Thomas O’Brien-the beautiful Warrior Has Soared Into Heaven

So many of you were praying for Thomas O’Brien and I wanted to let you know that he has soared into heaven. No more pain and suffering. And while I feel tears in my eyes, I feel joy in my heart that is painful journey is over. Here is the post his mother made on his page:

Debbie Koenig

My dear Friends, my beautiful, beautiful Son passed this morning just before 9:00am. His dad and I were right by his side just as he wanted and we told him it was ok to go. That mommy and daddy were here to give him to Grandma & Grandpa and that they were waiting for him. He will no longer be in pain and will forever be in Peace. He was born on a Sunday so it is a blessing for him to be with God and our Lord Jesus Christ on a beautiful Sunday. — with Thomas O’Brien.

If you would like to leave a message of condolence, just click on his name or his mother’s name above. Thomas and his mother have been heroes in my book, sharing their journey with the world and letting us walk with them. And now, he has soared on angel’s wings and those on the other side have taken him with them. Peace to you Thomas and prayers of comfort to Debbie and Thomas’s other family members.

Heaven Bound

A very special young man is on his journey towards heaven. He has been sharing his journey with the world and many are on his Facebook page loving him into the next world. Thomas O’Brien is a hero in my book for even though he served in the war….he has been fighting the biggest battle of all here at home…cancer…and he is fighting it with grace, courage and letting the world in to walk with him.

His mother Debbie has been standing by him through the whole painful journey and is loving him through it while at the same time she has been sharing Thomas with us and sharing pictures of him growing up and living life. She knows the time is coming soon when he will leave and the pain and sorrow for both is great. I ask if you pray would you please pray for this family as Thomas soars into heaven….and lift him up and lift Debbie up so that they know they are surrounded with love.

Thomas and his other Debbie….what love.

Thank you to all. What a courageous thing Thomas and Debbie have done in letting us walk this journey with them.

Related articles

• CANCER SUCKS, yet LOVE is POWERFUL (drses.wordpress.com)
• Illuminating Blogger Award (drses.wordpress.com)
• THOMAS O’BRIEN, Taking The Time (drses.wordpress.com)
• Prayer Bowl Blessings Sunny Sunday (drses.wordpress.com)
• A letter from Heaven (pastormikesays.wordpress.com)

Middle of the Night Rambling

I think we all at some time or another contemplate our own mortality and it is usually the most common when someone has passed on. And, depending on how our beliefs are, we find some resolution. I have a great faith in the world beyond. I believe that is why I am allowed to see the faces in the clouds that I do. I open my heart and mind.

With my health like it is, I think about these things at times but it is more in a sense of making sure that I have done all I wanted or needed to do. Have I taken care of all the legalities so my son is ok, have I made sure to always let those I love know that and have I settled my conscience with the Creator. Those types of things. I don’t dwell on dying as some do for to me it is just another journey that I will be making only one day when my time comes….and when I do, I won’t have to be Robo Mom.

So, as I lay here in the middle of the night, I was thinking about Whitney and what a hard life she had and how she is finally free. I am sure many will bring up on the internet and media about her drug problems and domestic problems, but the truth is…if any of us were put under the scrutiny that someone like Whitney was put under, there would be plenty to be found that didn’t look good.

For me, when someone I know or someone I love dies, it is a lesson on compassion not on tearing them down. Compassion seems to be lacking in the world today. Maybe some people are just worn out and find it hard to feel compassion. I used to take care of those with cancer…yes on these forearm crutches and had a cancer support group. And I think anything we can do to make the end of life easier for people, we should do. Perhaps that is why I loved the concept of Hospice. They bring compassion and care not just for the patient but for the family and yet people will resist it to the bitter end. I am not sure why. I think for the same reason many people will put off making a will…because it feels like if they do they are saying they are dying.

I know there is life beyond here and no one has been able to convince me that I did not see heaven when I had kidney surgery and they had to work on me so long as I was having a lot of problems on the operating table. I didn’t see the white tube many talk of. What I saw was like standing in the doorway of a room that is dark and looking out into another room that is lit up….and it was the most beautiful, pristine place you could imagine. Such colors and purity. I believe the emeralds and rubies mentioned in Revelations are the intensity of the colors. The grass was such a glowing green, the flowers such deep and rich colors. And people were walking around and animals were in the fields.

And I came home from that surgery with such a peace in my heart. Life has not been easy since that surgery but when things are tough….I can close my eyes and see that other world and it brings such joy and makes everything alright. And when I see faces in the sky like this picture below…..I know that the other world is out there….just a breath away. The first time I saw  this boy’s face and that house in the sky, I cried. I assure you I have not done anything to this picture except circle what I saw. Son was with me and saw it. He has learned to recognize when the faces are in the clouds and will come and tell me …”Mom, they are here….get your camera”.  We are all homeward bound sometime in our lives and knowing there is a home on the other side is very assuring to me.

“I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than  to live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is”

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Treasures and Memories

We have actually come to the part of moving where it is fun. Enough stuff is done that we can bring five or six boxes at a time and go through them and enjoy what we are finding. Below are treasures and memories. This lamp is son’s and was his grandfathers and he loves it. It is very old but the memories for him are awesome. Oh, if you click on pictures, they enlarge.

 

This is a plaque from the man’s whose house we bought over the mountain and he was actually part of the Chicago Fire department and this was given to him. He gave it to son because he knew son was a volunteer fireman.

And a huge treasure. This is a picture of the actual magazine ad for Ford from 1973. The old picture in the ad is of my grandfather, driving that model T and he was demonstrating how to do a quick oil change on the court-house steps. The two boys sitting up on the ledge are his younger brothers, George and Albert. We actually have the original picture in our picture box. Now what a surprise this was and we found it on ebay.

And this next is one of the most awesome things and part of a dream come true for me. I have said how I literally was stuck in one room on the other side of the mountain and how this home I could not do anything. It is wonderful now. I can be part of the house. Do I get tired? yes…do I stay in my room a lot..sometimes. But I CAN do things if I feel up to it and want to.

The other day I made pizza…son helped and cooked the hamburger to go on it..but what fun that was for me. To be able to be part of the daily stuff.

and my pizza  I felt like the little girl who talks about shake and bake and said “and I helped”  LOL  Those are son’s hands doing the oven part as I am not balanced enough to be around the oven. 
We made cherry Crunch, pizza and blue berry muffins. We try to cook in bulk and make the most use out of having the oven on. Might have disabilities, but I find a way.

I was so excited. I went outside and saw my first butterfly bush bloom. And the plant has really grown. It was one of several that a friend sent me as a housewarming gift and they are all planted in my little fenced in area in the back yard.

And our backyard, which is only area we water, is greening up and looking good. I want to invest in some of those ten to twelve foot tall trees Home depot sells to put in this little area for you can see how dry it is outside our fenced in area.

Here is Rosie out at the Rio. She looks for Jack every time we go.

And to show you our rotten, styling and profiling Jack. When he got real sick couple years ago, and we were told to absolutely not let him get wet, we could not figure out how and I finally came up with a solution and now he will not go out in the rain without it.

And a fun spirit picture.

And lastly, this is the picture that stuck with me from yesterday. All I could do was look in awe and think…this is someone’s son that left this world too soon. I have always believed in heaven, after my experience at the threshold when I had lung surgery, I believed even more and now with these pictures I know there is life beyond here. I think, someone is wondering about their child and I wish I could show them. Is this not the most awesome picture ever. I traced one copy and am putting the real picture below it. Look back and forth and you will see the boy, plain as day. This sweet sweet child. Sometimes looking at these pictures is like those pictures with pictures hidden in them and your eyes have to adjust or once you see, you really start to see them.

Here is where I traced him and below it will be the actual picture.

Now here is the picture without the tracing and NO, I have no altered these pictures in any way. All I do is zoom and crop.

And always remember, what you believe does not have to be contingent on what others believe. Believe what is in your heart and what your heart holds true.