Friday Update 5-14-21

Hello Everyone,

On the second Friday of each month, our friends at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church prepare a meal for our friends, but our dear friend Marika lost her husband last week, and her team was with her as they needed to be. She has been married for over 50 years, and I cannot imagine how broken her heart must be. Please keep her and her children in your prayers. They faithfully serve our friends each month and are such amazing people.

Tonight we had chili dogs, chips, cookies, and drinks, and as one person said, it was good to have something different. We had a great night, and it was nice to be back as we have been gone for a few weeks. Found out tonight that one of our friends is doing security work and is now sleeping inside, and for that, we are so happy. Had another friend who showed us his dream car he had just purchased.....he's pretty happy, to say the least. He is doing well in his recovery, and it's great to see him be happy and peaceful.

Tonight we talked about how none of us know when our time on this earth is done....we think we have a lot of time, but we don't know that for sure. On April 27, 2021, Brad Lambert passed away and went to be with Jesus. As far as we know, there weren't any pressing health issues going on, so this came as a big shock. When we got the call, we went to where he was staying, and the police had already arrived, and we were allowed to see him for the final time. He was sitting at his table with his Bible open and slouched over his chair. At first, it was hard to see he was gone, but then to see his final moments were reading his Bible somehow has brought comfort. Brad has had his share of mistakes and complications, but he also loved God and always felt thankful that Jesus loved him.

A couple of photos with this post are special. The one with the Bible is actually him one-night several years ago as we were reading the Bible late at night. The other was at a picnic we had, and he had a great day. The last picture is when he chose to get baptized a fear years ago. At our home church of Pathway Community Church, our leaders let people pick a word that best describes them, and Brad chose the word HOPE!! It was a wonderful day, and for him and many others, it takes a lot of courage to do baptism, yet he did it. The beautiful story of grace, forgiveness, peace, love, and faith was evident in Brad's life, and we, along with many others, are thankful to have been able to see it.

The real story is how Jesus can transform anyone, loves everyone regardless of the mistakes one makes, which is why we need a savior. Brad will be missed by all of us who knew and loved him.

There will be a service for him at Pathway Community Church on June 6, 2021, at 1:30. He chose to be cremated so there will be no burial. Please come to the service and help us remember him. Remember, none of us truly knows how much time we have, so tell people you love them, ask for forgiveness, love well, and kind. But, most importantly, make sure you know Jesus!