Christina and her Heavenly Journey



Christina took her final breath on earth the same day I honor my dad’s birth. While I'll always have memories of my dad on this day, now I can also recall a spirited, enthusiastically encouraging, light-hearted, and loving young woman.

She left an indelible mark in my life and thousands of others. She didn't set out to change our world; it's just the way she allowed her circumstances to be used by God.







During her journey with brain cancer she opened the door of her life and insightful words flowed out. Her passion for Jesus was infectious.

Christina would have me smiling as I read her blog...she'd find light in the darkest places. Cancer may have invaded her body, but it didn't steal her choice to live well.












She’d post pictures of her brain surgery haircuts right along with fun times with friends and family. And her irresistible smile made it impossible not to smile right back.












            Yet there was pain too. I’d be crying but Christina would instead be pointing to Heaven.








Not allowing fear to direct her life, she fell in love with an amazing guy. Her wedding pictures truly spoke thousands of words. Christina and Doug loved well—maybe not as long as any would hope, but it was a beautiful story they told. 




Doug & Christina & Isaiah





Then a precious little baby boy arrived, a bit early, but healthy and clearly a gift from God.

Near the end, with her own eyesight failing, Christina began to “see” even more with her heart—things she was excited to share so we could know how close Jesus is to us all the time—not just at the end of our life.








Ahmann Family




While some might see this as a tragic end for Christina, she could see that dying was getting her ready to truly live. It was as if Jesus let her open a heavenly window and peek inside. As long as she could, she shared all that she was seeing.

What did I learn the most?

Christina didn't just share God's truth, she lived it. That's the way I want to live.





Today is Christina’s first heavenly birthday. If she could still be blogging I can only imagine how she’d describe her year in Heaven. One day we’ll know. For now, I’m thankful I still have her words, and also her mom JoDee’s blog, Lessons From My Daughter.









It’s not how long we live, but how well we live each day. Christina lived for Jesus and she lived with Jesus and the best part is that Jesus lived in her. That’s worth celebrating today and forever. I can only imagine how she's probably celebrating right now.

Pictures are from Christina and JoDee's blogs.




Popular posts from this blog

Dreaming the Dream

Image
Dreaming big dreams about the future is easy for kids. The only thing standing in the way is time.  Kid’s dreams are not about skills, or opportunities, or even practicality. Those things come much later.  My grandson hopes to be professional soccer player when he grows up. This week, a small piece of his dream came true when his Boys and Girls Club was invited to participate in pre-game activities with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.  He got to suit up in a real jersey and walk on the field with a real pro player. Imagine a young soccer player looking up to who he hopes to be one day. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to a child about their future dreams—you should.  They believe. As we get older we sometimes forget that dreams fuel our hopes—and that's something we all need. So, do you still dream? Or have you left those childhood thoughts behind?  S pending time with children will  inspire you to believe agai
Read more

Sexy Selfies: Posting for attention

Image
We’ve all seen the “selfie” pix on Facebook—those self-taken images in varying forms of dress (or undress). Usually they’re female poses taken in public restrooms, dressing rooms, bedrooms, and lots of what used to be private space. Thanks to selfies and social media, it’s open season on privacy—and modesty. Do you have a social media “friend” who has become a serial selfie? Most often selfies are young girls sharing their sexiness with the world. Serial selfies post hundreds of pictures, so it’s hard to ignore the display. The question is why do they do it. While I don’t approve of the sexy display of serial selfies, insecurity is at the root. Selfies collect “likes” to boost morale. The attention received is like a balm to their broken spirits. But the dark side of exhibitionism is feeling used—not unlike the girl searching for love and giving away her body in hopes of finding love. Selfies seek approval. They're locked in a perpetual cycle of posting pi
Read more

Wild or Tame? Which One Are You?

Image
Finally! Research that explains why I act the way I do. Columbia University’s Motivational Science Center studied people’s activities and what brought them the most happiness. Even more telling were how those activities changed as they aged. Twenty-somethings tend to equate happiness with high-energy activities. Words like excited and ecstatic are usually attached to spontaneous things—even risky things—and living life full throttle.  Researchers labeled this Promotion Motivation —the urge to take chances, including career moves that may not work out. Happiness comes from happenings—the more happenings, the more happiness. By age forty, adults associate happiness with things running smoothly at work and home. It’s also about feeling secure in relationships. Keeping healthy matters more too. This behavior is called Prevention Motivation —and people are more concerned with preserving and maintaining the things they value. It appears that time ofte
Read more