For Mary.

what is "all"?

"...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."
Matthew 22:37

The Valley Song

The Valley Song

by Jars of Clay

~

You have led me to the sadness

I have carried this pain

On a back bruised, nearly broken

I'm crying out to you

~

Chorus

I will sing of Your mercy

That leads me through valleys of sorrow

To rivers of joy

When death like a Gypsy

Comes to steal what I love

I will still look to the heavens

I will still seek your face

But I fear you aren't listening

Because there are no words

Just the stillness and the hunger

For a faith that assures

~

Chorus x2

~

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia

~

While we wait for rescue

With our eyes tightly shut

Face to the ground using our hands

To cover the fatal cut

And though the pain is an ocean

Tossing us around, around, around

You have calmed greater waters

Higher mountains have come down

~

Chorus

Yeah

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia alleluia, alleluia

~

Chorus (4 Xs)

Oh, Lord sing of Your mercy,

Mercy

Your mercy

In memory of Her.

This Christmas

We will be spending this Christmas in Mississippi! We are excited. And a little stressed, maybe. Christmas cards should be out Monday, packages Tuesday, and I'm lacking just a little before I can say I'm done shopping. Sad to say, but I'll probably finish up shopping in Mississippi.
We are going to drive down, 12-ish hours. whew. I'm already tired thinking about it. I know some things already-number 1: Aaron is going to play football with the guys one day. Just so you know. ;) Lots of Bonner family to hang out with! (I'll miss you Emily!!) And I hope to visit with some friends and oo and aah about how big little ones are getting. Possibly walk around outside without snow boots (hahaha)...it doesn't take much to excite me. But that's a good thing.
Yesterday I was struck once again by the fact that when we go over to the Sprayberry's house, Mary won't be there. It was so odd and incredibly sad to imagine sitting on a stool in her kitchen and not being about to talk to her... I am overwhelmingly excited about where she is right now-in the presence of our LORD!! But I think maybe not being there where she was, not actually missing her being there, because I'm not there, is making it take a little longer for reality to set in that she is at home, in heaven. Meaning I'll see her when I get there, but not when I am in Mississippi this Christmas.
Our wonderful God who created our emotions and gives us the amazing capacity to be happy, joyful, feeling a loss and sad-all at the same time! Thank you.

Mrs. Mary Sprayberry

From her Memorial Service, Riverwood Bible Church,
September 14, 2007:

Mary Ellen Sprayberry

July 13, 1951-September 11, 2007

~

What a privilege to have known Mary Ellen Sprayberry. Mary impacted her world with her soft touch of joy, color and laughter. Wife, mother, friend, child of God; Mary occupied all of these roles and she did it with distinction and delight. her arms were most often around someone, if not literally then figuratively. Mary found the world a place that needed cheering up and she did it by being herself. Her kitchen was not only a place of nourishment for her dear family, but also a place for untold number of young people to pass through and be nurtured and love and cared for. When you had Mary's attention, you were her whole world. Mary will be missed. Deeply missed. But what a privilege to have known her, and to have loved her, and to have been touched by her spirit.

Mary's Life Verse:
"...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."
Matthew 22:37

The Valley Song:

You have led me to the sadness

I have carried this pain

On a back bruised, nearly broken

I'm crying out to You

-

Chorus

-

I will sing of Your mercy

That leads me through valleys of sorrow

To rivers of joy

-

When death, like a gypsy

Comes to steal what I love

I will still look to the heavens

I will still seek your face

-

But I fear You aren't listening

Because there are no words

Just the stillness and the hunger

For a faith that assures

-

Chorus

-

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia

-
While we wait for rescue

With our eyes tightly shut

Face to the ground using our hands

To cover the fatal cut

-

Though the pain is an ocean

Tossing us around, around, around

You have calmed greater waters

Higher mountains have come down

-

Chorus

-

Yeah

-

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia

-
Alleluia, alleluia alleluia, alleluia,

Alleluia, alleluia alleluia, alleluia

-

Chorus

-

Oh, Lord sing of Your mercy,

Mercy, Your mercy

-

--by Jars of Clay

(c) 2003 Bridge Building Music