Billie Carolyn Christensen

The passing of Billie Christensen. Mom’s passing on the 26th of December was at her long time home on Applecrest Drive. She was exactly where she wanted to be and went exactly as she had asked to go; without Hospice or any outside interventions or preventions, with no drugs administered to push her on before her true time, to go naturally and peacefully. She was with some of her family and she was all about His total peace! There was music in the form of gentle humming and she passed in the same room as her husband Chris who had preceded her in death in the early 80’s. Mom had been married to Don S. Lyons, Sr. while she was still in college, where they later had 3 children and then later in life mom adopted 2 more children as a single mother. Mom continued waiting on God, who finally brought her another husband; this time with Chris. They married and on their honeymoon went to Haiti as a Missionary Couple. It was the most amazing thing she had ever done she used to say! She spoke of it often for years after. With Chris’s passing she eventually began supporting many many children from Haiti, some into their early adulthood and for nearly 30 years she sponsored Haiti’s children in honor of her late husband. Mom remained unmarried after Chris’s passing for the remainder of her life, being fully dedicated to him, knowing God could never give her another man like Chris. She remained faithful and dedicated to the end having had his complete love. Although moms marriage to Chris was cut short, she was totally and thoroughly complete at knowing she was loved so deeply. Mom’s next passion was to her now much larger family and boy did it ever expand over the years to eventually 17 Grandchildren; over 30+ Great Grandchildren; at least 1 Great Great Grandchild! Maybe more, I probably miscounted… Although mom’s family was large, she always kept up best as possible with each one regardless of how long she had to stay on the phone or to sit with you. She wanted to hear every detail about what each one was involved in. Some of her children were local and some were in Tennessee. She reveled in all the stories; sometimes on the verge of gossip but she heard about every marriage and the aspects that involves; the good times and the bad. Hearing about each individual’s activities, academics, and achievements, likes and dislikes. Then more marriages came and the beginnings of those families and all the additional achievements, graduations and such. Mom had heard it all. She loved all equally and totally, with all of herself. She could always relate with her church family members and their families because she had such a large one herself and she never ran short of a tale to tell. Even over the long distances and time, she was able to keep up to date. Mom finally took the opportunity to go meet the Tennessee clans she had heard the stories of. When she came back, “WOW” was all she could say, besides “there were sooo many” and “God better have a big house with a lot of bathrooms because they won’t be using hers!” She said it hit her once when everyone was in one room up there just how much God had blessed her with such a large quiver of arrows! She loved coming back and talking of that generous time and every small detail of each one that she got to meet for the very first time, not just hearing about them or seeing them in a picture. She was awestruck and in her bliss with the stories of the individual personalities and traits. She was very proud. Moms massive family resided mainly in Florida and across parts of Tennessee. In our local families times of caring for mom, we had several occasions to talk about many things, times and people. She loved her years at Seacoast starting out as a Meter Reader, which she absolutely loved that job and then ending her 27 year career their as a Customer Service Cashier. Mom adored and remained in contact with many of the family she had made there. She had many acquaintances, some close friends and several dear dear friends! But over the course of years, times had changed their and she was unprepared… but to all of you at Seacoast who worked with mom, past and present, you know who you are, please know mom absolutely loved you and always spoke highly, never having a cross word to say except for her own inability at not being able to “not say anything that would get her into more trouble”. Well, she got in more trouble frequently, but for mom it was all part of her own learning curve. She couldn’t have done it any other way. It just wasn’t in her for that! She loved her time there with each of you. After retiring, Mom built her life around her local church families she met along the way where she was deeply committed to each aspect of the church community life. In the early years it was teaching the little kids in Sunday School. Then teaching some form of bible reading for the ones a bit older. She took in a couple children over the years who needed assistance for one reason or another. Then she took in several adults who needed assistance. Mom always had an outstretched hand, made another living quarter and made some life long friends until one by one God took them all home or moved them on. Mom always found ways to stay engaged and then eventually self initiated into some form of assisting her large church family by either giving rides to and fro from church, having a prayer chain, making calls, bringing food, going to bible studies, picking up or dropping off, making sermon note copies and delivering them church wide if necessary. She was always readily available to assist anyone who had a need within her large community of people. She had the highest dedication possible to making sure anyone who wanted to go to church got to church! She just adored the “atmosphere” of the fellowship and the frequent intimacies of the many friendships she was able to make along the way. She never met a stranger she didn’t like and one she wouldn’t tell about Jesus to AND then having to tell Jesus about the one she just met and to make sure that HE brought them into the bigger family picture and that they would always have their eternal home waiting for them. Making sure one way or another that - that person was going to heaven! Mom was never shy on that, never ever - ever! Her Jesus ministry was a part of every aspect of her life, right to the end! As time passed and the church institution began changing with church doors either selling out or closing doors; mom began watching church from home, always staying engaged. She started with phone calls to her friends, staying engaged and staying prayerful. She never stopped her witness, anywhere she ventured she spoke about her Lord and Savior, the One who carried her through all of life’s good times, hard times and the lonely times. She witnessed to everyone. She loved deeply for HIM! Each one she met had to know they had an eternal home in Christ Jesus if they could accept Him as their Savior. She never shied away. For a few weeks prior to Moms passing she had been asking about her daddy’s house, about where it was telling us she wanted to go there. We really thought that most times she was talking about heaven, but she wasn’t. We finally realized she was actually referring to her natural father’s home she grew up in, not her heavenly Fathers House up yonder! Once we finally understood this we began a diligent search and finally located a physical address that apparently was exactly right. We read it out to her and within about a minute maybe 2, mom let out a loud but slight gasp (Holy Spirit) and within a very short time after that, the rest of her passed. That was it, just like that. The address was all that was holding her back. Once she had that physical address, she was off and running (flying) to try and stop by there on her way to her eternal home! It was crazy, but that was mom, that was all done her way. Moms main goal in her life was to make sure everyone she met KNEW - Jesus and made sure that He was their Savior, and that He was going to be their eternal home. There was no other way for her and nothing was more important. In between the courses of mom’s church ministry life and family; she ventured out of Florida only once with me to Washington, D.C. She rarely left the state of Florida for one reason; the cold. She hated it, plain and simple. She had ZERO desire to be cold or to be anywhere where it got or was cold but mom wanted to see the Nations memorials to the Veterans. She loved the Commemorating Walls of the Fallen Soldiers, the fields dedicated to specific war scenarios and the Memorial Walls to all the War Veterans. Moms older half brother Raymond was a War Veteran and her first and second Husbands (Don and Chris respectively, were also Veterans). Mom was actually a hospital Nurse for ONE DAY and could not take the sight of blood, didn’t go back. In Washington, she loved the way the Men and Women were honored. She was just awe struck by the size of the National Cemetery, shaking her head in a sad amazement. We made a few other stops along the way. Some silly little places and some beach stops she wasn’t so thrilled to see since she despised the ocean water! Mom had a well loved, well lived life (as SHE wanted) and a very full life, truly she did. She loved deeply. She hurt deeply. She lost deeply. But she stayed in the good fight, loving her way out of the pain, out the other side and into His Glory where I know she heard those words we all aspire to hear; Well done My Good and Faithful Servant! I know she heard these words because Heavenly Father was so well pleased with His Son and Mom was certainly within Him; as He was in her. She ascended on high as His Son did and into His Glorious arms! Mom wanted for nothing except that everyone she met and knew, met her Jesus and that they would always have an eternal home so she could see them again. So if your one of those who don’t have an eternal home just yet, ask Jesus today to make His home YOUR home. Mom will be waiting for us all to get there with her arms open wide, with all her love and a bit of sass I’m sure! To the Face Book family mom tried to keep up with; our entire family expresses many thanks for all the thoughts and prayers during this time. They were received and greatly appreciated. You are a massive extended family! So everyone will know; Mom did not want a service. Every question I asked, her replies were: Not particularly. No not really. Now why would I want that? or Trisha I won’t be here! and lastly, I don’t want anything, I’m going where I want to be! I hope this answers any questions regarding why, this was done her way.