Jeremy Jojola Service

Welcome & Prayer

I would like to thank everyone on behalf of the family for coming to honor and celebrate the life of Jeremy Jojola. If you would, please pray with me as we enter into this time of remembrance.

Pray

Song

Reading of the Obituary - Pastor James Cosentino

On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Jeremy D. Jojola, a beloved father, son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend passed away at 42 years of age, in his home surrounded by loved ones.

Jeremy loved his family and friends. He had the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone that needed it. He was so proud of his daughters and didn't ever miss a chance to brag about them. He enjoyed listening to his music, watching football, and talking with any and everybody.

Jeremy is survived by his daughters Ashlie and Haylie, parents Albert and Sherrie, brother John Sr., grandmother Eloisa, aunts Lynda, Karron, and Corrine, uncles Sam and Damon, nephews John Jr. and Gabriel, niece Sara, and many more loved ones.

Services will take place on May 12, 2022, at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church in Socorro, NM. Honorary pallbearers are John Sr. Jojola, John Jr. Jojola, Joaquin Zamora, Jared Van Landingham, and Michael Brady. Following the services, the family will have a gathering at the Jojola Family Farm.

Song

Ashlie’s tribute

My dad was special that’s for sure. He had a big smile and his laugh was one of a kind. He was always cracking jokes and making everyone around him laugh too. He was always so proud of Haylie and me, we could do no wrong in his eyes. Family and friends were everything to him. He was willing to do anything if someone needed him to.  He loved to talk and could do it for hours, with anyone. As kids, my sister and I went everywhere with him. I remember anywhere we went, it seemed like he knew everyone. We couldn’t even go to the store without stopping to talk to at least 10 people.

He loved his music, we were always talking about new songs and artists and sharing our favorites. He never gave up on the Giants even though they kept getting worse and worse. Getting to go to New York to watch a game, was probably the best thing he could have ever done. He always cooked the best food. And he loved the holidays, I remember every Christmas Eve he would be up all night because he was so excited to give us our presents and couldn’t sleep.

I’m gonna miss his jokes, and his hugs, and his big laugh and smile. I know you’re at peace now. We love you, Dad.

Stories of Jeremy - Bobby Sage

For my Brother.

How does one find the words to describe the most important person to them in world? This is difficult, if not impossible even if you have a commodious vernacular. See what I did there? Seriously though. How? How when the right words in any language have yet to be created so you are unable to formulate what you, only you know what is in your heart? In the immortal words of Will Ferrell portraying James Lipton from the actor’s studio when he accomplished this mighty feat of mortal man;

Our relationship was “scrumpulescent”.

Enough being mischievous, because we would have never dreamed of being that way to anyone “uh hm”.

Let’s just start by saying Jeremy and I first met in 1979. I already had a very comfortable life with little to no worry. Six weeks after I saw daylight for the first time God decided we needed a Christmas gift for the entire family. He could have discussed this with me beforehand as I had just been there and was trying to adjust to a new life as it were. As we both grew together to understand as men “it’s not a man’s place to question God’s will. I’ll expound about this to explain a couple life events that he carried me through.

We experienced almost every life forming, changing and deviating experience simultaneously. We were connected at the hip from infancy, toddlers, prepubescent moving on to our teenage years. Sorry bout that time Aunt Sherrie. At least you got to share in the torture, I mean fun with my mom.

I met who is now my wife of seventeen years when Jeremy and I were teenagers. He told me that I better do everything I can to not lose this one. Just like him, I wasn’t very open to suggestion at that age. Adrianne’s mother adored Jeremy and hated me. Nothing really changed over the years. He was instrumental in giving me the confidence to give it another try a few years later. Example of God’s will and God’s timing. Sometimes you just must recognize and listen to God’s angels. Thank you, bro. It worked. You always called her sis and it meant the world to her.

He also had two others that his love eclipsed, and I say again, with words that don’t exist on earth in any language. His daughters. He had never been prouder of anything in his life as he rightly should be. Amazing young women about to leave a huge footprint on the history of time. They will carry on his legacy with just as much vigor and tenacity, if not more. Jeremy and I would often mask our shortcomings with prideful stubbornness or even arrogance. Not when it comes to his girls. He melted. He knew true humility and what it meant to be humble. They showed him how to experience heaven on earth. All it took was to visit with, talk about, seeing or even just telling me what he had heard when it was anything regarding Ashlie and Haylie. Girls, I do have a huge regret and that I haven’t taken the time to get to know you more and be more involved in your lives. Please accept my sincere apology but believe me when I say you are always welcome, and I would love to follow your amazing journey through life.

Enough emotional stuff for a minute. I need to talk about something that won’t hit me the hardest until football season starts again. Obviously, Jer was a raging Giant’s fan and I’m the same with the Cowboys. We would talk throughout the week about the previous games, the trades, injuries and just the game in general. Sunday morning between any NFC East teams were always huge but nothing bigger than the Cowboys – Giants game. We always had a mutual understanding. We would talk on the phone for an hour or two before kickoff. Again, we would discuss what we like on both sides, what needs work and just the game in general. We had a mutual understanding. Win, lose or draw, we would never call to gloat. That was the few times that we might go a few days without talking to each other. It was our mutual respect for love and rivalry. We always had football and baseball. Y’all are ready for me to shut up so I won’t get into baseball.

We lived and learned, loved and failed. Right or wrong it’s not man’s place to question God’s timing. Jeremy had the courage to live his life as he chose. Not every decision was the right one but he never waivered from moral conviction, and that is called honor. He would have laid down his life for anyone hearing this and I’m sure may more. I served with some pretty hardcore men and none could have stood in his shadow. Until Valhalla, brother.

To Ashlie and Halie,

I would like to finish with a poem from my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut.

For my Brother.

Be soft.

Do not let the world make you hard.

​How does one find the words to describe the most important person to them in world? This is difficult, if not impossible even if you have a commodious vernacular. See what I did there? Seriously though. How? How when the right words in any language have yet to be created so you are unable to formulate what you, only you know what is in your heart? In the immortal words of Will Ferrell portraying James Lipton from the actor’s studio when he accomplished this mighty feat of mortal man;

Do not let the pain

Make you hate.

Our relationship was “scrumpulescent”.

Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.

Take pride that

Enough being mischievous, because we would have never dreamed of being that way to anyone “uh hm”.

Even though

Let’s just start by saying Jeremy and I first met in 1979. I already had a very comfortable life with little to no worry. Six weeks after I saw daylight for the first time God decided weneeded a Christmas gift for the entire family. He could have discussed this with me beforehand as I had just been there and was trying to adjust to a new life as it were. As we both grew together to understand as men “it’s not a man’s place to question God’s will. I’ll expound about this to explain a couple life events that he carried me through.

The rest of the world

May disagree,

We experienced almost every life forming, changing and deviating experience simultaneously. We were connected at the hip from infancy, toddlers, prepubescent moving on to our teenage years. Sorry bout that time Aunt Sherrie. At least you got to share in the torture, I mean fun with my mom.

You still

Believe it to be

I met who is now my wife of seventeen years when Jeremy and I were teenagers. He told me that I better do everything I can to not lose this one. Just like him, I wasn’t very open to suggestion at that age. Adrianne’s mother adored Jeremy and hated me. Nothing really changed over the years. He was instrumental in giving me the confidence to give it another try a few years later.Example of God’s will and God’s timing. Sometimes you just must recognize and listen to God’s angels. Thank you, bro. It worked. You always called her sis and it meant the world to her.

He also had two others that his love eclipsed, and I say again,with words that don’t exist on earth in any language. His daughters. He had never been prouder of anything in his life as he rightly should be. Amazing young women about to leave a huge footprint on the history of time. They will carry on his legacy with just as much vigor and tenacity, if not more. Jeremy and I would often mask our shortcomings with prideful stubbornness or even arrogance. Not when it comes to his girls. He melted. He knew true humility and what it meant to be humble. They showed him how to experience heaven on earth.All it took was to visit with, talk about, seeing or even just telling me what he had heard when it was anything regarding Ashlie and Haylie. Girls, I do have a huge regret and that I haven’t taken the time to get to know you more and be more involved in your lives. Please accept my sincere apology but believe me when I say you are always welcome, and I would love to follow your amazing journey through life.

A beautiful place.

Enough emotional stuff for a minute. I need to talk about something that won’t hit me the hardest until football season starts again. Obviously, Jer was a raging Giant’s fan and I’m the same with the Cowboys. We would talk throughout the week about the previous games, the trades, injuries and just the game in general. Sunday morning between any NFC East teams were always huge but nothing bigger than the Cowboys – Giants game. We always had a mutual understanding. We would talk on the phone for an hour or two before kickoff. Again, we would discuss what we like on both sides, what needs work and just the game in general. We had a mutual understanding. Win, lose or draw, we would never call to gloat. That was the few times that we might go a few days without talking to each other. It was our mutual respect for love and rivalry. We always had football and baseball. Y’all are ready for me to shut up so I won’t get into baseball.

We lived and learned, loved and failed. Right or wrong it’s not man’s place to question God’s timing. Jeremy had the courage to live his life as he chose. Not every decision was the right one but he never waivered from moral conviction, and that is called honor. He would have laid down his life for anyone hearing this and I’m sure may more. I served with some pretty hardcore menand none could have stood in his shadow. Until Valhalla, brother.

To Ashlie and Halie,

I would like to finish with a poem from my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut.

Be soft.

Do not let the world make you hard.

Do not let the pain

Make you hate.

Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.

Take pride that

Even though

The rest of the world

May disagree,

You still

Believe it to be

A beautiful place.

Song - Jared Van Landingham

Message - Pastor James Cosentino

Sermon: Death Reminds Us

I want to say thank you again for everyone coming to honor Jeremy’s life and to support his family during this time. As we reflect on Jeremy’s life and mourn his loss, I would like for us to see what Scripture says about death because when someone dies, it causes us to think. Death is always hard, but especially when it comes sooner than what we think it should.

I think Jeremy would want us to see what the Bible says about death and what of what death reminds us of, because death does remind us of some things.

1. Death reminds us of some things.

a. It reminds us of how precious life is (Psalm 139:13-16).

Psalm 139:13–16 (ESV)

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

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.

Life is a precious gift from God. We know from Scripture that all life is given to us by God and that He has a purpose for every life created. He did not just mix some molecules together and say “Let’s see what comes out.” He formed us and put us together. When it says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, it is talking about a loving and careful Creator who knew exactly who He wanted us to be.

Not only did he form us and have a plan for us, He knew exactly how long He would have us here on this earth. Notice that all of our days were already written in his book before one of them came to be.

We are here to celebrate and take joy in the memory of the life of a father, son, grandson, brother, and friend to everyone here. He was a man who was known for his love of life and for his family and friends. Here was a man who loved and served well. He was a hard worker, but he would stop what he was doing in order to help someone in need. I was told he would give anyone the shirt off his back if they needed it.

Jeremy was a man who also loved his music and his football games. He enjoyed the pleasures that life gave to him. He loved talking with people and was almost always on the phone with someone. I was also told he was a good cook, which food has a wonderful way of bringing people together and enjoying the good things God has given to us in life.

Life is precious and should not be taken for granted. We should treasure it each day and store up the memories we have of those who have passed on before us, because God has blessed us with the gift of their life.

b. It reminds us of the uncertainty of life (James 4:13-17).

James 4:13–17 ESV

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

As we remember the gift of life, we also need to remember that we are not guaranteed life from day to day. Our lives, whether we live 42 years or 92 years, is brief and all too short. We do not know what tomorrow will bring or if there will be a tomorrow.

This is why the book of James tells us to be careful about how we plan our days. We are all but a mist that is here today and gone tomorrow. We must always live submitting ourselves to the will of the Lord knowing that it is His plan that will be accomplished.

And just as life is uncertain, death is certain for us all. Regardless of how long we live on this earth, we know that all of us will face death one day.

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Why is this? Scripture says this is because we live in a sin-broken world. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God and sinned, death came into the world, and every person has faced the certainty of death in this life.

If Jeremy could talk with us right now, I think he would want us to be reminded of this fact and encourage us to be sure that we are ready whenever our day might come.

2. When we are reminded of things like this, what can we do?

a. Seek the Lord (Isaiah 55:6-9; John 14:6).

Isaiah 55:6–9 (ESV)

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

How can we be ready for the day when we die? We first have to seek the Lord. Our sin has separated us from God because we have rebelled against Him and gone our own ways. Adam and Eve brought death into the world through their sin, and we have all sinned and turned away from God.

However, God has made a way to bring us back to Him and to give us life that goes beyond this life we are living right now. God is still the Creator of Life and sees life as precious and so God has made a way for us so that death does not have the final say.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If we want to come back into the presence of the Father and experience the Life He created us to live and to enjoy, we must seek the Lord by placing our faith and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We must believe that Jesus loves us, admit that we are sinners and have rebelled against him, that He came and took the penalty of our sin by dying on the cross, and by acknowledging that He is Lord of our lives by submitting to Him in obedience.

When we submit to Christ as Lord and Savior, He gives us a life that is everlasting. Even when our bodies fail and pass away, we know the spirit of those who trust in Him will continue to live on forever.

Jeremy would want each of us to be in a right relationship with the Lord by placing our faith and trust in Christ so we can have eternal life and be in the presence of God forever.

b. Seek the Lord’s comfort (Psalm 23; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4).

second as we seek the Lord we also seek the comfort that comes from Him alone.

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Psalm 23 (ESV)

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

even though we know that life is uncertain, as we seek life in Christ, we can also find the comfort that comes from knowing Him and following Him. Christ has not abandoned us in our times of affliction and hardship. He is right here walking with us through these times. He is able to sympathize with our needs and feelings.

It is alright to grieve and mourn during this time because we know that death was not a part of God’s original plan. When His friend Lazarus had died, we read that Jesus also wept for him. Jesus weeps along with us even as He gives us eternal life as we trust in Him.

Jesus is inviting you to turn to Him, cry out to Him, and find comfort in Him.

If you have questions about what it means to trust in Jesus, I would love to share with you how you can do that. Jeremy would want you to know for sure that you have eternal life and that death does not have to be the end for any of us here.

Prayer

Dismissal and Invitation to Reception at Jojola Family Farm