thank God there is a Heaven

with so much sadness the past few weeks, i am constantly thinking of how thankful i am that God has a heavenly home awaiting us.
a local 19 yr old girl lost her mother to a self inflicted gun shot last week. this hits especially close to home because i was 19 as well when i lost my daddy the same way.
bob smiths family laid him to rest today, as a tragic accident claimed his life earlier this week. one of his daughters works on the ambulance and was on his scene, another daughter just graduated college and a son just graduated high school. how wonderful he was able to share in these events with them, yet so hard to let him go.
then just tonight i learned via the shackelfords website that an old friend of mine will be burying her 15 month old son. tyler whittingham was just a baby, has 3 older brothers and 1 older sister to take care of his mommy for him.
i know the pain of loosing loved ones. i do not know the pain of loosing a child, and pray i never do.
i miss the ones that have gone on before me, yet i have peace in knowing that they are in heaven. that my daddy is fishing and hunting, that my grandmother is watching the carnations grow and the squirells play, that one uncle is fishing, and another has his legs back and is playing football.
i cannot imagine not having that peace, not having the ability to be thankful that they are better off than they were while they were here. whether they left this earth whole and healthy, or sick and broken, they are so much better off now. they are singing and dancing and praising the Lord. they are watching down on us.
my heart and my prayers are with these familys i have mentioned.