~ Good Bye Dear Friend Willie T. ~

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Stan B

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Dear family
I just heard from Willie T’s wife ...our friend Willie passed to the other side not long ago. 3.30pm her time.

Helen, that is such heartbreaking news. :-(

In this difficult time for Sue, perhaps you could pass on this information to her. I have been engaged in the Loss of Spouse Forum for some time now:

Loss of a Spouse

It is a great place to hang out with others going through the same devastation. It is not a Christian Forum, but there are a lot of Christians who engage from a Christian perspective.

This forum has been very helpful to me, and I am sure it will be helpful to Sue.
 

Nancy

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Helen, I remember you reminiscing about former members no longer being here, and I'm thinking of all the reminiscing I'll do after you and many of the others of this community pass on like Willie has. Loss is a hard thing to go through, but that's where we have the victory in Christ. We're not losing Willie, and I'm not going to be losing any of you when you go either. We'll all be in Heaven together some day, and never be apart again.

God bless, and thanks for the post.

You are right HIH, we need to be excited for Willie and pray for his wife. This kind of makes you less likely to get too close with someone on these boards. To myself, it is no different than when you lose someone who is physically in your life.
Would be so nice to receive a vision of what Willie is doing right now! Probably pumping iron, lol...made of gold! Gonna miss him a ton.
 

Taken

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Awe- Willie-
Thank you Helen for sharing an update with the forum.

Isn't it strange that a Converted person can feel Sorrow and Joy at the very same moment for the exact same circumstances regarding one Converted Brother...

The Sadness is Willie is missed.
The Joy is Knowing Willie's Living Soul and Living spirit have been received in the Lords Heavenly Kingdom.

Our Comfort is Knowing, our separation from our Brother is Temporary and a Celebration Reunion is already planned and shall be revealed.

Thinking of Willie's wife, children, family and friends in mourning. May the Lord Bless and Comfort them.

Praise God our friend Willie is forever Alive with our Great Lord God Almighty. A-men.

Glory to God,
Taken
 

VictoryinJesus

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Dear family
I just heard from Willie T’s wife ...our friend Willie passed to the other side not long ago. 3.30pm her time.
Let’s be praying for her as she faces all the things that need doing at this sad time for her. She is doing well and sends her love and thanks for all of our prayer support over the last week or so. Thank you all.

While we can rejoice with the angels that one more of Gods children has finally made it Home ... Yet we are very saddened for our own loss and that of Sue, Willie T’s lovely dear wife.


Willie , you old rascal, you have beaten us Home. Look over your shoulder brother , because some of us are pretty close behind you , so be on the look out for us ...ok.
Willie you will now be full of life like you never known before ...and you will soon know all the correct answers to the discussions on these threads!! :)
Your place in our hearts is a ‘Willie shaped’ hole ...whoever Father sends to us here will have a hard time trying to fill up your boots ...there is only one Willie.
Our hearts are full. No words left.

We will all see you soon dear brother, ‘in a twinkling of an eye. ‘

"Until the Day dawns and the shadows flee away"... .

May Gods peace reign in every heart .
Later my friend, later ....

...from the family here on Christianity Board. ✟

First thing I noticed when you posted yesterday was the post was under ‘memorials’. Just that alone before I read the post, said everything. Willie will be greatly missed yet remembered by those fortunate enough to get to know him. Odd, how even here on the forum you can grow so fond of someone you have never met face to face, but it be as you have gained a dear brother.
 
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Helen

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First thing I noticed when you posted yesterday was the post was under ‘memorials’. Just that alone before I read the post, said everything. Willie will be greatly missed yet remembered by those fortunate enough to get to know him. Odd, how even here on the forum you can grow so fond of someone you have never met face to face, but it be as you have gained a dear brother.

Amen! And I so agree.
I too only knew him on-line ...we had numerous Inbox chats and emails over the years...
As you said...I was amazed at how his sickness and passing effected me...I cried so hard yesterday when I got his wife's email saying he had gone...just as I cried when I read your post.

Which just shows us how connected we can get just on line as we get to know people.
Not everyone allows someone else into their space, some here on line have on a permanent 'mask of distance' but many of us have dropped any guards or masks, and we are just who we are, warts and all.
Willie was a pretty transparent , open and honest guy, sometimes to his own hurt.
He was for sure...'my kind of people'.

Blessings ...H
 

Helen

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Helen, that is such heartbreaking news. :-(

In this difficult time for Sue, perhaps you could pass on this information to her. I have been engaged in the Loss of Spouse Forum for some time now:

Loss of a Spouse

It is a great place to hang out with others going through the same devastation. It is not a Christian Forum, but there are a lot of Christians who engage from a Christian perspective.

This forum has been very helpful to me, and I am sure it will be helpful to Sue.

Amen Stan
Thank you for that.
I will indeed pass on your message and link ♥︎
 

Nancy

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First thing I noticed when you posted yesterday was the post was under ‘memorials’. Just that alone before I read the post, said everything. Willie will be greatly missed yet remembered by those fortunate enough to get to know him. Odd, how even here on the forum you can grow so fond of someone you have never met face to face, but it be as you have gained a dear brother.

"Odd, how even here on the forum you can grow so fond of someone you have never met face to face, but it be as you have gained a dear brother."

Yes it is odd, for sure Victory. But then, we fellowship in the Spirit so to me, it is no easier to lose those we have grown close to on this forum than those we know "in the flesh"...sometimes even harder! Several have brought me to prayers and tears on here and, I considered Willie my friend, and I think, he did me too.
Does seem like an oxymoron to still have joy in our sorrow...yet...we do, since we don't mourn like the world does...

20b8e0b4098934994388767f9fdf2ac2.jpg
 

Hidden In Him

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You are right HIH, we need to be excited for Willie and pray for his wife. This kind of makes you less likely to get too close with someone on these boards. To myself, it is no different than when you lose someone who is physically in your life.


I could a novel on that, sister (LoL). With the opportunity for online relationships, we entered a whole new world. Suddenly many of the barriers that once kept us apart were no longer there; racial barriers, physical attractions, age differences. Suddenly we were speaking soul to soul and spirit to spirit with one another on levels we never had before, and making connections based purely on who we were as human beings.

I love the opportunity we have to get close to one another based on who we are alone, but yes, it makes losing others more painful now as well. But I encourage it. As the old saying goes, "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
Would be so nice to receive a vision of what Willie is doing right now! Probably pumping iron, lol...made of gold! Gonna miss him a ton.

Numerous visions have been given on Heaven itself, but as far as seeing family and friends there, those are more rare, and I think it's because the Lord is saving that for a surprise : )
 

Angelina

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My last conversation with him was the day he went into hospital. I was sending him some pics of some of the places I have visited around my country, here in NZ. He was trying to work out how to get pics of his area in the Pinellas posted on our discussion. Here is the last one I sent him. It is in McLaren falls of the Tauranga district. North Island.

DSCN1524.jpg


He thought it was beautiful....♥ The last message he text me that day was "You have God's heart."
 

Stan B

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My last conversation with him was the day he went into hospital. I was sending him some pics of some of the places I have visited around my country, here in NZ. He was trying to work out how to get pics of his area in the Pinellas posted on our discussion. Here is the last one I sent him. It is in McLaren falls of the Tauranga district. North Island.
He thought it was beautiful....♥ he last message he text me that day was "You have God's heart."
Once you get inland from the beaches, Pinellas is sort of a concrete jungle, unless you get all the down to Fort Desoto at the southern tip.

Although we live near Toronto, it was normal for us to make the 2,000 km trip to sunny Florida during the winter months. My DIL's parents have a winter home in Pinellas, as did their parents before them. Our main attraction to Pinellas is Indian Rocks Baptist Church, which is fairly close to Willie's church. They have a really awesome pastor, Jeff Parish, who is the best Bible teacher I have ever heard. All of his sermons are available for downloading or viewing on their website, which has an archive of hundreds of his sermons from over the years. I have now watched his entire series on Romans twice, not to mention going back from time-to-time to check out his teaching in specific areas. So even when I am not in Florida, I get to hear his sermons every week, notwithstanding, we spent more time in the Everglades hiking amongst alligators and water moccasins. :)

Our travelling days are now over, but I have some great memories from Florida.
 

Angelina

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Once you get inland from the beaches, Pinellas is sort of a concrete jungle, unless you get all the down to Fort Desoto at the southern tip.

Although we live near Toronto, it was normal for us to make the 2,000 km trip to sunny Florida during the winter months. My DIL's parents have a winter home in Pinellas, as did their parents before them. Our main attraction to Pinellas is Indian Rocks Baptist Church, which is fairly close to Willie's church. They have a really awesome pastor, Jeff Parish, who is the best Bible teacher I have ever heard. All of his sermons are available for downloading or viewing on their website, which has an archive of hundreds of his sermons from over the years. I have now watched his entire series on Romans twice, not to mention going back from time-to-time to check out his teaching in specific areas. So even when I am not in Florida, I get to hear his sermons every week, notwithstanding, we spent more time in the Everglades hiking amongst alligators and water moccasins. :)

Our travelling days are now over, but I have some great memories from Florida.

Wow! I just wished we managed to finish that conversation. We will have to wait till later but then....heaven would be soooo awesome that earth probably would not even be a thought on the radar! :)
 

Stan B

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@Stan B I was curious so I listened to A burden for change: Nehemiah. He is quite easy to listen to and inspiring. :)
He is a Tennesee hillbilly . . . with his Doctorate! He has never lost his one-on-one interface with people. I always feel that it's just the two of us chatting. I have been an ardent student of Scripture for 65 years, but I have never heard a single sermon in which I didn't learn something new.

With all the recent disruptions taking place, their website is a bit of a mess, but their difficult to find archives are located at

On-Demand - Indian Rocks Baptist Church

My favourite series is his teaching on Romans.
He is the only pastor I have ever heard, who coming to difficult passages, isn't afraid to say "I don't know"! But in starting his new series on Nehemiah, I don't recall he quoting even one verse, as he opens up our understanding of the book. I am amazed by his knowledge.

Glad you enjoyed listening to him.
 

Nancy

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I could a novel on that, sister (LoL). With the opportunity for online relationships, we entered a whole new world. Suddenly many of the barriers that once kept us apart were no longer there; racial barriers, physical attractions, age differences. Suddenly we were speaking soul to soul and spirit to spirit with one another on levels we never had before, and making connections based purely on who we were as human beings.

I love the opportunity we have to get close to one another based on who we are alone, but yes, it makes losing others more painful now as well. But I encourage it. As the old saying goes, "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."


Numerous visions have been given on Heaven itself, but as far as seeing family and friends there, those are more rare, and I think it's because the Lord is saving that for a surprise : )

"I love the opportunity we have to get close to one another based on who we are alone, but yes, it makes losing others more painful now as well. But I encourage it. As the old saying goes, "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

This is so true, and it is easier knowing Willie will never have pain again, he has new knees!...or will have?!... or have to deal with his losing his eyesight, and that he was not allowed to live as a vegetable. God took him quick and, while working in the hospitals for 23 years, it seemed those who did not believe lingered much longer than those who had their faith in The Lord. It always made me think that God was dealing with them in their spirits to give them every chance.