May 01, 2021 Journal Entry by Chris's wife, Lynne — May 1, 2021

Chris is with the Lord since April 29, 2021. “You’re a pretty good woman to have done this journey with.” Ah, the romantic I married! These are the last words he said to me and I’ll treasure them always. I’m thinking he was a pretty great man to share that part of my journey too. The warm comments you’ve posted here and the love that flows, no, floods from them prove that is true. I have no words that can adequately express how those posted comments brought comfort for me in these moments since he slipped peacefully into his eternal home. I read them when the house gets quieter. I’m eternally grateful to each for sharing that love for him with me. Our joint desire was to be real believers, with all our faults and weaknesses, walking, stumbling, falling and getting back up to bear witness to His love and grace for all broken, flawed people. We made a goal of pointing others to His great gift of dying for our sins so that He can present us unblemished to Almighty God. We failed Him many times. We grieved Him, and others, many times. We wanted to show everyone that He doesn’t care as much what we do as who we are. We never were/are spiritual giants and far from it. We are completely unworthy of any of the praise in this site or on any lips. All glory to Jesus Christ for only Christ is worthy of praise. We just desired to be tools in His hand to do whatever monumental or insignificant task that suited Him. Tools He could put aside and pick up as He willed. Tools that could only be of any use if in His hand. These past two nights without his earthly presence have been sleep deprived, but not from sadness. I’ve been praising the Lord that Chris has shed the earthly body that was hampering him from further service and loving others on this earth. I’m eternally thankful to God that we had so much of His WORD and the amazing help maneuvering through his cancer discovery and care. Thank you to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Blue Ridge Cancer Center, and Carilion Clinic Hospice plus the many who helped with acts of kindness, hugs, gifts of help and expressions of comfort. Many of you directed me to 1 Thessalonians 4:9-14 to help me navigate this new territory. And His words ARE precious reminders that we need not grieve as those who have no hope. My heart shatters for anyone who endures the ripping apart what God has joined - two complete as one - without being informed of the hope spoken here. The whole basis of that hope, the belief that our Lord and Savior, Jesus, died a physical death in his body but He rose again from the grave, defeating death forever. Since His victory from that tomb, Chris will rise with other believers who have died first to meet Him and moments later by those of us still alive to always be with Him together. Hallelujah! These encouraging words spread His peace over those of us grieving. Oh how blessed to experience that HOPE! Without the assurance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, any hope of seeing Him or our beloved ones in an afterlife is false. There is no “better place” for those who do not believe. There is no peace apart from Jesus and His salvation. There is only one Way to an eternity with Him. As the days closed in on death to his body, Chris and I spoke about the peace saturating us. It was an amazing, supernatural gift. We couldn’t explain it at all but the experience is as real as I’ve felt anything. To be honest, it’s still a cherished part of this new experience of mine, walking with the Lord but without Chris.