in loving memory.....

~Ava Grace Maddox and Mackenzie Marie Maddox~

This week I went to not 1, but 2 memorial services. Don't think I've ever been to 2 in one week. The first was for Daniel and Jamie's precious twin girls who were born into heaven November 30th. I have seen God work in the girls lives while inside of Jamie and also seen Him work in their deaths. Quite amazing really. In the little bit I have seen Daniel and Jamie since the loss of the girls I have seen a transformation in their lives...something that comes about only though heartbreaking loss that is then ministered to by our amazing Father God who is healer of everything. I do not know how they are doing this. I am not a parent, have never been pregnant so I can't begin to imagine what they are going through. I do know that they are 2 of the strongest people I know and that I am super blessed to have them in my family and so proud to be able to call them friends.

~James D. Hart~

The second service was for my previous Boss, Jim. I worked with Him for almost 5 years. I can honestly say he was the BEST boss ever. He was the best because he saw his employees first as people and second as an employee. He cared about people. He would go the extra mile.....if he saw I was having a bad day, it was nothing for him to come in my office, put some yummy drink from Starbucks and a cookie and just walk out without saying anything. He always went out of his way on 'office administrator day' to make it special...a card and chocolates or a gift card. Such a sweet, sweet man. If I was not feeling well, he would take one look at me and tell me to go home...not to worry, that everything would get done. When I was moved from our Graniteville site to our Augusta site, the thing that upset me the most was that I would not be working with Jim anymore. Those first several weeks the only thing that kept me going was the belief that this was just temporary and that one day I would be working with him again. My heart goes out to his sweet wife and his 3 daughters. Chris (his wife) is such a precious woman. She has had some major health challenges but never let it stop her from doing things. We were always finding baked goods in the breakroom that she sent with Jim. One year she made a ton of cupcakes for an Easter Egg hunt I was helping with. It was such a huge blessing and very unexpected. I pray that God would draw her to His loving arms tonight.