Memorial Service Message for Aunt Joan Conkling based on Ps. 103 and Rom. 8

I. Memories of Aunt Joan: Rapid City wedding, Royals doubleheader, house sitting in Billings, children at Joan’s house in York, Jesse’s graduation, Thanksgiving meals, West Okoboji in Iowa about 6 years ago, and her many quilts.

II. Read Psalm 103:1-5 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

III. Read Psalm 103:8-12 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

IV. Like Joan, we can be thankful to the Lord for Jesus and forgiveness.

V. We all have our struggles, but help is in Romans 8:37-39 “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”