Kandi Funeral

Good afternoon. We gathered here together to celebrate the life that candy has. And I love that we are communicating that, that we are saying that. That we are celebrating the life that candy has.

However, as positive and as nice as that may sound it doesn't happen without emotion. It doesn't happen without some pain.

But that is something my wife and I are learning this week and as I imagine that is what some of you are learning this week. As we would get things ready here in the church we seen something that instantly took us back in time to a memory with candy and you cannot help but be saddened.

For example, my wife seen the study that the women did here at this church and she was immediately saddened. Most of my memories of candy take place within the walls that you are sitting in. But boy are those some good memories.

I mean she would walk in with just this great smile and a pep in her step. I mean she was happy to see everybody and she was ready to worship candy has a great presence that is contagious of nothing but joy. You knew when candy stepped foot within this building because she always has great smelling perfume.

candy loves her perfumes And I believe one of you girls even wrote that just recently. So she walked in smile on pep in her step and smelling good and we knew when candy was in this building.

And as she became more comfortable with us one thing I learned is that candy loves to laugh. And so do I period as a matter of fact I use joking as a coping mechanism.

It's how I learned to get through life period tragedy plus time equals comedy. so I appreciate laughter and I appreciate those who enjoy to laugh and that is most certainly gym in candy.

So the way we open up our day for worship is that we begin with the greeting And I give announcements and then I take prayer request. Usually during the announcement time we would joke a little back and forth.

And over the course of a few Sundays we learned something. Candy is feisty. Oh what a feisty spirit. And so naturally, when you learn those things that trigger people you deliberately trigger them.

And that's what we did. And every time we did that Jim would shake his head like this and say these words don't get her started. But it was just so fun.

Often we would get her started and then it would get my father in law started and then we walked into something we really did not want to walk into and we had to calm them both down.

So I think about the qualities and the characteristics that I have seen over the time that I have gotten to know candy And I thought man I can't imagine how fun life must have been for her children growing up. Then I thought , Oman I wonder what it would be like to be on the receiving end of candy's wrath as a child growing up.

And that was just based on the feistiness, the little feistiness that I seen. Folks, i'm a pastor people tone things down in front of me. When people are in front of me it says if they give a warning I'm gonna turn it down to 5 but when we get back in the car I'm cranking it back up to 10.

I'm married, I know how it goes period i'm a parent , I know how it goes. I mean, Kandi was having her daughters right down some zingers she planned on telling later. In other words, she was loading a pistol ready to fire it.

But candy doesn't have to plan zingers in order to be funny. If you heard her talk about her day and an interaction with somebody that was getting under her skin, candy was not trying to be funny but it was really funny.

Candy has something my wife has and that's called the list. I don't know if candy calls it a list or if candy looks at it the same way, but regardless candy has what my wife calls a list. And This is why we love candy so much because our personality and her attitude is something very familiar.

So what is the list? The list is an invisible document made up in the female's mind where if you cross them in the wrong way your name goes on that list and you will forever have the old stink eye.

You do something that rings odd and abnormal behavior you make the invisible list. So my wife was always immediately drawn the candy.

(if they smile address it)

1. Perhaps a Mirror, look at your smiles and hold on to that.

It is reflecting on those things that makes this so difficult. He begin to realize what you are missing. I wish I can look at you all and tell you that it all gets better from here. That after today you're going to feel much better because this day is meant to bring closure. I would never look at you and lie do you like that.

And I want to talk to the family. There are going to be some very hard days. There are going to be days where it sneaks up on you without warning. You may be driving in your car all alone An A specific song comes on an instantly you are brought to tears.

It may happen as you were looking for something so mundane like a screwdriver and you stumble upon something that floods memories to you and you are saddened.

So it's extremely important that you think about these things that just made you smile. Reflect on those things soak in those things.

And if you feel like crying then cry. And if you feel angry then be mad. And if you feel like shouting then shout. But never forget the memories that you just went in your head just a moment ago that made you guys smile.

John 11:25–26 NASB95

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

I discussed this a bit yesterday And I said I will explain it in further detail today. What we have here from the words of Jesus is the promise of everlasting life and this is not the only section of scripture where we have the promise of everlasting life through faith in him.

out of the short list of things that I used to describe candy all of that fails into comparison to the faith that candy has.

Candies faith amazed me. It truly is an inspiration to me. I think it's easy for any person to say I don't do XY and Z but but to go through what candy went through and to exercise the amount of faith that she has she Amazes me.

The Apostle Paul did something similar. The Apostle was suffering with some type of affliction, we do not know what that affliction was but he stated that 3 times he prayed for God to remove that affliction and God did not remove it.

So Paul came to the conclusion if God will not relieve me of this affliction then I will boast about God an I will boast in God through my weekness. Paul also said

Philippians 1:19–23 NASB95

for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;

This is the great theologian the Apostle Paul. And what he is saying here is that I am torn between 2 decisions and I am torn between 2 destinations. On the one hand it is good that I remain here on earth because it is a benefit to you all but on the other hand it is so much better for me that I go to be with Jesus.

To live is Christ or to live is for Christ which is such a great honor and blessing in a fallen world but to die that is gain. That means a serious upgrade. And so Paul says I want both. Because I know you all need me but I also know where it is far better for me.

I want to communicate this to you all. It is not better for any one of God's people to remain here. Let me make it clear, In Christ this world is the worst you will ever have it but it's not the best.

And it's not what is best for us. Is not best for us to be here. And I don't know what everyone in here believes or doesn't believe period but I know what candy believes. And candy believes in Jesus.

Anne candy trust in the sacrificial atonement that Jesus made on her behalf. And while there are many preachers out there that are claiming you can live your best life now I'm going to tell you that candy is now in a place where she truly is living her best life now.

And I don't know if that brings anyone any comfort. And i'm not expecting that to be some Band-Aid that is meant to make you feel better now. Because the fact of the matter is all of us are remaining here so we feel the pain. But have you noticed something? Have you noticed I don't speak of candy in the past tense.

I don't do that because I know about candy's amazing faith period I know she has amazing faith. So candy may be gone from our site but candy is not gone. And I know we say that we come here to celebrate her life but her life continues. This is real everlasting life. spirituality is a reality.

And candy did not transform into an Angel candy is still candy. She is still your friend she is still your mother she is still your wife she is still your sister she is still your daughter. Those things continue.

And Jesus promised his disciples and all those who believe in him that he went before us to go and prepare a room for us period we are also told that because we are called the bride of Christ that there's going to be a big wedding feast.

Candy has a spot for all her friends and loved ones in Christ. She is saving a seat at that table. As a pastor I have a list throughout history of what I call the heroes of the faith or my heroes of the faith.

Of course we got those within the pages of scripture. But throughout time it is people like athanasius, Saint Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin , John owen, John Gill just to name a few.

these are people I look too for inspiration and each one of those people I named and I got many more, all have a specific quality or a specific strength that is encouraging to me that pushes me that keeps me going. Candy has joined that list of heroes in the faith.

Because i'm not lying and i'm not joking when I say she truly has amazing faith and it's something to emulate. I am greatly proud an honored that this family has welcomed me into their lives and allow me to Shepherd them.

I am being hopeful that my words bring comfort but I don't know. Because so often in the midst of tragedy people ask themselves comma the last God and at times will ask me why? And I don't have the answers.

but when I think about candy and her feistiness, her smile, and the chipper attitude she had when she come in here, and how I personally did not get enough time. I honestly thought that I would have more time to get to know candy. So when I think about all that I think of a shooting star.

Candy is our shooting star. Candy leaves us on this earth sooner than all of us wanted. But that is exactly what a shooting star does. It shows up and it's bright comma and it's beautiful comma and there is amazement there, but it's gone too soon.

And that most certainly describes candy. So yeah we come and gather together to celebrate candy's life but Kandi’s life has not come to an end. So we must not ever think of candy as in the past tense but always in the present tense.