Rosella Christensen

Welcome

Psalm 23 CSB

A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

John 14:1–6 CSB

1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.” 5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Today we are here to celebrate the life of Rosella Christensen

On behalf of the family I would like to thank you for your love and support during this time of grief. Thank you for being here today.

Would you bow your heads and pray with me.

Song: Amazing Grace

Celebration of Life

Rosella was Born April 2, 1036 in Stirrat, West Virgina to a coal mining family. She was the 8th child of 14 and as a child her family moved from coal mining camp to coal mining camp until her mother and father seperated and due to poverty she was sent to Kansas to live with her siblings.

As I spoke with the family I learned of a woman who inspite of all the hardship and desperate times as a child some how managed to be an incredible fountain of joy in the family. Growing up she was quite popular and was the envy of others for how well she made friends. Upon moving to Kansas she would become so popular in school that she would be voted homecoming Queen her Junior year.

Rosie was known for her laughter and joy. Inspite of growing up poor she was taught that know matter what you had you always had a table set and shared with others. I believe this is what created in her an incredible Resilience.

Resilience is the Process

“the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors.”

Her resilience drove her to become and incredible homemaker and cook. Rosella was known for her kitchen, dinner table, and pot of coffee.

Kris and Kirk shared about lunches at her house........although she may have been a little heavy handed in the microwave department.......

She was an amazing listener and cared deeply about what was going on in the live of others especially her family.

Although I have been told she was everyone’s grandmother. So I guess that would make everyone family.

She was extremely patient with her family.....Putting up with Kirks Drumming, being woken in the middle of the night by Grand kids stopping by after late night shenanigans, and her late husband Charles’ love for camping.

I am told she hated camping.

She was no stranger to death or hard times......… Outliving Her Husband, 10 of her siblings, 2 Sons, and a Granddaughter.....As well as two divorces.

It is no surprise that with all that she faced in her life that there was a struggle to cope. In that struggle Rosie became an alcoholic....However, when she hit bottom she looked at her children and told them that she was going to fix it.

And She Did

Then came the health issues from smoking and once again Rosella’s Resilience kicked in and she quit smoking on her own.

This woman had an incredible nack of overcoming.....

I believe it was her love for life and he family that kept her going.

That and Dancing, Bingo, and The Young and the Restless.

I am told Rosella was amazing at dancing and a couple of youtube videos later I now know what the Jitterbug is.....

She also loved Bingo and was amazingly luck when she played. She was also amazingly serious when she played. I now see where Shane gets his seriousness.

She was also serious about her Soap Opera’s in fact you were always invited to watch but don’t you dare interrupt her show.

I am also told the soap opera digest made a killing off of Rosella.

Kris described her a smart.......She had an ability to Guess the Puzzle on Wheel of Fortune with just two letters. When they would look at her in amazement she would answer with “Well the Clue is a Thing”

Through it all Rosella was described as living a full life and making the lives of others full. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. Especially Adam, because now there is no one to protect him when he makes Christa mad.

However, she will live on through the lessons that she taught her family, when the input button accidently gets pushed on the remote control, when the family sits down for a meal, and when ever you look at the family that she cared for......

Song: It is Well

Message:

Today, Rosella Faces Eternity and if she could have one more conversation I believe she would want you to know that Eternity with Jesus is very real as well as Eternity outside the Presence of Jesus.

In Jesus there is

Revelation 21:4 CSB

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

Can you imagine an eternity in a place where you are completely taken care of by Jesus.

I believe that God is a gentleman.

2 Peter 3:9 CSB

9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

However, If God is a Gentleman and does make us serve him here on Earth, he will not force us to serve him for eternity.

Thus, he created a place for those who choose unbelief to spend eternity.

A Place where there is no peace, no joy, no goodness. A place of eternity outside the presence of Jesus.

But how do we reconcile our Hearts to God.

We all come in Messed up and Separated from God

Romans 3:23 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

But thankfully God had a plan

John 3:16–17 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

So how do we take part in that plan

Romans 10:9 CSB

9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This means that we accept that Jesus’ way is better than our way and then we put into practice His way of doing life.

It is that simple Confess and Believe.

Let us Pray......

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