Memorial Service Plans
Memorial service for Wayne will be Friday, December 16, at 1:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Blue Springs.
The boys and I will do the eulogy, as that is what Wayne wanted. He also requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to ministries of your choice. His suggestions are:
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (www.fca.org)
Heifer International (www.heifer.org) See story below. :-)
The Praying Life Foundation (www.prayinglife.org) Full disclosure-- this is our ministry. I hesitate to put it, but Wayne specifically requested me to. Finances that are given in memory of Wayne will be used to fund opportunties for smaller churches to host Praying Life events, a dream of Wayne's. (Hosting a Praying Life event requires a fairly substantial budget and manpower.) He had been working out a plan for funding this and I can't think of a better way to let the ministry honor his memory. This is the only place I will list this.
Let me tell you this story about Heifer International. (This will give you something to compare the ring story to.) Wayne discovered Heifer International, an organization that provides livestock for families and villages in third world countries. He just loved their mission and became a financial supporter. One recent year for Mother's Day, he gave a donation to Heifer International in my honor. I have known Wayne for a long time and I knew it was just a great gift, reflective of his passions. His co-workers, however, were appalled and prevailed upon him to buy me something that he could wrap up and that did not have the word "heifer" in it. How surprised he was to find that everyone did not consider it a brilliant gift! I attended an event with him shortly after and enjoyed some good laughs with his co-workers about my lovely Mother's Day gift. I didn't tell him how much more romantic it was than some other places that have recieved donations in my honor! (You see why I was so surprised to receive the ring.) Wayne looked for ministries that met real needs of people and Heifer International was one of his favorites.
Wayne could never leave a need unmet... in individual lives or in society or in the world. He was a person of great compassion. Genuine compassion. And, really, he was romantic. He loved giving gifts. He loved Christmas for just that reason.
We miss him terribly.
The boys and I will do the eulogy, as that is what Wayne wanted. He also requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to ministries of your choice. His suggestions are:
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (www.fca.org)
Heifer International (www.heifer.org) See story below. :-)
The Praying Life Foundation (www.prayinglife.org) Full disclosure-- this is our ministry. I hesitate to put it, but Wayne specifically requested me to. Finances that are given in memory of Wayne will be used to fund opportunties for smaller churches to host Praying Life events, a dream of Wayne's. (Hosting a Praying Life event requires a fairly substantial budget and manpower.) He had been working out a plan for funding this and I can't think of a better way to let the ministry honor his memory. This is the only place I will list this.
Let me tell you this story about Heifer International. (This will give you something to compare the ring story to.) Wayne discovered Heifer International, an organization that provides livestock for families and villages in third world countries. He just loved their mission and became a financial supporter. One recent year for Mother's Day, he gave a donation to Heifer International in my honor. I have known Wayne for a long time and I knew it was just a great gift, reflective of his passions. His co-workers, however, were appalled and prevailed upon him to buy me something that he could wrap up and that did not have the word "heifer" in it. How surprised he was to find that everyone did not consider it a brilliant gift! I attended an event with him shortly after and enjoyed some good laughs with his co-workers about my lovely Mother's Day gift. I didn't tell him how much more romantic it was than some other places that have recieved donations in my honor! (You see why I was so surprised to receive the ring.) Wayne looked for ministries that met real needs of people and Heifer International was one of his favorites.
Wayne could never leave a need unmet... in individual lives or in society or in the world. He was a person of great compassion. Genuine compassion. And, really, he was romantic. He loved giving gifts. He loved Christmas for just that reason.
We miss him terribly.
posted by Jennifer Kennedy Dean at 5:11 PM
12 Comments:
Thanks, Jennifer. We hope to be able to attend the service. God bless you and the boys and we continue to hold you up to the Lord in our prayers.
Love,
Janice & O.V.
I hear your voice in my mind and I love the memories. A cow.....only Wayne would give a cow to honor you!!!!! I loved his sense of humor and this proves it - do you think Wayne and Jesus are having a good laugh over this, too.....sure they are!
Did Wayne dance with Jesus or did he fall at His feet.....I can only imagine.
Honey....the empty feeling is normal and it may never go away but I do know the memories are sweet and they are the glue that will hold you in the coming days and hours and minutes. Hold them close.
You know.....as much as Wayne loved you and the boys, he wouldn't come back now that he's tasted Heaven. But, he will be just inside the Eastern gate waiting for each of you one bright day when God says "time is up, come on home."
Still sitting with you in spirit and much love.
Jeanne & Dale
Oh....and don't stop these blogs. You are touching hearts and teaching through every word you put out here. Just because Wayne is in Heaven now, your teaching is still needed and we're thirsty for it. Teach us how to let go and cherish memories and teach us to be confident in our Father.....
Hugs
Jeanne
Jennifer, how I wish I were close enough to give you a long hug. Thankfully, prayer isn't limited by geography. So I'm hugging you in the spirit. And I'm trusting that God Himself is holding you and the boys close, giving you freedom to grieve even as He wraps you in His comfort.
Love,
Deborah
Dear Jennifer,
I am so humbled to have received the gift of your writings and seen the Holy Spirit at work in your private world through your postings on this site. God has touched multitudes of people as you have shared your daily walk with Him through this most difficult time of letting go. Thank you for your transparency and your demonstration to Glorify His Name.
How beautiful that God allowed you this season with Wayne before he left to enter Heaven’s gates. What precious, quality family time you were blessed to have expressing your love, appreciation and devotion to each other without regrets. What an honor and privilege that you and your boys were there to escort Wayne to the threshold of heaven. What an experience of standing on Holy Ground to witness the exchange. “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.”
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
Your writings in Live a Praying Life have ministered to me deeply. I have been and will continue to lift your family in prayer. As the days, months and years pass, may the burden of your sorrows be lightened by the joy of your memories of Wayne. God's love and unimaginable peace will envelop you and sustain you and your boys. Your spirit is a sweet fragrance of His love. Thank you for your testimony of encouragement for us all.
Many blessings to you,
Gigi Hankins
Cary, NC
Yes, please continue to post. Such a blessing. And it helps us know how to pray specifically.
So wish Joel and I could be there on Friday for the service, but we will be in our hearts.
I'm remembering many years ago when I read your first book and called the ministry re: having you come for a conference. And Wayne answered my call. You were in the Phillipins (sp) and he gave me the whole story and told me about The Praying Life Foundation Ministry. I agree with another one who wrote that he was SO proud of you and what you do. It was obvious in a good healthy way.
The Lord continues to bring you and the boys to mind and I know that will continue. You are always in my heart. For many years I have been taught and ecncouraged by your writings--such a gift from the Father Himself.
May the Father continue to wrap you all in His love as He you walks you in His way everlasting. He is Lord, indeed.
Know you are loved by all these folks who post and so many more and are being lifted to the Throne Room of Grace! And God is faithful to care for His children, and when He calls us He will do it.
Sincerely and with much love,
Kay Walker
Jennifer-
Thank you for the sweet spirit that pours from you. Thank you for having a willing spirit to be used by God through this blog! Hallelujah! God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and so awesome! Thank You, Lord for Jennifer pouring her heart & soul out to her friends and now, new friends and prayer partners around the globe. Glory to God! God bless you, Dean family. Praying for you, Tamara.
Jennifer,
I am a voice from the past in Marietta, Ga. My sister-in-law received your blog site and she forwarded it to us as she knew we were your neighbors in Marietta.
We were so shocked and saddened to hear about Wayne. I knew your faith would be strong, but I have spent the morning reading your entire blog and am touched deeply with your strength and constant faith. What a gift you have given others by writing during this difficult time.
You guys have been gone almost 12 years and it just seems the other day that Sarah was riding in Wayne's truck singing country songs. (perhaps that is why she is a country music fan to this day). You guys were special to us and it has been great keeping up with you through Wayne's Christmas cards and pictures. I only wish I had known of his illness so that he would have felt my prayers, however, you and the boys will feel them as our family will keep you in our prayers as you celebrate Wayne's new birth. He was a kind and loving neighbor and friend and will always have a special place in our heart. Give our love to the boys and know we are thinking of you.
Love,
Sally Cox
You can imagine the laugh I got when I heard the story about the Heifer Foundation. Only Wayne would have thought it as a considerate, loving thing to honor you on Mother's Day with his donation. What a hoot he was and he will leave everyone who knew him with a smile in their hearts. He had the capacity to love so much. The four of you must have so many stories to remember.Blessings.
Jennifer, you are a treasure and your family feels like my family to me. I met you at Winstanley Baptist Church on Sept 9th and blubbered because I had wanted to meet the one who was able to articulate what I felt and believed about prayer and our Lord. You were gracious to me then and since I have been reading your postings, I feel I might know you even better.
Though I spoke with you for a short time, I can hear you speaking aloud through your beautiful journal and I have learned much about grace and great faith. Thank you for being transparent in your faith, your strength but also in your weakness. Truly He is strong in your weaknesses and I only pray that I might handle adversity as you have.
I love you sister and I will always be a prayerful supporter of your ministry. Thanks for being so available to God...and to us.
May God richly bless you and your sons,
Karen Wheat
Jennifer, I don't know if it is possible to post a picture on a blog site. If it can be done, would you be willing to place a picture of Wayne here? I know there are many of us who would treasure seeing his face.
The empty feeling will go on for a long time. I am anxious to see what the Lord has for you to writing about all of this. When you walked through this valley please grieve completely because if you don't you will have to come back and do it later. Trust Jesus to lead you there. Anxiously waiting your next book. Mary B.
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