He Gathers Broken Souls  / Donna Loughridge (Mother)

In one moment in time, when all hope seemed far away
When despair weighed so heavily there seemed nothing left to say
When anger and pain were all that she could feel
She decided to leave all the lies she thought were real.

She forgot about the rainbows that follow skies of gray
She forgot about the kindness she witnessed everyday
She forgot about the future she once dreamed could be
She lost sight of all the truth and reality.

The fact that people loved her, the knowledge that they cared
The love they had to offer her, the many things she shared
The pain that she would cause just never crossed her mind
She only pictured solitude and the peace that she would find.

Sometimes a gentle spirit in a world that's gone awry
Gets lost and cannot find it's way, can't bring itself to try
When God looks down from Heaven with tender loving eyes
He can see completely every facet of our lives.

It's up to God not man to judge the things that have been done
We are His Creation, in Love He Sent His Son
To walk this earth, to die, to rise and live again
To grant us all salvation, to save our souls from sin.

Each time a sparrow falls lifeless to the ground
Our Father up in Heaven hears that tiny sound
Would He be less vigilant when our lives quickly end
Regardless of the reason, on God you can depend.

For God in all His tenderness can see inside their mind
And when He searches carefully no evil does He find
Just discontent, confusion, pain, and fear, and sorrow
With no hope for today and no vision of tomorrow.

No malice, little forethought, just decisions made in haste
God grieves up there in Heaven for this senseless, needless waste
Yet even as the sheep are gathered safely to the fold
Our Lord is so magnificent He gathers broken souls.

He takes them home to be eternally with Him
To never know the torment they knew on earth again.
Peace and Hope and Happiness are instantly restored
When souls cross the threshold of Heavens golden door.

~ Cynthia J. Mackenzie

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If Tomorrow Starts Without Me  / Donna Loughridge (Mother)
If tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;

I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,

And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.

I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all that we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss some tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven's gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,

He said, "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you."
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day is the same way,
There's no longing for the past.

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart "

-- Author Unknown Close

A Sort of Quietness  / Donna Loughridge (Mother)

If you've been up all night and cried until there seems to be no more tears left in you — you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness. You feel as if nothing is ever going to happen again.

—C.S. Lewis

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Always Remember  / Jennifer Teran (Sister)

Please paint a colorful rainbow in the sky
so I know you are here and are watching over me.

And make my daisies bloom this Spring
so I know that life can go on without you here.

Unleash the tears from the dark clouds above
so I know you regret turning your back and leaving me.

And send rolling thunder with the storm
so I can hear and understand the hurt and anger you felt.

Send me sunshine and blue skies tomorrow
so I know you are peaceful and safe.

And please say goodbye as you tuck me in tonight
Did you forget to say goodbye?

-- S. Asher

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If I Knew  / Donna Loughridge (Mother)

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

--Anonymous

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Kristen's Eulogy  / Casey Clarke (Friend)

Kristen “Kat” Teran was born on December 12^th, 1982. At the age of 23, she stood five foot seven inches tall, with brown eyes, and brown hair.  This is what you saw when you looked at her with your physical eyes. This was not, however, who she was.

 

Kat was an intricate person, all in all. She had a love for anime that was rivaled by few. She adored anything that had to do with the Asian culture. She loved sushi, and manga, hanging out with her friends, and playing pool. A fan of music and of video games, she was a bundle of energy wrapped in a small package. I fondly remember her bouncing up and down the isles of I.C.T., with her theater vampire teeth in, grinning like the Cheshire cat, as she tried to extract a reaction out of her colleagues. She was incessantly chewing on stray strands of hair, as she ferreted out the answers to difficult problems on the TSG team. She hated chewing on her hair, but did it absent-mindedly, until someone mentioned it to her. Then she would sputter, blush, and hit me, playfully.

 

When I was the scheduling guy at ICT, Kat would often come over, flounce down beside me, and do anything and everything she could to just irritate me, and distract me from my work. Grinning and giggling, (yes, she giggled at times), she would flick paper wads at me, or disorganize my papers, or change the station on my radio. She would do anything to get me to pay attention to her. She had a playfully antagonistic side to her, that was always fun to see.

 

On that cold December 28^th, Kat felt so terribly alone. I know, however, that no matter how alone she felt, she was not. In Psalms 139, it states, “Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I go up into Heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the furthest parts of the sea; even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light around me. Yea, the darkness does not hide from You; but the night shines as the day; as is the darkness, so is the light to You.”  See, God made us a promise, in Hebrews 13, “I shall never leave thee, nor forsake thee..”

 

As with all things, life itself has its seasons. In Ecclesiastes it says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pull up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” This last week, we have all wept, and suffered the loss of our friend, Kat Teran. Her life was just beginning, and the time of her departure was not yet come. Man, however, has free will, and can disrupt the time-table of God. But now is the time for healing, the time for laughing, for dancing.  Revelations 7:17 says “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Take a moment, and allow God to do this with you as well. Remember Kat for the good times you had with her. Honor her memory with the joy and laughter you felt when with her.

 

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds.

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To Donna ~  / Louise Quinn (Mother's friend )
I hope the promise of everlasting life is in your thoughts every time you think of Kristen. Your grace is amazing to behold. Your face is the ocean, calm yet strong with under currents, vast and deep. I cannot imagine such depth. I am so sorry about Kristen. And, then, I am in awe of you again as I look at her photographs. She is beautiful.  Oh, happy day when you see her again! Sent with my love, may God bless. Close

No greater pain  / Gerard Cross (Cousin to her Mother )
Although I have no children, I can not imagine any pain greater than outliving one's child. I have three friends in the last four years who have had to attend their childs funeral. I do not think I could be strong enough to cope. May God's strength be with you always. Sincere condolences,   G+ Close

To Donna, Gene, and Jennifer  / Barb Fischer (Friend of Family )
My dear friends, I know how heavy your hearts are. I want you to know how special you are to so many. Your beautiful daughter Kristen, meant so much to her friends and brought comfort to so many of them, just as you do. My prayers and thoughts are with you all during this difficult time. Our Lord knows your pain and is with you each step of every day. Kristens spirit is with you and your memories will always stay in your heart. Your pain will heal and her light will continue to shine thru you. I pray you will take comfort in your knowledge that Kristen is at peace with our Lord and will be waiting for you . You are a special family and are a tribute to her memory in every way. May 'God bless you with HIS peace and love. Love and prayers , Barb Close

Condolences / Cathy Waskewicz (friend of family )
Donna and Gene....they say time heals all, but when it comes to a loved one, the pain never really goes away.  But also, that person, though no longer physically here, is always with you.  Because they have touched your life, they are forever bonded to you.  They are a part of who you are...With that there is comfort.  Close