Beautiful song
Tyree,
I wanted you to be able to hear the words to the song that the harpist played for you. It is the most beautiful song and it really touched me when I heard it. The name of the artist is David Haas and he has produced so many inspiring songs. This one is called You are Mine
You Are Mine
David Haas
I will come to you in the silence,
I will lift you from all your fear.
You will hear my voice,
I claim you as my choice,
Be still and know I am here.
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.
I am hope for all who are hopeless,
I am eyes for all who long to see.
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light,
Come and rest in me.
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.
I am strength for all the despairing,
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see,
The lame will run free,
And all will know my name.
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.
I am the Word that leads all to freedom,
I am the peace the world cannot give.
I will call your name,
Embracing all your pain,
Stand up, now walk, and live!
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.
I want you to know Tyree, that I love you and know that you are being carried in the arms of our Lord.
Your beloved sister and friend,
Shiloh
posted by Shiloh and Eduardo @ 12:37 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Shiloh,
Those are beautiful lyrics! Thanks for sharing that! I found his album in the Itunes store.
My prayers have been added to the many who are praying
for Tyree, Chris and your family. My memories of
Tyree are from long ago when we were kids camping at
the family reunions. My heart aches.
In the last two weeks, I have discovered that my close
friend Mamie Cofffey's brother and his wife live in
Cottonwood and consider Tyree and Chris their Best
Friends. It was Tyree and Chris who fellowshipped them
and made them feel welcome in their ward. Tyree is
truly loved!
Sincerely,
Becky (Johnson) Astorga
I have been hesitant to write anything on the blogspot as I have loved reading what others have written and I knew it would lengthy once I got started.I never want to take away treasured time or space for her family either (thus a big reason I have not gone down to see her wither)But, my mother aked me to write up why Easter was so different for me this year to read to her Seminary class- as I wrote this it evoked so many tender feelings and positive things about Tyree-that I felt that it is not fair to keep it to myself. It is lengthy I am afraid, and I know Tyree is a 'no fluff' type person. So she will have to forgive me. But, I feel she is all this and so much more.I have missed her alot.
Easter 2007
This year Easter came in its purest form for me. I felt closer to the spirit and my Heavenly Father and Brother Jesus Christ than ever before. The resurrection was the only thing that could give me comfort.
I have a friend that moved here a little while ago. She is one of those kindred spirits that you seem to ‘click’ with quickly. She is funny, light-hearted, quick-witted, easy-going, down-to-earth and comfortable to be around. Tyree is also sensitive. I remember Tyree showing up at my doorstep in tears, after they had lost their dog. Her nephew and her had walked super FAR looking for the dog and had been unable to find him; my home was close to where they had been searching. I realized that she loved even animals. Tyree is tough and strong-but this let me see a more sensitive side.
We have shared some game nights, celebrated Christmas, played basketball in the mornings and on a co-ed softball team together. It was no wonder I was happy to hear she had been assigned to visit teach me, as that would give us an excuse to see each other at least once a month amidst our busy every day living.
It was during one of those visits that we both confided in each other that we were pregnant and due about a month apart. I was ecstatic for her because I had known of her struggle with infertility and treatments she and her husband had gone through for years, to get this baby. There is nothing that bonds women quicker than sharing motherhood. We quickly began sharing pregnancy notes, and were elated to find out that we were both having girls. We were assured that our girls would have a ‘good’ influence in their personal lives with a good family’s daughter to be raised around. It was so fun to swap birthing stories and then sleeping, eating, spit up stories. I remember when she came over to see my baby she cried because her baby had grown up so much in that short month and half age difference between the two.
Although, this baby was my fourth I had struggled with my last one who suffered from infant GERD. He had been a demanding baby and literally was a year of my life. So as my little girl started showing the same signs of colic and as I struggled with some post partum depression- I was desperate for relief and comfort. Tyree listened to me and was absolutely positive that my baby would not be that way, and she constantly voiced her feelings in such a positive way when I was surrounded by what seemed to me a so much negative. When I was sharing some of the symptoms with her Tyree offered a suggestion of some infant massage that she had been doing recently, since it was a free course offered to new moms. I could not make the first session, so she talked with the instructors and came and showed me what she had learned. I am not really into the whole homeopathic approach (neither is she), but I am a believer now. That first massage let my baby sleep a short bit that day, something she had not done. We began attending the classes together when we could and smiling as we both had the same thoughts on the ‘natural’ approach.
Tyree was good that way. She would hear of others problems and step in with solutions that were not pushy and that she usually sacrificed with her own time and energy to solve. I remember her hearing of a mom in our ward who has challenges mentally and physically, as well as her five-year-old son. She expressed to Tyree how she wanted to give her son a birthday party but did not know how. Tyree made the invitations and coached the mom on what to do at the party. Tyree even attended a five-year-old party during her newborns nap time to help out.
Tyree was quick to sit next to those alone at church and introduce and meet anyone new or alone. She bore her powerful testimony and never wavered in the gospel. She said it like it was, but was never offensive.
When I called Tyree to compare our daughters 2-month check up sizes (I was calling to tell her that her daughter was going to be TALL as my babies are off the charts, and her daughter was as tall as my tallest son!) I was surprised to hear her mom’s voice telling me that Tyree was in the hospital for a bad infection. This had me nervous as I had been on antibiotics my whole pregnancy for the same infection. I did not want to bug her in the hospital, but was dying to talk to her as I knew she would be dying without her baby. She taught me to remember to enjoy every breathing moment with my baby. Tyree never took it for granted since she worked so hard for it. She always made comments that reminded me. So I was very grateful she called me from the hospital to run her up some diapers as she had ‘snuck in’ her baby and had run out of diapers. It was a good excuse for me to go see her without being in the way. That night in the hospital will always remind me of her as she had me laughing so hard about hospital food, doctors, nurses, to her infection story itself. It will be how I always remember her. Her daughter was sleeping while I was there and Tyree laid her down in front of her on a pillow and kept watching her and saying how beautiful she was, and how she worried that Jocelyn (her baby) would forget her the short three days she had been there. But Jocelyn’s reaction of comfort and peace around Tyree reassured me that she hadn’t. I had to get back to my family so I said good-bye and planned on seeing her in the next few days as she was going home the next day. If I had known that it was going to be my final good-bye on this earth life, I would have at least hugged her IV’s and all.
I was shocked to hear that on Monday morning she had collapsed in her home and that her husband had to revive her, she was now in a medically induced coma. I knew that it probably was not from her infection, but my mind was racing as to what had happened in that short day and half. I just had to sit and wait to her bits and pieces of news. She was flown down to a better hospital and that is where it was found that she had a condition called post natal cardio myopathy ( I am sure I do not have the spelling right), where your heart turns rigid and struggles to pump.
Her family was absolutely positive during the whole experience allowing no room for doubt. We all had a special fast and prayer. I have not been able to fast for over a year because I have been pregnant or nursing, but this time I did, I have not had such fervor for a miracle as I did at this time. She was so young and had just gotten her own miracle to enjoy. She was a mother of a newborn, a young wife. She was such a force for good in this life, surely we needed her here. But as time progressed and the drs. and family consulted together it was determined that she would never recover. Easter evening is when the family chose to take her off of her machines and allow what was to happen, happen.
I had not cried too much up to that point, as I know when these types of things happen that they are absolutely out of our hands and in our Heavenly Fathers. But, on Sunday I ached for my friend and missing her friendship. I knew if I hurt so much I could only partially be feeling what her husband, her daughter will feel, and her mother, brothers and sisters were feeling. Every time I looked down at my Dacie (my baby) my heart aches for Tyree as I smell Dacie, feel her, and watch her breathe. In fact, many of my late night feedings I think of how Tyree would probably give anything to be doing what I am doing at this time of night. I know that Tyree is so strong that if she is suppose to be here she will do ANYTHING to be with her daughter and husband. I also know that she will let them know what is right. As I went to services on Sunday my emotions were close to the surface, but what her family had written in an email before then kept coming into my mind, “…We feel she (Tyree) has a greater work to do on the other side…We extend out deepest thank you to all of you who are part of this great miracle.” My thoughts were being answered. She is such a force for good they need her more on the other side. Tyree will come back if it is right, but her vision far exceeds mine, and hers is eternal, she can see what is best in the long run while she is so near the veil. Our prayers and fasting have not gone unheard-her family and husband are at peace. A peace that I think only a Heavenly Father and His angels can bestow on those who have to make these kinds of decisions or live with a loss. I also know that Jocelyn will be entitled to that same peace when she might struggle later on. I know in my aching heart that I will see Tyree again.
I am so profoundly thankful to our Savior for His sacrifice so that Tyree can hold her baby again in a perfect body. That she can be with her husband forever. I always have known these things to be true, but I have felt it this time. This kind of story is the one I seemed to always hear about, but now it is a living reality in my life. I remember one song on Sunday that seemed to speak directly to my heart- I know that my Redeemer Lives. As I sang the words “He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my soul’s complaint. He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears. He lives to calm my troubled heart. He lives all blessing to impart.” I knew that Christ had done all this for me, for these types of moments. My Easter Sunday sweetly ended with these closing words, “He lives, and I shall conquer death. I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives!” This I KNOW is true.
Even in the ending chapters of her life Tyree continues to strengthen my testimony by example. Easters message of resurrection and overcoming death is more real than ever before. I look forward to that day when Tyree and I will play basketball and laugh, and when we will all be with all we love. My hope is that no one will ever have to experience something this heartbreaking without the knowledge that it is temporary. It does not mean it will always be easy, but it does mean we will be together again in a better way.
I love you Tyree- Alicia
Alicia,
Your letter is so sweet and loving. I can't stop crying even as I write this. You are so very right about Tyree! I know that what is happening is for a reason but at times it is still so hard to accept. Tyree has had an eternal impact on my life and the lives of so many others. I am grateful for the privledge to have been her friend.
I am going to include this
beautiful letter you wrote in the scrapbook that myself and others (recruiting is in the process) are going to make for Jocelyn, Tyler, Chris, and her family. I would love to have a picture of you and your family to put with it. If you prefer you can create a page or pages to add to the scrapbook or if you do not scrapbook but know someone who does have them do it with you. The size of the pages will be 12 x 12. My contact information was posted a few blogs back if you would like to contact me for any reason.
I would like to remind everyone once more that ALL blogs and comments will be included in the scrapbook and I would like to have as many pictures as possible to include as well. Any and all help will be accepted. The pages will be 12 x 12, please include your relation to Tyree, and on every page that you create please include either on the front or the back "Page created by..."
Please spread the word to anyone who knew Tyree or even those that didn't but has been touched by this experience enough to want to include a spiritual thought.
Thanks ya'll,
Vida
(Georgia)
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