Everyone likes a good story right? From the time we are little and hear “once upon a time”, our attention is grabbed and are curiosity piqued.
God has given each of us a unique story to tell. The idea of sharing mine on the internet for the world to read was thrust on me…and while I was reluctant at first, it’s been such a blessing.
My daughter Ava was born in 2006 with a rare and life threatening heart defect. To share her ups and downs through a website, became such a practical solution to keeping family and friends updated. It also helped me feel connected and supported during her 3 month stay in the hospital and through her struggles beyond.
Her website became her baby book and my journal. She developed quite the following from around the world. So many prayers and so much love from people I didn’t even know…was amazing!
Fast forward three years, I had shared the many miracles we had witnessed in Ava’s life, the heartache of our miscarriage, and the joy of a healthy baby boy (Lincoln). I was thinking about closing down the website as life had settled down into a more normal rhythm.
Then I wrote a post I never dreamed I would. My husband had been diagnosed with cancer. Sarcoma. A tumor in his leg had matasticized to his lungs. And once again…my little blog became a place to share our story.
I blogged through his grueling chemo treatments. I blogged about discouraging doctor’s appointments. I blogged through hospital stays. I blogged about Josiah’s limited time on this earth. I blogged about his hope for the next. I blogged about hospice care. And then I blogged about his death.
And through it all, the overwhelming support and prayers flooded in. I continued to share my journey. My grief. My lonliness. My fears. My joys. And all the incredible ways God was faithful to me and my little ones.
Time past by and God’s healing took place. And then I got to share the new love story that God was writing. About the widower down the street and his two young daughters (Karis and Gabi). About our wedding…our beauty from the ashes. About our new family that God was bringing together. And then finally, our little surprise blessing, baby Weston!
So, we all have a story. This is mine, with all it’s twists and turns and everyday normal.
But I hope to share the beauty in all of it.
Beautiful Things 
Jessica – as I begin to wind down from my day my thoughts went to you and Josiah. I jumped on facebook and noticed that your Mom posted your blog site. We have been praying for you and Josiah in fact your whole family. Norm purposed in his heart to pray for Josiah every time that God woke him up at night and I will tell you Josiah is getting a lot of prayer from Norm. Not to worry he has not gone back to work from his surgery. I guess I just wanted you to know how much we care about you guys and are upholding you in our prayers.
Words cannot express how our hearts cry out to God on your and Josiah’s behalf. GOD IS GOOD and GOD IS FAITHFUL, so just know that so many people love you and your family and are PRAYING DILIGENTLY for GOD’S WILL to be done in this situation, and I know you want that as well. Praying for peace for you, Jess, through this time, as I know your heart bleeds for your hubby! Thanks for letting us into just a small part of your daily events with your blogs and know that we are there with you in our hearts. Continuing to pray and LOOKING UP — ;0)
Hey you two! This is Bethany’s Missouri friend Margie. Guess who we met today?! None other than little Miss Ava Johnson. What a cutie petootie! And a socialite. You would have thought she was running for prom queen. 🙂 It was a blessing to finally meet her. Our Charlie (#4) will be 3 in June and he has always been our “Ava reminder” because they were born the same spring. Well, it’s been a long day to and from Bethany’s grad and church will come early in the morning so I need to go. Just wanted to say we love you and we’re so proud of how you’re handling all of this. You make the kingdom family look good! 🙂 Praying you get some sleep and stay germ – free. Thank you for being transparent and “letting us in” to your personal stuff. It does help focus our prayers when we know how to pray. Lots of MO folks praying for you and sending their love.
His love endures forever!
Margie and Campbell Crew
Josiah & Jess,
You are in our prayers and we are praying for complete healing. We (Jesse, Caitlin and I) were at Bethany’s graduation party this weekend and we got to “officially” meet your Ava – what a ray of sunshine right straight from Heaven! In her sweet little voice she said (as she shook our hands), “Nice to meet you!” She grabbed our hearts at that very moment.
God bless,
Deb, Jesse and Caitlin Huffman
Jessica, As i sit here I pray for Josiah and his cancer to be healed and I also pray for you and the little ones to be strong for him. I am also paraying for God to give me the strenght he has given you. You are a very strong woman not only in what has been dealt to you but also your Faith! I had not been visiting Ava’s site as often since things had been going so well for you all and then my Mom came home and told me about Josiah and his diagnosis and I cried! I have Faith but mine is not quite as strong as yours. Continue to trust in our Lord and keep your Faith! I admire you! Love & HUGS-
Vicki
Hey Jess and Josiah, I’m finally getting caught up with the rest of my life after Ethan’s graduation. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been praying for you and thinking of all of your family. I was glad your mom could come out to the open house. It was nice to visit a bit. I’ll be specifically praying that those cell counts come up by tomorrow and that you get to go home for a little while before Iowa City. Ps. 20:7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we TRUST in the name of the Lord our God. Much love and prayers, Jen Subra
My prayers are with you and your family. May your husband come home soon.
I’m not familiar with this set up and do not know what to put in the yellow area above???
I came across you be coincidence. My niece in Idaho had a little boy Josiah who was her pastors son. I thought that is where I was originally writing to when I came upon your site. Unfortuately he has left this earth and is back with the Lord.
But… I don’t believe in coincidences….. My niece’s son “Ethan” just graduated also. (as mentioned by your friend above re: her son Ethan.
You all take care and enjoy every monent…
Sincerely, Nancy
P.S. went to send this and found out what the ‘yellow area’ is for… LOL
Dear Jessica,
You probably don’t remember who I am, but Josiah and our kids were all in the same homeschool group.
I want you to know that we are praying for Josiah, you and the kids, as well as both families. You guys are such a wonderful testimony!! God is in control and I know he has something special in store for your little family. Keep looking to our Heavenly Father, as I know you will. Your children are beautiful!!!! Lincoln looks just like his daddy:) Tell Josiah to keep holding onto the Lord.
Love in Christ,
Shirley Johnson
Josiah, I wanted to write a few lines to you and I finally found a spare moment to do so. I have been praying for you and your family just like I promised. I did go to your blog, or whatever it’s called, and I did see your pictures. You do look great with your new dew. It’s one of my personal favorites. I have tried to talk many of my friends at work to try it, some have, others are too big of wimps. Anyway, it is good to hear from you. It is also good to remember what you know so well, OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL!!! Here is something I would like you to read that I read this morning and I will try to copy and paste it for you. It is from the NLT and is Ephesians 3:12-20. Paul wrote it but I know that you can relate to it too. 12 Because of Christ and our faith in him,[a] we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[b] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[c] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. My son bought me a NLT last year for Christmas and I really enjoy reading from it. Sorry that I missed you Sunday, Brother, but we went to the first service. If I would have known that you were there, I would have liked to give you a hug, and tell you how much you and your family mean to all of us. We’ll continue to pray for God’s blessing on your life, as we wait on Him to do what He wants to. I’ll be praying for you soon. Your brother, Ron
Josiah and Jess, Have been wanting to write to you but have been extremely busy – not a valid excuse. I have been praying for you each day, many times. Although I do not understand God’s plan for each of our lives, I do understand that He knows all, loves us all, and is right now preparing a home for each of His beloved children. I have been reading in 1 Peter and found something that might be of encouragement to you. It has done wonders for me. This is from the NLT which is my current favorite version for personal reading. It is verses 3 through 9. The Hope of Eternal Life
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6 So be truly glad.[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. I am looking forward to this reward and I know that you are also. Keep trusting Him as you wait, and never forget for a second that He loves you. There is a group called Downhere, who have MANY great songs, I would recommend all their CD’s to everyone. Anyway, they have one song, that says “He is dying to get to know you.” And only through our “death” to self and life, will we be able to truly “know Him.” I will continue to take you before the Throne of God, the author and finisher of our faith. We love you and will not cease to make mention of you in my prayers. HE STILL REIGNS, Ron Burkhart
Josiah and Jess. Tom and I have been thinking of you two and your family daily since we heard of Joshiah’s cancer. As I go up and down the lane I always look over at your home, Josiah, and say a prayer for you and your wonderful family. Amd every time I get on the riding lawn mower and begin to cut the grass I think of you cutting our grass, Josiah. I am touched and amazed at your words, Jess. What faith, what insight to life! I have always thought of myself as firmly in my faith in Jesus Christ, but I read your words and hear you speaking and I know that I have not reached the level that you are at, Jess. I can’t do anything medically for you, Josiah. We must leave that to God and the wonderful doctors that I know you have in your corner. But if there is anything else, legal or otherwise, you know Tom and I are here.
Tom and Sally
Jessica, you dont know me but I am a friend of James and Amy and thus I have been following your journey. My heart is breaking for you and I am amazed at your strength and faith. God is HUGE and it is a blessings to see you acknowledge this.
I have placed your family on our church prayer list, my homeschool group prayer list and any others that I run across. Please know that we are all praying for miraculous healing that only God can do!!
Hi Jess…
I always appreciate your posts…I, too, am one the Lord seems to teach over and over. I find myself saying occasionally, “Okay…WHAT don’t I get?”!!! It is something I deal with almost daily, I think!! We continue to pray for your sweet family. You are on our minds as much as our own children. Thank you for your faithfulness in loving our Lord. You are an inspiration when I am struggling (which has been much lately). I love you….Continuing to pray…
Hi there, You don’t know me, but I am Josiah’s mother’s cousin. My name is also Mary. My mother, Barbara, and her father Al, are brother and sister. Anyways, I heard about Josiah’s cancer from Elaine. I am so sorry to hear of this news. It seems like cancer has become so common. My father just passed away and two weeks later my brother found out he had cancer.
From reading the other postings and your story, I can tell that you are a very strong family and very well loved. Know that prayer is strong and you have prayers being said on behalf of your family all across the nation. I wish you well.
Much love from a distant cousin, Mary
My husband met Josiah when we were visiting Saylorville Baptist Church and the Luke family (also from Saylorville) keep us posted and have shared your notes with us. You are such a blessing to me and God has given you a real gift to express your thoughts and allow the rest of us to hear your conversation with God. I cannot imagine what God has in store for your family but we share with you the confidence that GOD IS FOREVER FAITHFUL. I will continue to pray for you and thank you for allowing God to use you to minister to all of us.
Dear Josiah, Jessica, Ava and Lincoln,
I got an e-mail reminder from Josiah’s sister on the facebook prayer site, but for some reason I couldn’t open it. It sent me here instead, and I saw all the quilt squares with loving messages. I wanted to be included in the blanket of love being sewn for you through this site.
I am a pastor’s wife in a small Baptist church who regularly prays for you in eastern WA. I sent a note when first we heard about your challenges–we have an 18 y/o daughter who is a cancer survivor–I am so burdened to pray for young people like yourselves who are in your situation. I am especially praying that this Christmas will feel completely “NORMAL” and will be especially bright with God’s glory. We remember that He is the one who left the perfect glorious place to come to the dark womb and be born just like us into this sinful painful world. Isn’t it humbling to think of the sacrifice our Heavenly Father made because of His deep deep love for us little sinful critters on this ball in the middle of His vast universe? It reminds me of the old carol, “I Wonder as I Wander”. I will go and see if I can link up with what Josiah’s sister has posted. Know there are many people knocking on heaven’s door on your behalf, and enjoy your family time to the fullest!
Thinking of you!
Kim Saunders
Randy and I are praying – 9:11 pm Saturday December 26.
Saturday is my special day to pray for your family for the last few years. God places you on my heart other days too, of course. Just wanted you to know.
Jessica;
You do not know me but my brother and his family used to live in your area and go to church at Saylorville. I read your story and felt drawn to the my knees to pray for you. I to am dealing with terminal cancer and feel the pain of trying to say not “goodbye” but “I’ll see you soon” to my precious son and other family members.
You are strong and have prayers coming to you from our home and family around the world.
Keep praying and know that Josiah will rest with our Lord and be waiting to greet you and the children.
Praying peace to your family.
Sharon
My heart aches for you and is softened by your life and what your family is going through. It is crazy how God works in such mysterious ways, and I would hate for a second to think that anything that your family is going through is being used by God to touch my life because I am not deserving! But your desire for this to be used by God and your peace in His will for your life is so encouraging and something I strive for! My prayers are with you and I admire your strength in the Lord!
I have been praying that God will allow the pain to subside and josiah will be comfortable. For jess that God will give you a peace that pass all understanding as you walk along in this journey.
Does Joshia have an I pod?? Sometimes when I’m waiting for the meds to kick in I read or listen to worship music on my I pod that Doug got for me. If not hopefully someone will have one that he can barrow.
It helps to have a healthy distraction, or at least it does for me. Hope this helps a bit. God bless.
Jessica and Josiah. We have been keeping up with you on the internet and our hearts go out to all of you and your families through these trying times. We don’t always know why God allows his loved ones to be tested in so many ways but we know that He is working through us and we pray that we will show the Lord Jesus Christ through our lives. It was good to see all of you at our family reunion in Iowa and so glad that Josiah was able to come also.
May the Lord strengthen all of you and give you His peace in these trying times. Heaven is a little closer when we see loved ones called Home. What a glorious day it will be when we get there too.
With love and prayer–your aunt and uncle in Calif.
I am parying for the four of you. You are always in my thoughts & prayers. I am always amazed at how you are able to keep it altogether. I can tell that God is magnified you your lives. Love you.
you are both a Godly example to ssoooo many, josiah and jess. You are proof that God gives supernatural strength when life throws wrenching things your way. Love to you and your family,
Linda Grant
I learned of your cancer journey on Dec. 28, having been notified for prayer by Matt and Lois Dudley. Jessica, they tell me that Lois (Gravit at the time) attended FBBC at the same time as your parents.
Thank you so much for your openness in allowing us access to your very personal thoughts and feelings. I have been greatly blessed and challenged by reading your blog.
Rest assured, we are praying for all of your immediate and extended family. We will probably never meet in this life; but as members of the Body of Christ, we are indeed members of the only family with eternal relationships. May God sustain you in the valley.
Dear Jessica-
I’m a friend of a friend but have been praying for you, Josiah, your little family and your whole extended family from the beginning of finding out Josiah might have cancer.
I know there’s nothing that can be said to truly meet you or comfort your heart with the kind of pain that you are going through right now. But I just wanted to let you know that there are a LOT of people praying for you and your family during this intense time of grief and suffering. I will continue to pray for you and your family and often find myself crying through this with you as I do.
Bless you, bless you, bless you dear Jessica. You are a precious woman and I will continue to pray for you and yours.
~Kristin
Josiah,
Lisa and I are praying for you and your family.
-Brian
Josiah and Jess,
We continue to hold you up to our Creator, who died and gave Himself for us. We praise God for salvation which will someday be our pass to enter the Home that God has prepared for ALL who believe. I know that you appreciate GOOD music and we do too. I thought these lyrics might be of encouragement to you as well as to all who believe. They are from the group downhere who are solid as can be. The song is titled “Breathing In”
Death is no conflict, for those who do belong,
The very last life breath, starts a brand new song-
Promised to find, what I’ve been looking for,
I guess then we will meet right at Heaven’s door…
CHORUS
As I wander the streets of gold
Talk to all the friends I’ve known
We’ll go adore the Master King,
Then only then I’ll be breathing in.
For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,
When I leave this earth, I’m not coming back again
So I wear this life like a dirty coat,
Give up my tattered threads when I cross the moat.
Life has no conflict, for those who do belong,
This very moment can start whole new songs
When I pass through; die, as we all shall do,
I’m going to fall at the feet of the one who created me
and you
Only peace, no disease, no more rain, no more pain,
No more tears, no more fears…
Breathing in.
I pray that if you get there before we do, that you greet our son Job. I am sure that you have others to greet as well. We will continue to pray. We love you. Ron and Helen
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hese are the words to “Breathing In”
Josiah and Jessica and family
I am not very good wrriting as you can see, but know that my family is praying for you and the family during this time, He is good and HE is in control, keep the Faith and we
are praying—
IN Christ
Dave,Deb and Nicole Shetterly
Hello, I do not know Josiah, but I went to school with Bethany. I hope and pray for comfort and protection over you guys in this journey; I pray that God will bring you an overwhelming peace; I pray he will bring you joy and happiness and I pray that he will shower you with blessings.
A friend passed your link and a prayer request not so long ago. I wanted to let you know that prayers are with your family. May you continue to find strength in Gods love and grace.
Marcia
Dear Josiah, Jessica, Ava & Lincoln – You don’t know me but I’m a friend of the Doug Johnson family and their children and spouses. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve also been praying for you all for a long time – back when you had your challenges with little Ava. What a lovely Godly family you are – such an inspiration for the rest of us christians. I know you must have your ups and downs – but God is great and He is giving you the strength to carry on. You have all “fought the good fight” as Paul puts it in the Bible and Josiah and Jess – you have shown great leadership to your children and all those in contact with you. Our prayers are with you all for continual strength, endurance, and even for a miracle yet. God bless your whole family:)
you are my relative and my folks are marlyn and glenola bunting and i just wanted to let you know that i am thinking of you today. may you have a peaceful day together. prayers for your family. for your little ones, strength for you and for your husband. thank you for sharing with everyone your very private moments.
Jessica & Josiah,
My thoughts and Prayers continue on for you to enjoy what life you have together and with your kids is lived to the fullest extent possible! I love to see the Faith you two share in our Lord and I pray that someday I can come upon the faith and strength that you have and darw up on it in my own life. My heart goes out to you and all that you two have endured in such a short time in your lives. I continue to pray for all that God has in store for you before the end to become possible and for you all to enjoy each other in every way possible and that Jsiah is without as much pain as possible with the help of todays medicines. Love and Prayers! Vicki
Dear Ones,
James 5:10-11. I struggle with patience and forgetting that God is in-charge; so as I am praying for you today this scripture comes to mind. I pray for patience that God’s will may be done. That you will continue to face each test with the patience of Job, knowing that he too struggled to understand, “Why God?”
I commend you for the wisdom you’ve shown in making medication adjustments for Josiah’s comfort. How painful for the family to see your loved one suffer! I cry for each of you. But one thing I do know, your sharing your story and your unwavering faith is an inspiration to so many of what it means to live the Christian life.
Praying that you continue to feel the mercy and comfort of our gracious God.
In Christian love,
Nancy Stoner
Jess, Josiah and family,
We were neighbors long ago but have kept in contact with your mom every Christmas. I still remember you as a teenager Josiah but find you have grown into the wonderful family man I fully expected you to. You were always such wonderful children and have grown into wonderful adults with the love and guidance of your parents. If I had a son or daughters I would want them to be just like you and your sisters. Words cannot express how I felt when I heard about your battle with Sarcoma. Bill and I are keeping you in our hearts and prayers and have also asked our new neighbors in Kansas to pray for you and your family. As you say, it is in God’s hands and i know that with your strong faith you are as ready as one can be for what lies ahead. Jess, Josiah and your children are so fortunate to have such a lovely mother and wife. I know it is extremely difficult to see someone you love suffer. Please know that we are all thinking positive thoughts for you.
Josiah, Jessica, and all your family, You have all been in our prayers constantly as you wait on the Lord. God has truly given you supernatural strength through all your days and we pray that He will continue to deliver loads of grace to you for each second in your days. Only God Almighty can do that!! We are reading a book in our cell group, “HUMILITY” by C.J. Mahaney and tonight as I prepare for our group I read something that spoke of you. I will copy it for you. “That’s why we need to study the broad work of the Spirit so we can recognize His activity in others’ lives and can point it out to them. For example, some of the greatest manifestations of power I’ve seen are in individuals who suffer greatly and yet aren’t complaining. That is spiritual power!! I try to draw their attention to that, helping them understand that this response isn’t simply their natural disposition or temperament – it’s God’s power in action! If He were not at work, no doubt they would be bitter and angry at God in their suffering. ” May God continue to strengthen you all, and may you feel His presence and His love without end. “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus, life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ, one glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows will erase, so bravely run the race, til we see Christ!!! We love you, and will not stop praying for you. Ron And Helen
Jessica and Josiah,
I know of you through Josiah’s sister Bethany. She takes vocal lessons with my wife Lizabeth. I thank you for your testimony, sharing what Christ can and has done in your lives. I’ll pray for you today, that God would meet your every need and that you would rely on Him and Him alone for strength.
Michael.
Jessica, Elsons, Johnsons, May the God of ALL comfort continue to comfort you forever, til we are all together again, in our prepared place, soon!! I am so thankful that we got to be part of your memorial service today. God was lifted HIGH where He belongs. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. When we heard the forecast for the weekend, we began to pray that God would allow the sun to shine, and the snow to not fall here, so that this day would not be more miserable, as we have been to some grave sides when the weather was terrible. The Son did shine and He did make the day more bearable. You will all be constantly in our prayers, as we wait for our Savior to heal your hearts. Praise God for the MANY wonderful memories, and keep them close to your hearts. You are such a GIANT in our eyes as you have faithfully trusted our Savior, whatever He has dealt you. NEVER stop trusting Him as you look to the future. He will carry you through. John Waller has a song, that I would like to pass along to you. It is entitled “Priestly Blessing.”
When the morning comes and the day begins
I will go out in perfect peace
And as the sun goes down and darkness comes around
Unafraid I’ll go to sleep
Over the fathers and the mothers and the daughters and the sons we pray
Lord bless us and keep us
Make Your face to shine upon us
Raise Your countenance on us
And give us peace oh God
Lord bless us and keep us
Make Your face to shine upon us
Raise You countenance on us
And give us peace
Give us peace
Over all our days and thru all our paths may we not forget this truth
Those who just believe you keep in perfect peace
Those of age and those of youth
Over the fathers and the mothers and the daughters and the sons we pray
Bless us and keep us
Make Your face to shine upon us
Raise You countenance on us and give us peace
Please God
Bless us and keep us
Make Your face to shine upon us
Raise Your countenance on us and give us peace
Give us peace
Yeah O Lord
Give us peace. God is the ONLY one who can give any of us peace. We pray that He will continue to give you peace. Isaiah 61:1-3 are some very comforting verses. Read them when you have the time. God is in control. We love you, and will continue to take you before the Throne of Grace. He is coming soon!! Ron and Helen
Jessica, we are so glad that God has given you strength,grace,hope and peace in what you and Josiah have gone through. We remember Josiah as a child when the family lived in Dubuque. Dennis and Mary are very special friends. They encouraged Carol and me many times in our lives. I hope the strength they have in Jesus will strengthen you as well. We look forward to seeing you some day. Some day we will all celebrate together in the presents of Jesus. James 1;22 & 1 JOHN 4:7-8
Hi Jess. I just want you to know how very much I admire you. You have been so inspiring throughout these last few months. I can’t even begin to imagine the heartache and struggle it has been for you, but you have kept God’s Grace in the forefront and for that – you have been an inspiration! I will continue to pray for you, your sweet children and the rest of Josiah’s family. I was reading in my devotions this morning and this verse reminded me of you.
Peter 1:5-7,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Keep in touch, we are there for you if you need us.
Randy and Shirley Davis…..(Aubrie’s friends)
Dear Jessica,
We are friends of the Johnson family, and in fact, they helped us to start homeschooling many years ago. We became close friends with them, and we have prayed with you through the trials that you and Josiah have been through with Ava and Josiah’s illness. I wanted to tell you that even though you don’t know us, we have prayed for you a lot, even now. We would share with our church updates on Ava and Josiah, and our whole church in Indianola would pray for your family. After Josiah passed away, our pastor and our entire church also prayed for your family, and many in our church have been affected by yours and Josiah’s testimonies. You have reached and touched far more people than you ever know. I pray for God to comfort you in this time, and I want you to know how very much you are loved.
With heart hugs,
Ted and Annette Reeves
Adorable and beautiful children! …and yes, Ava’s cut suits her….I love them both!
Jessica,
Your blog page has really touched my heart for months now. A friend of mine just burried her husband who was 36 yrs. old & died very suddenly. He was a saved man which we are greatful for and a wonderful teacher in our local elem. school here in Grundy Center. They have 3 young kids; 9,7 & 3. I’m going to pass this sight on to her after some time goes by. I wish you could meet w/ her sometime if you ever get to Grundy Center. I know your Mom and Aunt Ruth. We are friends w/ Dallas & Ruth, my husband grew up w/ them. Thanks for your time & God Bless you & the lives you have & will touch!
Janie Strickler
Jessica,
Melanie from Freedom for Youth shared your website with me today. The love of my life, Mike, passed April 27, 2010 from kidney cancer. I read your most recent post and it was like you wrote exactly my thoughts about missing Mike!
You and I are both blessed to know that God is always with us no matter what.
Mike and I were married for 26 years and I helped raise his three kids who are now grown and gone. It’s just me and an old greyhound now 🙂 My friends tell me it seems like there’s never a dull moment at my house. If you’d like to visit my blog it’s: http://www.ronimcfall.blogspot.com.
I am going to subscribe to your blog because I know each time you post a new update I will be encouraged and uplifted!
God bless you and your children.
Roni McFall
I apologize for “wasting” a post. I have changed my email and want to continue to receive your updates via my new email address and this is the only way I think I found that I can update my email address.
Still 2 years later I find myself wandering to a page of a woman I have never met. Your story still grabs my heart and turns it in a way that is forever left marks. Life is short and we only have one to live. God is good even when we don’t feel it, and is there ever when we don’t believe it. Your rawness, grief, and hope have given be a greater hope for Heaven. I pray for you often my friend whom I have never met. Keep holding strong.
-Abigail
While you don’t know me, can I just say that you and your story have been an immeasurable testimony, encouragement and living exhortation to me? With a little guy of my own (born a day before your newest blessing) along with unexpected complications during delivery, your blogs were a ministering rain before – but even more so now. Thank you so, so, so much for sharing your journey of faith.