On Friday, July 16, 2021, I attended the funeral of my dear sister-in-law. She was the sister of my late husband, Paul. 

Her life was full of health problems, yet she did not let those health problems define her. She had a thriving business; along with that, she created a 3500-foot perennial flower bed and had bountiful vegetable gardens. She was a talented artist and enjoyed painting. I even have one of her paintings hanging on my living room wall.  She was a loving aunt to my children. A sweet sister-in-law to me. We shared many heart-to-heart conversations (which I miss). 

As her body began to decline, her faith remained. In her own words, she said, "the medical issues are a drag, but I find joy and peace with Jesus." 

Yes, indeed, peace and joy do come from Jesus. 

Finding peace and joy is something we can strive for by reading God's word often and remaining in prayer. 

She knew her life here on earth was nearing the end, so she began to choose the Bible readings for her funeral. The Beatitudes from the Sermon On The Mount was her choice. These are the words from Jesus that we can apply to our lives today. 

May these words be a blessing to you:

 "When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

With love, 

Patty