“For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below – there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 8:38-39 (Good News Translation)
For the past week, I have been thinking about my family and especially my daughter Marissa, who went home to be with the Lord about 8 years ago at 13 years of age. There’s not a day that passes where I don’t think about her, and her impact upon us, and how much I miss her and equally, how much I look forward to seeing her again.
Since this is the week of Easter and the time of the year that we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, I was inspired to produce this slideshow video about her life.
She was quite a gift to us here, and I am thankful that her hearing a call from God to want to minister to children in Africa was not lost on Leslie, Gabriel and me, nor on many of you who either prayed for, contributed to or have supported Marissa’s House Projects. You’ll notice pictures of the children included in the video as well.
Finally, I pray for those who are grieving the loss of a child, sibling, family member or pet; I pray that you receive the comfort that God desires to bring to your daily hurt and pain.
In the midst of my pain, this weekend is a powerful and inspiring reminder that because of Jesus and because of the Resurrection, as noted in the scripture above (which is listed on the cover of Marissa’s Journal) we will one day be reunited!
Until then, I pray that you’ll allow God to convert your pain into passion and purpose; thank you Marissa for helping us with this valuable life lesson and thank you Jesus for your love and making the reunion a possibility!
To get to the video (posted on YouTube) click the image below:
Below I have listed links to the songs that I used in this project (my first and I know it shows!).
- I’ll See You Again by Westlife
- See You In Heaven by Hans Christian Jochimsen
- Crown Him (Majesty) by Chris Tomlin (with Kari Jobe)
- Heaven’s Song by Gateway Worship, led by Walker Beach
- When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
- Breath Of Heaven by Amy Grant
- To My Mom – “Save A Place For Me” by Matthew West
- Your Presence Is Heaven To Me (over 1 hour of Piano Instrumental Music)
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” – Psalm 56:3 (TNIV)
“Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path” – Psalm 119:105 (TNIV)
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” – Philippians 2:13 (TNIV)
TeleHealth/Video counseling sessions are available for those who prefer to meet online – Dr. McGill
drkenmcgill.com 