+ Kristina Ann Kvapil McGee +

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Psalm 139:1–18 ESV

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

John 14:1–6 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts 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 go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” Jn 14:1

Jesus used these words a few hours before his death to instruct his disciples on how not to be troubled in death. He does not ask you to forgo you sorrow. He does not ask the impossible. Jesus is truly human, so He knows our human emotions. He, of course, is aware of the power of the resurrection, and yet, though He knew this He still shed tears at the death of his friend Lazarus.

Nevertheless, He urges us not to be troubled. How can that be?

Why Should We Not Be Anxious, Worried, When Faced with Death?

Well, there are three truths Jesus gave to His the disciples, and to you, for comfort at a moment like this.

I. Because God is Really Here for You to Believe In

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God”—God, who created us and all that exists, who is the Almighty, who numbers the hairs of your heads, who clothes the lilies of the field, who knows when a sparrow falls to ground. He loves you more than all the things He created. He gave his only Son into death for you. You can believe in God, who made and loved each one of us, to be with us. He made and loved Tina.

The second truth Jesus gives to comfort us at a moment like this is,

II. Because Christ is a Real Savior for You to Believe In.

“Believe also in me,” Jesus said.

Remember when Jesus visited the sisters of Lazarus. His calm assurance was

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26).

Watch as Jesus is crucified, and hear him say, “ ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).

Believe that the death of Jesus paid for all sins of all time.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7).

Hear the Easter message of the angel:

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay” (Mt 28:5–6).

Tina was raised to believed Christ gave her life, life to the full, in his resurrection. From being able to see her daily morning prayers, Tina’s life was a witness to that faith.

The Surrender Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

The 3rd Step Prayer

The Prayer of St. Francis

She was of great encouragement to so many, as illustrated by all of you here today.

The last truth Jesus gives to comfort us on a day like today:

III. Because There Really is a Place Prepared For You to Believe In.

Then Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (Jn 14:2.

It’s foolish to think we fully understand this picture, but we know this Word of promise comes from the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.

We give thanks for Tina’s earthly life and her Christian witness. We rejoice in her victory, the gift of eternal life, and the crown of righteousness she will wear for all eternity.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim 4:8).

Tina became a new creation in Christ when his Lord baptized her. She came through those waters, united to Christ his Lord, with a heart of faith, and love.

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And our Lord Jesus promises that He will never leave those who confess Him as Lord. Jesus Christ will be with us and promises to do the following for us:

To strengthen our faith—so that we are not troubled by things we cannot understand, but will trust in almighty God, who made us his children through faith in Christ. His Word tells us: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12).

Jesus also promises,

To strengthen our hope. We, too, know the way, as we continue to listen to his words of truth and life. He is the one who has us in his plan, in his arms, in his love. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6).

Finally, Jesus promises

To strengthen our love—to care for one another as Christ cares for us, to help us. “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. . . We love because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:14, 19).

This is how Jesus comforts us and all his children. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 Jn 5:14).

May we now, and at our last hour, trust in the comfort Christ has promised!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Kristina "Tina" Ann (Kvapil) McGee

On Saturday, July 24, 2021, Kristina "Tina" Ann (Kvapil) McGee, of Osseo, WI, was taken from us much too soon, at the age of 50, by a brain aneurysm. Tina was born on November 6, 1970, in Chippewa Falls, WI, to Tony and Sheila (Grant) Kvapil. She graduated from Chi Hi in 1988. It may not have been apparent in high school, but Tina had a love for learning. As an adult, she was in constant pursuit of improving her ability to achieve her life's purpose. She strove to be authentic - to be where she said she was going to be, to do what she said she was going to do, and to help as many people as she could along the way. To do this, she studied AODA at Chippewa Valley Tech, Vocational Rehabilitation at UW-Stout, nursing at Rasmussen College, Holistic Health at St. Catherine University and Addictions and Co-Occurring Disorders at Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. She was currently working as a substance abuse counselor at Clark County Community Services and an addiction counselor at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in addition to being the owner of McGee Massage.

Tina had a huge personality and was the life of any party. She had a contagious laugh and gave the best hugs in the world. During her life, Tina swam, played softball, and created amazing art. She loved dragonflies, calla lilies, cats, Johnny Cash, Bai coconut water, the color orange and traveling. But mostly, she loved people. She was always there for anyone in need, generous with her time and talents, and seemed to know the perfect thing to do or say in every situation. She gave encouragement through her words, comfort by her presence, and - when needed - a good swift kick in the pants to get you out of a pity bubble and moving in the right direction. She was actively involved in the AA community for the past 28 years and sponsored many people, helping them through struggles and making every effort to impact them in a positive way. Her beautiful hair, feistiness, and sarcastic sense of humor will be missed by many, but her huge compassionate heart will be a loss felt by everyone whose life she touched.

Tina is survived by and will be especially missed by: her daughter, Kerstyn Lambert (who was by far her favorite human); her parents: Tony and Sheila Kvapil and grandmother, Evelyn Kvapil all of Chippewa Falls; sister, DeAnna (Grant) Eldred of Waconia, MN; niece, Elizabeth Eldred; nephew, Jonah Eldred; cats: Nic and Gracie; many aunts; uncles; and a seriously ridiculous number of cousins.

She is preceded in death by maternal grandparents: Malcolm "Josh" and Bertha Grant; paternal grandfather, Jerry Kvapil, and Monte - who was, perhaps, her favorite cat of all.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, August 1, 2021 at Chippewa Valley Cremation Services - Celebration of Life Center in Altoona. Pastor Greg Stenzel will officiate. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Tina can be designated to her family.

A memorial fund in her name will be established for her daughter, Kerstyn Lambert.

Chippewa Valley Cremation Services - Celebration of Life Center is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.chippewavalleycremation.com.