^{Ecclesiastes 3}

¹ There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.

² A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.

³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.

⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.

^{My husband’s brother died today. Today’s blog is dedicated to him, Rick Kindred. He was a talented musician, a loving husband, father and grandfather and a wonderful brother to my husband and his sister Kathy. We will miss his wonderful sense of humor, his warm smile and the sound of his laughter. It is a time to grieve.}

My husband has one brother and one sister. Bill (my husband) is the oldest. Rick is younger by two years. Rick has been battling cancer for several years. We went to visit him this past weekend. After our visit I thought about Bill’s dad, who died of cancer in 1990 and my mother, who also died of cancer that same year. This year I lost an uncle to cancer. His daughter, my first cousin whom I love like a sister, is a cancer survivor.

Research has done a lot, but there is still a long way to go. To all of you out there involved in your communities Relay for Life events….keep walking. The journey to a cure is a long one, filled with triumphs, setbacks, sorrow and tears. To those caring for someone with cancer, God bless you, keep praying and don’t forget to take care of your own needs as well as the persons you are caring for. To those of you fighting the disease, keep fighting. Lean on the Lord and seek His healing hand and presence of peace in your life. To those who mourn, remember you are not alone.

Matthew 4:5 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.