Sunday, October 07, 2007

Remembering Kara

The memorial service for Kara will be held on Wednesday, October 10th, at 3:30 p.m. It will be held at the Bellaire United Methodist Church. A reception for friends and family will immediately follow in the fellowship hall.

We appreciate all the kind comments that people are posting to the blog. We are looking into a way to archive the blog so that it can be saved for Emma and Luke. Please continue to add your remembrances of Kara -- she was loved by so many people, and it will be so special for Emma and Luke to have your stories and memorials to Kara, forever.


Kara's Rainbow
Originally uploaded by jeanjean78



Emma and Luke saw this rainbow in the sky this evening, and Emma said that it was a present for them from Mommy from Heaven. They're calling it "Mommy's Rainbow."

Thank you.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Kara Jean Kelly Herynk, November 29, 1973 -- October 6, 2007

Today, Kara’s Heavenly Father took her hand and led her home. She is free of pain and sickness. We will miss her kind heart and smiling face.

Thank you all for your caring words, loving support, and prayers. A special thanks to Kara’s church family of whom she loved dearly. She was showered with many gifts of love and prayers of encouragement. Her church is truly the body of Christ.

We are thankful the Lord put in Kara’s path physicians and medical staff who showed Kara kindness, gentleness, and encouragement.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
- II Timothy 4:7

The name Kara means ‘beloved one’.
May you rest in peace, now, my sweet Kara.

Love, Mother

We will post information about the memorial service as soon as we know. In lieu of flowers, a memorial gift may be given to Bellaire United Methodist Church, 4417 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, TX 77401.

The Father and Child

Mom wanted this to be posted in memory of Kara.

From "A Woman’s Journey to the Heart of God"
By Cynthia Heald

The Father spoke:
Come. Child, let us journey together.
Where shall we go, Father?
To a distant land, another kingdom.
So, the journey will be long?
Yes, we must travel every day.
When will we reach our destination?
At the end of your days.
And who will accompany us?
Joy and Sorrow.
Must Sorrow travel with us?
Yes, she is necessary to keep you close to Me.
But I want only Joy.
It is only with Sorrow that you will know true Joy.
What must I bring?
A willing heart to follow Me.
What shall I do on the journey?
There is only one thing that you must do---
Stay close to Me. Let nothing distract you.
Always keep your eyes on Me.
What will I see?
You will see My glory.
What will I know?
You will know My heart.
The Father stretched out His hand.
The child, knowing the great love her Father had
for her, placed her hand in His and began her journey.

The Father spoke:
Are you ready, My child?
Yes, but I have nothing to bring except myself.
You are all I need.
Surely I must bring something, I do not feel prepared to travel.
Do not concern yourself with preparations. Your
journey has already begun.
But I am fearful.
There is no need to fear; I will always be with you.
Will You give me what I need?
I will provide for you.
What will you provide?
All that is essential for your journey.
And what is essential?
I will show you along the way. For now, you have
what is necessary; the desire to draw close to My
heart.

The child spoke:
Father, the journey is harder than I thought it would
be. I am weary.

When My Son traveled here, He became weary also.
Why is it so?
Because My kingdom is not yet established.
Am I nearing the destination?
You have come far, but there are still many roads to travel.
Will these roads be any easier?
The closer you come to My heart, the more intensely
you will experience My love and understand My ways.
You will become more concerned about what is eternal
and less concerned about the difficulty of the journey.
Sorrow still walks with me.
She travels with you by My design. She is a carefully
chosen tool in My hand to accomplish My will for you.
Sorrow has become more of a friend. I no longer fear
her presence. But Joy never leaves me! She has settled
deep within me. Will she always accompany me?

She will never leave you as long as you keep your hand
in Mine and let Me lead you to My heart.
Then she will be with me forever---for I have no other
desire than to know Your heart.


The Father spoke:
And what do you know of My heart?
I know that Your heart is the only worthy destination.
How have you learned this truth?
By walking daily with You.
How are your companions, Joy and Sorrow?
Now that I have a better understanding of
Your heart, I realize that Sorrow keeps me
dependent upon You and Joy enables me to stay on the journey.

You have learned well, My child. So you wish to
continue the journey?
Oh, Father, I only pray that I remain faithful and obedient.
I want no other journey—I seek no other Joy.

You will find Joy in loving and serving others.
It is hard for me to love and serve. How can I do it with Joy?

By taking My yoke and learning of Me.
As long as I am yoked to You, Father, I know I can
do anything.

Hold my hand tightly, My child. For this part of the
journey, you must receive My rest and learn to live for
all that is eternal.
Why must I hold Your hand tightly?
Because I am ready to place you as a laborer in My
harvest, and I do not want you to be so busy in your
service that you loosen your grip or let go.
And how do I labor in Your harvest?
By bringing Me glory.

The child spoke:
I’m nearing the end of my journey, aren’t I, Father?
Yes, My child, but there are still a few more roads to travel.
It has been a good journey. Thank You for holding my hand.
Have you lacked for anything?
No, nothing. I must confess I was skeptical that all I
needed to take on the journey was a willing heart. I
didn’t realize then that when You have my heart, You
are all I ever need or want.

What have you learned from your travels?
I’ve learned that being a woman who pleases You
has nothing to do with my family, my friends, or my
circumstances, but everything to do with how much
I love You and how deeply I abide in You.

How would you describe your journey?
As a journey that frees me to become all You created
me to be---as a journey of great inner Joy.

What have you learned about Joy?
Joy has always been deep in my heart, but she is
quiet. I’ve learned that I must be still to hear her;
Otherwise, I listen to louder voices that silence hers.

How has Joy served you?
She has faithfully been with me in all of my journey---
my trials, my suffering, my obedience, and my serving.
I understand now that she always accompanies Sorrow---
but her most precious gift to me is her tears as I
experience Your presence.

How has Sorrow helped you?
Father, I know I said in the beginning that I didn’t want
Sorrow to go with me, but she has taught me much.
Without her, I would never have wept over my sin.
Whenever I was deeply hurt or grieving, she took me
straight to Your heart. Without her, I would not have
known how others felt. I would not have known how to
love or serve them. And as You said, it has been Sorrow
that taught me to the meaning of Joy.

And what is true Joy?
True Joy is knowing and experiencing Your heart.
Is there anything you want for the rest of your journey?
In the past, I know I would have had a list, Father.
But now, I want only one thing---and that is to bring You
glory.


Once more, the child stretched out her hand.
The Father, knowing the great love His child had for Him,
took her hand, and they continued on their journey.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Prayer Request

It appears that Kara's time on earth is drawing to a close, and we ask you to pray for the Lord's mercy for and protection over Kara. Please pray for comfort and peace for Kara until it is time for her to leave us. Please pray that her pain can be managed.

Please also pray for the children, that the Lord will be with them through this difficult and confusing time for them.

Thank you.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

From Kara

I am still not giving up on a miracle, but I don't know what God's will is. I want to give you many thanks for all of your prayers for me, and all the cards you have sent and comments on the blog that you have left. I trust in God's will for my life, and it may not be what I was hoping it would be. Please continue to pray for me and my family.

Love,

Kara

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Update

Kara is on some antibiotics and no longer has a fever. She has an appointment with Dr. Lynch on Wednesday.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara in this difficult time.
- Please pray that the treatment she had this month have been successful.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from her body, permanently.

Thank you.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Fever

Kara is running a fever this morning. Please pray that the fever will drop, and that if she does have an infection, it can be easily treated. Thank you.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Blood Transfusion

Kara had a busy weekend. She was able to go to church and spend a lot of good time visiting with friends and family. She has been fatigued so far this week, though. She will receive a blood transfusion tomorrow that will hopefully help with her energy. When she is rested, her vision, speech, dizziness, and dexterity are much improved. When she gets tired, however, she continues to struggle in those areas.

Please continue to pray for Kara's miracle.

"For we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love Him,
Who are called according to his purpose."
- Romans 8:28

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that Kara's blood transfusion goes smoothly and increases her energy.
- Please pray for peace, hope, and faith for Kara.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you.