Reflections of Our Loved Ones

When our loved ones pass & soar toward Heaven, they leave their reflection behind in our hearts & thoughts forever ~Danielle Helms

In thanks to Danielle Helms, mother of

Kristin Danielle Helms (6/5/1990 - 7/16/2006)

for her Picture: Reflections http://bit.ly/pcQA1

Web: http://www.kristinhelmsfoundation.org

Goodnight Sun

Goodnight Sun

Goodnight sun

Saying day is done…

Since you’re way up high

In God’s great big sky,

Will you please smile upon

My baby girl up on

Abba Daddy’s lap

Getting her nice long nap…

Give her a warm embrace

Till I can see her face…

Goodnight sun

Saying day is done…

We will wait upon

God to send His Son

Saying Day is done…

But life in Heav’n’s begun!

Goodnight Father-Spirit-Son,

Blessed Three-in-One,

Until my race is run,

May Your blessed will be done…

Until our Day is done,

And Your final Victory’s won!

Goodnight Baby Girl

Sitting atop my world…

Goodnight sun

Saying day is done…

Poem dedicated to—

Kristin Danielle Helms

(6/5/1990 – 7/16/2006)

and

Merry Katherine Prince

(3/29/1987 – 8/2/2006)

"~Our only daughters=Friends in Heaven.

Moms bonded by the empty ache..." ~Danielle Helms

Picture: “Goodnight Sun” from grieving mother, Danielle Helms, mother of Kristen Danielle Helms http://twitpic.com/c4503 Web: http://www.kristinhelmsfoundation.org

Poem – Goodnight Sun – Angie Bennett Prince – 8/7/09

Goodnight Moon

Goodnight Moon

Goodnight Moon

And your red balloon

Goodnight Baby Girl

All...on top of the world...

Goodnight kisses

Blown without misses

"Muah-whoosh" kisses

Full of memories and wishes...

Combing your curly hair,

Hugging like a teddy bear,

Reading Goodnight Moon,

...And now,

you are there...

Now can you see th’ cow

jumpin’ over th’ moon?

Mommy loves you so!

Though she’s down below,

She wants you to know,

"I love you so—

I miss my baby girl so..."

Goodnight Moon

And your red balloon—

Goodnight Baby Girl

All...

on top of this world…

Merry Katherine’s first complete phrase as a tiny tot was an anguished cry:

“My balloon up in the sky!”

when she accidentally let go of her red helium-filled balloon as we got out of the car…

Now, she is rejoined up high in the sky with God, Jesus, and

the Holy Spirit, and

possibly with…her long-lost little red balloon!

Poem dedicated to

Kristin Danielle Helms

(6/5/1990 – 7/16/2006),

and

Merry Katherine Prince

(3/29/1987 – 8/2/2006)

"~Our only daughters=Friends in Heaven.

Moms bonded by the empty ache..." ~Danielle Helms

Picture: “Goodnight Moon” from another grieving mother, Danielle Helms, mother of Kristin Danielle Helms http://twitpic.com/d333q

Web: http://www.kristinhelmsfoundation.org

Poem written 8/7/09 – Goodnight Moon – Angie Bennett Prince , Inspired by the bedtime favorite Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, pictures by Clement Hurd

Colors for Grieving People

Colors for Grieving People

As you grieve, learn to have discernment in allowing safe people to come close, while protecting yourself from the less safe. Perhaps it would be easier to think of people as “wrapped” in certain colors. It seems people come wrapped in different colored packages in the way they respond to you in the midst of your painful grief. Begin to notice which colors their hearts seem to “wear,” and gauge your openness to them accordingly as you guard your wounded heart from unnecessary added wounds.

Black—Wrapped in black, narcissists who can see only their own world may leave you in a "black hole." Your hurts are an inconvenience to their ever-sucking ego which can never get enough; if you come near enough, they’ll suck the life out of you. You are to be there for their needs as you are expendable and therefore not allowed to be human and not allowed to have needs of your own.

Yellow—People in yellow packaging may look “sunny” but yellow is for caution. They sound sweet, but they cannot deliver. They may act as if they can deliver, but they cannot. They do not have enough depth of soul to be able to walk with you through the ever-threatening shadows of the valley of death.

Red—Those people wrapped in red signal “Stop!” as they are a danger to the soul, ever-ready to lure you into evil to service their own dark soul.

Green—Flowing with green wrapping and ribbons, these sweet souls are influences for your growth; they bring words of healing, words that bring life and comfort.

Blue—As soothing water, people wrapped in blue are as healing to the sore, raw, bleeding, wounded soul which has been assaulted with “life’s obscenities” as rain is soothing to our cracking, hardened, choking, drought-ridden garden soil.

Purple—Possibly ignorant of their effect, folks wrapped in purple may mean well, but their impact on you may be quite potent for bruising your tender soul.

Orange—Like neon signs, these people dressed in orange seem to be shouting with their eyes quickly averted from you when passing by, “Stay Away from Us! We can‘t deal with your pain. And, after all, your Tragedy just Might Be Contagious! Stay Away!”

Pink—Like a pink fuzzy blanket that warms your soul, these people, by their kindness, ever-remind you that as weak, helpless, and useless as you may feel, you are really very precious, tender, and near to the very heart of God.

Brown—Like brown packages you have ordered via UPS, you have a good idea what is inside that package, so you eagerly open up to it.

Camouflage—These camouflaged packages are sometimes what God allows to come our way. From outward appearances, they may suggest ugly things like war, battle, death and dying, the end, but when opened and examined, as you experience these packages, the very pain and agony endured in the holding of them causes the Lamb of God to come by your side, bringing to you Life, Life-everlasting, the presence of the very Light of God, bringing Sweetness, Wisdom, Compassion, Grace, Mercy, Comfort, and His Peace-that-passeth-understanding.

Grey—When examined closely, as they begin to talk and ask inappropriate detailed questions outside of a proper healing-context, these grey "rubber-neckers" reveal themselves to be curiosity seekers who have allowed themselves, whether wittingly or unwittingly, to enter a different level of relating that is no longer helpful or edifying to the war-torn soul.

Putrid Green—These putrid-green wrapped people seem to feel the need to spew their judgmental frame-of-reference at your hurting soul which can batter and tear you with poisoning arrows that can infect and inflame an already-ripped-up heart.

White –Anyone who basks themselves in God’s loving presence on a regular basis seems to reflect His white healing light, so that when your grief-stricken heart is already screaming hurtful accusations or cross-examining you with terrorizing what-if’s, His love pours down on your heart, shedding His real truth and higher perspective about the whole situation, revealing His redemptive touch on every aspect of your life.

Tie-dyed—These people wrapped in tie-dyed colors seem so out-of-touch with their own soul and real personhood that the true colors of their soul seem all mixed up with the colors of others around them. All that seems to come from their mouths are formulas and quick-fix-its or platitudes and other soul-distancing words that can be a part of a “group-think” mentality.

Gold—Loving, kind, ever-ready to help in sweet, sacrificial ways you never dreamed anyone would do, these golden-wrapped people seem wrapped in the Love of Jesus, so that His Love radiantly shines through them, making them, indeed, worth their weight in gold.

( ) Transparent—Those who are ( ) transparent people are people who not only are in touch with their own soul but are also compassionate toward their own soul so that they seem to feel safe to shed any soul-distancing masks, and share with you the painful and difficult things they have experienced when such sharing seems appropriate to meet you “where you are” in your own pain.

May God wrap His healing arms around you and bring you His peace. And may He help us to discern the hearts of the people around us to draw more healing in from the healing ones and to better protect our grief-torn hearts from further unnecessary damage from the unsafe ones,

Written 2007 - Colors for Grieving People - Angie Bennett Prince

Picture: Fractal kaleidoscope from http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/kaleidoscope.html

The White Bridge

The White Bridge

Looking within my imagination,

I see the White Bridge you crossed on that night

From dreary earth to Glorification:

O what a glorious scene to my sight!

The bridge, made of purest gold, transparent—

And yet, it gave off sheens of whitest light...

Light from Savior-Spirit-God apparent,

Shining rays of Love of the purest white.

Th’ bridge’s span quite wide –from here to Heaven–

With no undergirding that I could see,

Nor could I see the spiritual leaven

That transmuted your soul t’ be heavenly…

But I saw the delight in Abba’s eyes

As He cradled you up into His arms;

Such passionate love our language defies

As He grabbed you away from Satan’s harms…

From th’ blackest evil Satan could concoct

To Whitest Love whose Goodness evil blocked,

Stormed Satan’s stronghold, whisking you away—

Satan crushed, thrown on the ground, left shell-shocked;

Helpless God’s plan t’ circumvent, there he lay.

And the look on your face was ecstasy

As you flew from the ground to Abba’s arms,

Nestling in their loving warmth so snugly,

Thrilled Amazing Grace so deftly disarms.

Now all I can do is quietly stare

As I watch you cross amidst the night air,

Awed, I see your flight from Nightmare t’ God’s Care;

Now God kisses your face, caresses your hair…

See Psalm 18 and Revelation 21

(Jesus said,) “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” John 11:25

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:10

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose…And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:28,30

See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in Heaven always see the face of My Father in Heaven . . . . In the same way your Father in Heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. Matthew 18:10,14

(Jesus said,) “So he (the once rebellious son) got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:20-24

...Jesus... (said), Suppose one of you has a 100 sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there is more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:3-7

All scripture quoted is from The New International Version of The Holy Bible Painting: The White Bridge by John Henry Twachtman, c1885 Poetry prompts: scene/seen, span, stare/stair as prompted by http://simplysnickers.blogspot.com/2009/08/poetry-prompt-through-sunday-august-9.html Encouraging thoughts about my child and her Savior as prompted by http://www.mcklinky.com/blog_hop.asp

Written 8/5/09 - The White Bridge - Angie Bennett Prince