Twenty-one years...

Jason and Lindsay's last day ♥

It is surreal to think that it has been 21 years since Jason and Lindsay entered into heaven! The whole thing is surreal. I wish so much that this had never happened. I wish so much that I never had reason to write a blog like this, but I am honored to.

Something that Lindsay wrote in the public journal on that beach (only minutes to hours before she and Jason died) has stuck with me all these years. She had just watched a beautiful sunset and wrote this:

"The sun is going down in the horizon and all I see is the beams shining on the cliff face and I know that God is awesome. I look around and I see His creation all around me."

If you have ever seen a truly spectacular sunset, you know what she meant! Whether you acknowledge God or not as the Creator of such a breathtaking, dynamic sight... that IS His handiwork and just a glimpse of the unimaginable glory of heaven! We KNOW that God is awesome! So the next time you stop and see a beautiful sunset or night sky or any view of nature that takes your breath away, remember that God is awesome! He created that view for you! And the next time you stop to acknowledge the people in your life who you love and cherish the most, remember that God is awesome! We are here for a reason and God is at work in your life for a purpose! When you see God reflected in the beauty of nature, that is Him reminding you that He is there. He never leaves us! And if you find yourself in a situation of unfathomable grief, He will always be there to carry you through it. God is NOT the author of death or tragedy! He is the giver of LIFE, both on earth and eternal! God truly is all around us and that is a great comfort. We are not alone! I love that, despite the terrible actions that led to it, Jason and Lindsay saw God's full magnificence, face-to-face, only minutes to hours after seeing Him reflected in that sunset! What their killer meant for evil, God immediately used for good! Jason and Lindsay have left a legacy of true faith and true servant's hearts for the Lord. I know He welcomed them home with open arms! I am so, so grateful for what Christ did for us to allow us to spend eternity with Him and our loved ones! We are blessed beyond measure!

I know that God is awesome!!!

Jason and Lindsay, you will NEVER be forgotten! What a blessing it will be to see you again!

Jason's 47th Birthday!

Jason on the whitewater, Summer 2004 ♥

Today is Jason's 47th Birthday! This is his 21st birthday that has passed with him being in heaven. Time is flying by! But every year... every day really... is another day closer to entering heaven ourselves and seeing him again.

Life is fragile and fleeting. None of us know how long we will have here... but we can know where we are going and we should not fear! If you have accepted Christ, you are saved through the gift of His sacrifice on the cross, and you are assured an eternity in heaven! Salvation through Christ does not mean you will have an easy life here, or even a long life, but you do have assurance and peace in your heart that you know the end of the story and it is beautiful! There is hope because of Jesus! And when we reach heaven, there is no more pain and suffering. There is an eternity of peace and joy beyond our wildest imagination, and enjoying fellowship with Christ Himself, forever.

Jason only had 26 short years here but he lived out his faith authentically. He and Lindsay both served Jesus. They chose Him over worldly things. I feel so blessed to have shared so many wonderful years with Jason in our childhood. Those memories are precious to me! Those memories used to be so painful, when the grief of his tragic death was raw and profound, but now they are beautiful again. Sometimes I would give anything to go back and re-live even just one of those days... but time only moves forward.

Jason's mom shared a sweet note and poem in his memory:

This is Jason's 47th birthday. God loaned him to us for 26 years, which to us was a very short time. Because Jason accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord, God's comfort to us has always been the promise to be with him again, to hug him, to talk with him, to share in the adventures in heaven with him and to worship our Holy Father with him. There is no greater comfort.
Happy Birthday in Heaven,
Mom

~~~~~~~~~~~

"When God Comforted Me," by Colleen Mclean:

From heaven he was delivered
As a baby unto you,
When God said to me softly
I'm trusting you to do
Everything that's needed
To nurture and to love.
He's your little angel
Sent from me above.

You see... spirits cannot be
Held, hugged, or kissed.
The body that was his vessel
Is what you'll surely miss,
But his spirit that I shared with you
On that one special day,
That is what I promise
To never take away.

So he is back in heaven now
The earth was not his place.
He taught you all he could
About dignity and grace,
So as you grieve and weep
To see him once again,
I promise he's waiting here
When you get to heaven.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy Birthday Jason! You will never be forgotten!

Lindsay's 43rd Birthday!

Lindsay on the whitewater, Summer 2004 ♥

Today, Lindsay would have turned 43 years old. Her 21st birthday since she passed, and she was only 22 when she died. She was so young! She had her whole life with Jason ahead of her. It truly breaks my heart that they were robbed of their lives together. But I have learned that God views death differently than we do. Lindsay and Jason are more alive now than they were before, which is hard to understand, but very comforting! The Cutshalls and the Allens have lived through the unfathomable, but their faith... the same faith that Lindsay and Jason also held... is unwavering! They have turned tragedy into triumph, by the grace of God... and countless lives have been changed! Lindsay and Jason did not die in vain!

I didn't know Lindsay. Everything I know about her, I have learned from her family and others who knew her. I did get to meet her once and she was a sweetheart. Very soft-spoken and kind. I saw the love she had for Jason and it was adorable. She and Jason were remarkably compatible... both having the same interests and the same love for Jesus! I am so glad their last hours together here were watching a beautiful sunset after such a fun day together! Only a couple of hours later, they met Jesus face-to-face. Lindsay, wise beyond her years, earlier in life had written this in a journal:

"I greatly desire to have many crowns to give my God when I get to heaven. Nothing on earth matters in light of eternity. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of the world and forget what really matters. How amazing that we have forever to spend with Christ! The more we worship and spend our lives for Christ on earth, the better we can serve Him in heaven. I sometimes think of myself as a pilgrim in a foreign land traveling through life. We are here temporarily. I should be less materialistic and give more to God. Don't waste time!"

She already had her heart focused on heaven. Jesus was her focus! Her purpose here was to serve Him, worship Him, and prepare herself for heaven. She was the real deal! She was a light. She was a city on a hill. She exemplified this verse:

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)

Please pray for Lindsay's family today! I can only imagine how hard it is to experience another year without her.

♥ Happy 43rd Birthday Lindsay! ♥

Twenty years!

Jason & Lindsay ice skating in Michigan. ♥

Twenty years. It has been 20 long (yet short) years since the day that changed everything. I think about the fun day that Jason and Lindsay had just experienced... driving to San Francisco and exploring the city (a first for Lindsay). They stopped to take pictures at various places... touristy things that most everyone does. They were having a great time on their last weekend together in California. Lindsay was going to fly home earlier than Jason to get things ready for their upcoming wedding. In no way did they ever expect that they would die that night. I am glad they enjoyed that evening marveling at God's creation in the beautiful sunset they experienced. (We know this because they wrote about it in the journal that was left for visitors to sign, in a driftwood structure on that beach/cove.) Then they fell asleep under the stars in their individual sleeping bags, probably so excited to spend this time together and think about their wedding that was fast approaching.

I will never understand what happened next. It still breaks my heart. Jason and Lindsay were robbed of their lives and their future and their families were robbed of their precious kids, siblings, etc. It is unfathomable. I understand that God allowed it to happen, but He did not cause it. This tragedy was caused by a very disturbed individual, filled with evil, who made a terrible decision that night. But in God's perfect grace and mercy, He took this tragedy and turned it into victory. Not only did Jason and Lindsay enter into glory, but their story has been a powerful testimony that has changed lives for eternity and glorified Jesus in the process. I feel so blessed to have known Jason. My memories of him are absolutely precious to me, and his family are so dear to my heart. I think it's inevitable that something like this changes your perspective on life forever. God gives you eyes to see that this life is fragile and a vapor in the expanse of eternity. Our true home is in heaven and we will be there someday... maybe sooner than we realize... but there is nothing to fear. It is truly our gain!

From the apostle Paul: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." ~Philippians 1:21

Here are some things about heaven that we do know, from passages in the Bible. These are amazing!

Whoever believes in Christ shall never perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The apostle John was privileged to see and report on the heavenly city (Revelation 21:10-27). John witnessed that heaven (the new earth) possesses the "glory of God" (Revelation 21:11), the very presence of God. Because heaven has no night and the Lord Himself is the light, the sun and moon are no longer needed (Revelation 22:5).

The city is filled with the brilliance of costly stones and crystal clear jasper. Heaven has twelve gates (Revelation 21:12) and twelve foundations (Revelation 21:14). The paradise of the Garden of Eden is restored: the river of the water of life flows freely and the tree of life is available once again, yielding fruit monthly with leaves that "heal the nations" (Revelation 22:1-2). However eloquent John was in his description of heaven, the reality of heaven is beyond the ability of finite man to describe (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Heaven is a place of "no mores." There will be no more tears, no more pain, and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4). There will be no more separation, because death will be conquered (Revelation 20:6). The best thing about heaven is the presence of our Lord and Savior (1 John 3:2). We will be face to face with the Lamb of God who loved us and sacrificed Himself so that we can enjoy His presence in heaven for eternity.

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/heaven-like.html

It is a great joy and comfort to know that Jason and Lindsay are there and someday we will all see them again. The pain of this tragedy will be gone forever.

To everyone who reads this blog, thank you for your continued interest in Jason and Lindsay's story! I am amazed at how many people still find this blog and read it. I hope their story has touched your hearts in a powerful way... because it's so much bigger than what happened to two people that you see or read about in a TV show or news article. This is a story about God's grace and about a beautiful legacy of faith that Jason and Lindsay left behind. I pray God's blessing over you!

I thank God for what He has done to bring beauty from the ashes these past 20 years. Now we can look back and reflect upon our memories with joy instead of pain. What a gift we have in Jesus! ♥

Below is a beautiful tribute from Jason's mom:

This August 15, 2024 is the 20th anniversary of the homegoing of our beloved Jason and Lindsay. It just does not seem possible that twenty years have passed. That seems such a long time ago, and yet, to be honest, it has passed more quickly than we could ever have imagined.

We had to learn to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts and patch them back together again. It took months, and even years, to heal from the pain of our sudden loss and to find joy in everyday living again. We were never in despair nor did we lose our joy in the Lord, but we grieved. We speak the truth when we say, "It was only by the GRACE of God and the through the HOPE we find in Jesus Christ that we were able to do so."

God was faithful to us in that He showed us purpose in the tragedy that took place. Did we understand everything? No, but we trusted God. Someday, we will understand everything perfectly, and we will rejoice with Jason and Lindsay in how God used them to further His kingdom.

Bob and Delores Allen

Jason's 46th Birthday!

Jason's 26th Birthday, 20 years ago today ♥

Today is Jason's 46th birthday. The photo above is from 20 years ago today, on his 26th birthday. (The last one he celebrated.) It is crazy how fast these 20 years have gone by! SO much has happened! The world is an entirely different place. Many biblical end-times prophecies are coming true, or beginning to. Some are pretty scary... but we know the end of the story! We do not need to fear. We know with certainty that, in the end, GOD WINS! Praise Jesus for that!

I was thinking about Jason this past weekend. My family celebrated Mother's Day at my mom & dad's house, which is still right next door to the house where Jason grew up. Although the houses and yards look a bit different, I had flashback memories of my childhood with him 40ish years ago and I can picture everything the way it was. I will treasure those memories for as long as I live. My parents had a bunch of old slides converted into digital photos recently and found these. These were taken at a local amusement park that was very small in the 80s and now it's huge! How cute were we? :) We didn't know what the future held but, despite it all, God has been glorified and there's nothing better than that.

My sister, me and Jason :)

I have no idea what heaven is like, other than knowing that it's far greater than any human mind can begin to imagine or dream of! I don't know if we will know when our birthdays are/were or how that all works, but until we are there, we will remember Jason on his birthday and remember the truly awesome person he was and is! He was a young man of faith, humility, kindness, humor and adventure. He loved Lindsay wholeheartedly! He loved Jesus with all of his heart! Both he and Lindsay set beautiful examples of what a life dedicated to Jesus looks like.

Jason's mom wrote a sweet note in his memory today:

Happy 46th Birthday Jason!

We will always miss your smile, your sense of humor, your sense of adventure, but we know that you are living life to the fullest in your heavenly home, and that gives us peace and joy. One day we will be reunited, and we will pick up where we left off. It always gave you so much pleasure to take us on tours of the surrounding areas when we would visit you here on earth: mountains, rivers, canyons. We can only imagine the grand tour you will give us in our heavenly home. We have so much to look forward to! Until then, we remember the precious memories with you.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy Birthday Jason! You will never be forgotten!

Lindsay's 42nd Birthday

Lindsay near Donner Lake, Summer 2004

Today, Lindsay would have turned 42 years old. She was only 22 when she passed away, just a few short weeks before her 23rd birthday. How on earth are these years flying by so quickly? Every year is another year closer to heaven and I'm okay with that. Actually, every day, every hour, every minute and every breath is another closer to heaven. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I have to remind myself of this every year on my birthday: "Never regret growing older, for it's a privilege denied to many."

Lindsay sure lived a lot in her short 22 years on earth! She touched the hearts of so many people. Her faith was radiant and unwavering. Her love and devotion to Jesus was evident. She took in the beauty of nature and sincerely praised God for His Creation. She loved Jason so much and looked forward to their upcoming wedding and the many years of marriage they hoped to have. I don't know why God allowed her and Jason to be taken at so young an age, and before their wedding, but I do know that God is GOOD. I have seen firsthand how He has brought beauty from the ashes. I see how Lindsay's simple but powerful faith and genuine character has set an example of how a woman of faith should live. I look at the chaos and busyness all around me these days and thinking of Lindsay reminds me of a quiet life that's lacking in materialism but strong in intentionality in obedience to Jesus and storing up for herself treasures in heaven.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
~Matthew 6:19-21

I praise God for the great example of a genuine woman of faith that Lindsay was for others! In her death, her gentle and humble nature and her complete devotion to serving the Lord became her legacy! She set an amazing example for all of us and I am so grateful that God has not let her death be in vain. To God be the glory!!!

♥ Happy 42nd Birthday Lindsay! ♥