Rye Hill Baptist News

We received our church newsletter in the mail today. I just have to share Bro. Mike's article with you.


The only word that comes to mind right now is “Amazing”! We had been rocking right along this summer having a great time with our best attendance, offerings, Children’s and Youth Camps, and Vacation Bible School ever! God, in His sovereignty, completely interrupted our world with a situation that nobody saw coming. On Saturday, August 7th, 2010, the age of five, our sweet little Leightyn Nan Holmes, went to be with our Lord. For two days the Holmes and I clung to Romans 8:28 for comfort and strength. What we didn’t know was that God had a plan for the Holmes’ family that would change our church and people’s lives forever. I can honestly say that in the five short years that we had Leightyn, she influenced and affected more lives than most adults will in their life time! What Satan meant for bad, God has used for good. Her life song, her parents, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit has brought true revival to our church family. Landen and Missy have been unbelievable! Just 18 hours after Leightyn went to Heaven they were in church testifying about the wonderful grace of our Jesus. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. In 52 years of living and 30 years in the ministry, I have never seen such faith and strength demonstrated in a Christian couple’s life. To God be the glory! At Leightyn’s homecoming celebration we saw our building filled to capacity with standing room only and 21 people gave their hearts to Jesus Christ. We have seen 10 more professions of faith these past two weeks and many rededications. Sunday, the glory of the Lord fell; we had a 25 minute invitation with 15 recorded decisions. We also had 184 in Sunday School and 252 in Worship! God is so good (all the time) and our cup runneth over! We will baptize 8 this coming Sunday. Praise be, after Sunday it will make our baptismal waters moving for 7 straight weeks! Hallelujah! There have been 73 memorials given in Leightyn’s memory for a total of $26,723.00. Leightyn’s legacy will live on for years and years to come! Tears of joy, peace that passes all understanding, plus true obedience to the Holy Spirit has been present at every Worship Service. Thank you Landen, Missy and Mylea Holmes for sharing this precious angel with us who greatly inspired us and lived life to it’s fullest. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will continue to comfort you in the days ahead, God will use Leightyn’s life song for years to come, and He will also use Landen and Missy to help others that will go through the same challenging situation of life. May God bless you and we promise that Leightyn will live in our hearts forever.

Faith of a Child

I am still working on Leightyn's service blog....but I had to share this email I received this weekend. Leightyn, Mylea, and I are part of an amazing MOPS group. We have weekly playdates during the summer. This past Wednesday we played at the park. This email is from a MOPS Momma. As I read it, I could picture these two sweet girls in the swing.


So I didn't tell you this on Wednesday, and I wasn't sure whether to or not, but I feel like you would want to hear it. While we were at the park, Heidi and Vivi were swinging next to each other and I was pushing both of them, and
Vivi turned to Heidi and said, "You know our friend Leightyn?"
Heidi said, "Yep, I miss her"
Vivi, "I miss her too but she lives with Jesus now."
Heidi, "Yep, and we will play with her when we are old"
Vivi, "She likes living with Jesus, do you want to slide?"

And then they were off. It was the sweetest conversation, and the faith of a child is truly amazing.

Letter From Daddy

Dear Lei Lei,

I cant believe that it is going on one month! One month since I saw you, one month since I heard your sweet voice, one month since we chased each other around the house, one month since i tickled you, one month since i had a kiss, one month since i heard your laugh, one month since i saw your smile, one month since you rolled your eyes at me, one month since i heard "let me pick out", one month since i came home from work a got a hug, one month since you would sit outside with me in the mornings, one month since my heart has been broken, one month since our family has been complete, one month since our lives were changed forever. Words cant even begin to express how much i miss having you around. I seem so lost at times. There are times when i just cant believe that you are gone. Me and mommy are trying our best to keep in good spirits, and we want so badly for people to remember you and keep your memory alive. We took Mylea to the fair and it broke my heart not seeing you riding the rides with her. I know that you loved going to the fair. We see Sara riding her bike outside and I cant help but to think of you everytime. how much you loved riding your bike on the road. you thought you were sooo big. We sang Jesus Loves Me this morning at church, and it was tough. I loved listening to you sing songs at bedtime. I sit and think about the stories that you would have told us about school and all of the things you would have learned, and friends you would have made. I wish I could have taken it all away, but I know it wasn't part of His will. I know it is all part of His bigger and perfect plan, but it is still hard, and sometimes i truly don't completely understand, but i still trust Him. You wouldn't believe the impact that your little life has made on people in this city, in this state and across the nation (i would like to think). I never truly understood how blessed i was to have you as my daughter, and i am sorry. I love you so much. I heard a song last night that said "I cant wait to see your smiling face, I cant wait to see you and your sister play, i cant wait to see you dance ....... but I just have to wait"

Oh Lei, i cant wait to see you again.

Love You.

CUWIGT! (C U When I Get There)

Daddy

"Always Sunny In Here"

I know this blog is out of order, but I couldn't wait to tell the carmex story and now this story. I will try to get back in order tomorrow.

August 3, 2010

Leightyn asked to do schoolwork while Mylea was napping. Usually schoolwork is done in a certain order (numbers, letters, name, reading new words, and then cutting or crafts). This Tuesday, she really wanted to work on her cutting and that was all. She found her cutting book and then picked out a sun.

She quickly brought it to me when she finished. I was impressed with her straight lines and that the paper was not torn. This was (without a doubt) the best cutting project she had ever done.

Leightyn couldn't wait for her daddy to get home so she could show off her work.

When Landen walked in the door, Leightyn quickly grabbed her sun and went straight to daddy. She asked Landen if she could tape it to the fan in the living room. I said "to the fan" and Leightyn replied "Then it will always be sunny in here". We got some tape and taped the sun to the fan cord. She was excited to see her sun hanging in the "sky".

"Always Sunny In Here".....

Three days after the sun was hung, Leightyn went home to her Heavenly Father. As we sit in disbelief, stunned, and in tears....there is the sun...still shining.

No matter how much we hurt. No matter how heartbroken we are. No matter the emotions we are going through......

Leightyn wanted it to "always be sunny".

Nothing Normal About This Evening

August 10, 2010

Sadness
Gloomy
Gut Wrenching Tears
Elevator Music
Quiet Conversations

Those are the words that I would use to describe a visitation.

Sadness
Overwhelming
Constant Line
Sharing Memories
Praise and Worship Songs
Encouraging
Up Lifting

These are the words that I would use to describe Leightyn's visitation.

Visitation was scheduled from 5-8 pm at the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. People started showing up at 4:45. There was a constant line out the chapel doors until 7:50. Several times that evening, the line was outside the building waiting to come in.

Talk about overwhelming!

All of these people came to see my sweet Leightyn. All of these people came to encourage us. To share memories with us. To pray to us. To tell how Leightyn's story has changed them.

There were people there that I (or the family) had never met. A couple (whom we had never met) drove down from Rogers...just to give me a hug. WOW!

Groups of people came to see us. My old teaching buddies were there. The majority of this group is no longer at the same school. But yet, there there together for me. My awesome mops mommas were there. They came to laugh, cry, and encourage me. Our church group was there. They offered their shoulder to cry on and promises of continuing prayers.

I remember how I was drawn to Leightyn. I just couldn't take my eyes off her. I spent the entire evening next to her little body talking to people. Listening to their words. To their stories.

I heard stories of how families had gotten closer. Stories of parents who learned to be there for their kids more. Stories of moms who thought their playgroup was over. Only to find out that God provided for this group....in more ways than every expected. Stories of hurt relationships now moving on....together.

This was not a usual visitation.

I remember when the evening was over. People were still there and we finally had to clear out the room so the funeral home could close. As we looked at the guest books, I realized how many people had been there for us. Two guest books were filled up with names from that evening. We would need to add more pages for the funeral. I was speechless.

My Lei Babe.....she touched so many people.

Her last 24 hours here on earth, changes lives and hearts forever!

One Word.....Beautiful

August 10, 2010

Today was the dreaded day. Landen and I honestly believed that visitation would be much worse than the funeral.

My mom wanted to go see Leightyn before visitation. I tagged along with her. I took pictures (lots of pictures....big and small) to place in the chapel lobby. I wanted people to see Leightyn in her happy times. To see how much Leightyn loved life. To see how she lived her life to the fullest.

My mom went to see Lei, but I couldn't. I just wasn't ready. I sat in the lobby trying to pump myself up to go inside. I got enough energy to stand up. I mustered up enough courage to walk to the door and look through the window. There in the front of the chapel was a beautiful pink casket. It was so tiny. Caskets should not come that small. I decided that it was time to go in. I had to see her before the crowd arrived that evening. Slowly, I took one step, at a time, down the aisle. I kept my head focused down. I wasn't ready to see her. In my mind, it was all still a bad dream. My baby wasn't really gone. My baby wasn't "sleeping" in the pink casket. My baby didn't have a tumor. It didn't seem possible.

As I got to the front of the chapel, I still couldn't look at Lei. I asked mom if she looked good. I was worried about the shaven part of her head. I was worried that Leightyn's head would be bruised. I was afraid that she would look like her make-up was painted on. I was afraid her dress would be to big. I was afraid her casket would be to big for her.

But, there she was. My baby was beautiful!. Her hair bow covered the evidence of her drain tube. Her make-up was perfect. The dress fit perfect. She even had her Belle doll to sleep with. But there she was.....it really made me realize that my baby was in that casket. Everything that had happened in the last 48 hours was not a bad dream. Leightyn really was in Heaven singing with Jesus.

I don't even remember crying. I couldn't take my eyes of her. She was absolutely beautiful. She looked like a doll.....a real baby doll. I just stood by her side, staring at her beautiful face.

She was my beautiful baby!

Please God.....Show Me A Sign

August 9, 2010

I will never forget the story that I am fixing to tell. It was Monday afternoon. Landen and I had gone to the funeral home that morning to make arrangements. Bro. Mike was on his way to our house to plan Leightyn's service. My mom and I had just finished writing Lei Lei's obituary. I was sitting at the kitchen table while my mom quickly retyped the obituary. We had a deadline to get it sent in and it was down to the wire.

Mylea had gone to Chuck E Cheese that morning. We knew that she needed a fun day and also needed to get out of the "sad" house. While I was still at the table, Mylea walked in the front door with something in her hands. She loves to hide things in her hand and tell us that she has "nufing". It's her favorite game!

As Mylea walked up to me, Uncle Lloyd told her to show me what was in her hand. She handed me a tube of Carmex. Now, if you know me, you know that I am addicted to Carmex. I told Mylea "thank you for getting me some Carmex". Uncle Lloyd told Mylea to tell me where she found it. Mylea replied "in the flowers". He then asked Mylea who put the Carma in the flowers. Mylea's reply was "sissy".

As I looked at the Carmex, my breath was taken away. The Carmex was strawberry. I absolutely can not stand strawberry carmex. Leightyn loved strawberry carmex. I asked Mylea where she found it. Once again, Mylea's reply was "in the flowers". That very morning, I pulled weeds from the flower bed. I never saw the Carmex.

Sunday night and Monday morning, I cried out to God to give me a sign. I was so upset that I had not yet seen Leightyn in my dreams. I usually have Lei or My in my dreams every night. I wanted to know that Leightyn was ok. I knew she was.....but me, being human, wanted to know that Leightyn was ok. I prayed that God would give me a sign. To be honest, I didn't have the faith that I would see a sign.

But I did, my sign was Leightyn's strawberry carmex that Mylea found in the flowers.