Eternal Families - " Because Of Our Savior Jesus Christ"~

If one was to have a perfect season to pass away; Easter would be the time. As I watched my brother slowly slip away there was a sweet peace that filled the room. He died at 6:45 am on Sunday, April 13th surrounded by his loving family. It was truly a beautiful Sabbath Day, orchestrated by a loving Heavenly Father. My dear brother was free for the pains he had suffered, free from the daily cares of this life. He left to go into the spirit world; the next step in his Eternal Life. At that moment of time I knew that he was being greeted  by our dear parents and older brother. All my family was now together with ancestors that had passed on before.
Just think about our Savior Jesus Christ; He died and three days later He rose from the tomb. He  broke the bands of death for us all. We will be resurrected; we will live again. We can be an Eternal Family; # because of Him.
We buried my sweet brother yesterday. Again, it was a beautiful day. It was a day of sadness, a day of healing and a day of peace. Truly it was a day of remembrance of his life and a day to honor him.

 This is my oldest brother, Mac's family- He passed away at the of 74 in 2010

This is my family and my brother John's family on his Funeral Day
He too was just 74 years old~

Each of his 5 endearing children shared poignant thoughts about their individual relationships with him. Each bore testimony that they would see him again and be together as an eternal family. We all felt his spirit near. His lovely wife was at peace and felt overjoyed with all the loving thoughts her children expressed about their Dad and Mom.  The meeting was sweet and tender; the feelings of the spirit were there.

This is my brother John's wife, Gloria and their children~

A few of the children and the Bishop who closed the service shared some thoughts from a resent message given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf in our recent General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His talk was entitled: "Grateful In Any Circumstances". Here are a few statements from this talk. 
"Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances-whatever they may be.
When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ's Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven's embrace.

 Jesus Christ in Gethsemane

 Our Beloved Savior on the cross~

Our Resurrected, Savior of the world~ 

Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.
True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will.
In any circumstance, our sense of gratitude is nourished by the many and sacred truths we do know: that our Father has given His children the great plan of happiness: that through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can live forever with our loved ones; that in the end, we will have glorious, perfect, and immortal bodies, unburdened by sickness or disability; and that our tears of sadness and loss will be replaced with an abundance of happiness and joy, "good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."
There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings...........Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny. The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruption--temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful. 
How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings."
What as so wonderful about this talk was that I was with my brother when we were watching it on TV. It was one of his last days of being alert. He watched this session with his eyes opened; so I knew he was hearing it. I knew this message was bringing peace to him. All of us that were watching this together felt that the talk was just for them. There was a deep peace in the room that day. 
I am deeply grateful for the time I spent with this precious brother of mine. I know that we are sealed to our parents and brother for all eternity. I know that my own family is an eternal family and it is #Because of Him.