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 Catherine's Story Our life together was jam-packed with meeting the needs of a growing family and serving our spiritual family - the Church. Rick and I were married for nearly 10 years. We were driven by our passion for God’s work and opened our home to fellow workers who became cherished friends. We earnestly endeavored to follow the Lord’s command to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." |
Rick was well-known throughout the denomination as one of the most promising, dynamic young pastors in California.
His spirit-filled messages broke through hard hearts and set ablaze yielded ones. In March of 1984, we accepted our
first senior pastorate position in Orange County, California. Leaving our many friends in San Diego was difficult,
but we were excited to embark on the new journey ahead. We packed up all our earthly belongings, our three
beautiful children Nathan 7, Krista 5 and Erin Joy 3 months, and
headed for adventure. We felt unworthy to live
our dreams with such joy and contentment.Needless to say, when the phone rang with the shocking news that the small plane Rick and a fellow pastor were traveling in was missing, I was dumbstruck. They had been flying to attend a Minister’s Prayer Breakfast, but God had other plans. He took Rick home that day. Terror struck me first, then grief, followed by fear and gut-wrenching loneliness. I was totally devastated and wondered, "How can I ever raise three young children alone?" 
You don’t really know what you’re made of until the floor drops out of your life. It was my faith in God and the
support of my loving family and friends that saw me through the darkest hour of my life. When I turned my eyes and
attention to the Lord, the grief and pain seemed to fade. It was as if I was being carried somehow floating above
the storm. In that moment I felt a lifting in my spirit that caused me to seek the Lord, pressing into Him more
deeply through the means of Praise and Worship music.There is a spiritual force within me driving me to share a message of hope and encouragement to others who are walking through a dark time in their lives. If you can relate to these words - my heart goes out to you. My prayer is that as you listen to my story you will realize that if I can make it - so can you. Widowhood & Grief (www.afterloss.com) Publication for grief support and helpful resources |
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