Jim Jones Celebration

Here is Pop's Celebration from Monday. You can also see it by clicking the following link: Pop's Celebration We would like to thank Darrin Koone for taking care of the video and getting it on the web. You do have to turn up the volume about half way through.

Dad's obituary

Here is a link to Dad's obituary which will be in the paper today and Sunday. We also want to remind people to check the blog next week. Our plan is to get video of Pop's celebration and put it on the blog. That is all depending on our ability to use technology. We do know that many people outside of Winston-Salem followed the blog so we want to make the celebration available to you also.

Celebrating Pop

Monday, February 20th we will celebrate the life of Jim Jones. There will be a very, very brief graveside ceremony at Parklawn Cemetary at 3:30 PM which is open to anyone but will not be advertised. The main publicized celebration of his life will be held at 5:00 PM in the main worship center of Calvary Baptist Church main campus. The celebration will be followed by a reception in the dining hall from 6-8 PM.  In lieu of flowers Nor Nor has requested that people consider making a donation to CITYChurch Winston.  That can be done by mail at
CITYChurch Winston
380-H Knollwood St
Suite 298
Winston-Salem, NC  27103

or online at www.citychurchwinston.com

He is Home

A little after 2 AM this morning, Pop was swallowed up in life (2nd Corinthians 5:4). He went home to be with Jesus peacefully, with his wife, sons, and daughters standing by; leaving a legacy of faith and honesty that I am personally not sure I can come close to living up to. He set the bar very high in life and in death. We love you Pop and we will see you soon.

Still hanging in

Dad is still here. He is progressing toward death at his own pace. The dr said she would be very, very, surprised if he is still here in the morning.

Almost home

The Dr. told us around noon that she thought he has minutes to hours left. He is sleeping quietly right now, hopefully just moments from meeting Jesus face to face.

Waiting for the Dr.

Pop slept well last night after a rough evening. He is still sleeping and hopefully will not wake up again. We will see what the Dr. says when she comes in today.

no visitors please

Dad needs a break and they are changing some of the treatment plan so we ask that as this gets figured out that Dad not have visitors. We will give more updates as we get them.

Keep on Keeping On

Pop has had a pretty good day today. He has eaten well, and talked a lot, and napped when he wasn't eating or talking. He remembered Valentines Day yesterday and told Mom "Happy Valentines Day" on monday because he knew he might forget. He isn't frustrated, but ready to go home. We don't know, and my not know why God's timing is what it is, but with Dad as the ultimate example we continue to trust that God is in control our job is to try to want for our lives what God wants for our lives.

Dad is ready

David shared this with me this morning.

"This is how we started the morning today:
 
Dad:  I know God never makes a mistake, but what is going on?

Me:  Are you trying to ask why are you still here?

Dad:  Yes, you figured that out quick.

Me:  I don’t have a good answer.   Some would say its bc you are stubborn, but I don’t believe that.  Its just not your time yet, but we’re getting there."

Dad later asked what he is doing wrong. He says he is not frustrated, just ready to go.

Visiting Pop

We need to let Pop have plenty of time to rest. The door will be closed. Feel free to knock. If he is awake it is fine to visit for 10 minutes or so.

Impossible to put in words

"This is the life". That's what Pop said today after enjoying a Krispy Kreme for breakfast and a piece of Mary Kay's amazing cheesecake as a snack. He didn't talk as much today, had a few less visitors and took a big long nap in the afternoon. The family is very appreciative of all who came by to share in the last couple of days. Pop really enjoyed seeing everyone. Thank you to the Pinedale elders for their prayers and words this evening. So much of our life as a family is intertwined with Pinedale, it was fitting for them to share in this journey. It really is impossible to put into words how good it has been to interact with all the people who love Pop over the last couple of days.

I told Pop today that I'm a little jealous of him. This has been a journey that we have travelled as a family. And now, Pop gets to go on without us. I wish so deeply I could get to see what he is going to experience very soon. I wish I could escort him directly to the throne of God. But as has been normal in Pop's life, he is leading the way. Not waiting for someone else to show him how to get there. We will separate for a while. But we share a common hope, a common faith, a common redemption. And we live with an expectation of reunion.

I also told Pop not to hold on because of us. He said "Don't worry. I'm not". If I were him, I would prefer Jesus over us too.

Pop's Song

Here is a video for Pop's favorite song during his journey.

A good day

Pop had a good day today.  He was awake most of the day and enjoyed some good visits from friends.  He had a chance to give some golf lessons, eat a Krispy Kreme, hear some stories, play with all the grandkids together, pray with several people and for several people, and say repeatedly "It is well".  I honestly feel like we are cheating as we go through this process.  It has been a long and winding road for the last year and a half, with several low points and many high points.  But to be where we are, with no real regrets, and to be able to sit around and laugh and tell stories is, I know, much different than most families with a similar diagnosis experience.

I talked with Pop today about the doctor's prognosis.  Pop did not realize that the Dr. had said the end is near.  I told him that the Dr. said he was going to get to go home soon.  Not to Augusta Court, but really home.  Pop simply said "That's a good diagnosis for me".

The road home

We have reached the point in this process where Dad's will to be with Jesus is much stronger than his will to stay here. His body is gracefully cooperating with this desire. As of right now Dad is at the Hospice Home where they are keeping him comfortable. We don't know what the next step in the process is. We will keep the blog updated as much as possible. As Dad has always said, God is in control through all of this.

Dr. Visit

We saw Dr. aklilu today. There was not much new news. Dad will get a scan done on March 5 and see the Dr.on march 8th to see what the next step will be. It all depends on what the picture looks like at that points to what the options are.

A venture out!

Joe White took me out to Subway last night.  We came back here to eat but it was good to get out.  Thanks Joe.  That was very nice and thoughtful.

Quick update

Dad is feeling pretty good. I was there today while Mom went out. He ate lunch and a snack and went for a walk around the street. The only noticeable difference is that his hair is starting to look almost as good as his eldest son's.

Happy Birthday

Dad finished radiation on Tuesday, turned 65 on Wednesday, and felt good enough to go on a walk Thursday. He hasn't thrown up since Tuesday. He is eating better and able to get up and move around more. I can tell he is feeling better because he was really upset that Dook didn't lose to UVa the other night. Now we just hope he keeps feeling good and we wait for the doctor tell us what is next. The next doctors visit will be in a couple of weeks.

One more day

Pop has stopped taking nausea medicine which is a good thing. He still gets sick about once per day but he is able to eat and drink and his system seems to deal with everything better. He goes for his last radiation treatment on Tuesday and will have a consultation with the radiologist also. They will hopefully lower some of the meds.

Pop wanted to make sure that the blog readers were informed that CITYChurch had its first baptism this past weekend. I happened to share with a girl at one of our small groups what dad was going thru and how he from the first moment has had no fear of death because of his faith in God. She responded that she wished she had that same hope and we were able to talk with her about how she could have that same hope. She decided quickly that she wanted to say yes to Jesus and my wife was able to baptize her into Jesus on Friday night.

We need to also thank Calvary Baptist for not just letting us use some space for the baptism but also setting up before we got there and then cleaning up after we left. It was a great example of kingdom minded churches working together instead of competing.

If you are interested in seeing a video of the baptism you can see it here

Doc Visit information

Today the Dr. looked at Dad and said "I don't know what to tell you".  There are so many questions right now that the dr. said come back in 3 weeks and we will figure out what to do then.  So Dad is going to finish radiation and try to rest and get his appetite back and see what the dr. says in 3 weeks.

Settling in at home

Dad is settling into a better rhythm at home after having a couple of rough days when he first left the hospital. He has tolerated radiation fairly well the last two days and has been able to spend some time out of bed.

I know that some of you want to come and see mom and dad and they are happy to have visitors under the right conditions. The visit must be brief, dad gets worn out easily. Also, since he can only handle a visitor or two per day, please do not just drop by. If you will call the house then Mom will let you know if it is a good time or not. If you call and there is no answer please leave a message.

Thursday is a meeting with Dads oncologist to see what the next step after radiation will be. Please continue to pray for faith and strength as dad navigates this very uncertain path. It has seemed that for every question that is answered, there are three more new questions. Dad has handled this with dignity and faith and I am know that his prayer is that he can maintain that trust in the Almighty until the end.