Episode 11 Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
what has traditionally been passed around in our culture makes it sound really boring, sitting around, lying on clouds, playing harps and whatever, and that is just not what it’s gonna be

spk_1:   0:12
today. Letters from Home Podcast is bringing you our first bonus episode and my 1st 10 episodes. As they interviewed people. My favorite question was, What are you most looking forward to about heaven? Each person’s answer was so unique and encouraging. It made me wonder what other people think. And so I asked a bunch of people from all facets of my life teens. I worked with a church, couples from our life group, fellow podcasters instagram and other friends and our family. You’ll hear each voice Answer the question. What are you most looking forward to about heaven? Starting out. We’re gonna have this new section called Teaching Moment with Mike, my husband. I’m looking forward to

spk_3:   1:03
freedom toe love without fear of being vulnerable or limited, or the idea that I’m going to run out of love and not being there being adequate or something. And so being able to love with your whole heart Absolutely, because you have nothing to have to be for someone You don’t have to be strong. You don’t have to be able to withstand the storms of life. You don’t have to be the honorable one. The patient one the faithful one that forgiving when you just can be absolutely Frito Love. And I think that that place in heaven is because when you get there, you will have this full radiant expression of Jesus in your life. So it won’t be you that’s there. It will be you filled with Christ. It says it will be in his image and likeness. And so all those parts of us that are still weak and frail and unable to make the bar his bar is perfect expression. Those will all be gone on dso that, to me is really cool. To think that I could just love freely Well, if you take that idea of heaven and talk about being able to freely love when you get there, the Bible speaks of the hope of the liberty of the sons and daughters of God that they’re free and all creations sort of under this, this bondage of corruption. But the glorious liberty of the sons and Daughters of God is that there free to be who God made them to be. And he’s our dad off a father means Dad, Daddy. And we also have a mother. And it says in Galatians for that that the dear faithful God, the ones that have gone before us, our our mother and so this that idea of being there as the family, not having to prove anything, not having Teoh earn anything just being able to be there in relationship and everybody radiating who got is It’s not so much how good they are because that’s not the case but how great God is. And not only you being able to love wholly and absolutely without any holding back but being loved that same way. You kind of get that When If you become a Christian, you know that you come to this realization that despite how sinful you are, whatever you’ve done you it dawns on you when you hear the gospel that Christ knows everything about you inside and out knows that you’ve done knows that you think And yet he loves you with the love that was so strong that he hung on a cross to pay for those sins. And so when you become a Christian, you realize how great love that is, absolutely unconditional. And I think that when you get to heaven, what will strike will strike me is how that’s the whole place is that way. It was so often you meet somebody on Earth that strikes use. That’s a loving person. That’s nothing compared to what heaven will be like.

spk_0:   4:44
I wish I could say World Angels.

spk_3:   4:47
I’m looking forward to a time when all evils done away with in that struggle is over and we’re not hindered of no more defilement, no more being led us straight. It’s all castaway. That’s good, Teoh.

spk_2:   5:08
What I am looking for it to happen is that there’s no good byes. It’s only those you have to say goodbye, people that in the places that you

spk_1:   5:16
like and left, I think about having a lot is going to be awesome. So but obviously saying my Jesus face to face is gonna be the ultimate through my times I’ve struggled a lot and the one thing that I just have really clung to more than anything is I have a perfect husband in heaven. He intercedes for me he prays for me. He loves me. He is so present in my life when it seems like sometimes you know, my own family is not present in my life. I just can’t wait to see him face to face. And I guess just hug him holding. I don’t know how it’s gonna be, but but ultimately that’s the ultimate. But I’m having a daughter who was stillborn that I never actually got to really meet. And, you know, she’s got all this time in heaven. I imagine that she’ll be the next face I get to see. I’m pretty looking forward. So getting to meet her, I feel like I know her a whole lot less that I know my Jesus, right? I don’t have to get to know him as much as her. And so I have really looked forward to getting that time with my perfect husband and my precious daughter.

spk_3:   6:20
I think the thing I’m looking most forward to a lot of things, but the main or not said, is being able to see family. That is well because I know a lot of family members, specifically some older ones. My whole life, I only saw them as older nominated mobile. Not very energetic, but that will be gone since there’s no sickness and they can be healthy and happy. No, you get called us your located. Okay? Stop. Until now. Okay? School in a very mean weight loss that will last. Well, Internet Merson that here? Evey that nails pork it? Yeah. On the Orson loss of whether Pernetti, one of my left knee last e models, beer was those on the right time at the abbey. Seeing Jesus. I can’t id went to Ruths Memorial Service. It hit me again. They say, you know,

spk_1:   7:21
you’re going to see your mother, Your father, your sister. Your brother wouldn’t have a blob. And I can’t imagine that even being what we want to see when you get up there just to be in that presence. Yes. See him? I actually did not know that much. Most likely would probably species migrate again. So, uh, meeting Jesus possible?

spk_3:   7:49
I don’t think we were in built to be on this planet indefinitely. So makes me think of the lyrics. This world is not my home. I’m just passing through the seventh. Not my home. Well, I do so I think the thing I’m looking forward to us to finding out. What is it like to be home?

spk_1:   8:14
What I’m most looking forward to is seeing family members that have passed. And one friend Carl. Yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing Karl. He was such a nice man. He sadly passed away. He was always supportive of everyone around him.

spk_0:   8:31
You know, we really don’t know very much about heaven. And what has traditionally been passed around in our culture makes it sound really boring sitting around, lying on clouds, playing harps and whatever, and that is just not what it’s gonna be. We have a God who makes things new every morning and who wants us to enjoy him forever. And there is no limit to him into who he is and to his goodness and his greatness. And it is gonna be fantastic spending all that time, learning more of that all the time

spk_1:   9:14
I’m looking for in Tuesday. And God in his glory and splendor. Food in Jesus. I just have to say like being surrounded by holiness. Just God, I just feel like and earth down here. We’re just always wanted by sin. No matter how we just try to be more like God just be like acting holy and sanctified. Brace

spk_2:   9:39
of God, I think, to my favorite videos to watch. When a soldier returns from home from war and sees his wife for the first time, they just have this deep embrace. And I think of life kind of like that being hard and then seeing God feeling that embrace for the first time, that never stopping

spk_3:   9:58
well, the Apostle Paul in Corinthians, where he says, I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. That is a very rich scripture to me. Jesus, statement. I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me shall never die. Passages like that are always on my mind,

spk_0:   10:20
I say, seeing both of my grandmothers and I guess like different colors,

spk_2:   10:27
I think I’m most looking forward to that. Happens is is it the relationships that we have on Earth? All of them will be perfect and not just perfect, but will be turned.

spk_3:   10:42
I already this time from biblical chili, most looking forward to. I had to say that I look forward to hearing everybody singing. I went to a Promise Keepers event. I heard 50,000 men singing. I can only imagine this gonna sound like before to see in the glassy sea the streets of gold I also look forward, Teoh. One on one meeting create with God. The father just know that he’s there, that I can’t even look at it because it’s just so awesome. Reconnecting with friends and family that have s time for me. So many things. So what do you think? Hi. This is Mike with biblical chili, I would say, first of all and foremost to meet my savior face to face. And then the fact that I’m gonna be spending eternity with him and then also my loved ones, getting to spend the rest of eternity with my loved ones and then also being able to meet all the profits and all the people that I’ve read so much about. Even people that recent history and things like that, I think, is just gonna be the most awesome thing ever. We’re standing at the dock. There’s an old fashioned sailing vessel vessel there. It’s unfurling its sales. There’s a breeze comes up, people are on board. And the boat pulls away from the dock and begins sailing out to the ocean, and we’re standing there watching the ship gets smaller and smaller in the way, expresses a. The vote finally gets to that place where the sky and the sea mingled together. It’s just a white speck, and then it disappears. Someone next to me says, there she’s gone and he says, God where gone to me. But she is still strong and capable of carrying her human cargo it where it’s going and at the same time that we are saying there she’s gone. There’s somebody on the other side that says There she comes And he says, That’s what death is like from our perspective of surf. Survivors were saying of her loved one there, he or she is gone. But from the standpoint of there, welcome into heaven there. People standing there saying here he or she comes and it’s a joyous reunion and revival.

spk_1:   12:57
I think I look forward to not having any separation, especially from God, just that there’s no hiding from his presence, that it’s constant

spk_0:   13:11
seeing people. I know

spk_3:   13:13
he This is Brad from South Carolina, and to answer your question, I am looking forward to meeting people from over the centuries who have pioneered the faith throughout the world. I know we’ll probably be entirely consumed by the thought that we’re standing before a great guy, but I’d like to think that he will love watching us interact with one another as well. Hi, this is Chris staring from the truce podcast. What am I looking forward to most when I get to heaven, I’m looking forward to, um rest because I’m one of those workaholic guys. I hate to say it. My podcast is very labor intensive and I have a full time job s so I think about Psalm 46 10 a lot where he says, be still and know that I am God. And that’s one of those verses that challenges me a lot because I’m not great being still. And I’m looking forward to in heaven being still knowing that he is gone and just worshiping him in that

spk_1:   14:12
that I will finally be home being with my family again. Let’s call before me just being with all the other believers and seeing Brutus Never. I’m looking forward to seeing my parents again. I am looking forward to seeing Alex whole for the first time. Really, that would be wonderful. But I really think that when I see Jesus Andi really fully understand his love for me, I will just put aside all of the questions I always wanted to ask of why this happened. What what were you doing? And I will just know and that’ll fade in the background and I’ll just worship him. No

spk_2:   15:06
Paradise City. I very much looking forward to that.

spk_3:   15:09
It’s going to be awesome and incredible. I really want to meet Noah and there’s a couple other guys of the guy, the Joseph I want to meet him. And there’s a little old lady in the New Testament that Jesus at the church. She gave only two pennies in the offering plate. That’s what I’m looking forward to meeting those individuals. And then, of course, seen everybody in there what God fully intended them to be. You know, who knows what physically like we what second look like, I don’t know. But to know that there’s no more crying and pain and anguish and setbacks and have that just gone, and we’re just living in glory and praising the Lord. That’s what I’m looking forward to.

spk_1:   15:58
I said that being able to meet all the people that I didn’t really get to know, just like people have died like recently. Grandma Jean b drink. Great to just sit down, talk with her also. Most importantly, just get to see Jesus and ask other questions that I have one big one, that it’s not fully answered. But I still have a question about is Why do we suffer?

spk_4:   16:24
Oh man, you’re so anything. Thank you, Jesus and thank you. Thanks to base you often, but like it’s like eating a hero, able to thank you,

spk_2:   16:44
looking forward to seeing loved ones that I haven’t seen in a long time. And also see what the aspects of heaven for, like seeing my mom on Michelle’s mom and grand parents and all the meeting everybody. Meeting on saints will be amazing. I don’t know. I like to think about what is having like because, you know, it’s beyond our imagination. So like trying to think of great things and like it’s going to go to net. So yeah, just exploring what, what what a new Earth would be like because we’re not gonna be on fluffy clouds. Um, I’m looking forward to being able to meet relatives I haven’t met yet and probably just making the physical actual relationship with Jesus like being able to see him in person. They I was looking forward to that first moment when, like you first arrived and it just like everything’s they’re kind of like in your face, like a good look. You know, I look first sees Jesus standing there and he says, Welcome home like tears from your face. And just like that first moment of embracement, I’m looking forward, Teoh. Honestly, everything being perfect, Please, We don’t even compare to that. Don’t here also. So what I’ve been told is that in heaven win someone becomes a believer. All the angels seeing, enjoying all that. I think that would be really two minutes.

spk_3:   18:19
Well, I would say on kind of the creature Li inferior side of my answer. I look forward to like it says no more pain, no more death. Wipe away all tears from our eyes. I think about what it’s like, what is gonna be like in heaven to wake up in the morning if we do wake up in the morning and not know what temptation is anymore to live without temptation to sin. I just can’t wait to see what that feels like. Now, on a higher level, I realize that those air kind of like side benefits, and I really look forward to those things. But on the positive side, to be able to to really see Jesus Christ with our eyes to stand around with admiring masses of people, connecting for the first time in our lives with an undistorted, unfiltered view off the beauty of Christ, to realize this savior and lord of mine is by far the superlative treasure of our lives. And we will enjoy him forever and ever. I really believe that’s it. Now, in a sense, I’m saying that theoretically, I realize when I stand in the presence of Christ, all that theory is going to become brilliant reality, palpable reality, and I will realize just how great Jesus is. I think at our very best we only approach that valuation of Christ. John Piper stresses the question. Is Jesus your greatest treasure? When I get to heaven, I will experience Jesus, my greatest treasure. I can’t wait to see what that’s gonna feel to

spk_1:   20:09
find out more about this podcast, follow letters from home on instagram. And if you have any questions about anything shared or how toe get to heaven, you can email me at L. F H podcast at gmail dot com, and I’d be glad to start a conversation if you liked this episode and want to get future episodes, just click, subscribe or following whatever platform you’re listening to this on, and the next episode will go right into your inbox. 2000 and 19 was a hard year for my family. Our mom passed away. Jean Ellen Hand worker, was born on October 30th 1944 in Virginia. She was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised her family in Southern California. After lots of life and love, she married Conan Break ST Conan, as she lovingly called him. He was so good to her and was with her till she passed at age 74 in April 2000 and 19. Not everyone was ready to share a thought, as it is so recent. The tribute is in three sections. First, there will be some words that remind us of Mom. Second gifts she gave us. And third, special memories. Here is the audio collage of these precious memories and thoughts from many of her four siblings five kids, 17 grandkids and four great grandkids are Mom was definitely not a cookie cutter mom. You will hear that immediately as we begin.

spk_4:   21:55
Hear words to describe Mom.

spk_2:   21:57
Generous.

spk_0:   21:59
I would say she’s spunky. Grandma Jean, kindhearted, carrying and heart it. It’s an aggressively loving kind of person that she waas

spk_1:   22:09
levy Intensely fun. Funny blender Hurl.

spk_0:   22:15
Where’d you go? Jego? Sounds kind of like you. Go. So it was Victor. Victor? Hugo. Victor, Where’d you go? Where’d you go, Victor?

spk_1:   22:25
Stubborn, Truthful. Just remember everything. Whenever will go to visit. Hurry, California. I seen the Haba baba la but not high. Mike, this is your monster in law. Probably a piece of dove toast with, like, a pound of butter on it. Tech savvy, especially for a grandma. She just knew all this stuff about computers and was not lost at all.

spk_0:   22:54
Sweet. I always called her genie Jobs,

spk_1:   22:59
barbecues, us mugs,

spk_0:   23:01
garlic better. At some point, we ended up writing it backwards for some reason. So it was written up. Still rag and then we just started calling it read Web. Spunky, thoughtful, witty,

spk_3:   23:13
analytical. Yeah, swimming. Fried eggs Just so much oil that the eggs floating on top of a sea of oil.

spk_1:   23:27
Tech savvy thanks was always on technology, and she knew a lot of things.

spk_0:   23:32
Really dry sense of humor. Chicken and biscuit. Chicken brisket. What was it called? Chicken in a basket? Chicken and biscuits. Charities

spk_1:   23:42
were biscuit in a big city. Just get mixer. Wait

spk_0:   23:45
checking in a chicken and a biscuit nebulizer. Breakfast can be the bottle. This country. If a background stops, then the question becomes Vincent, because where your hand go? Vincent Hem Go, the famous painter who lopped off his ear with his hand, which is why his hand was missing. Where’s your hand go, victor

spk_2:   24:11
articulate. She knows how to say what she wants, even even if it’s a critical thing that she wants to say or a positive thing. She knows exactly how to say.

spk_0:   24:21
Remember when she would pick up the phone? Her voice. It’s a Hannah B. Obnoxious Bruce, your timer right next to the phone. It was like, Oh my gosh, what do you do it?

spk_1:   24:41
Witty,

spk_0:   24:43
genuinely wrong,

spk_2:   24:45
happy, quirky. She likes really random things like Sudoku. And, uh, yeah, she was in gardens of time wizard. I mean, master of artisan Online garden dream

spk_0:   25:00
mashed potatoes and gravy eaten with a spoon. Chocolate Webkinz, grammar, washing vegetables. Holy Molly. I was like, There’s not gonna be any vitamins left in it. After you’ve scrubbed him to death, she took scrub brushes to her potatoes like I’ve never seen before

spk_4:   25:27
Chili that she loved to make that she would start out by cooking a pound of bacon and then put ground beef and the stake, in fact, and just looking at it with make ones screen

spk_1:   25:42
from Mom. One of the things that I loved about Mom as she waas fearless toe learn anything new. She was happy to learn anything. I mean, her ability to create Web pages and designed her own funt and animate the font. 10 years ago, it was nothing. I mean, she just manage it like it was nobody’s business, and she was not afraid. She just did it. When I was in college, she decided to take statistics and logic just for fun. I thought she was crazy, but now that I’m older. I totally get it. One sound a chicken man can t bear

spk_0:   26:34
sleeps So originally there was be safe. And then at one point, she said safely be And so I said, Flea B and that’s where flee became from. But over time we shortened, flee, be down, just sleeps. It is. It is something that is Senate, both by the person who is going on the journey and the person who is not. Blunder Girl Lpo, Eminem’s Tripling Brain.

spk_2:   27:15
I think every time I called her, she would respond with one of two phrases. One of the bank, all right in the other one being

spk_1:   27:24
okay, cool, pretending to sing songs or just send up sounding like random pterodactyls. That’s kind of fun to random noises at any point in time. This randomly, does she know? Peek around the corner carrot act Eloise, And that’s an animal wave that end with singing and other things. Keep it light and fun. And that’s one of the things Mom did. She kept it light and fun, so even though she never did, Mom never did pterodactyl noises from what I recall, although she screeched every once in a while,

spk_2:   28:00
chill over in.

spk_1:   28:03
She never did screech with what? Which Briana not dio

spk_0:   28:08
love. She had a strange sense of humor that almost like mine. And she was young in their like crazy. She just didn’t give up. I just miss her every single day.

spk_2:   28:25
Here are some gifts that Grandma Jean gave us.

spk_1:   28:28
You got me a teakettle that I’ve had in every single house I lived in through 25 plus roommates. People used it.

spk_0:   28:36
She always gave the gifts for shy portals, their car seats there. Betty bought me a pair of crocs, and, uh, I love them warm all the time. I want they had the hell that you could pushovers that they were slip ons. Are they had, you know, you could pull it down so that ahead of deals that they wouldn’t be slip ons that they’d stay on your feet better. Lots of airflow in, Um, it was just It was really nice I could wear. And while I was swimming, I could wear everywhere because they were made of rubber or something like that. But, uh, the funny story that comes from NYSE, there’s one time she had asked me and this was right after first bottom for me, she was like So how do you like your new shoes? And I told her I said, Well, I like him so much. I’m never gonna wear the old ones again. I’m trying. I’m gonna show on the way. And she had somehow miss hurts that as I don’t like the crocks, actually, just stop me. I’m going to throw them away. So she said, Oh, my gosh. I swear I’m gonna hit you upside the head with a shoe. I’m never gonna buy you anything again. I was like, Wait, wait. But why? I love these shoes. She was like, you just said you were gonna throw him away. So and I was like, No, no, no. I said I was gonna throw by Old True’s away. Eso is just a misunderstanding. And she was good. Bye, kids. You, but definitely a water heater. She put Kayla said skates when she lost everything in the appointment.

spk_1:   29:56
There is one with the family tree with a bunch of pictures of everyone. There’s that that bug. And then there’s another mug which is off like my birthday. My full name. What a time I was born specific time and, uh, how much I weighed how tall I waas. That’s my favorite month. How do you feel? You see the mugs. I feel like it’s sort of nostalgic in a way. It makes me think of Grandma Jean. It’s like, Oh, so thankful for this gift because it tells a lot of me get told a lot about what My how how What about your relationship with Yeah, it shows that they really like that Really appreciated that about her. I’ve got to say every time we pick up mugs that she made for us, I think about Briana as a baby and have generous Mom was to give us those and how special that is. Every time I look in my Cabinet and seal the custom made mugs, I just love it. Key chains For days we have, like I used to have a mouse pad for mom and the kids with all the kids,

spk_0:   31:03
so she gave me a sunlight land that I saw. It helps reduce winter with 50 and gives you

spk_2:   31:12
once you give me an expansion, can pack for this card again. We have its called Munchkin, and it was cool because this was this was probably the most played a board game in the house. So way play. We came together. In fact, we just played it this past Thanksgiving week.

spk_4:   31:30
So one thing that she bought for me that I really appreciated that that was my first deluxe blender. And that was maybe five years ago, and it was something I was thinking about. The support, my help. It was awful and very dinners of her and coming to get that has been a big plus in my house,

spk_0:   31:46
sadly and nice cars. And remember that

spk_4:   31:52
damaging did a lot of for my things that I remember give us our favorite cereals and make sure the pool, whatever worried, I agree favorite snacks that we might right Marie on the same now whenever it was from one of our birthdays, give us some money, operate the spirit of giving and every Oh, really,

spk_0:   32:27
she would send gifts that she liked not knowing if we like. I’m shooting here, she said. Just that a cat shirt

spk_1:   32:37
and she gave me a car when I really need the transportation. I had an old vehicle and I couldn’t afford to get it fixed. And, uh, I didn’t know what I was going to. Dio and Mom just gave me her car. She she was very generous and I didn’t think twice about giving Steph boy, if she knew you needed new, you’re gonna be thankful she did not hesitate to give whatever she could. I love that about her. And I hope that I have taught my daughter to do the same thing to give where it’s needed. What do you think? Breathe. It’s like yesterday we’re making stuff to make tacos to feed 40 people who really needed it.

spk_0:   33:23
Angry birds, house pants and the

spk_1:   33:29
well, not on Trump I tonen Jamie Pepin’s They gave you chickens, remember? We raised them when they were little baby chicks. You were just like a year and 1/2 old something, maybe two. And you had the low maybe chicks. And you want to pick up the little chicks also, So we have them when they’re babies, and then they raise that to be big chickens, and they all laid eggs. And then we started collecting the eggs of all those chickens, and then we catch them, and then we have a whole new batch of eggs from these heritage chickens that are really pretty. She was gonna get a good bar, a little. Take a bite for

spk_3:   34:09
Ester. You just said we really want are sent to learn farming. Lease young.

spk_1:   34:15
Is there any way we can talk you into getting a different gift?

spk_3:   34:19
So we just asked me, said, You know, we can’t afford it, but we really wish we could have a chicken house material. You noticed even materials to get together and get some chickens. And she says, Oh, she never thought of that before to get a chicken house and chicken for one year old. No way said. We said, Yeah, you know, over getting everlasting gift, you could grow up on it and learn to be a firmer what you got, she said. Okay, yeah, just just let me know. Yeah, well, we’ll talk about it. We’ll look in tow. What we got 30 years. She was very generous of us. We were able to get a good size group of chickens in most of the materials. Some of that first generation is still life. Most of them are in the three year old theme. Second generation is just starting to give eggs, you know? Well, we all had to third generation this year.

spk_1:   35:20
The gift that keeps on giving. No,

spk_0:   35:23
She made me feel legitimate. She saw a collage of pictures that I had taken, And she saw these and fell in love with the whole collage that she couldn’t decide which one that she wanted. But she wanted one on campus and she ordered one from me. And, you know, I mean it only, you know, it costs, what, 50 bucks or something like that to make it. I was like, OK, well, you know, just whatever the cost of shipping and what it costs to have it made. And she’s like, No, you’re an artist. So she forced me to take like, I don’t know, $375 for this canvas photograph that I did of this wall, and she appreciated that in May and and nobody really had done that before. I don’t know if you consider it a gift, but her gift to me was all the time that she listened to May and never judged May she would just list. And even though maybe she wasn’t listening, she acted like she was. She would just go on, huh? Uh huh. And I would get it all out. Now I feel better. And just her being a sounding

spk_1:   36:33
board. Here are some stories about Grandma Jean. I gotta spend a good chunk of time with Grandma Jean during a one hour break once in college. And I really got to know her one sweet story. Waas. She’s sitting on the chair is right by her on the couch, and she just kind of opened up about her life story and taught me some good lessons, like never give up. And there’s always, like, more to look forward to.

spk_2:   37:00
One of the things that she had made do when I was there was individually wash each tomato with soap in water in a brush. Which shows you is pretty intensive that I don’t think I’ve ever washing the my tomatoes. I probably should.

spk_1:   37:17
She has a lot of rules in her house that, uh, I would not have thought she would have. There are some very strict rules on, like the dishes I remember. So I don’t think I did too good of a job on that. Uh,

spk_2:   37:30
she would always have a can of coins right next to her desk. And whenever her dogs were barking, she would shake the soda. Can acorns get them to be quiet.

spk_0:   37:40
She would always get annoyed at me because I don’t like where she was in the house. It lets me about scorpions. She had found a scorpion in her mixing bowl. The housekeeper had found it in a mixing bowl in the kitchen. Okay, so she was going to put this working in in Amberg survive fossil. Dan, I believe that housekeeper about right away. And she was upset because that was her scorpion and she wanted to keep it and put it the fossil for a memory. And you start away. She always include creativity. I remember coloring on the floor in her office. We would paint. We always sung that. Especially when family visited. We even played instruments. I love that about her. She was always available for her family, no matter what time. And I’ll always treasure our midnight talks. I miss her dearly, and I’m awaiting for general. And we couldn’t eat till Gina. But we didn’t know jiggles, so they kept saying over and over and over again that the baked beans with bay over the years past that and something like that was going on, they would say something like that. The baked beans was ready.

spk_1:   38:57
We would sing in the car and we sing Christmas carols for days. And, uh, that’s one of the things that she did that I now do with my daughter we have with the van is the singing van. We’ve always had any car that we’ve been in has been the singing car. Do you like that, Briana? I do. I love the music.

spk_4:   39:19
My foot was six years older than me. And so you could imagine when she was a teenager and I was a, uh, preaching, she would let me come and sit and be the fourth at bridge hold. And who to me, too. Well, change, boys. I thought I had died and gone to heaven every time she invited me to come sit there because these three teenagers were happy to have me joined in the table on my sister would happen from there. So one of the memories that I have one of my favorite memories that I have of her that, um, she would spend time with playing fun games and whether it’s playing board games like sorry or going bowling together many times or Kate games, or even when we’re playing Dungeons and Dragons together. The time was fun

spk_0:   40:18
when she was in a play it Christian Waas. They would call the dreamer. I spend a lot of time. She would take me with her to practice, and I would watch them pledge itself. The Christian brothers, wonderful friends that was in it was actually my one of my doctors. I said, We have someone in coming someone to, you know? And I said, I’m Elaine Hand Welcome wasn’t your Jane And I said, Yeah,

spk_3:   40:48
very gregarious and opened her house to a bunch of us coming over plan who know, or something like that and singing songs in her house. And

spk_0:   40:56
when she was here in Memphis years ago, the girls were hanging out with Jean to get to know her, and she made them oatmeal. And so they called her aunty over male, and they hated oatmeal. But they like it now, and they they told her that when they talk to her when she was in the hospital

spk_4:   41:20
with involved by and maybe far away from her grip. I think she made a great effort. Well thought out gift for us personally. We had dinner conversations with her over the phone. She had crooks like all of us. And we might not have liked what she said sometimes. But I I think she took a chance because she really loved and cared for in each one. I very like her. She dropped all by her. She supported our marriage in our choice to school Children. There is definitely I would avoid in online with. And I wish I spent more time with her way Will Miss Eugene.

spk_1:   42:18
The most important thing that she taught me was how important it is to have family in your life. And she taught me what it’s like to be a friend. How so? I I’ve been through a lot. And whenever I would need to talk to somebody, no matter what time of day or night, I could call it Mom and she would listen. She would be there for me and she tell me exactly how things were. If I were making huge mistakes, you she’d say, Oh, well, first she’d say what’s wrong, baby, And she’d make me feel loved and wonderful. And then she tell May, Well, you need to rethink what you’re doing. She wouldn’t be afraid to tell me if I’m making mistakes or if I’m doing something right. And if she didn’t like somebody, I was saying she would not hesitate. Should let me know about that either, and tell me exactly what she thinks. So sometimes that really went well. Sometimes it didn’t. She had me watched a show called This is Us. She’s like just one Episode one episode, That’s it. And I was like, OK, one episode and then, Ah, whole season later I was like It’s a pretty good show into the stay Every time I watch it, I think of her.

spk_2:   43:37
My favorite memory of Grandma Jean was last summer, when Grip Akona was gone in a road trip. I was super busy and trying Teoh keep on work with school and and she said, Just just stop worrying about this thing that’s coming up. Why don’t you sit down and watch this show with me? And it was, this is us and I would not do it. But finally I sat down, and one particular episode really touched me. It was called Memphis. So is this really special moment when the dad and the sun and in the movie are going to the dad’s hometown and he’s right about to pass away? Actually only has about a week or so left to live. And he wants to take a son to Memphis, where he grew up, and he showed him around the city, showed him to the jazz bar that he I used to play in and in his home town in school and things like that. And at one scene, you know, the sun is so stressed out about the drive in the road, and the dad takes the map out of his hands. He’s like, Oh, can I see that for a second? Interesting rolls down the window, trucks it out the window, turns the music up and says something along the lines of Sometimes you just need to slow down, turn the music up and roll the windows down. I remember after that episode, Grandma Jean said a similar thing to me. Stop worrying so much about all the things that you’re doing and just appreciate the moment and right after that it was so special because she did exactly what the dad did in the show. She went on Google Maps and show me her hometown of Memphis, where she grew up, where she went to school, where her friends played, where she went to church and she even had the funeral in the in that church, right by where the elementary school waas and so such a special moment toe. I kind of realized like the legacy she’s passing on. It’s just slow down. Enjoy life. Be appreciative of what you have.

spk_1:   45:25
I love what everyone shared, and I’m so thankful. Here’s my brief reflection to when I think of Mom. I also think of leisure, peas or listen. Herpes, Tar Jay, leaping lizards, caffeine free Cokes, Morton Salt Shaker she kept in her purse. Bob’s big Boy ruffles, senior Rubens, the Princess Bride See’s chocolates, Maple Pecan Bonds and The Rocky Horror Picture show, which we would all attend. His preteens dressed up and throwing rice. She was an avid book lover. She could palm a basketball as a grandma. She once made 1/2 court hook shot in high school. She was a life Master Enbridge and taught us to play 12. I’m going to play Bridge pretty crazy. She loves sending us toy and meat recalls, and she would send his quirky articles. The last one she sent me included 50 Ways to Lose Your Liver, but it may well have so much. She wanted to get us kids on the Gong show or family feud. She was sure we would win the price for singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with our cute little faces and uh, a talent Laundry day included all of the kids hopping in her small Fiat without seatbelts. Yikes and laundry piled on top of us over, flowing out of the windows and roof. But somehow we didn’t mind and made a game of it. She could whip anyone at Scrabble and loved words. Let’s just say everyone in the family knows what a palindrome is and new to never be caught, no matter what your age saying. Me and Joe went to the store, and I’m pretty sure that tongue Twister is a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits and a biscuit mixer. She loved wearing shorts, short shorts and graphic tees with the jeans vest lovingly made for her. She wrote a manual on how to properly load the dishwasher. She loved telling us how she met Elvis. Her father had built and lived in a house on Autumn and Drive in Memphis, and he sold that house to Elvis. My uncle, who played football at Vanderbilt, was tossing the ball around in the backyard while Mom hid behind the patio table. She finally got the courage to meet him, and she asked him to sign her arm. She wished she had gotten that signature on paper and didn’t wash her arm For a months. We would sing Christmas carols walking down this street. Yes, during Halloween, complaining. My feet hurt. I’m tired. I’m hungry ahead and had no dinner. And I don’t want to sing to you. Uh, it was fun, though, Could we were so tired. We made a fun song of it. We also knew late last night when we were all in bed. Old mother Leary left the lantern in the shed, and when you walk around the corner a lot of silly songs, we would put out this little metal Christmas tree barely up the day before Christmas we would profit on a side table and put these little metal sticks in it and decorated with a few colorful round ornaments. It was sort of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but we loved it and there were always presence, even though she never had much to give. We always felt loved around the holidays and birthdays, some of the bigger things. Mom was so supportive and all the key transitions in my life, and I’m so thankful. I’m so thankful that she was there for me. She was always there on the phone. Any time is, people said we needed to call. When I think of Mom, I definitely think of Psalm 84 that was one of her favorite Psalms and was read at her memorial. A little piece of it says, my home is by your altars, Lord of Hosts, my king and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house. Probably The thing I love most about Mom is just sharing, sharing our faith together. We had a lot of great chats about the Lord and and prayers, and I’m definitely gonna miss so much about her, and I look forward to seeing her in heaven. In the last part of this episode, Conan Brink is sharing their love story. Then one special clip and the song that we sang at her memorial just as she wanted it. With Conan leading and her kids and grandkids singing along Here Is Conan. Jeanne

spk_0:   50:00
and I met playing games online in 1991 before everybody was playing games on the Internet. We played games like parts and babes and mini golf. We would go on virtual dates to mini golf and go hang out in there and trying to get our balls to land in the same spot on the screen so that we could be cuddling together

spk_1:   50:24
cuddling online.

spk_0:   50:26
Yeah, she was smart and funny, and she loved her kids. She was excited that I was a strong Christian. After two or three months, I drove down and visited her for a while, and I stayed around long enough for Alexis to be born, going down to meet somebody and then going with her to the hospital for the birth of a grandchild. She was who I thought she was. We met online in a time when people didn’t think to be someone else. When they met each other online. Nobody was editing their Instagram streams. I was 22 she was 47.

spk_1:   51:04
And that didn’t bother you.

spk_0:   51:06
Yeah,

spk_1:   51:07
because you’re attracted to her based on her personality. And her were, Of course, she was beautiful, too.

spk_0:   51:13
But it really didn’t matter what she was gonna look like, because that’s not who I fell in love with in the first place, anyway. So you know, it’s it’s nice to shoot and have five arms or anything weird like that. But a few months later, I interviewed for a job at the Sierra Network, which was the game company for the games. We were playing where we met. She went up to see me, then it. About two months after I got the job, we got married, and the attire for the service was if you wouldn’t wear to a picnic you couldn’t wear to the service. However, the service itself was very serious, conducted by the Reverend Dr Richard W. Fry, who read out of Ephesians and charged us directly with the instructions in there. And we said, Yes, we’ll do that. And so for 26 years, nine months, 11 days. 21 hours. We did that. So there was premarital counseling about the age difference. And he told me that I would get to go through menopause and told her that it would be like going through puberty again.

spk_1:   52:27
And how did that go for you?

spk_0:   52:30
About as expected. And what about is expected toward the end, when she was not doing well. One day she was crying and saying to me, You didn’t sign up for this. And I said, I’m pretty sure I did. We had premarital counseling Exactly about this. I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I said yes.

spk_1:   52:55
And you take great care of Mom. And I know she loved you very, very much, Conan.

spk_0:   53:01
Yes, she did. She was wonderful. Wife loving mother, grandmother and great.

spk_1:   53:10
What will you miss most about her, Conan?

spk_0:   53:14
Well, every night around midnight, I still miss racing to say hi. I love you today. Yeah, because that was something we established fairly early on Was to try to be the first person descent. I love you today on any given day, and it started off around, you know, 6 to 8 in the morning. But Eventually it found its way to midnight and we would always trying to stay up for midnight to try and beat the other person. It was also an important goal to try to get that person distracted from looking at the clock so that you could be the one who saw that turn to midnight. So on her very last day on April 27th 1019 at 2 50 in the morning, she sent me a text that says, I love you today So she wins the final round. I read. Jean, thanks very

spk_1:   54:17
much for calling reasoning.