Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
One year ago today my family was joined by approximately 1500 friends as we celebrated the life and legacy of my husband of forty-nine years, Danny Lotz. It was an unforgettable service that honored my husband and brought glory to God. Every day I meet people who were either physically present or who watched the live-stream online. The comment I get most often is one that I heard again this past Sunday, “Anne, I’ve never felt such an overwhelming sense of the presence of God as I did during that service. I could have sat and listened for hours.”
As I reflect on all that took place one year ago—including discovering Danny unresponsive in our pool, to the decision made in the ER to put him on life support, to the decision two days later to take him off life support, to the planning and then the executing of his celebration service, to the burial the next day, to my life now as a widow—the verse that brings me the most comfort at present is Philippians 1:21…For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. While I’m not sure of all that is involved in the “gain”, I know one thing that it means is that Danny is better off today than he was a year ago. And the primary reason he is better off is that he is at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)
Flowers left by my children and grandchildren on August 19, 2016
Thank you for your thoughts, your prayers, and your many emails, texts, posts, and cards expressing your support. As a result, God has given me one blessing after another—blessings that are carrying me through as I make it my goal to please Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9)
For those of you who may want to reflect once again with me on Danny’s life and legacy, the following is a link to the Celebration Service — CLICK HERE.
August 12, 2016
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God… 2 Timothy 1:6
Three days before our God Speaking initiative came to a close, I spoke with a family friend whose wife died a few weeks after my husband, Danny, moved to our Father’s House. Our friend shared how difficult it was for him, after a hard day’s work, to go home to an empty house. While I know…I know… that grief is a journey we all have to travel for ourselves, I also know that God promises to walk with us. So I told him about God Speaking, suggested that he start with Day One, then forwarded the link to his phone. Two days later he texted to say what a difference listening to God’s Word had made in his evenings…and that he had shared God Speaking with his grown children so that they could all be “on the same page.”
July 30, 2016
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make you way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8
One Christmas my husband, Danny, and I bought our then three-year-old daughter, Morrow, a red tricycle. I kept reminding Danny that he needed to put it together before Christmas morning, but he procrastinated until late Christmas Eve. When he pulled the pieces of the tricycle out of the box, he said that they looked simple enough. What could go wrong? He held up the handlebars, a seat, and three wheels with the comment that anybody could put them together.
July 25, 2016
When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3
It’s been said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. The encroaching evil in our land is almost breathtaking. Heart-stopping. As it pours into every nook and cranny of our culture, it is also going to be life-altering and life-shattering.
July 7, 2016
…Blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Revelation 1:3
Do you long for revival? Not a tent meeting. Not a series of church meetings.
But an outpouring of God’s Spirit that results in God’s people waking up…to God! I do! And as I have prayerfully pondered what more I can do to work for revival, God has reminded me of what took place in the beginning. Genesis 1 relates that God’s Spirit hovered over planet earth, preparing and energizing it to receive God’s Word. Then every day God’s Word went forth, a change took place, until in the end God blessed it, said it was very good, and saw His own image reflected there in man whom He had created.
