ROLL CALL: Celebrating and Remembering

 All Saints Day

Yesterday, October 31st, was All Hallows Eve. This day is the evening before All Saints Day. Sadly, this special day of getting ready to remember, and celebrate, the lives of sisters and brothers, in the Lord, who have gone on to Heaven, somehow morphed into Halloween. This spooks, ghosts and goblins day has zero to do with the godly preparation day preceding a sacred day.  One thing is for certain. Each of us, who are Christ-Followers, have some very special people waiting for us to meet them during the first Resurrection or when we, too, finally go home to Heaven.

Roll Call 

On All Hallows Eve, I contacted a few people to help me develop a roll call of particularly exceptional loved ones. Each of these Children of God, and Heirs of God's Kingdom, (See Ephesians 1:1 and Ephesians 1:3-14) who have graduated to their eternal reward, are greatly missed by us here on earth. Still, we are raising the names of these Saints, or God's Holy People, that are made Holy through faith in Jesus, and remembering them here in this blog. Let us celebrate the lives of those who are now in Heaven. Keep in mind they are more alive, now, than at anytime each of them journeyed on the Earth. Yes, let us bless these names. These are written in no particular order other than the order in which I received them; therefore, today we honor the memory of the earthly journey, and we celebrate the life, and the Heavenly home going, of the following people whose names I received on All Hallows Eve and later;

In The Name of The Father of The Son and of The Holy Spirit,

We fondly remember, and we celebrate, the lives of the Church Triumphant. And we especially honor, remember and celebrate:

Charlie Morrison McGowen
Margaret Mary Johnston McGowen (Peggy/Nana)

Milton McGowen 
Audrey Lilian Johnston

Mary Naugher or Grammy

Scotty Churchwell

Walter Leslie 

George Leslie (Butchy)

M.T. McGowen, Jr
Cora McGowen

Fred Faucett, Sr. (Bo)
Katie Faucett
Fred Faucett, Jr. (Butch) or (Uncle Butch)
Mike Caylor
Silvia Austin
Bob Austin
Jimmy Roling
Clara Jewel Hill
Pete Hill
Tommy Hill
James Hill
Howard Mejia
Edith Mejia
Madeline Bernhardy
Karen Like (Oma)
Ron Read 
Danielle Cipriani
Heather Vaughn
Father Wayne Like

Maggie McAnnally

Annie McAnnaly

Ethel McAnally

Ileen McAnnally

All of these have impacted the lives of those of us who have offered up their names in ways we cannot imagine. We thank God for them and for the privilege of them being a major part of our lives. We celebrate them, and we honor them. As their bodies now rest in peace, their spirits are absent from the body, and they are present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8) We look forward to the day when Jesus returns, as we hear the words of the Apostle Paul below:

The Comfort of Christ Coming:

I don't want your to be ignorant, brothers and sisters,
concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those whose bodies sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the very word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord, HIMSELF, will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Heavenly dimension to meet the Lord in the  air. And, thus, we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Even So, Lord Jesus Come!
Maranatha.

SoJourner