Betty Joy White Adams Funeral Service

Joy Adam’s Funeral service

On behalf of the family of Joy Adams, I wish to thank each of you for being here today, as we are gathered here today to remember the life of Betty Joy White Adams.

Open with Prayer:

Joy was born January 11, 1934 in Red Level, Florida, the daughter of the late Frank and Bonnie (Priest) White.

She died January 18, 2022 in Inverness, Florida under the loving care of her family.

She lived most of her life in Citrus County and graduated from Citrus high school in 1951.

Joy retired from the Property Appraiser’s office in 1982. She enjoyed traveling with her husband John in their RV before moving back to Inverness in 2000.

She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and will be dearly missed by her family.

She is preceded in death by the love of her life John C. Adams, her loving husband of 34 years, her parents, Frank and Bonnie (Priest) White, Brother Bob White, Sisters Fay White and Mae Glasco and brother-in-laws James Glasco and Eli Adams.

Left to cherish her memory are two sons: Bruce Gaskins and his wife Jody of Inverness and Jody Gaskins and his partner Barb also of Inverness, daughter Kathy Woods of Inverness, two grandsons: Matthew Gaskins and Nathan Gaskins and his wife Dawn all of Inverness, Step-grand-kids: Lisa Smith of Inverness, Linda Ritli of Hopkinsville, KY, and Matt Harriman and his fiance Britany of Homosassa, two great-grandchildren Nathan and Avery Gaskins, three step great-grandchildren Skyla Smith, Evan Smith and Jace Ritli, two nieces Becky Smith and Tammy Dean, two nephews Mark White and his wife Pauline and Jimmy Glasco, and numerous cousins, great nieces and nephews, and her Uncle Wayne but he passed away five days later.

Joy was always a very loving person, but honestly, when her, Fay and Mae was all at the family reunions, I would have to ask which was which, but you know they always wanted a hug.

And when I become the pastor of Red Level, she would have Kathy bring her all the way from Inverness to church, and every time she was there, she would say Christopher, come here.

She always wanted a hug, and when I would see her, I was always remind of Aunt Bonnie, Joy and her sisters always reminded me of their mom.

I never really got to know Joy really close, but I did get the honor of being her pastor, and she was such a blessing to me and the Red Level Baptist Church.

About a year or so ago, Joy was in the hospital here, and she had Kathy call me to come see her, and I had not realized she was in the hospital, but I went when Kathy said to come, and I spent some time with her, and She told me some stories and shared with me about her health, and different things.

Those memories are great ways to remember our loved ones, it helps us get through these days.

There is also comfort in remembering of how the one we love have touched our lives and made it different.

There is also comfort in remembering that death is not the end. You see death is not death if you know the Lord. It is merely a change of place, a change of state, a transfer from one realm to another.

As Billy Graham said, Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.

Death is not death, if it kills no part of us, except that which hindered us from the perfect life.

Death is not death, if it raises us in a moment from darkness to light, from weakness to strength, from sinfulness to holiness.

Death is not death, if it perfects our faith by making it sight, and let’s us behold Him in whom we have believed.

Death is not death, if it rids us of doubt and fear, sickness and disease, of sorrow and sadness.

Death is not death, if it gives us those we loved and lost, from whom we lived, to whom we long to live again.

Death is not death, for Christ has conquered death for Himself, and for those who trust in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 CSB

50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

There is comfort in knowing that Joy had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I was honored to be her pastor for the past almost seven years at Red Level Baptist Church.

She was not always able to make it, because of health, but when she could Kathy would drive her all the way to Red Level to service.

There is also comfort in knowing that we can see Joy again. See she is rejoicing today!

We have a void in our hearts from losing Joy, because she is our loved one, but know she is walking the streets of gold today with her Lord and Savior, with her husband, grand parents, parents, siblings, with her aunts and uncles, and all others that have gone on before her, they are up there having a great family reunion, you know with homemade ice cream and all the fixings, that we love.

But you know as we dearly miss her here today, and the days to come, we can know that we can see her again, when our time is up on this earth.

She would want to see us all again, she would want you all to know that you will see her again when you leave this earth, she would want you prepared.

We can also find comfort in Jesus, who tells us in Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Jesus told the disciples when he was preparing to ascend back to heaven, that he was sending the Holy Spirit the Comforter in John 16:7

John 16:7 KJV 1900

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

We face times like this that we need Jesus, because we were actually created to need Jesus, but many times we deny it, but when we lose a loved one like our mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, it hurts, it effects us deeply, and sometimes we need more than just someone to talk too.

We are told in Hebrews 13:5B

Hebrews 13:5 (CSB)

5 I will never leave you or abandon you.

Jesus, the Holy Spirit as the Great Comforter will be there for us if we will just turn to him and allow him to comfort us.

When we come to days like today we are reminded of the Shortness of time we have in life. Yes Joy lived to be 88, and that is a good long life, but we are not all guaranteed that amount of time, and 88 compared to eternity is very short.

James 4:14 CSB

14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

Life is short but we still have time to prepare for eternity, so that we can spend eternity with Joy, there in heaven.

See because of Joy’s relationship with Jesus, she is no longer dealing with any health problems, any pain, any sickness, anything that this crazy world has to offer.

See as we are here on earth our bodies are constantly deteriorating, the older we get the more we wake up with aches and pain, our joints crack and pop.

We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

2 Corinthians 5:1–8 CSB

1 For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. 2 Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 6 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Our earth tent, or body brakes down, the older we get the sweeter heaven begins to get, because more and more of our loved ones are there, and as believers in Jesus Christ, we can be reassured that one day we can be there with them.

See while we are here on the earth, we are away from the Lord, but if we have that relationship with Jesus Christ, than we can be confident, that when we leave this body, that is take our last breath, we are present with the Lord.

See on last Tuesday, when Joy took her last breath her on earth, she immediately took her first breath in the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

She was welcomed into eternity, into heaven by Jesus himself, I am sure her loved ones that have went on before here were there close by waiting to see her, but Jesus was there to welcome her.

We can be assured that we too can make it to heaven and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and Joy would want you to have one so that she could see you again.

Romans 10:9–10 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. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

If you want to talk more about salvation, and knowing that you will make it to heaven please let me know.

I want to close with a poem:

The story is told from many years ago of a man who worked as a lamplighter in a very small town. Each evening in the winter he could be seen walking through the snow lighting each lamp one by one. A young boy watched the lamplighter as he worked each night and he said, you could always tell where he had just been by the great avenue of light he left behind.

There are people who are like that. Wherever they go they leave something special. They leave encouragement; we feel better when we are around them, they leave light - they seem to make our lives brighter when we speak to them.

And when they are gone they leave a great legacy for all of us. Joy has in many ways done that for each of us.

I cannot speak for anyone else, but I can say that she made an impact in my life, that she was a great encouragement to me, and she was always that light that brought joy and light to my life when I was around her.

Joy’s son Jody wrote a poem that we wanted read today which says-

Betty Joy White Adams, will surely be missed.

Joy Adams Graveside

As we begin to close I have just a few things, first I want to share Psalm 23:

Psalm 23 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

read poem footprints out of handout

Today Joy is in a better place, she is not in pain, or sickness, she is with Jesus, and loved ones rejoicing.

She has left a void in our hearts, but she would want us to know that she is truly in a better place, and to keep the memories a live, and to prepare to see her again.

If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then this is not goodbye but see you again soon.

If anyone needs to talk, needs prayer, please reach out to me, Kathy has my cell number and she is more than welcomed to give it to anyone that needs to talk or pray.

Let’s close with a word of prayer.