Funeral Service for Louise....

My oldest friend from childhood is home with Jesus and her family who went on before her.  While she will be missed here by her immediate family and friends we all know that she wouldn't trade places for anything in the world.  The only regret I have is that we didn't stay in contact more often than we did.  Life gets in the way and we both led very busy lives with our kids and husbands.  We both loved our families so very much and they were our absolute 1st priority over everything else in our lives.  Below is her funeral announcement:

Louise Holcomb Speckhart

February 26, 1972 - January 11, 2024

Louise Holcomb Speckhart, 51, entered into her Heavenly home on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Louise graduated from Friendship Christian High School. She earned her degree from ECU in 1997 and pursued her childhood dream of becoming a nurse. She began her career working with Fresenius Dialysis and Davita Dialysis. Later she felt the desire to work with hospice patients, first working with Heartland Hospice and more recently Cardinal Home Health & Hospice giving comfort to her patients as they transition. Louise was a member of North Ridge Bible Chapel for many years.

A service to celebrate her life will be held at 12:30 pm, Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at North Ridge Bible Chapel, 7100 Harps Mill Rd, Raleigh.

The family will receive relatives and friends prior to the service from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm at the church.

She is survived by her husband, Darren Wayne Speckhart; son, Greyson William Speckhart; daughter, Addyson Faith Speckhart; her mother and father in-law, Robert & Jeanette Speckhart; her brother-in-law, Kurt Speckhart, his wife, Robin and their son, David; brother-in-law, Randy Gallamore and his children: Jennifer and Summer.

Louise was preceded in death by her mother, Sharon Essrich; grandmother, Frances Essrich; grandfather, Karl Essrich; uncle, William Essrich; great-aunt, Genevieve Chappell.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, https://www2.jdrf.org/site/Donation

Condolences to the family may be made at poolefuneral.com under Tributes.

This is not our home...

 

After finding out about my friend, Louise's, death yesterday I've been thinking over and over again that this is not our home....heaven is!  It's where I know that she is today having a blast with all her loved ones that she's missed so much in recent years who went on before her.  I know that she was received with open arms by our Lord.  She's walking on streets of gold and filled with so much Awe as she sees for the first time heaven and our Savior.  What awesomeness that she must be experiencing at this moment.  Even though we are sad because she is not here with us we know she is filled with so much joy and happiness where she is now.  Our hard days will only be because we miss her but when it's hard we can smile and look up to heaven knowing that she is up there filled to overflowing with so much love and happiness at the reunion that she is having with loved ones and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is what we get to look forward to, those of us who know Jesus, when it's our turn to go be with Jesus.  We know that the Lord knows every hair on our head, that he knows our beginning and our end.  We are only here for a short time compared to eternity with him.  To wish her back here with us would be pure selfishness on our part.  She was loved.  She touched so many lives through being a hospice nurse.  She lived a life that made a difference.  She was special and there will never be another like her.  May her memory always live on in the hearts and lives of her family, friends and those that she touched through hospice.  What a jewel she was and I just hope and pray that she really truly knew that.  

Today I hold more closely/tightly to my family and friends.  My heart is filled with so much love for them that it overflows.  Some are close and some are far but no matter I love them all the same.  Memories of them all fill my heart and life and I am so thankful for the amazing memories that I have of them all.  God has blessed my life so very much and I never ever want to be unappreciative of the blessings that I have had in my life thanks for God!  All glory, honor, and praise to Him for his wonderful gifts in my life!!!  

I hope you all take a moment or two or three or more and really truly appreciate those in your life that God has blessed you with.  They all matter.  You never know when your last moment with them will be.  Always keep your heart remembering and never forgetting no matter how near or far those you love and care about are.  As long as you do that they are never forgotten and they will always live on in your memories creating a legacy to pass on to others.  God bless you all!  Keep looking to God no matter what!  Love to you all!

No Words...Just No Words...

This morning we got a call from my oldest and dearest friends husband.  He called Scot's phone.  Scot came up stairs urgently.  I could tell by the look on his face that something bad had happened.  This was not the kind of call you want to get.  He said, "Louise passed away last night from a seizure".  He said this all broken up and in tears as he spoke every other word to me and Scot.  She and I hadn't spoken a lot in recent years.  Our lives, or should I say our kids lives, had us traveling different and very busy paths.  Whenever we did speak or see one another it was like no time had passed and we picked up right where we left off.  My heart is broken.  There are no words.  Just emptiness and heartache that she's gone and for her husband and kids who are now without a wife/mom.  These pictures are from 2021.  They didn't take very many family pics together.  Please keep this family in your prayers.

Athletic Lab Spring Open...

Tim's home gym is going to be hosting a weightlifting meet.  Tim is really looking forward to it.  It will be his second meet of 2024 unless his coach wants him to do another one before April 6th when this meet happens.

Current Schedule...

Current travel schedule for Tim's Weightlifting Meets...

Full Armor of God...

 

I am so blessed that my husband is covered in the full armor of God and because of that it makes him my knight in shinning armor!  He is an amazing provider, husband and father!  He isn't perfect but he's perfect for me and that's all that matters.  He is my best friend.  He's the one that I want to spend my time with no matter what it is that we are doing together.  Whether it's cutting and burning trees that have fallen on our property, or taking trash to the dump, or going on a vacation as a family, or just chilling at home, I'm happy because we are together.  I not only love my husband but I'm in love with him and have been since the first time we met.  He's an amazing man of God.  He's honorable and does everything that he does with excellence.  I couldn't have asked God for better, that's for sure.  I'm thankful for everyday that we get to do this life together.  All glory and honor to God for this blessed life that we have together.  

For those women still looking for your life mate keep the statement above in mind.  It doesn't matter if they are the best looking man around if they aren't covering themselves in the full armor of God then you have to ask yourself are they right for me?  God wants you to have the absolute best and there's someone out there that is perfect for you.  He won't be perfect but he will be perfect for you!

Tim's Latest Lifts...

Here's a video of Tim's latest training lifts...

Bald Eagles...

Falls Lake is maybe a 30 minute drive from where we live.  Last year there were maybe 5 bald eagle sitings.  This year there have been 16 and there are probably more.  They are such beautiful creatures.  Here are a couple of pics that a friend of mine took when he was at the falls lake dam recently.  They aren't in the best focus because you have to be quick if you are going to get a picture of them.  Regardless, they are so beautiful.  

Bad Things Best Things...

This is so true!  If it weren't for the bad things that we have been through in our lives it wouldn't have put us on the path to our best things.  

I'll start with my life.  Growing up in my parents home was hell, literally.  An alcoholic father with a mother who enable him.  She was scared of him because of his violent temper.  Us kids got to go through all the hell experiences and sometimes it was directed at us but more often than not it was directed at my mom.  I watched as she would cover her face with makeup as if to hide what he had done to her time and again.  It wasn't as if everyone didn't know anyhow because they did.  But it led to my best thing...my life now.  I'm happily married to an awesome man of God who is a great husband and a great father to our son.   Our life together is the total opposite of what I went through as a child.  It wasn't an easy road getting to where my life is today.  I had a lot of help through the years before I met and married my husband that put me on the right path in life.  God brought many amazing people into my life to influence my life in such a deep way that it has always stayed with me and made me into the person I am today.  A woman who knows her worth and who loves her husband and son with her entire being.  What God brings us through to get us to our best lives is nothing short of amazing.  

Our sons life.  At the young age of 15 he has been through so much.  He's had two near death experiences.  He did sparring from the age of 8 to 15 (July 2023 was he last comp).  The amount of mental and physical abuse a fighter goes through in the sport of TaeKwonDo sparring is something else.  Our son loved the sport so much that he just took it and kept doing his best to move forward.  He took it until there was a point that his father and I said no more.  That point was reached when our son reached an impasse with his last coach.  Things happened.  The coach inserted control basically ending our sons fighting career and his love of TaeKwonDo altogether.  But it led to his best thing...Weightlifting.  Tim started weightlifting training in August 2023.  He has progressed more rapidly than his coach had expected he would.  His weightlifting coach is amazing.  I can't say enough good things about him.  He's doing what a coach should do and that is doing what is best for his athlete.  Instead of breaking him down he's building him up.  Instead of anger and frustration our son is full of happiness and joy now.  He's smiling more than he ever has.  He really loves weightlifting.  Everything he's been through has prepared him for doing what he's doing now.  It just makes his dad and my heart overflow with happiness to see him so incredibly happy.  This is a move that probably should have happened a long time ago but it took what happened to happen in order for us to move on to what Tim is doing now.  

I can't speak for my husband on this subject except to share what I know.  He was laid off from his job before we met and married.  I know that it was a bad thing that happened to him but it was also one of the best things to happen to him.  It led him to building the business we have now that has been going strong for over 20 years and it pays way more than he would have ever made at his old job.  I've watched as we have went from having portable units in our business to having truck mounted units (way better) in our business.  We went from a minivan to run the business to a large Sprinter Van (until it died on us) to a truck and trailer.  God has always provided just what we needed to run our business.  Our repeat customers are our bread and butter.  I believe if Scot were to share for himself that he would share exactly what I've shared with you here.  That was his bad that led to his best outside of our marriage of course.  We are partners in life and business.  We love our life together and even with the ups and downs of everything we wouldn't have it any other way.  God is so good!

All Glory and Honor to God for all that he has done in our lives and is continuing to do in our lives because I know there is more best things to come.

Lesson Learned from Last Year...

With all we went through mid year last year this was our take away from it:

The saying that time heals is so true.  We've all went through a healing process through all that happened mid year last year.  It's been a really good family bonding and healing time since then until now.  We love where we are at and looking forward to all that God has in store for us this year.  We are so excited about this year and all the possibilities that lay ahead for us and we give praise, glory and honor to God!!!