Seven years...

A photo Jason & Lindsay took of themselves on their last day here on earth.

A message from Jason's mom:

It has been seven years that we have lived without the physical presence of Jason and Lindsay, but we always remember the laughter, the quiet conversations, and the precious moments of togetherness. We patiently look forward to those times again. I like what C.S. Lewis said:

"Then the new earth and sky, the same yet not the same as these, will rise in us as we have risen in Christ. And once again, after who knows what eons of the silence and the dark, the birds will sing and the waters flow, and lights and shadows move across the hills, and the faces of our friends laugh upon us with amazed recognition."
C.S. Lewis
The Joyful Christian

Wow, it's hard to imagine it's been seven years already! Time really flies... and seems to get faster and faster the older I get. But I still vividly remember the events of that week back in 2004 (following the weekend of August 13-15) and the day I found out what happened to Jason & Lindsay. It was August 19, my 27th birthday, and the most devastating day of my life thus far.

I'm sure almost everyone can relate to that feeling that the world (or at least your own little world) seems to come to a screeching halt when you are faced with a sudden and devastating loss. You feel suspended in time, for a while, in grief that can be all-consuming at times and you know your life will never be the same. You also feel how strange it is that the rest of the world can go on as "normal" while you're dealing with such a powerful and gut-wrenching devastation! I spent a lot of time questioning why God would allow such a thing to happen in the first few days after I found out they had been murdered. But I learned so much from Jason & Lindsay's families of what a solid foundation of faith in Christ should look like! I learned so much about God and His beautiful grace and mercy through all of that! I began to see things from His perspective and it brought me so much comfort and peace! I know fully that, because Jason & Lindsay were fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ, they are much better off now than they ever were here. But that doesn't mean they are not missed. Today there will be tears shed for them as they are fondly remembered and these next few days will bring back a lot of memories, especially for Jason & Lindsay's families, of the shock and grief they experienced. Undoubtedly, there is no day that passes that they don't think of them. There is a gaping hole where Jason & Lindsay used to be. There are 3 little nephews who will never know, on this earth, their awesome Uncle Jason & Aunt Lindsay! But we do all celebrate and thank God for the years Jason & Lindsay did have here with us and the example they set for others! They were remarkable young people who weren't afraid to live out their faith! Even in a society that tends to assault the beliefs of Christians and the Savior we worship and praise, Jason & Lindsay shined brightly for the Lord and made a real difference in this world for Him! I praise God for that! And I praise Him that we will see them again. That is God's promise for those of us who believe in Him and follow Him! How awesome is that?!? :)

I have SO many great memories of Jason from our childhood! :) It makes me laugh to think about all the silly things we used to do and the fun times that we had! He was such a good sport... being the only boy on our street and one of only a few boys in the entire neighborhood! (At least in terms of kids our age.) He occasionally got roped into playing Barbies with us! Poor kid! :) But I did play with his toys at his house too... lots of G.I. Joe's and Legos. I loved every minute of it! We used to also make "forts" in the basement out of folding chairs, couch cushions and blankets pinned together with clothes pins. We went sledding in the winter and built snowmen. We climbed trees in summer and rode our bikes all over the place. I will always treasure these memories! I hope that when I get to heaven, we have perfect recollection of those fun times so we can talk about them and laugh our heads off. :)

So today I remember Jason and the beautiful love of his life, Lindsay, and smile knowing they loved others fully and were fully loved in return! They loved the Lord with all of their hearts and I strive to live a life as exemplary as they did. I hope and pray that someday soon we will find the person who took their lives and bring justice for Jason & Lindsay here on earth! I also hope that, when that happens, that person (or persons) will be touched and transformed by the love of Christ that they will experience... in the form of grace and forgiveness by Jason & Lindsay's families. Even though whomever is guilty of this horrific crime is offered forgiveness, they still need to take responsibility for what they did! So please, if you have any information on what happened or whomever is responsible for these murders, PLEASE come forward! It is time to be accountable. It is time to be honorable and to do the right thing! God will hold us ALL accountable for what we do... but also what we don't do when we know we should do it. ["So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." ~Romans 14:12]

Jason & Lindsay... 7 years ago today you met Jesus face-to-face! You are loved greatly and missed dearly and will NEVER be forgotten! Someday soon, before we know it, we'll see you again! Thank you so much for all of the great memories and for your exemplary faith... you were and are amazing and I smile with tears in my eyes as I honor your memory today.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." ~ 1 Peter 1:3-9