Celebration
At 7:00 pm on October 20, 1968, only a few thousand spectators remained in Mexico City's Olympic Stadium. Finally they heard the wail of police sirens. A lone runner wearing the colors of Tanzania staggered into the stadium. John Stephan Akhawari was the last contestant to finish the 26.2 mile race. His leg injured in a fall, bloodied and crudely bandaged, He hobbled the final lap around the track.The crowd rose to their feet and applauded as if he were the Gold Medal Champion. After the race, a reporter asked why he had not quit. His reply, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me to finish it."
Three days after this event, another great runner was born. Valerie Ann Sloan.
Last Sunday night, Val was that runner, injured and alone, approaching the Mexico City Arena. But inside were waiting "that great cloud of witnesses" that God has declared were watching her. And all of you were there, as was the Lord Jesus Himself. She finished the race and our Lord declared, "Well done. Welcome home."
The Lord Jesus had a moment in the Garden of Gethsemane where he was tempted to quit the race. But as he prayed, God the Father reminded Him that He did not send Him to start the race but to finish it. Our Saviour finished His race at Calvary, and declared, "it is finished."
Val fought the good fight. Some might say she lost the battle. Many said that when our Lord died on that dark day. But death could not hold Him. And death can not hold our beloved.
Jesus, our great Redeemer, conquered it.
You are invited to celebrate Val's life on Friday, April 20th at 2:30 pm at Emmanuel Faith Church, 639 East Felicita, Escondido, California 92025. For those of you who can't make it, a video will be available on UTube. We will post a link to it soon.
A graveside service for family and close friends will be held on Friday April 20th at 1:00 pm. at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 2640 Glenridge Road, Escondido 92027.
Godspeed Beloved
posted by McCrea Family at 3:19 AM
10 Comments:
Richard,
I wouldn't miss it for anything. I am looking forward to celebrating Val's life. Her life was filled with love and joy. She loved her life and she loved her family. She was a wonderful mother and wife. She only wanted the best for her boys and she worked hard to show them the way. She was always such a positive loving person. When she entered a room she lit it up! She was confident in her faith and she lived her life as an example to others.
Thank you for the privelidge of inviting me to share in the celebration of Val. She is in a wonderful place filled with joy and happiness. She is looking down upon us smiling.
I miss her and always will,
Love,
Marianne
Thank you for the Invitation to celebrate Val's life.
Bill and I are not able to make it. We will miss Val very much. The funny thing is that I cried so much in the past 18 months because I knew Val was suffering and yet I have not shed a tear since she has passed because I know where she is and who she is with. God is GREAT! Thanks to everyone who took time to share Val's story on the Blog.
All our Love,
The Persichetti Family
Living in Nebraska and dealing with a husband who has advanced cholangio will allow us to be with you in thoughts, prayers and love. What a celebration of a wonderful life Friday will be!
Joni
Beverly and I will be unable to come but we will be thinking of you especially on that day of celebation.
With much prayer for God's abundant grace during these days,
Dale ad Beverly
Dear McCrea and Sloane Family, It will be an honor for my family to attend an event celebrating the life of Val McCrea. Thank you for the invitation. It will indeed be a very important day for the Moolenaar family to share in your special memories of Val. Our prayers continue for all of you. Edie, Dave, Zack and Elora Diane
It will be wonderful to come together and celebrate Val. She will be right there with us. I will look forward to praising the Lord and meeting many fellow prayer warriors.
Please do not hesitate to call if there is anything I can do to help in the preparations, anything at all.
Keeping you all close to my heart in prayer and thought,
Christina Earwicker
Thank for for the invitation to celebrate my sweet, beautiful friend Valerie. It is an honor to have the opportunity to share in this special time with those who love her so very much.
Deanna
May God bless your family during this time.
There are no words to tell you how special it was for you to give us updates on Val. You took the time and let us all share in the journey with your family. We know the journey so well as we had someone in our family with Cholangiocarcinoma. I hope someday we have a special memorial for them.
As a person who knows the pain of watching what cholangiocarcinoma does, I am so deeply sorrowed on your physical loss of Valerie.
Its funny how time indeed does let you smile again when you never think you will. All the memories that brought tears will some day bring a smile or giggle.
Our faith gets us through and our Lord is with us for sure every step of the way.
I am very sorry for the loss of your precious Val. May God watch over you during the days ahead.
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Fly free, Val.
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