godly example!!!!

I miss you Myrtle, see you soon, Come Lord Jesus.

What a Joy Myrtle Rockwell was, and her home Peaceful

   I wanted to put some of the pictures I had on Mrs. Rockwell's house. Keep in mind a house is a home by those dwelling in it; at least that is my definition. Because sometimes the nicest houses have much turmoil and no peace or love in it. Do you know what I mean? Sure you do.  Myrtle's house was a very peace filled home. She welcomed everyone and was hospitable to all. And as I mentioned in one post even if there was a party for Myrtle she would make "you" feel like the life of the party.

Here are some pictures.

The top one is her husband's military flag.We put it out often.
The next is a part of the section in here back yard, and you can see a zinfindel vine growing.
And the third one is the veggie garden. We grew kale, broccoli, tomatoes, beans and lettuce.
Next is looking back at the house, near her fig tree and lemon tree.
Then you see Myrtle on her patio. She loved being outside.
And finally the front yard. I loved caring for her and her yard. Unfortunately  it does not look like that now. Tenants have let it over grow to being the worst yard on the block. Sad but true. But Myrtle is with the Lord Jesus Christ so she has no concern. Praise the Lord.

I miss her. She was a wonderful  friend; one in a million I can safely say.

Myrtle Rockwell now home with the Lord two years! Wow.

   I can hardly believe two years have gone by since Myrtle Rockwell went home to be with her Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only hope for Life Eternal, and a right standing before God the Father. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of Myrtle by some flowers or plant I am working with for she was responsible for the beginning of my learning about growing. Even driving I am so reminded of her because we drove so many places here in San Diego to get a mocha, a sandwich or just a nice drive.

Here is Myrtle as we drove:    She loved driving around and seeing nice areas of big homes or just some place she had not seen before. And I loved to drive her, she loved getting out. She was the best friend I have ever had. She simply by her life taught me about the Lord's grace salvation. She truly knew her Savior Jesus Christ in complete confidence so there was no need to live under some attitude of  law in do's and don't s. She was a wonderful lady, hospitable, generous, kind, forgiving, honest, open, befriending, nonjudgmental and selfless. Everything one can read in God's Holy Word the Bible such as the what Love is in 1 Corintians13: 1-8, or the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 22-23 Myrtle exemplified in and by her life.  I was blessed by the Lord beyond what I knew at the time I was caring for her as to what I had in my friend Myrtle Rockwell.

Well bye for now,  but the Lord Jesus himself may descend from heaven at any moment with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God and the ones believing in the Unique Son of God and his work on the Cross will be "caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air," and Myrtle will already be with Him.
Come quickly Lord Jesus.

Nearing Two Years Myrtle Rockwell has been home with the Lord!

   Wow, we are at the two year mark that Myrtle Rockwell has been gone. Gone is the right word for she is gone from this planet and literally true the universe. Although she is gone she has not ceased to exist. Right now she is more alive than she ever was here for the the 96 years God granted her. For  absent from the body, which she is, is to "be" Present with the Lord.  "We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8
 So right now Myrtle H. Rockwell is present with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what glory it must be!!
   I miss you Myrtle more than anyone can understand but I have JOY Knowing I too will be with the Lord Jesus Christ one day in all His glory and I will share fellowship with Myrtle forever.  How about you?

   Do you have a question in your mind or soul as to where you will go and be when you die? We all are going to die, well maybe, some of us won't. I speak of the Rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ, 1 Thessalonians  4:13-18.  But you must face this and your only hope is the finished work of Christ on the Cross. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  Myrtle wonderfully believed her Lord and lived it genuinely!!

Merry Christmas, Myrtle loved Christmas time!

Myrtle loved Christmas and the season. We would decorate the house and light the tree every night. We would listen to good old Christmas songs, ones that reminded us of the reason for the season; that God loved the world and demonstrated it by sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. This is not the best picture of lovely Myrtle ( my camera wasn't very good)  but she was always beautiful!

Who are you really?

 Why do I ask this as I write here on Myrtle's blog? It is because very few people know who they really are. So many people identify themselves with and by their job, income, hobbies, education, talents, skills, and even their husband or wife. On a more simplistic term they may be as shallow as identity by their car, or a sports team even a TV show.  We are a shallow people. We are lost and separated from our creator God and this results in a facade of a life. We don't know who we are and if when we do know we don't want others to know what we are really like, for if they did they may not want to be around us. But once we come to trust Christ as Savior through his death, burial and resurrection from the dead the third day we can have a new nature, a new life.  Then and only then can we be becoming who we truly are. Yet many Christians even don't know who they really are. They simply play the game. They cloak themselves in religious activity and act in some way loving or faithful behavior but it is all of themselves and not Christ, so the glory goes to them because that is what they want. Its about me not you.

But Myrtle Rockwell was different. She was a transparent person because she knew who she was. She knew what she wanted to do at a very early age and that was a nurse. And as a young girl her mother taught her about God and his word the Bible and in that Myrtle began trusting God in the grace salvation that He offers free, that by the sending of his unique Son to die on the cross for our sins. All Myrtle's life she did as she was a servant. She wanted to be a nurse to help people; that's what she told me. She was always helping someone, family, friends and patients. And as a nurse she met her husband Captain Rockwell.

Myrtle was not caught up in the false religion of being legalistic like "don't do that" or "you can't do that" that is not what God wants; he provided the grace salvation to be saved from the wrath to come and to live ours lives daily pleasing Him. Myrtle never prejudged anyone, she gave her full attention to anyone she was with and was talking to. She did not have to be the life of the party, she would make "you" the life of the party. That is what Myrtle was like. I was truly blessed to have met her and had the opportunity to have served the Lord by helping Myrtle for ten years. If I had it to do over again I would do it  gladly!!!!

I miss you Myrtle!!!  But I know I will see you again in our Lord's Kingdom and Heaven!

I miss you Myrtle......

     Today is August 10, 2012 fifteen months has passed since Myrtle Rockwell has gone to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I miss her now just as much as when she passed away in March 2011. I suppose all who knew Myrtle or acquainted with her have really not had any second or third thoughts about her. While we don't want to get "stuck" in a memory or the past we can still often reflect on those who God so graciously gives us who are now gone and benefit from it. I have found that the reflections of Myrtle Rockwell's life come more vivid to me now than when I was with and observing her while here, and there is more than I can write at any given time. I have been journaling them and will soon add them here.

     The only difference about missing Myrtle now is the pain is not as acute. If you are lucky or blessed, however one looks at life, to have just "one" person who really touches your life you are among the very few. At age 55 outside my twin brother I have had only one person mean so much to me and be such a godly example in all areas of her life and that was Myrtle Rockwell. She really enjoyed her life. She enjoyed  friends and loved her family. She really liked it when someone would come to visit as she could not get out unless I took her, which we went out a lot and it was so much  fun to be with her. Myrtle had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party when she was at one or hosted one, BUT she always regarded others more important than herself.
She loved the Navy, and her Nursing career.  
And in all the troubling things in her life she had no regrets.
That is a life accomplishment!!!

Can you say that?    Right now I cannot, but I can change that and so can you.

Myrtle's life verse:

      " The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms"