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I am unsure if this should be here, or in memorial or doctrinal forums, since it kind of touches on several areas. Please feel free to move it to the appropriate section. I wanted to tell about my friend Laura`s sister and her passing this week. Edith was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. She fought long and hard, always believing that she would beat it, unfailingly upbeat and positive in her outlook,courageous in her faith. I never met her personally, just talked with her over the phone, our bible study group at church had kept her in our weekly prayers. Laura called me last night after Ediths funeral to thank us for the prayers, I apologized, thinking that they hadn`t done a hell of a lot of good...Laura was really excited, not what I would expect after laying her sister to rest. She strongly objected to the idea that the prayers had been useless and told me of Ediths final hours. Edith`s family had taken turns all day at her bedside, the final shift being taken by a cousin who was also a nurse. These are the events she witnessed and shared afterward: Joan and Edith laughed and talked for 5 hours. At some point, Edith appeared to begin noticing others in the room, even though still seemingly lucid and talking to Joan. Her joy grew as she greeted deceased grandparents, friends that had passed away in her youth. She grew ever more excited and joy filled with each new recognition. At one point she delightedly exclaimed, *Why Lauren, just look at you up and walking around!!! Lauren I found out later, was a beloved niece that had passed away at 6 years old never having walked. After a while, Edith in incredulous suprise greeted a horse...Joan said that she then reached up to gently scratch his neck, and drew it to her embracing in a blissful hug. She reached up as if grabbing a handful of mane, lifted her leg as if sliding up it`s back and mounting...her expression incredulous, as she straightened and exclaimed *Oh Joanie, it is SO much more beautiful here than we ever could have imagined*. Edith was beaming as she bid Joanie goodbye seemingly focused eagerly on the adventure unfolding before her. It was at that point, her breathing changed. Joan hurriedly awoke Ediths son. His mother tenderly baid him goodbye, again mumuring *it is so much more beautiful than we could have ever ever imagined....as she faded away filled with a joy, at peace. At the funeral, the joy eminating from the two folks that had witnessed her passing was inspiring. Laura said that you couldn`t wipe the grin off of the son`s face. I know this runs counter to what we were taught and believed. I know that folks will wondering if she was hallucinating or being tricked by devil spirits masquerading yadda yadda....sigh. I have to wonder, I know that what happened to Edith was going to happen regardless, she was going to see what she was going to see...experience what she experienced. She would pass not only in peace, and with a joy so profound that it moved those around her. What is to me humbling, is the feeling that God alowed her to share a bit with us,seemingly peeled back the veil so to speak, permitting us to catch just a brief glimpse of what awaits us, a comforting if you will to those of us left here struggling to understand, to endure the difficulties each day present. Laura asked me to thank all who had prayed, believing that those prayers for her sister were an integral part of what made her passing the not only peaceful, but the profoundly inspirational event.

How bout this one: "Odd that VP would hear God telling him to shut up, but not to keep his pants zipped."......A quote from Jim ... Simply classic! I couldn't stop laughing!