Somehow, very quickly and quietly, ten years have passed since February 11, 2011. Ten years have passed since a chilly February morning that drastically changed so many lives. It’s hard to believe, but it's true - ten years have passed since Trisha was called to her Heavenly home.
Ten years have passed but the rush of memories always persists; not just every February on the 11th but so many other times throughout the year, throughout the last ten gone by. Trisha has been dearly missed by her family and friends; not only today but every day since that February morning. Yet as these last ten years went by, God’s all-encompassing grace allowed Trisha’s loved ones to do what seemed entirely impossible: to continue living. And not only that, but to continue living joyfully in hope. Though the waters of grief rushed over and the agonizing flames of loss towered, faith and hope remained. Faith and hope continue to strengthen and lift up. Trisha’s life and the lessons learned from February 11, 2011 will not be forgotten no matter how many years pass by. Because the grace of our Heavenly Father never changes and never fails. Because the verse from Trisha’s funeral is still as true today as it was then; as it always was and always will be.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” -Philippians 4:13
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Looking back on my years at Western Christian High School has always brought me so much joy. Not once have I looked through my photos of those days without a smile on my face or a fit of laughter that rings out loud. If I were able to relive one day from my past, it would surely be a day from around 2009-2012. Why? Not just because of the carefree Friday night lights, the soccer games, the choir concerts, or the newfound freedom…no, those years are unforgettable because of the people. Because of the incredible friends God led me to meet. And because one of those friends was Trisha. I couldn’t even tell you the exact moment we met, just that it was sometime in the fall/winter of 2008-2009 during my freshman year. I don’t remember the details of meeting her, but by the time February 11, 2011 came around, she and I were two links in the sweetest group of small-town Iowa girls; some of the best friends God has blessed me with in this lifetime. The words I would use to describe our friendship are borrowed from God’s Word as He describes David and Jonathan’s dear friendship: our souls were knit together.
Trisha was one of the most genuine people I’ve ever had the privilege to know. She was fierce and very kind. She was determined and outspoken. If you were friends with Trisha, you knew where she stood on just about anything, and she wouldn’t be made to budge on it either. She was dedicated to everything she pursued and always tried to give 110% in those things: junior firefighting, our soccer team, our Chamber choir, managing the cross country team, band, student council, and her jazz band. She was so compassionate toward others and devoted to her relationships; she knew how to be a wonderful friend. She had strong faith in Jesus and she showed it; she lived it. Was she perfect? Of course not... none of us are. But she lived purposefully and lived for Christ; when she messed up she just showed up the next day trying to do better. She was mature and wise beyond her years. She held us all accountable for our actions and choices. Once during our sophomore year I mistreated a friend with my words; I said something harsh without thinking or caring how it came off, and when Trisha heard about it she came to me and we had a convicting conversation about it. She listened carefully and solemnly to my side of the story, and though she agreed with the point I had been trying to make, she told me I should have phrased it better and more gently, should have thought about how my words would hurt. She smiled and said it would turn out okay, but that I should give that friend some space before talking to them again. It prompted an apology from me and has stayed with me to this day.
Though I appreciate very much that version of Trish, it would be impossible to talk about her without remembering how silly we were and how much fun we had. The memories I have of Trisha are absolutely overflowing with laughter. She had such a great sense of humor and knew how to have fun. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone else that could make me laugh that hard, laugh to the point where it hurt and tears rolled down my face. I think all the laughter started sometime around the fall of our sophomore year when Trish begged me to become a manager of the cross country team with her. That was as random as it sounds, but the boy Trisha was seriously dating at the time ran cross country. Since she was probably going to be at all the meets anyway, she took on the job and somehow convinced me to as well. She must have conveniently left out the part about how much running we would be doing.
Looking very red in the face and probably struggling to breathe - Trish still with a smile on!
I had never been to a cross country meet in my life, but soon found out that they were all held on golf courses with checkpoints at the mile-mark and sometimes the two-mile mark for boys’ races. As managers we had a huge stopwatch and a clipboard with all the runners’ names on it, and we would start the stopwatch when the gun went off at the start of the race. We would then have to make our way (as the crow flies, you could say) to the checkpoint in order to be there before the fastest runner on the team got there, and we would have to stay there until the final runner on the team came by. This was so we could record the runners’ times at the checkpoint to give the coach more information about that runner’s race from meet to meet. After hitting the mile checkpoint (and sometimes the two-mile if we could make it) we would need to run back to the start/finish line to make sure we got all the runners’ finish times. We would have to repeat this four times in a meet: JV girls, Varsity girls, JV boys, and Varsity boys. Some race routes were easy, as perhaps the first mile of the course looped back toward the start/finish line, making the checkpoint close by. Others were not mapped as nicely and the checkpoint was a good distance away from the start/finish. Before the meet began, we would get a map of the golf course which had a hand-drawn race course on it; as they were all courses we’d never been to before, we’d often be scrambling to find the checkpoints before the first race started. When race time came, the gun would fire, we’d start our watch, and usually take our sweet time getting out to the mile checkpoint. Only me, Trish, and God truly know all the conversations we had out on the rolling hills of those courses...I think Trish could read my heart and soul like a book.
Usually after a nice walk and talk about life, along with some jokes and laughter, we would make it to the mile checkpoint and start looking for our runners. Trish held the big stopwatch and I wrote down the times she read to me, and she clicked the buttons on the watch that would save the check times in order. After our last team member passed us, we usually had to start running to make it back to the finish before our fastest runner beat us there. I can vividly remember one meet we knew the fastest girl on the team was going to beat us to the finish, so we started sprinting with everything we had, while trying to keep our laughter from slowing us down. Pretty soon Trish screamed my name from about ten feet behind me, yelled “TAKE THIS AND GO!!!!”, and just hurled that giant stopwatch right at me with such ferocity it felt like our lives were on the line! I remember fumbling to make the catch, running a little farther, and barely seeing our runner cross the line over a crowd of heads. I triumphantly clicked in her time, all the while trying to stop the laughter that was hurting the stitch in my side. We were both barely breathing as the rest of the team came through, but we happily clicked off and wrote down every single time! A little while later, we walked past an enormous board on which someone had already recorded every single runner’s finish time...and we laughed and laughed and laughed. So many miles we ran, probably nearly as many as the team, talking and laughing about everything under the sun. I am so glad she convinced me to join her.
Trisha had this extremely contagious sort of laugh. If I concentrate on a single memory of it, I can still hear it, and to this day it still brings a smile to my face or laughter of my own. This works especially on a memory from our junior year in algebra class. Our teacher hadn’t come in yet and we were all talking and joking around. A guy named Davis from our grade was sitting against the wall to my right and laughing to himself as he listened to Trisha tell a funny story. I remember hearing him quietly comment, “Trisha has the most contagious laugh.” It really was true. If you heard it you couldn't help but laugh along with her. I don’t think I would have survived Algebra class without her. We both absolutely hated that class and I can‘t say we were very good at it. We did, however, have a knack for convincing Mr. Kroeze to let us ‘work in partners’ even though our version of “working” consisted of us sitting in the back of the classroom with our desks pushed together, algebra books closed, giggling and talking about Trisha’s boyfriend. We had much more important things to do than solve for ‘x’, such as discussing Trisha’s plans of getting married after high school and where she hoped they would live. One day we got our test results back and I was cringing at the red 61 at the top of my page; I turned back to look at Trisha, who was sitting 2 desks behind me with her head in her hands, staring down at her own test. I remember catching up with her later and finding out that she got a 61 too, and we just laughed and laughed. Maybe we did do a little too much talking, but it sure turned one of my least favorite classes into some treasured memories.
Trisha and I were on the Student Council together our junior year. I don’t remember exactly what that job entailed other than getting to help plan the fun activities throughout the year. Since Trish and I were at it together, it also involved quite a bit of goofing off and giggling. At Christmas that year we got to pass out the Candy Grams - something we looked forward to quite a bit. Candy Grams were little notes with candy canes attached that students could ‘send’ to one another throughout the day before Christmas break. I think each one cost 50 cents and came with a little pink square of paper that had to be filled out with the recipient's name, sender’s name, a note, and which period or class the sender wanted it delivered to. Students finished submitting the Candy Grams early in the week and the Student Council members helped to sort them into classes. On the delivery day, Trish and I were each given 4 or 5 classes to deliver to, all the notes for those classes, and a big bucket of candy canes. We got to dress up in Santa hats and Christmas gear and we were to go into these classes separately to deliver our Candy Grams. Right after we were sent off from the first floor, Trisha grabbed my arm and whispered to me to meet her on the third floor so we could work together; both of us were way too chicken to walk alone into a class of seniors to deliver these things. Trish went up the west staircase and I went up the east one (we thought this would be less suspicious) and we met on the third floor to take on the deliveries together. I think we stood outside the door of Mr. Negen's senior Government class for a solid ten minutes trying to gather the courage to go in. Finally after much frantic whispering about who would go in first, Trisha suddenly knocked much too loudly on the door, whipped it open and shoved me through it :)
Candy-Gram Day & some from Megan and Janelle I found in my scrapbook. Trish and I didn't write any because we were handing them out.
Another classic Student Council memory I have of Trish was when we volunteered to draw the posters for the Winter Olympics that year. I truly don’t remember how she convinced me to take this on. These posters were usually brightly colored and quite impressive drawings of the daily dress-up themes and student activities that would be happening throughout the week, with five posters for Monday through Friday. They hung on the wall in the lunch line where everyone would see them as they waited in line for lunch. We were given several weeks (perhaps even months) to get them done, but we procrastinated and procrastinated until it was the day before they needed to be finished, and we hadn’t drawn a single thing. We were given permission to skip out of Band (the poor director was our Student Council leader who had to put up with us) to finish these posters. We rushed to a conference room, spread out a bunch of posters, armed ourselves with some pencil crayons, and began drawing frantically. We were panicking and doing some very poor, very last-minute coloring; they had to be hung before we left school that day! Our friend Eric walked in near the end of the period and we didn’t even say hello; Trisha just shoved some posters and crayons in his face and screamed, “JUST COLOR!!! WE DON’T CARE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!!” We had been laughing plenty while drawing, but definitely couldn’t stop laughing after that; I remember wiping tears away with my sleeve. The memory of it still makes me laugh out loud even today. So maybe when I said Trish always tried to give 110%, I should have said she almost always tried for 110%... :) I’m thinking it might have been my bad influence and I was the slacker of the pair of us. I sure wish I had taken a picture of those crappy-looking posters though, so I could have a good laugh about them again. I can’t tell you how much we laughed about them in the lunch line for days afterward. They were truly so terrible!
A newspaper clipping of the Student Council our junior year
If I were to actually list out all of my memories of Trisha, this would be a very long post indeed. And just from my memories alone! Surely Megan and Janelle could talk for hours of their memories with Trisha, as well as so many other friends too. How can I possibly write enough to do justice to all those golden days? Our group of small-town Iowa girls had as much fun as (if not more than) any group ever did. We played in pep band and cheered at football, basketball, and volleyball games; we stayed in hotels to watch the state tournaments together. We teased Trish about getting in trouble for working on her Sudoku during class. We were very familiar with her trick of hiding it just under her notebook and often watched her quietly sneak numbers in here and there throughout a class period. She and I would greet one another with a slap on the back and “What up bro?” :) We both scrunched our hair the same way with diffusers and mousse, and sometimes attacked the curls with straighteners together. We spent summer nights at each other's houses and went to parades on the Fourth of July. We all took pictures on our $30 Walmart cameras even if we were teased for taking so many. We went bowling on Friday nights and tubing down the Rock River in the summertime. We went shopping in Sioux Falls together, even though our school wardrobes consisted mostly of Wolfpack T-shirts and sweatshirts. We goofed off on the bus rides to and from cross country meets and soccer games - all of us played soccer the spring of our sophomore year. Trisha was #18 on defense, and the following year when she was gone I moved from midfield into her position.
Janelle (#4) Trish (#18) and Kelsey (#17) running cool down after a game
Whenever group work was allowed in the classes us girls all had together, without a doubt our desks were always pushed together, and more talk than work was happening. We played in band and sang in choir concerts together, and during our junior year we tried out for the Chamber Choir that performed throughout the second semester. We sang in two of those concerts together before Trish passed away. We went out for supper on Friday nights; we had game nights and sleepovers. We planned surprise birthday parties for one another. We watched movies and exchanged presents for Christmas. We dressed up for Pajama Day, Color Day, and School Spirit Day. We went out for ice cream in Sheldon at Dairy Dandy and sat around summer night bonfires. We talked about our church life and Young People’s groups. We played MASH, teased each other about boys, and gave honest advice to one another. We talked about our fears and hopes and dreams for the future. And we laughed.
We laughed right up until the very last time I saw Trish: Thursday afternoon on February 10, in our 7th period Church History class. We were working in a group on some homework (and you guessed it, goofing off and giggling). When the bell rang, we began packing up and talking about our plans for the weekend. I remember we were very excited to have a Chambers concert in Trisha’s church on Sunday, so we talked about that again before making our plans for Friday. It would be my 17th birthday and a Fun Friday in February all rolled into one. Fun Friday in February consisted of a dress-up day for each Friday in February. I can’t remember what the other themes were, but the theme for February 11 was 'Duct Tape Day'. We talked about our plans for costumes, how we would meet in the girls locker room early the next morning to get ready. Trish had early morning jazz band practice before school, but would come as soon as she was done. As she and I parted ways, we agreed we would hang out after school and go out to eat somewhere Friday night to celebrate my birthday. I think we decided maybe Culvers or something else in Sioux Center. We said goodbye and that was the last time I saw her. It was a completely ordinary conversation that will now stay with me for a lifetime.
The morning of February 11, 2011 dawned beautifully sunny but a little frosty. I packed my bags with rolls of brightly colored duct tape, drove to school, parked my car, and headed for the girls locker room. Janelle and Megan met me there with happy birthday greetings and we began covering our clothes with duct tape. Megan and I were in the front locker room and Janelle had gone to the back room with some friends. A girl named Kayla walked through the door looking quite pale (we learned later that she had come from Trisha’s early morning jazz band practice) and said very quickly to a few other girls in the room, “You guys, Trisha Wood died in a car accident this morning.”
My brain was numbly processing. It gave me a half-second of disbelief, along with a disbelieving half-laugh: “ha!”. It escaped my lips at the exact same moment it escaped Megan’s. A half-second of believing Kayla was telling some awful kind of joke. A half-second before the tidal wave of horror, grief, and pain crashed upon us. The half-second ended. My widened eyes met Megan’s, and saw in them the same pain, the same realization, the same grief… like looking into a mirror. We let out the same anguished cry before clinging to one another so tightly it hurt. It was seconds, or an eternity, or both, and she let go; she jumped up and started calling for Janelle with a terrible voice I’ll never forget. Janelle came running, her voice rising in high-pitched fear… “What?! WHAT?!” Megan managed to tell her what had happened, and as Janelle launched herself into Megan’s arms, the same anguished cry rang out again.
In the moments that followed, comfort came flooding in. It continued to come in the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years that followed. Girls from our soccer team hugged us tightly right there in the locker room. Classmates and wonderful friends sought us out, waited outside the locker room door to hold us tight. A close friend and fellow Chamber singer remarked to me that he heard our cries from down the hall near the boys locker room and, having already heard what happened, took off to find us without a second thought. He and many others did not shy away from our grief, because they too were feeling it deeply. They didn’t try to fill the silence with empty words, they were just there to hold us steady as we cried. And they cried with us too. I so vividly remember each of those steadying embraces. It’s still amazing to me that through just one tight hug they could entirely transform how I was feeling; I can only describe it as my world going from utter chaos and out of control to completely still and quiet. They were instruments in the hand of God to calm the raging storm. Trisha’s boyfriend, our core group of friends, our moms, our pastors, our teachers, our Chamber choir, our family, even acquaintances… all of them came together to comfort each other and all of Trisha’s friends and loved ones.
All our morning classes were cancelled and an emergency chapel was held. Afterward someone had the idea to roll a piano into the lobby, gather our Chamber choir Trisha had been a part of, and encourage us heartbroken teenagers to sing. To sing and to remember where to go during terrible tragedy. To sing even though our voices were cracking from sobs and tears came from our eyes in a stream that felt as though it would never end. We sang Song of Assurance and Wonderful Merciful Savior as our family and friends gathered to listen, tears streaming down their faces as well.
That afternoon, we all rode with our moms past the scene of the accident, as it was on the way to Trisha’s house. Trish had been on her way to jazz band practice that morning when she hit an icy patch on a bridge just outside of Sheldon; this caused her to collide with an oncoming semi-truck. Her dad, a cop for the Sheldon police department, had been the first on-scene. Our hearts were filled with such sorrow for Todd and Deanna as we went along with a big group of Trisha’s close high school friends to see them and their extended family. How heartbreaking an afternoon it was. Trisha’s home was overflowing with loved ones. We read words of comfort from God’s Word as we had nowhere else to turn with our grief. The days continued on even though it felt like the world had stopped. We heard comforting sermons on Sunday, February 13. The Chambers concert scheduled for Trisha's church that day was cancelled. We instead prepared ourselves for her visitation there on Monday evening, February 14. We were told to stop by Western’s gym on our way back from the visitation. The students watching a basketball game there were all wearing yellow in memory of Trish.
Janelle, Megan, and I traveled to Sheldon along with our moms in the same car. We again drove past the place where Trisha’s accident had happened. After parking the car outside the church, the three of us walked up the steps to go inside, arm-in-arm and shaking; but not from the February cold. My mom later remarked to me that as she watched us go, she was struck with the thought that we just looked so little; like three little girls huddled up and hanging onto one another for dear life.
We took off our coats in a side room before entering the sanctuary through a side door. Trisha’s open casket was maybe twenty feet away through the open door, in the middle of the sanctuary at the front. I remember all three of us pausing before going through that door, unable to look in, all trying to gain the courage to make our feet move. Without even needing to say it out loud, the three of us again looped arm-in-arm with Megan in the middle, and left no space between us. We clung to each other so tightly in those moments it was painful - we needed to keep one another from falling apart. We all took a deep breath and shuffled very slowly on toward a place of terrible sadness and proof of a reality we simply could not wrap our minds around. And as we stood crying, heads resting on one another’s shoulders, holding tightly to each other near Trisha’s casket, God was holding tightly to us too. He was catching every tear. And He was holding Trisha in His arms, in Heavenly perfection. After spending quite some time sitting in the pews together and watching a slideshow of Trisha’s pictures, we stood and moved on. Dear friends - Heath, Alex, and Drake - awaited us outside the sanctuary with yellow roses in Trisha’s memory. We hugged Trisha’s family and deeply mourned with them. So many pain-stricken sobs escaped us and so many tears were shed in those moments.
The morning of Trisha’s funeral arrived cold but sunny. Many classmates attended her funeral and our Chamber choir performed Praise the Father, Praise the Son and Celebrate, Trisha's favorite piece. How difficult and ironic it was to sing the lyrics of Celebrate when all we could do was cry. I know that it wasn't our most perfect performance, but I am confident that a more beautiful rendition will never be sung in this life. We were heartbroken but we also knew in our hearts that Trish was joyfully celebrating in Heaven. As we sang we were clinging to the truth of those words.
Her casket was carried to the Sheldon cemetery by Engine 4, a yellow fire truck from the Sheldon fire department; it had been draped in black banners. It was followed by a long funeral procession of emergency response vehicles, her family of firefighters. Some 25 fire departments were in attendance; countless police officers and emergency personnel came from miles around to say goodbye to one of their own. It was an incredibly heartbreaking and moving sight to see. Trish was laid to rest in the cemetery with many family members and friends surrounding her casket. I will never forget standing there in the cold, surrounded by friends who remained steady right beside me, with their arms around me to hold me up. Ten years ago in that snowy cemetery we all tearfully said goodbye to Trish. And ten years later she is still very missed and never forgotten.
Ten years later I sit and reflect upon those sad February days. I reflect on the lessons that God was teaching during those days; lessons He continues to teach us. I sit and watch my own daughter and son as they play. I wonder to myself, how could parents who have lost their children possibly go on living? How do they even breathe, when surely the weight of their grief is heavier than a thousand oceans, every drop pressing in on their lungs and suffocating… and then I remember Trisha’s funeral verse again.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Not just some things. Not just the happy things or the easy things. We can do all things through Him… things like laying a precious loved one in the grave. I am in awe of the examples of faith that surround Trisha’s life. If you’re looking to find an unmatched example of God’s grace at work and the hope of Christ at work, look at a God-fearing parent who has lost a child. Though the waters of a thousand oceans of grief press upon them, they trust and they hope and they believe in the God who is sovereign over every moment. They fight against the lies Satan ambushes them with; lies that sound like, “If God really loved you He wouldn’t have put this in your life” and “there is no hope for you in your despair”. No, even when their hearts are shattered and they walk through the darkness of countless sleepless nights, they trust in their loving God. They trust that their child went from life to living… from walking the halls of a place called Western Christian to walking streets of shining gold. From singing in a choir of teenagers to singing in a choir of angels and of thousands and thousands of saints through the ages. They desperately miss her with every breath but trust that they will one day join her, that they will see her again. They continue on their earthly sojourn because Christ strengthens them every single second, and even when they feel terribly weak they trust that He will continue to strengthen them. That trust, that faith… it is the only thing that could possibly see them through such heartache.
More lessons that I've been reflecting on are these, in no particular order: We are so often careless or reckless with our time, because it's easy to feel that it's ours for the spending. But our time here on earth belongs to God. He created us and is sovereign over every moment of our lives. The most important thing we can do here on this earth is to live for His glory; to use every breath we take to glorify His name. Because any breath could be the last one we draw. Because all that truly matters in this life and the next is that we live for Him. Though our lives are just as fleeting as the morning fog… there one moment and gone the next, it still matters how we live! That we live in thankfulness for our salvation and keep our eyes on Heaven as we walk here on earth. We need to hold tightly to the things of Heaven while being ready to go there at any moment.
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." -Colossians 3:17 KJV
In this too, we see the comfort. What do we have to fear if tomorrow is held in the hands of our Heavenly Father? He tells us in Romans 8 that every minute detail of His will is meant for our good, so even if tomorrow brings pain and suffering, we need not fear. The Christian walk here on this earth is not void of pain and heartache and unspeakable tragedy. Sometimes the trials God sends us seem so impossible and so beyond our pain threshold. Trisha’s dad and mom and family went through such a trial. They are still going through it and will until their final day on this earth. God doesn’t promise in His Word that our lives will be free of pain. He does not say, “I will never put you through the waters or through the fire”. No, the waters and the fire will come; they threaten to drown and to destroy. But God does promise us that He will walk every step with us through those waters and through the fire. Though we walk through them, He will not let us drown. He will not let us go up in flames. He is so much bigger than any tragedy we will ever face, and is the only means by which we survive them. By the gift of His grace we even grow in faith through the tribulation. Which leads me now to the true heart of this post: God works powerfully through the trials He puts in our lives.
In His all-knowing Fatherly love for us, He sends trials that appear to us as a pain and weight that will surely break us...and then He strengthens us by them. The difficulties that seem strong enough to break us are used to strengthen us! To strengthen our faith and our walk with Christ; to draw us nearer to Him in a bond of love and trust. It quite simply boggles my mind. He works all these things, so difficult as they are, for the good of those who love Him, even though it is impossible for us to see how. The tribulation is used by Him to make us cling fiercely to the promises He sets forth in His Word, rather than to simply know them as head-knowledge and vaguely believe their truth. Therein lies the reason for the trials, and a place to find peace and hope and joy again - to make our feet move in the direction of Heaven. Just the thought of it makes my heart explode with peace and joy... as I imagine the day when His promises will become reality right before my very eyes, in Heaven, just as it happened for Trisha on the morning of February 11. Though Trisha was imperfect, she was faithful in believing that Christ had covered her sins and would one day take her to Heaven. She lived her life holding onto these precious truths, and in the wake of her death, we were all reminded to do the same. How very important to never forget this.
"But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." - Isaiah 43:1-2 KJV
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 KJV
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." - Romans 5:1-5 KJV
Trisha lived out her faith in a way that others could see it. As children of God we need to love Him in a way that transforms every aspect of our lives: the way we talk, the way we work, the way we worship, the way we treat others, the way we raise our children, the way we handle success and the way we handle tragedy. Not so that we can bring glory to our own name, but so that His name is glorified. Trisha is a great example of the significance of being a wonderful friend. In the mere seventeen years of her life, the lives she touched and the amount of people who experienced her compassion and friendship is so astounding. She is proof that we can be used by God to love others in immense ways, even though our time here on earth is fleeting. I wish I could say that over the last ten years I’ve been a friend to others the way Trisha was, but I haven’t always. Sadly I’ve often allowed my own sin and pride to stand in the way of relationships. It is a lesson God continues to teach me and remind me of; remembering Trisha’s friendship to me is a valuable thing. It has motivated me to right the wrongs I have committed in relationships, and to say the things that are on my heart to friends who have changed my life and need to hear it. Sometimes we waste our time and waste our words; life is too short and precious to do this. Say the things you want to say. Tell others of your feelings for them and your appreciation of them before it’s too late. God blesses us with dear friends and family... don’t take them for granted.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 KJV
"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Proverbs 17:17 KJV
My older brother gifted me a plaque after Trisha passed away that says, “When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure”. How true this really is. I treasure notes from Trisha and things with her handwriting on it. Us girls treasured gifts she had given us and pictures we had taken with her. So write some notes or letters to your loved ones, and take some pictures with them. The only pictures you’ll regret are the ones you didn’t take. Countless times I’ve looked back at all our pictures, and every time I begin to wish that I could watch some videos of those years. Trish and I were friends during a time when we didn’t have access to as much technology to take videos, but how I would enjoy hearing her laugh again. Take the picture, or take the video.
If you haven't already, and you have the opportunity to, join a choir. Have your kids join a choir if they are interested and are able! Being a part of Western Christian's Chamber Choir impacted my life in such an immense way. Music is an incredibly powerful, intricate, moving, and astoundingly beautiful creation of God. It is such a wonderful way to praise God and is mentioned so many times throughout the Scriptures. It has a profound effect on our emotions and our memories. The music I sang in that choir is so deeply imbedded in my heart and soul. It is so interwoven with those times of grief and realization of my need for Christ that whenever I listen to the songs again, I am completely brought back to those feelings and those realities - how important!! To play the CDs in my car and sing the words again that brought me so much comfort and strengthened my faith; to read the verses of God's Word from which they were written and remember those moments of walking closely with Him through a season of immense sadness. The value of that is beyond my comprehension. Apart from the music itself, the friendships God blessed me with through that choir were so incredible. Fellow choir members became true and close friends. They understood and experienced the pain of Trisha's death in a unique way, and went out of their way to become an inexpressible source of comfort. We all stood side by side and tearfully sang at her funeral. I watched the video recording of it and was touched by the interactions between friends during those songs. I was thankful to be standing next to one of Trisha’s childhood friends, Evan; thankful for his reassuring one-arm hug through the whole thing. Those choir members shared so many hugs, prayers, texts, comforting gestures and touching song lyrics with Trisha's grieving friends and family. I treasure my memories of them and so enjoy meeting up with or running into them whenever I visit my hometown.
If you know of parents who have lost a child, or anyone who has lost a family member dear to them, ask them to tell you stories about that person. You will be surprised at how much you can learn from that family. If you know the person who passed away, tell their family your memories of them. I truly hope that even after ten years, Trisha’s family is still finding out new things about her, and hearing new memories from those who knew her.
Every person grieves loss in a unique way. Sometimes I think that's the reason grief is so intimidating to us. We are afraid to approach the grieving person because we do not know how they're feeling. We are afraid of saying the wrong things or saying cliche and empty words. Sometimes (not always) a good approach is to simply hug that person as tightly as you are able and let your touch carry all of the words you wish you could say. Often more genuine conversation will follow after this interaction naturally. For myself, I found the most comfort in those silent embraces. I don't remember every word of encouragement spoken to me on that day, but I will never forget how those strong and silent embraces from friends and family made me feel. I very vividly picture them still, ten years later. And yet, others may need more words of comfort and less hugs; as I stated earlier, everyone grieves in a unique way. They say money can’t buy happiness, but there is one thing my parents bought for me that truly brought me so much joy and happiness: my Christian school education at Western. I firmly believe it is the most valuable thing money can buy for your kids. My parents sacrificed financially and personally through their social life in order to send me to Western Christian; if you know them, ask them to tell you about it sometime. I can’t find words powerful enough to express my gratitude to them for this. The Christian friends I met while at Western changed my life. My friendship and deep conversations with Trish changed my life. The friendship that was shown to me after she passed away changed my life, especially since those friends had faith in their hearts and grew in their faith through those difficult times, helping my faith to grow along with them too. It softened my heart and deepened my emotions in a significant way. Being able to sing Christian music in choir, being able to sit in regular and meaningful chapels, and to have teaching in every class that was based in God's Word; what a blessing that place of Christian education was to me. I will always be thankful for the priceless gift my parents gave me in sending me there.
Ten years ago, God called Trisha home when she was only seventeen years old. It came as a terrible shock for her friends and family and everyone around her. But it came as no surprise to God. He knew Trisha before she was born; before the very foundations of the earth were laid. In His sovereign will He ordained a certain number of seconds for Trisha's life to last. He knew the exact moment she would come into His earth, and He knew the exact moment she would leave it. He blessed her with faith and made her ready for that moment. Precious to God is the death of His saints, the Scriptures tell us. Surely as she entered Heaven she greatly rejoiced, and the whole host of God's angels and saints rejoiced with her at the homecoming of another child of God. We as children of God who continue to walk on this earth cannot forget these beautiful truths. I know that God holds every second of my life in His loving hands; I know that one day soon, I too will pass from this life to the next in a single moment. What a joyful day that will be. To stand in the throne room of the Father who created me, all pain and sorrow and tears gone away. To know that when we've been there ten years or ten thousand, we've no less days to sing His praise than when we first begun. Praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the Spirit, Three-in-One for that salvation and that assurance.
I will forever be thankful for the blessing of knowing Trish and having her friendship. I hope and pray that my own daughter and my son will be blessed with such friendship in their lives too. Someday when they are older, I will show them the pictures and tell them the stories; I will tell them about the importance of Christian friendship and of being a Christian friend toward others. I will explain to them the power and the goodness and the tender love the Father has for His children, and tell of the way He upholds us all no matter what tragedy befalls us. I’ll tell them of a wonderful place called Heaven; about how I can't wait to get there to celebrate and to laugh with Trisha again on glory's side forever. Until that day comes, God helps us to carry on; He lifts our weary feet and makes our burdens light. By His grace He helps us to continue on with faith and hope in the depths of our souls, doing all things through Christ who gives us strength.
This piece is dedicated to:
Trisha Lynn Wood & family
And to:
Megan
Janelle
Leah
Justin
Heath
Alex
Drake
Evan
Eric
Jared
Brendon
Tayler
Erin
Heidi
Emily
and every member of the Western Christian Chamber Singers 2010-2011.
And to:
All my dear family members and friends who have stood by my side.
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Praise the Father, Praise the Son (arr. Richard Kingsmore)
O sov'reign God, O matchless King The saints adore, the angels sing And fall before the throne of grace To You belongs the highest praise.
These sufferings, this passing tide Under Your wings I will abide, And every enemy shall flee; You are my hope and victory.
Praise the Father, Praise the Son. Praise the Spirit, Three in One. Clothed in power and in grace The name above all other names.
To the valley, for my soul; Thy great descent has made me whole! Your word my heart has welcomed home; Now peace like water ever flows.
Praise the Father, Praise the Son. Praise the Spirit, Three in One. Clothed in power and in grace The name above all other names.
Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power. Yours is the glory forever...forever Amen.
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Celebrate (Keith Hampton)
Oh why don't you celebrate
The blessings of the Lord?
Oh why don't you celebrate
What God has already done?
You need to thank Him for His mighty acts
How He turned you around so don't look back
Celebrate the goodness of the Lord
Celebrate!
Have faith in God
For He will see you through
Trust and believe that
He's right there just for you
Through troubled times and pain and despair,
Yes my God will surely be there
Yes my God will be there, He'll be there
Celebrate!
Oh why don't you celebrate
The blessings of the Lord?
Oh why don't you celebrate
What God has already done?
You need to thank Him for His mighty acts
How He turned you around so don't look back
Celebrate the goodness of the Lord
Celebrate!
For the Lord is high above all the earth
Thou art exalted far above all gods
Rejoice in Holy God and give thanks
Yes my God will surely be there
Yes my God will be there, He'll be there
Celebrate!
Oh why don't you celebrate
The blessings of the Lord?
Oh why don't you celebrate
What God has already done?
You need to thank Him for His mighty acts
How He turned you around so don't look back
Celebrate the goodness of the Lord
Celebrate!
The Heavens declare, the Heavens declare Your righteousness
And all of the people, all of the people see Your glory
The Heavens declare, the Heavens declare Your righteousness
And all of the people, all of the people see Your glory
We need to thank Him for His mighty acts,
How He turned us around so don't look back
Celebrate!
Rejoice in the Lord, celebrate!
The Heavens declare, celebrate!
Let all of the people celebrate!
Rejoice in the Lord, celebrate!
Celebrate the goodness of the Lord!
Celebrate!
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Song of Assurance (Dale Grotenhuis)
Because of the Lord’s eternal love,
We are not consumed, are not consumed
For His compassions never fail
His compassions never, never fail
They are new every morning
Great is Your faithfulness
The Lord is good to those who hope in Him alone
To those who seek the Lord
It is good to wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
Though He brings grief, He will show compassion
For great, so great is His undying love
The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him
Will wait for Him
The Lord is good to those who hope in Him alone,
To those who seek the Lord
To those, to those who seek the Lord.
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Beside You (Marianas Trench)
When your tears are spent on your last pretense
And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense
When it’s in your spine like you’ve walked for miles
And the only thing you want is just to be still for a while
And when your heart wears thin, I will hold you up
And I will hide you when it gets too much
I’ll be right beside you... nobody will break you.
When you’re overwhelmed, and you've lost your breath
And the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless
When you try to speak, but you make no sound
And the words you want are out of reach but they’ve never been so loud
And when your heart wears thin, I will hold you up
And I will hide you when it gets too much
I’ll be right beside you... nobody will break you.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Great Is Thy Faithfulness
It Is Well With My Soul
I Will Rise
Arms That Hold the Universe
Fly to Jesus
Blessings
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The soccer bracelet Trish gave me for Christmas 2010 and her memory bracelet. She gave similar ones to Janelle and Megan too.
Trisha’s writing in my yearbook fall of 2009.
Headbands our soccer team wore in her memory.
Trisha put together this soccer ball for me the spring of our sophomore year. I was one of 7 students who got the mumps that spring, and had to quarantine for the last week of school. Trish had my soccer team sign this to cheer me up.
A pair of Trisha’s soccer socks; her parents allowed us girls to each keep a pair.
For our junior prom, we went to Janelle’s house to work with her mom on these matching garters in memory of Trish. We made a small one to fit around a vase of yellow roses, which sat on our table during the banquet.
We were able to sing in two Chambers concerts before Trisha passed away. We meant to get a picture together in Rock Rapids but didn’t, and took this photo at Bethel CRC in Sioux Center. I vividly remember someone casually teasing us that it was only the second concert, so we shouldn’t start with all the photos yet, since we would have all season to take them. Trisha passed away before we could make it to the third concert scheduled for First CRC in Sheldon on Feb.13...her own church. I find it very heartbreaking that instead of singing in that church with her on Sunday, we went to her funeral visitation there on Monday February 14. We know that God’s will and timing is perfect though.
Our last Girls Night Out together. We got dressed up and went to Cedar Rock in Rock Valley together, then had a sleepover at Megan’s house. If I remember correctly, that might have also been the night we exchanged Christmas gifts, and Trisha gifted us our bracelets.
My last photo with Trish, taken one week before she passed away. She caught up with me at the very end of the day on Friday and insisted that we take a “Scrunchy Hair Buddy picture” together. It was taken on her camera and I didn’t see it again until her slideshow at the visitation. Some friends thoughtfully printed it and put it in a frame for me, knowing how important it was to me. It is my most treasured photo with Trish.
My most recent visit to Trisha’s grave site was this past summer, July 2020. I was visiting family just outside of Sheldon and took my daughter Aria (3 months old then) along with me to the Sheldon cemetery.
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As this post was coming to life, I thought about how many people Trisha reached and the ways in which God used her death to change lives too. Her story is so much bigger than my very small part in it. I asked classmates, friends, teachers, and many others to write up their memories of Trish, of 2/11/11, of her visitation/funeral, and any ways that it has impacted their faith. If you are reading this post and would still like to add a submission, please send it to me at kelseykooima@gmail.com or post it in the comments below.
"The Yearbook" - Reflections from 2/11/11
"Whenever we (Janelle & Trish) were together, we were all together! :) I do remember that the day before she died, we were in a group of us girls in some class talking about religions and different types of Bibles and everything. I don’t know the details but I always thought that was a crazy coincidence, of Trisha showing how strong her faith was and everything, a day before she passed. Definitely a God thing!" - Janelle K
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"My favorite memories that I have of Trisha is during Choir for sure. We would talk constantly and sing of course, but just talk about life! She was one of the most encouraging and uplifting people that I know. During choir we would talk about the future like where we were going to go to college someday and what we wanted to do with our lives. She had a heart for the Lord and that would show in her daily. To this day I don't understand why she left so soon. I rest in the fact that God's work with her on earth was done. No matter how sad that makes everyone else here I constantly rest in the fact that God is in control! God's will be done not our own!" - Heidi T
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"When I think of Trisha, I know her life has impacted mine in many ways, but I struggle to come up with the right words to recount the memories I have, the lessons learned, and the impact of being her friend and sharing life with her.
As a classmate at Sheldon Christian, Trisha entered my life at a very young age - on day one of Kindergarten in Mrs. Gesink’s classroom (unless of course it was in Kiddie College). While I certainly don’t remember every memory that we shared together throughout our grade school career, I remember counting Trisha as a friend. Some specific memories that came to mind from our childhood days include: digging tunnels at recess on our grade’s snow pile with Trisha in her bright coat and long tailed “jester” hat; playing a range of sports at recess knowing that Trisha could hold her own with many of the boys in our class; sitting at half-court using school’s sound system box as our backrest as we watched our sisters’ volleyball and basketball games with after-school snacks in hand; acting in the school musical together as 5th graders and getting teased by all of our friends about the scene where my character gave hers a flower; enjoying Trisha’s transition from a Cubs fan (she loved to rock her Kerry Wood jersey ☺) to a fellow Twins fan!
As a high school classmate from the same hometown, I remember numerous bus rides with Trisha chatting about school, her work as a firefighter, and her job at Downtown Hardware. As a member of Western’s cross-country team, I remember Trisha being at each of the mile marks along the way calling out our splits with a clipboard and stopwatch in hand and an encouraging word to spur you onward. As a fellow Chamber Singer from Sheldon, I remember a number of carpool rides with Trisha to or from practice. I can still picture hopping into her car being greeted by her warm personality and a country classic on the radio.
While each of these memories is a delight to recall, the one thing that I remember most vividly is Trisha’s laugh. Her laugh was so contagious - the kind of laugh that makes you smile just because you were in its presence.
Looking back at February 11, 2011, I recall spending time at Todd and Deanna’s house that night. Gathered together broken and hurting, I remember Todd and Deanna’s openness to welcome us (Trisha’s friend group) into their home as we together grappled with the events and pain of that day. I wish that this night and the circumstances that led to it weren’t a part of my lifetime’s memories, and yet, this night taught me in new ways of the comforts of scripture and a life shared with fellow believers in Christ.
As I reflect, to be honest, my heart aches sitting on this end of a 10-year remembrance of such a tragic day. It feels unfair that Trisha’s life on earth stopped as a junior in high school while mine has continued on. It feels unfair that Todd, Deanna, Justin, and Kristin were robbed of being able to celebrate the same mile markers that have been a part of my life with their daughter and sister. In the midst of this, the words of “Praise the Father Praise the Son” echo in my head - a song we sang gathered in Western’s lobby after the all school assembly informing us of the news, and the song we sang at Trisha’s funeral. “These sufferings, this passing tide. Under your wings I will abide and every enemy shall flee; You are my hope and victory.” In spite of the tragedy and heartbreak of losing a friend at such a young age, the words of this song ring ever true. What a comfort it was then, and still is now, to know that our friend Trisha was a firm believer in Jesus Christ - a friend whose life inspired hope because we knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had claimed Christ’s victory.
Through her life, Trisha taught me lessons about being a friend, enjoying life, and encouraging others. Through her passing into glory, Trisha reiterated for me at a young age the importance of believing in Christ and his work done on the cross for our behalf - a lesson that I have carried with me still to this day." - Evan G
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"Something Trisha's dad said to me when we were at the visitation: 'Everything happens for a reason and in God's timing! God was ready to take Trisha home. She was ready. Keep your faith.' And he put his hand on my shoulder and it's something I'll never forget. Trisha was so young but yet she was ready to go to Heaven and God knew it! It was perfect timing. And here we are 10 years later still unsure as to why it had to happen but still at peace with it." - Heath B
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"I vividly remember so many things about Trish. Her bubbly laugh, her curly hair, her forever positive attitude. Trish taught me so much about being grateful for what she had, happy with having less than others, and still giving of her time and talents.
The morning of 2/11/11 is one I won't quickly forget. It was a beautiful morning for the dead of winter in Iowa. I remember the sun coming through my living room window. I made a cup of coffee and took my Bible outside to sit on my step. I read Psalm 8 that morning and just as I was finishing up I got the phone call from my dad that there had been an accident and it was bad. He couldn't choke out the words so I was left to read between the lines. He said he would pick me up from Dordt in 15 minutes and we were going to Western to pray with Justin and the other students. We got there and we prayed and we sang, and Rev. Lanning read scripture and we prayed and we sang some more. We hugged and we cried and in that moment I felt a peace. That even though I didn't understand what had happened or why it had happened, somehow it was going to be okay. I don't remember much from the day of her funeral, other than my siblings and I packed into the upstairs of church waiting patiently for the service to start. I remember flags and rows and rows and rows of fire trucks. I still think of her often and the impact she had on others in her too short life. She will forever be a part of my heart and that's all I think any of us can ask for in this life. To leave an impression on those left behind." - Brianna T
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"In my short time knowing and loving Trisha, I was blessed to walk away with such incredible stories and memories with her. From getting in trouble in Mr. Kroeze's math classes together (honestly, we had no idea what was happening so we just talked instead - sorry mom and dad) to overnight state adventures for some sport that's unimportant now, and everything in between. I have fond memories of laughter and joy, even the drama and sadness are now fond memories. However, through the tragedy of her early loss of life, I have walked away with a new lesson that I would have never envisioned learning at the time. In the last 10 years I have moved away from home to college, creating amazing friendships. I then moved back toward the area of home, leaving behind the geological closeness of my college friendships. I have worked two different jobs and volunteered at my church, all while making and losing countless friendships along the way. Each friendship lost hurt one way or another but has also taught me something along the way. In high school I believed my closest friends were those I spent Friday nights with and the ones who I talked to most in the hallways. I believed that to be friends you had to spend time with one another frequently, complain about the same things (teenage angst, am I right?), play the same sports, and have everything in common. Ten years later I've learned that lifelong friendships don't require you to constantly be around one another, to have everything in common, or to be on the same faith walk as each other. I have learned that sometimes you lose friendships in one way or another and it's okay to feel sadness or relief about that loss. In ten years I have learned that solid friendships can and do form despite all the differences and can also slowly fade away, which can be a beautiful thing.
Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with Trisha so let me explain. To this day I still tell stories about the girl I sobbed to on the cross country bus and how she stopped everything just to cheer me up. I tell stories about the girl who asked me about my relationship with Jesus in high school and the girl who played video games with the guys with me. Her friendship was and still is important to me. I hold that friendship near and dear in my heart. I find it to be an incredibly beautiful friendship, despite all the differences and its sudden end." - Leah VT
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"My memories of Trisha include a couple specific things. In English 10, one of the poems that I assigned sophomores to write was the Metaphor poem--comparing two otherwise different things and using creative writing to bring out similarities rather than differences. Trisha decided to use her last name as inspiration for her poem and she compared herself to a tree. I think the title was something like Cedar Faith, but I clearly remember a number of insightful similarities that Trisha recognized between her faith and the growth of a tree; I especially remember the verse dedicated to how winds and rough weather threaten the tree but they also force the tree to drive its roots deeper into the ground for stability. That poem was creative when she was a sophomore; it was true comfort and joy on February 11. That reminded me again of the importance of taking time to share our faith with others; when we do that in writing, we leave behind tangible evidence of God’s work in our lives--what comfort for those we love and those who love us.
My second memory happened on the same day as the accident. I wanted to reach out to Todd and Deanna to show them support and concern at such a difficult, heartbreaking time. I drove over to their house with no clear idea what I was going to say; I just knew I wanted to be available to tell them that I cared. My time at their house that day turned out differently than I expected it to. Todd and Deanna ended up giving me comfort and support. They were gracious even in immense grief; I could see God’s work in them and through them on that day. In the years that have followed, I continue to see that. Todd and Deanna have allowed God to use them in humble, genuine ways to be a blessing to so many. I thank God that in their grief, Trisha’s parents are open and obedient to being used by God--what a testimony of their faith and God’s goodness. - Karen C
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"What a life changing event in so many ways. I remember what a shock it was to hear that Trisha had passed that morning. I felt numb. I thought “how can I help guide us all through this time of grief?” I remember the Chamber Singers singing hymns that morning through tears in the lobby area. What a bitter and oh so sweet memory. I was more grateful than ever for the powerful promises we held on to in the precious hymns we sang. We held on tightly to God’s promises that since Christ had conquered sin and death, we would be with Him in heaven. I was and am so thankful for eternal life! I can’t image the grief without the promise of heaven - it would have been infinitely more tragic. We sang “Praise the Father Praise the Son” and "Celebrate" at Trisha’s funeral. I remember how difficult it was for us all to sing at her funeral but what a blessing to do that as a group. I remember the comfort it brought to Trish’s parents. God’s promises were more real and beautiful than any of us had known before! It was an extremely difficult road, but we all grew from it. I remember Kelsey, Janelle and Megan weeping in the bleachers. I would have given anything to take your pain away. I also remember Todd telling me at the visitation to never let your kids leave the house without saying “I love you”. That is something I still say every time we part to this day. (My kids still do the same, too.) We are never guaranteed tomorrow. I pray that each of my students and family members knows Jesus as Lord and Savior! I pray for the Holy Spirit to work in each of their lives. We talk about that in Bible class often. It is so easy to get busy and distracted in life. This life is just a blink but what is to come, is eternity! What a sweet and beautiful treasure it is to know Christ! I am thankful! I still pray whenever I drive through Sheldon for her family and friends, that God will give strength, comfort, and continue to help us focus on His promise of eternal life!" -Darren VH (Choir Director at Western Christian)
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"It’s been 10 years since we’ve seen Trisha, and so many thoughts and memories of her could be shared; it’s truly hard to know where to start and stop...Every parent knows the feelings of excitement and yet concern when their child leaves grade school and begins their high school years! We pray they meet friends who will walk alongside and keep them strong in their faith as they face the struggles of those years! Our daughter Kelsey’s friend group, which included Trisha, was an answer to those prayers. And no one could have seen how limited their time with her would be. The morning of Feb 11 came and since it was Kelsey’s 17th birthday, there was talk about her plans to go celebrate it with Trisha after school. Little did we know what that day held. With a goodbye and have a good day, Kelsey left the house. Just a few hours later I would get the call that Trisha was in a car accident and had passed away. The emotions of the next hours and days and beauty of God’s grace upholding all of us is hard to put into words, especially the day of Trisha’s visitation. Watching her friends that loved her so, gathered around the casket, was absolutely heartbreaking! As I stood alongside them crying, I quickly noticed a well-used and already tattered-looking Bible laying next to her. Trisha was so young, yet her Bible looked like one that had been used for many years! She knew and loved her savior and lived that way in her short 17 years here on earth! It’s been 10 years but Trisha will not be forgotten. We remember her beautiful brown eyes and curly hair, her contagious laugh and smile that could brighten our day; and the precious moments spent with her. And I will always remember her well-worn Bible! We were blessed to have Trisha in our lives and give thanks for a wonderful merciful Savior who walks beside us in the darkest days and trials, and promises that one day we will be with Him and our loved ones that have gone before us!" - Kris K
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"2-11-11 Read the morning that Trisha Wood died." - Jeralyn W
"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither."
- Revelation 11:12
"In due time there shall be heard 'a great voice from Heaven' to every believer, saying, 'Come up hither'. This should be to the saints the subject of joyful anticipation." - Morning & Evening (Charles Spurgeon)
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