Marilyn Ekstrom

Marilyn Elizabeth (Brickey) Ekstrom went Home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on February 16, 2012. She was born on March 21, 1933 in Bluefield, West Virginia, the oldest child of Clarence Oscar Brickey and Mary Elizabeth (Philippi) Brickey. She trusted in Jesus as her Savior during her years at Beaver High School, and upon her graduation she proceeded to Columbia Bible College in Columbia, South Carolina. It was there that she met Robert Ekstrom. They were married in Chicago, Illinois in August 1954, and to this union was added 4 children--Anne, David, Mitchell, and Elisa Joy.

Marilyn had an amazing gift of nurturing children, and during the family's time in Illinois she "mothered" forty-four foster babies and numerous neighborhood children in addition to her own. In 1978, she moved to Arizona with her husband, Robert, and Elisa Joy. She moved in 1979 with her daughter to Dallas, Texas, where she worked for many years at Dallas Theological Seminary. Her later years were spent with various children in Alberta (Canada), Illinois, and Maryland.

Marilyn leaves her children: Anne (Ed) Curtis, David (Deborah) Ekstrom, Mitchell (Cheryl) Ekstrom, and Elisa Joy (Larry) McKnight; 14 grandchildren [daughter Anne's children: Joshua (Samantha) Curtis, Ruthanne (Victor) Gonzalez, and Daniel Curtis; son Mitchell's children: Beverly (Buddy) Boone, Tim Ekstrom, and Eddy (Susan) Ekstrom; and daughter Elisa Joy's children: Jamie and Chris Lattimore, Brittney and Kameron McKnight, Kevin Ekstrom, Brittany and Courtney Barnett, and Larry McKnight; and 5 great-grandchildren, as well as brother Clarence "Terry" and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Marilyn's life will be held on February 26 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, at Mount Oak Fellowship: 14110 Mount Oak Road; Mitchellville, MD; 20721.

Because Marilyn had trusted in Jesus' death and resurrection as payment for her sins and knew Him as her personal Savior, we know without question that all of us who likewise trust in Him will one day join her in Heaven for eternity. We look forward to that wonderful day when we will see Jesus face-to-face, and be reunited with Marilyn. Life in this world is very short, and eternity most definitely is not. Mom, we will see you soon! We thank the Lord for your nurturing love and constant care for us.

FROM THE MEMORIAL SERVICE:

Daughter Anne (Ekstrom) Curtis' Tribute

TRIBUTE TO MARILYN EKSTROM

BY HER DAUGHTER, ANNE EKSTROM CURTIS

February 26, 2012

In addition to honoring my mother, my desire is also to glorify our Savior, Jesus Christ, Who has done everything necessary to provide us Hope as we stare into the hideous face of death. As we contemplate the life of another human being, as well as our own life, the fact that no one is perfect is glaringly obvious. But so great is our God that He is constantly able to make good on His promise of Romans 8:28, where He says He will work all things together for good. And so He has done with my mother's life for, despite her failings, her 4 children can honestly "rise up and bless her", as expressed in Proverbs 31. Our mother loved us sacrificially and unfailingly, and as God's Word also says, "Love covers a multitude of sins." All of us live in the curse of committing a multitude of sins. But we can all find comfort that God will prove His Word true in our lives, just as He has done in my mother's life.

Something I cherish about my mother is that she genuinely cared about people. The video shown at the beginning of this service gives brief testimony to that, showing one baby after another who my mother fostered--one of whom I am privileged to have as the sister I'd always wanted, but had to wait 13 years to get! The Lord gave my mother an amazing gift of nurturing, a gift which is continuing to impact the generations of our family. She was enormously supportive of me in my parenting. She was able to soothe our most difficult baby when no one else could. That particular child had major health issues which showed up in terrible behavior problems, for which we were unable for several years to find a doctor able to give a diagnosis. Before that diagnosis, she was one of only two people in my life who knew that what was happening was not being caused by poor parenting on my part. No words can express the comfort that her belief in me gave me during those awful years.

Mom was exceptionally intelligent, immensely curious about everything. She was curious about the workings of things, and able to improvise repairs on many a broken thing. She loved nature--birds and bugs, squirrels, rocks and pinecones--all of God's creation. Beyond caring about people, she genuinely cared about animals. We kids always knew we could bring an injured creature home and she would do everything in her power to help it. Over the course of my childhood, we had numerous dogs and cats, hamsters, turtles, fish, birds--a veritable "zoo" which I loved. To this day, I do not consider a house to be a home unless a 4-legged "child" dwells within its walls.

My mother had a great love of music--something we are honoring in the amount of music we have incorporated into this service. She had a beautiful soprano voice, and played the piano. She was an amazing cook and baker, and very little showed up on our table that wasn't made from scratch. She worked very hard to care for us. It was during my teenage years that the Women's Liberation Movement came to the forefront of our culture, with the stated belief that homemaking and child-rearing were not worthy of a woman's life and sacrifice. That was a lie I never fell for, because I personally knew the immeasurable value of what Mom was doing at home.

Both of my parents taught me, by word and action, to view people through color-blind eyes. While I had the privilege of having that example, my mother did not. I can only conclude that she learned it directly from the Lord Himself, and I am forever grateful.

Finally, my mother taught me courage. I have learned from deeply painful experiences that sometimes great courage is shown in simply getting out of bed and continuing to put one foot in front of the other. My mother coped with emotional and mental pain to a level I will never fully know. Yet she kept taking care of us and every living creature that crossed her path. Her personal heartache did not keep her from giving of herself to meet her family's every need.

You are gone from us for awhile, Mom, but your example lives on. This life is short, but eternity is not. As soon as you closed your eyes in death to this life, you opened them to Life in Heaven, forever free of pain and heartache, living in the joy and fulfillment that the Father meant for His children from the beginning. As I said to you when I stood beside your earthly body for the very last time, "We will see you soon, Mom. Because of Jesus, we will see you very soon." Thank You, Lord, for making it so.

Son David Ekstrom's Tribute:

John 3:16 states "for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

This simple scripture verse, that was probably one of our first Sunday School memory verses, puts some very big concepts into a small package. Those concepts, God's love for us, His Son's obedience and eternal life for those who believe.

It is this simple verse that gives me comfort as those of us who knew our mom, knew that mom loved God, was loved by God and knew Jesus His Son as Lord and Savior. Because of this, she is in a better place. Her "race" is over and she can claim her heavenly prize.

As children she kept us going in the right direction, with a gentle or not so gentle (as the situation merited) nurturing and guidance. Firm yet fair.

Mom kept an eye on all of her charges. She baby-sat multiple children as this was before day care centers. She also nurtured 26 foster children. She had a big heart with a lot of love to give.

Mom was a stay-at-home mom. This was nice because she would (particularly around the holidays) bake breads and cookies to give as gifts and for us, her family, to enjoy. The aroma of fresh baked bread and cookies filling the house made coming home from school a real treat.

As children, Mom read to us and as we grew, she encouraged us to read. She helped instill in us a love of learning. Our homes were always small libraries filled with all manner of books. The readers digest, national geographic, and various other periodicals kept our young minds curious and stimulated.

The radio was on either WGN or WAIT in Chicago. WGN was a news and talk station but WAIT, home of the world's most beautiful music gave me an appreciation for a wide variety of music. The record player always had a wide assortment of records to be played. Mitch Miller, Mary Poppins, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to name a few.

Birthdays and Christmas were always days Mom made special. The baking, the Christmas tree, the birthday cakes. Mom put a lot of herself into each one, to make them very special for all involved.

And then there were the pets: Mom loved animals: We got our first dog when I was in kindergarten. There were fish, a snail, birds, a turtle or two, a rabbit, several dogs, cats and gerbils. I think that covers the "critters" we grew up with. All creatures great and small, Mom loved 'em all.

Words that best describe our mom; nurturing, encouraging, loving and caring. (My wife wants me to add, "kind".) She was also firm, but fair in her dealings with our various indiscretions, attempts to test our wings, or otherwise push the limits of our boundaries.

Those days for her are now done. Mom ran her race. Though our time with her physically is over, we await the day when spiritually we will break these earthly mortal bonds and join Mom and countless other loved ones in the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, hearing those words, "Well done good and faithful servant," as our mom, Marilyn Ekstrom, already has.

We look forward to this blessed reunion.

Son Mitchell Ekstrom's Tribute:

Tribute to Mom

Mom helped teach me how to be part of something larger than myself:

Care for the weak & defenseless (esp in a love for animals)

Love of music (“Choirboy”; love song for Cheryl; Leading praise & worship)

Stay at home mom (tribute to dad’s hard work and an earlier time on our culture; home cooked

meals, secure presence in the home; encouragement with school work; comforting our “boo-boos”)

Giving back to Community and Country (Career in the U.S. Coast Guard, active in church; active in Bowie Boys and

Girls Club, teaching Sunday School to the middle schoolers; helping lead the National Day of Prayer observance in

Annapolis; being in & leading small groups; always with an awareness that we need to increase in what we give and how

we serve.

Most importantly mom helped instill a living faith in the God of the Bible that postured me to hear & receive the Gospel and have a living faith of my own. A key component of this has been a bit of humility before God and others which, among other things has made me a better man and saved my marriage more than once in a Chaplain’s confrontations about my motives as a husband and in a Pastor’s challenge to overcome my particular challenges and thus be a better (more godly) man in my generation.

Everyone in this room has their particular challenges; their hurts, hang-ups and habits. The challenge for each is whether we will we let these challenges define us or whether will we give them to the LORD Who knows more hurt than we will ever know (and much of that hurt is from us) and, if we give it to Him, will we also seek His divine assistance in living for something larger than ourselves; namely the Good News (the Gospel) of hope to be progressively freed from all of the mess in this life and forever freed of it in the next.

And so as I pay my respects to Mom (they won’t be my last respects; I will respect her every time I live according to the Biblical truths she loved), I offer a verse of scripture and of snippet of song.

2 Corinthians 7:10 reads: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Fortunately today we do not sorrow as the world does. We are in that weird mix of grief and relief; transcended by peace. Grief that Mom is taken from us. Relief that her race is finished. And peace that Mom is home forever and merely awaits those of us to join her who share her believe in Jesus as Savior and LORD.

One thing is certain: The end of our own lives will be here lives before we know it. I, for one, can hardly believe how fast life moves and I really have no idea exactly how it will end. But one other thing is also certain: We are given plenty of chances to be ready for that day before it arrives. I’d like to encourage you to consider for yourselves the words of 2 Corinthians 7:10 again and ask yourself whether the sorrows of your life are godly and leading you to repentance and eternal life or worldy and leading you to eternal death.

For if we do not consider these things in such a service as this; when will we consider them? I know Mom’s and thanks in part to her amazing influence; I know mine. And it is in sharing her hope in Jesus that I am blessed to pay her this tribute today in godly sorrow; and in hope and peace and joy.

Please listen to a small part of Psalm 23 as written by King David and performed by Keith Green. It is the hope of our family, of our Mom and most of all of our beloved LORD Jesus that you all can and will join us in Glory when we sing this chorus in the environment of which it speaks.

Psalm 23

Lyrics by King David;

Music by: Keith Green and Melody Green

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restore'th my soul

And guides my path in righteousness

For His name's sake.

Surely goodness and loving kindness

Shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever and ever and ever.

Though I walk through the valley

Of the shadow of death

I will not fear, Thou art with me.

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Thou prepar'est a table

Before me in the presence of my enemies.

Thou anoint'est my head with oil

My cup's overflowing

Surely goodness and loving kindness

Shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever and ever and ever.

Thanks for letting me share.

Grandson Joshua Curtis' Tribute

JOSHUA'S TRIBUTE TO GRANDMA

Two of our three children are able to be here today to honor their Grandma, but our oldest child and his family, who live in Alberta, Canada, cannot. Joshua sent his contribution, which I would like to read now:

"Of my four grandparents, you were the one I knew the best. We lived very close to you for the first years of my life, in Dallas, and many of my memories from that time period involve you. One of my favorites has always been of feeding the ducks at the lake. I don't even remember the name of the lake, but I remember being there with my mom, sister, and you, throwing bread to the ducks. I always loved feeding the ducks, and I am very glad I have a memory of it that involves you. I also vividly remember your apartment in Dallas, and how I always had fun when we went there for visits. I always thought it was a treat to go visit you. In any human relationship, there are always positive and negative experiences and memories. But I have no negative memories of you. If there was a negative memory to be had, I have long since forgotten it, and this must be because I viewed you as a positive, happy, supportive influence in my life.

My family always gave presents to the appropriate kid on their birthday, but gave one present to each of the other kids too, so they wouldn't feel left out. I always remember you doing the same thing. After we moved to Canada, on any of our birthdays, the birthday kid would get, say--$5 from you, but the other kids would get $1. I would always get that dollar changed into Canadian money, and happily go to the convenience store with it to buy candy. It was always a good day when my Grandma gave me a dollar. The funniest thing about this is that you continued doing it into my early 20s. I would receive cards from you, sometimes with a single dollar in them. I always made a point of going to the bank and changing that to Canadian money, just because it was from you (though I didn't bother buying the candy with it anymore).

In my older years, some of my main memories of you will be from our recent trip to Maryland, just over a month ago. Samantha and I are very glad that you got to meet Jackson, and the only sad thing about that is that he won't remember you for himself. But it will be very nice to be able to show Jackson a picture of his great-grandma holding him, when he is old enough to understand that. I will always remember you positively as a source of happiness in my young life, and hope that I can take that example and be a good parent and maybe even a grandparent in my own life. I love you, Grandma, and I will miss you."

Grand-daughter Ruthanne (Curtis) Gonzalez's Tribute:

Precious Grandma,

We shared a special bond, a relationship for which I will always be thankful to our Heavenly Father. You were one of the treasured people in my life who I knew loved me unconditionally, who I knew would always be there for me, always support me, and always be proud of me.

I remember very little of my early years when we lived across the street from you in our Dallas apartment. I was very young, but I do remember loving to go to Grandma’s. In fact, you were one of the very few (if not only) people that my parents could leave us with as toddlers and young children, not because there weren’t more people available to help, but because you were one of the only ones good enough for us . Sometimes even Daddy wasn’t good enough, but Grandma might have been the only acceptable alternative when Mommy had to leave; Grandma could work wonders with us. But that was only the beginning . . .

Throughout my life, you have been the grandparent I have been able to know most deeply, because, though you often lived far away, you visited whenever you could and you even lived with us for a couple of my growing up years. I remember you presence as one of caring nurturing, loving compassion, and a ready helping hand. It was never beyond your dignity to get down on our level, listen to us, and help with whatever tasks were needed. One of my most vivid memories is of you sitting at our kitchen table at our last home in Three Hills, AB, helping to meticulously clean and carefully pack all my mom’s fragile decorations and knickknacks in preparation for our move to Calgary. Mom commented to me that those decorations had only been that clean the day she purchased them, and I am sure they have never been so clean since!

I also treasure the memory of Grandma’s hugs from my young childhood up until the last time I saw her. There are very few people in the world who can give a hug like Grandma could. I remember coming home from school, struggling with the various heartaches of children and young teens face, and Grandma would hug me so tight it was like she was trying to take away all the hurts of life with the shear force of her embrace and the depth of her love. The powerful love possessed in each one of her hugs remained throughout her life. Even as she aged, became weaker, and a stroke took away her ability to fully use one side of her body, she would still squeeze my hand so tight with her one unaffected limb that it was like she was trying to give me a full hug from that one little hand. Grandma, I miss your hugs already!

For as long as I can remember, you were at the most significant milestones in my life—high school and college graduation, vocal recitals, and my wedding day. It is hard to imagine you not being there whenever God blesses Victor and I with the birth of our first child. I never really could imagine my life without you because you have always been such a special part of it, and even now I find it hard to believe!

I loved how much you loved my husband, and adopted him as your own grandson from the moment you met him! It was touching to see that bond of love form in just a few short years, as my husband had never had the opportunity to know his own grandparents. There is one picture, taken just before our wedding ceremony, with you reaching up from your wheelchair to cup his face with both your hands. I can only imagine what you were saying to him, but I know that gesture as one of your special expressions of acceptance, compassion, and love. I even remember when we would care for you during your last summer at home, that there were times Victor could convince you to work and try things that you would do for no one else. He longed to see you get better, and you longed to please him! I am glad my husband was able to know you, and I wish our children could too. But, make no mistake, we will tell them about you, the Grandma with a precious nurturing heart, a love for all children, and an embrace unlike any other.

Grandma, I am so thankful that you are no longer suffering, no longer experiencing the physical and emotional pain of this life. There was so much hurt in your life that tore your heart almost to the breaking point—but now you are in heaven, with our wonderful Lord and Savior, free from the sorrow of life. You no longer suffer with the anguish caused by the sins of this world, and you are free from mental and emotional turmoil, heartache, and guilt. You have a beautiful new body, no longer affected by the limitations of human aging, the scars of the past, or the ravages of a stroke. You have achieved what we all strive for—you have been made whole, and have looked into our Savior’s eyes to here the words, “Well done, My good and faithful servant,” as He wiped away your tears for all eternity.

Grandma, I do not know how to say good-bye, but the wonder of God’s promise is that I do not have to—at least not for long. For the separation experienced in this life is but a microscopic speck in time compared to eternity—an eternity we will spend worshiping our God together. As we miss you, we cling to the promises of our Savior, knowing with all certainty that we will see you again, and very soon. So, good-bye for now, dear Grandma, until we meet again in the presence of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ!

All my love,

Ruthanne

Son-in-Law, Dr. Edward Curtis' Message of Hope:

Memorial Message

Marilyn Ekstrom

February 26, 2012

Scripture Passages

John 11:21-26a

1 Thessalonians 4:13-16

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

God’s people have always turned to His word for comfort in times of bereavement. The passages we have read during this service are among the most common passages we cling to for a sense of peace in the midst of sorrow. We instinctively go to the promises that God has made—as we should. The funeral of a believer is so very different than that of an unbeliever because of the certainty of hope that we have. Jesus said, “The one who lives and believes in me will live even though he dies.” He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” When we believe in Christ we presently participate in that life. That is why we will live even though we die. That is why at a Christian funeral or memorial service, there is sorrow; but it is mixed with the joy of knowing that the loved one is in a better place.

Jesus’ victory over the grave gives each believer a firm and certain hope. He has been to the other side and come back. Because he was raised from the dead, we believe that not only will our loved ones be raised, but so also will we. As hard as the death of a believer is for those who remain behind—it is never goodbye. We will see them again. We will see them again with new bodies that feel no pain; new spirits eternally united to the Father through Christ; new personalities that are released from the bondage and depression caused by the past. That too brings joy in the midst of sorrow.

As we have heard, Marilyn meant different things to different people. To some, her name is just a name. You are here today because you care about the family. Others were acquaintances. Some were close friends or family. We thank you for your presence with us. Each person here is a comfort and an encouragement. To me, Marilyn was my mother-in-law. And setting aside all of the mother-in-law jokes, I had more than a 40 year relationship with her in this life. I knew her longer in this life than I knew my own mother. I am not sure why that seems so significant to me at this juncture, but it does.

One of the things that I remember most clearly about Marilyn is her generous spirit. This has been mentioned before, but deserves to be mentioned again. She had great compassion on those who were hurting and reached out beyond her family to help those in need. In particular, this was seen in that she helped to provide for many foster children. That was a difficult assignment. It seemed as though the child was left in their care just long enough for them to form an emotional attachment; then the child was picked up by an adoptive family. Marilyn unselfishly sacrificed herself both physically and emotionally in the care of these children—more than 40 of them. Number 13 of these foster children was a very special child. They chose to make her a permanent member of their family and she is with us today. What a blessing Joy has been to the family as well as to me. Joy has been a very special part of the family from before the time Anne and I started dating when Joy was just a toddler. I am so thankful that they chose her.

A second thing I remember was having meals with her family while we were dating. I came from a family with 4 brothers and sisters which was larger than Anne’s family. The goal of my mother was always to have just enough food on the table to satisfy everyone and leave no leftovers. She didn’t want leftovers. Marilyn’s philosophy was always to have enough food on the table to feed the multitudes if they should come knocking on the door. I was always amazed at the quantity of food on the table—and she was a much better cook than my mother.

A memorial service gives us the opportunity to take stock of ourselves and of our relationship to God. The essence of what a Christian believes is that God reached down into history. In the person of his Son Jesus God took on human flesh and did the unthinkable. We have heard it so many times that it loses its shock. The God of the universe took on human flesh to die on a cross-a death necessitated by his desire to have a relationship with the people he had created. Those people had become corrupted, abhorrent in his sight. Rather than giving them what they deserved, he took the punishment upon himself. As a result of the death of Jesus, God can offer forgiveness to all people. Not all people are forgiven, only those who place their faith in what God has done for them. Only they can be forgiven.

When a person trusts in Christ, their sins are completely forgiven. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they feel forgiven. Many believers struggle from time to time with the truth of God’s incredible forgiveness. How could God forgive me? Or how could God forgive that—whatever “that” is for you? It is not just Christians who struggle with understanding God’s forgiveness. Sometimes those who haven’t placed their faith in Christ say they don’t because they can’t believe that God could forgive them simply on the basis of faith. There has to be something more to it. There has to be a catch.

This past week I spent in Orlando. As I was awaiting my flight back, I sat across the aisle from a booth where folks from the airline were advertising free flights. As people passed by they called out, “Free flights. Sign up today. Two free flights.” Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? No one stopped by to even get information about this astounding offer. I was there for over an hour and not one person took the time to even talk to them. Why did no one respond? They didn’t really believe it. They knew there had to be a catch. There was. The catch in this case was that you had to sign up for their credit card.

We are taught by our culture that if something sounds too good to be true; it is too good to be true. God’s forgiveness of us solely on the basis of faith sounds too good to be true; yet it is. Still, for some there is that whisper of doubt. God may be a forgiving God, but my wrongs are too great. God may be able to forgive others; but not me. What I have done is so heinous; it is so hideous; it is outside the pale of God’s ability to forgive. Even believers can wrestle with such thoughts. And even though we would never, ever voice such an idea, it resides deep within our hearts.

I think this was true for Marilyn. Intellectually she understood the gospel. Volitionally she placed her hope solely in what Jesus had done for her, but emotionally, she felt she was 2nd class. She was forgiven, but her conscience condemned her. I mention this today not to criticize her, but because I know that many today wrestle with the same self-condemnation and I believe that Marilyn would want to help people in this situation. She had great compassion for those who were hurting.

Let me read 1 John 3:18-21, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence, 20 that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. 21 Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God.”

This passage says that believers are those who sincerely love others. Believers can be convinced of the genuineness of their faith even when their consciences try to tell them otherwise because God is greater than their conscience. He knows everything. He knows the conditions of their hearts. He knows that the condemnation they feel is bogus. He wants each of us who trust in Christ to know that as well. At times our consciences can be helpful, but sometimes they lead us astray causing us to question what God has promised and said to be true.

The passing of a loved one is hard. It is made tolerable by the promise of God that the dead in Christ will rise first, then those believers who are living at that great day will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and so to always be with the Lord. That is our future! That is our hope! That is why we can rejoice in the Lord even in the midst of sorrow and tears.

We have spoken much today about God’s forgiveness. God forgives those who have put their trust in Christ. In one sense it is simple. We have to understand our need to be forgiven. We have all failed to do what God has said. That failure the Bible calls sin. God is so offended by the sin we commit that he has determined that sin requires the death of the one who commits it. But God did not leave things there, he sent his Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin. When we trust in the fact that God has accepted what Jesus did for us, we are forgiven. When we commit to him, we are forever forgiven. If you are here today and would like to make certain that you are forgiven, you can follow me in prayer. After this brief prayer, I will lead in a closing prayer for us all.

Let’s pray.

Father, I confess to you that I have done what is wrong. I want to change those behaviors. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place. I believe that his death pays the penalty my actions deserved. I know that with that faith I receive forgiveness of sins by your grace.

Our gracious God and Father of our Lord Jesus we humbly acknowledge that there is much about death that we do not understand. There are many questions of why about death and about life that we cannot answer. But we trust you, the God of all grace, the God of all mercy to answer those questions in your perfect time. Extend your personal comfort to each person who grieves. Encourage each one who sheds tears of the promise to one day wipe away every tear. Clear away the sorrow that clouds anyone’s glimpse of your greatness and glory. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his precious peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.