CECE Celebration of Life

A Rich Life

Pre Service-Running

Service

Kyle-Opening Prayer, Obituary

Fred Song #1-Light House

Slide Show-With Music

Fred Song #2-The Old Rugged Cross

Nate-Message

Intro-

Nephew (major) Share a word

Nate will share Open Mic-

Robert Message-As much or as little as you want-Close in prayer.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

START OF THE TALK

Today we come here celebrating a life. A life well lived, a rich life, a beautiful life.

Now from a preachers perspective for someone who loves the beach and has actually been asked not to wear shorts or flip flops to a church service, you have to realize the honor it was when Joe said you need to wear your best Hawaiian outfit. I said I am in. I asked a clarifying questions? Flip flops?

Usually when you come to the end of someone’s life you are not celebrating.

And yes we are mourning because our dear friend is not here. But we are also celebrating because CECE has just had a great homecoming into heaven to be in the presence of God forever.

And she had this great homecoming because of her relationship with Jesus Christ.

CECE’s life embodied loving God and loving others. Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. Notice he asked for one thing and Jesus responded by giving 2 commandments.

Matthew 22:37-39 “And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

As we celebrate CECE’s life we celebrate a woman who loved God and loved people. What greater legacy could someone leave than living a life embodying the most important thing that Jesus told us to follow.

From the day I met CECE I could just feel the love of God.

The world famous CECE HUG

There are good huggers, there are bad huggers and then their is the CECE’s hug.

The moment I met her and recieved her WORLD FAMOUS cece hug, I knew she loved God.

CECE LOVED GOD EVEN IN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF CIRCUMSTANCES

As we sat there at this very church, and reflected on all that she was going through her biggest frustration is that she could not be at church serving and being with the kids and her church family.

WHO DOES THAT?

This is not normal. She was sick, she did not feel well she had been batting this terrible cancer, and she was sad because she could not be here with her church family. Even as sick as she was at the end of her earthly life the love of God radiated out of her.

What may be even more amazing is in this time that she had cancer = that in this time she did not stop living.

The Bible tells us that we are supposed to enjoy God.

Man’s primary purpose is to enjoy God and glorify him forever.

CECE LOVED AND ENJOYED GOD

CECE did this all of her life and even in the most difficult of situations.

A marriage built on Christ

We do not see many Godly examples of marriages in today’s culture. Marriages that have joy and unconditional love, but this marriage radiated those two things.

As we celebrate CECE I think we would all be missing out if we did not celebrate a glorious marriage.

She married Joe. And boy where they a good couple, a great couple. A New Yorker and Texan. Who would have guessed?

From the day they wed they were a beautiful reflection of the Love of God. They loved each other all the way until the end.

In CECE”s most vulnerable place Joe was a reflection of the very love of God to to his beautiful bride until her very death.

CECE loved lighthouses.

Pause

Even in this terrible Pain and suffering Joe and CECE made memories together. They took a trip to Joe’s high school reunion and afterwards went and looked at some beautiful lighthouses all over the East Coast. She truly lived as the Bible tells us : She lived life to the full

How did we see CECE”s love of God we saw it in how she loved others.

CECE loved kids

The Bible tells us to be fruitful and multiply.

CECE Love for kids started with her own kids

The Bible says be fruitful and multiply and that is exactly what CECE did. She has four wonderful kids here today and grandkids.

Mike

Jon

Calvin-

Diane-

I know your mom is so proud of each one of you and is looking down and smiling on you even now.

As we celebrate Cece’s life today we see right here in her family that her life lives on through her kids and grandkids.

Calvin and I have been becoming close friends and I have had the privilege of seeing him really serve God. Your mom got to see a huge transformation take place in your life over the last couple of years Calvin. I can’t help but think that her life built many of those foundations in your very life.

I can’t help but think that the reason CECE loved kids so much is because God loves children.

We all know that Jesus loves the little children.

PAUSE

Mark 9:36–37 NASB95

Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Cece served and lead in the children’s ministry. Whether it was teaching a story, doing a craft, giving a hug or just cutting up she was always loving kids. She got it.

CECE could seem to get away from kids. Even her jobs were connected with Kids.

Don’t be fooled, CECE SHOWED LOVE, but she could also show THE TOUGh LOVE

I learned about the famous broom hitting the top of the bus.

Whether it was church, school or just at a random place in town Cece loved children, and anyone she came in contact with. it was undeniable.

I asked someone their favorite memory of her:

There are too many. But she never met a stranger and she instantly showed love to everyone and was loved back.

Cece loved others by investing in people.

Right when I began I met multiple ladies who said Cece is my mentor. Now mind you I had never met CECE at this time.

Cece’s mom raised her in Christ, in the Love of God. In turn Cece invested in others.

One of the things Cece’s mom led at the church was our Women’s missionary Union.

Her mom left a legacy and then Cece took this over. She lead the Women on Mission meetings where they taught about, collected money for, and served people all over the world.

Her life embodied loving God and loving others.

Why did CECE love God? Because God loved CECE. At a young age CECE realized the love of God. She realized she could not earn it, it is a gracious gift given freely to those who would accept and believe it.

She realized that she was a sinner and that sin is serious. As bad as CECE’s cancer was it is small in comparison to the spiritual cancer we have all inherited since we were born. We are all sinners.

The Bible is clear that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

At a young age it was not as though CECE was some major criminal, but she did know that her sin was serious and affected her relationship to God.

But the Bible is clear that even at our worst God loved us.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ died for sins once for all.

The seriousness of our problem points to a great Saviour

CROSS

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

Because Jesus loved CECE and she recieved his great gift.

CHRISTIANITY IS SET APART from any other religion because of one word

GRACE

Illustration of punching someone in the face-and they give you a 100 bill

We deserve Hell-God offers heaven

We deserve a disconnection-God gives a connection

Opportunity to receive Jesus

Ask everyone to bow their heads

We have the hope of the gospel

Jesus defeated death

And anyone who believes in him has also defeated it as well.

We are wearing these outfits in memory of CECE

CECE always dreamed of going to Hawaii, I have been to Hawaii once.

It was a dream come true

What CECE is experiencing right now is infinitely greater.

Right now CECE is experiencing Hawaii on steroids and because of what Jesus did she has a completely healed body and she is closer to God than we can ever imagine. And when she entered there is no doubt in my mind that God said these great words:

Well done good and faithful servant.