Face to Face

Yesterday at 1:20pm Aaron walked in to the beautiful gates of heaven. He has now seen Jesus face to face and is probably singing praises and worshipping our wonderful King. The Abdella & Craddock families were able to share his priceless last moments with him. Although these moments were very hard, they are moments we will all treasure forever.

I battled with what to write & what to share on this update. The Lord gave me something to share that I thought would be too personal & only stay between Aaron & I, but I feel confident and secure that this is what the Lord wants me to share.

This was My Prayer that Aaron & I together would pray morning & night:

Dear Jesus:

Thank you so much for this day! I thank you & praise for who You are! I thank You for Your love, grace & mercy. I thank You for being my rock, refuge & my salvation. Right now in my life I have a very specific prayer request. I am asking & praying that you will heal Aaron. Lord, I pray that you will restore him to complete health! I pray that every cancer cell will leave his body! In Your word You say that I must have faith & believe without a doubt in my heart and whatever it is I ask for it will be done. Lord, I pray that you will remove any doubts or fears that I may have, so that I can grow closer to You. Your word also says that if I delight my soul in You Lord than You will give me the desires of heart. I pray that You will help me renew my mind, put away worldly things and take up the things of you. I want to live a spirit-led life, I want to put You first in EVERY area of my life. God my heart’s desire is to draw closer to You and also that we will stay a complete family. Lord, I pray that Aaron & I will be able to raise sweet Noraa together. I pray that we will together teach her about your ways. I pray that she grows up loving You & having the hunger to know You. Your word also says that You will rescue us from every trap & protect us from deadly disease. Your word says that You will cure the incurable! Lord, I pray these words over our family. I pray that You will protect us and keep us from harm. You are our refuge & strength and we put all of our trust in You! I pray again that you will heal Aaron & protect him from this disease -Cancer- I thank You Lord for Your faithfulness and Your promises. I love You! Amen.

As I read our prayer yesterday morning I was almost angry that God had not answered our prayer. It wasn’t until I spent some quiet time with our Lord and in the Word that I realized He had answered our prayer. I was looking for gratification to our prayer from a worldly perspective. Once I turned my focus to the eternal perspective I realized that everything we prayed for has come true. Our God is an awesome God & I am so thankful that He is teaching me to have an eternal perspective on life. I am counting down the seconds until I can be with Aaron again & see My Jesus face to face.

We love you!

Suzanne, Noraa and the Abdella & Craddock Family

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1

toni lee on May 6, 2012 at 9:25 AM
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So much pain, and so much praise. Brave Hearts for the Lord.
Praise YOU in the storm.
Love, Toni Lee

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2

Valerie Halaby on May 6, 2012 at 9:41 AM
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Dearest Loved Ones, there aren’t sufficient words to express my deepest condolences for your loss. May God Always Be With You Each Step of Everyday Forward. Aaron is Eternally with You and the Light of His Beautiful Spirit shines through your lives.
I Love You, Valerie

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3

Stephanie Shyne on May 6, 2012 at 9:43 AM
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Dear Suzanne, Precious Noraa and the entire Abdella and Craddock family,

I am so sorry for your loss and want to extend my deepest sympathies from my family to yours. I can’t even imagine the pain and emptiness of losing such a wonderful husband, father and son. Aaron is and will always be such a remarkable, sweet, caring, strong and loving man. I am comforted in knowing that your faith in God and Jesus Christ will get you all through this.

I have no doubt in my heart of hearts that Aaron will be watching over all of you constantly, especially Suzanne and baby Noraa.

Thank you Suzanne for sharing your beautiful prayer and Aaron’s journey with all of us who loved, cared and called him a friend.

May God continue to bless each and everyone of you.

Stephanie Shyne

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4

Nancy and Don Bowman on May 6, 2012 at 10:16 AM
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Suzanne, your prayers are a true inspiration ….. The prayer you prayed daily was awesomely amazing….
I know the brokeness of loosing your husband and Noraa’s her father, but God will comfort
your hearts…..
I felt the loss yesterday and last night, and this morning we heard a song that was sung from the perspective of someone in Heaven….. I suddenly had a picture in my mind of Aaron looking around Heaven wishing he could discribe it to you…. think of the tour of
Heaven he will have for you…. I am sure he is talking to Jesus about you and his daughter…
with Love and sympathy,
Nancy and Don Bowman

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5

Sally Chester on May 6, 2012 at 10:33 AM
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These words from Maya Angelou have comforted me, I hope they do the same for you.

You said to lean on Your arm, and I am leaning.
You said to trust in Your love, and I trusting.
You said to call on Your name, and I am calling.
I am stepping out on Your word.

Godspeed, Aaron.

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6

Denise Thomas on May 6, 2012 at 10:46 AM
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And now may Jehovah Rapha be your Healer. He is El Roi who sees your every painful tear. So my prayer is for His strong arms to surround you and Noraa every minute of every day. May you continue to feel His presence and comfort.
We love you
Denise and Walt

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7

Coni Rhudy on May 6, 2012 at 11:01 AM
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Dear precious Suzanne, Noraa, Craddocks, and Abdellas,
We are so sorry and grieving with you, but rejoicing for eternity. Our hearts break for your loss for now. We continue to pray for God’s sustaining power. We love you all,
~Coni & Doug~

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8

marvin mora on May 6, 2012 at 11:38 AM
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Suzanne,
I met Aaron a few years ago through Joe Spadaro and while I never met you or his daughter I wanted to let you know that your words have a blessed us. It was sad to hear of Aaron’s passing but as my wife and I read this blog you words have moved us to tears of joy. Your testimony reminds us that our faith in our Savior can overcome anything that we are challenged by. Your testimony has and will reach and touch many…Thank You for being a pillar when you are the one who needs to lean on others….we hope to meet you!!! God bless you and your family!

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9

Sherry Barbosky on May 6, 2012 at 12:11 PM
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Our deepest sympathies to your family. Thank you for sharing this deeply personal journey with us. You are an inspiration to all of us and a wonderful testimony of our God. May your feel His peace in the coming days. God bless all of you.
Sherry and Bob Barbosky

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10

Genene Kinder on May 6, 2012 at 1:23 PM
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Sending prayers of strength. May God hold your hand.

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11

Michelle brewer on May 6, 2012 at 2:37 PM
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My thoughts and prayers are with you Suzanne and your beautiful baby girl.

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12

Cindy Nicolson on May 6, 2012 at 2:46 PM
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Dear Suzanne, I am so touched by your and Aaron’s story and your faith is a real testimony. in 2007 a very close friend and my father passed away. they were both men of God and believed in their healing until they breathed their last. I have never been the same again. Even though I still believe that God is able, I think my faith took such a knock to the point that i hardly even attend church. (I used to lecture on our bible school, was an usher, a cell group leader, etc – so I used to live at church!). My heart’s desire is to draw close to God again. I miss that relationship sooo much. Really just want to let you know that I am thinking of you and praying that God will give you a peace that surpasses all understanding. God gave me a scripture after my friend passed away and it carried me through when my father passed away. Please read: Psalm 27 when you have a moment. it’s the most beautiful scripture and the desire for God is so clear that it helps to understand why its easy to give up the earth for eternal glory with Jesus. thinking of you. much love, Cindy

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13

NIKKI WILLIAMSON on May 6, 2012 at 2:50 PM
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SUZANNE MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO YOU AND NORAA I HAVE FOLOWED YOUR’S AND AARONS COURAGEOUS JOURNEY.
MAY GOD GIVE YOU THE COMFORT AND STRENGTH YOU NEED AT THIS TIME
NIKKI WILLIAMSON

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14

Pat Reichenbacher on May 6, 2012 at 5:35 PM
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Dietmar and i send our deepest condolences in the loss of your son, husband and father. We thank you for sharing your son with us. God Bless Aaron.

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15

Trudy and Earle Megathlin on May 6, 2012 at 5:40 PM
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Dear Suzanne, Baby Noraa, Craddock and Abdella Family,
Our prayers and thoughts are with you all. What a joy it is to know that God is with you; His loving arms are around you, and He is walking you thru this time. Thank you so much for keeping us updated; what a blessing it has been to see you all so strong in the Lord and trusting Him. One of our favorite songs is “In Christ Alone”. The last course says: “No guild in life, no fear in death; this is the Power of Christ in me. From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand. Till He returns or calls me home, here in the Power of Christ I’ll stand”. May God’s Blessings be on you all, Trudy and Earle Megathlin

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16

desireedawnevents on May 6, 2012 at 6:55 PM
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And I will praise you in this storm!!!! As I was reading your prayer – I kept thinking “Yes, this is answered. Yes this too! Yes, also this!”. Our God has answered your prayers. He has, He has!. Of course, in our earthly bodies, in this frame of mind, in our limited understanding, it seems so hard to recognize this fact. I praise our sweet Jesus for eliminating Aaron’s pain, thank you Father for taking away this agony. And now I ask this specific prayer, again, please remove the misunderstanding, remove the hurt, remove the distrust from this family. Lord, we BELIEVE that you have full control. You have every knowledge and every understanding. We praise you in this storm. We praise you, we trust you. You alone, know what is the plan. For our sweet Suzanne, for our sweet Noraa, for this amazing family who stands shoulder to shoulder – we praise them, we uplift them, we uphold them, Jesus please hug them and kiss this and wipe away their tears, Show them that Aaron is DANCING! he is dancing Lord! Praise you Jesus. Praise you. We WILL praise you in this storm.

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17

Julie Papke on May 6, 2012 at 6:57 PM
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You have been such an inspiration of strength, faithfulness, & love. I pray for continual comfort in God’s will.

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18

Tom Lantagne on May 6, 2012 at 8:07 PM
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I am so sorry for your loss. Aaron was the first friend I ever had. In fact most of my first memories have him in them. He moved when I was about 5 and I don’t think I saw him more than a couple of times after that but I was really saddened by the news when I heard. May God be with you all. Tom Lantagne

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- 19
  
  Candy Abdella on May 8, 2012 at 9:12 AM
  Reply
  
  It is so nice to hear from you Tom. I remember you well and it is amazing that you two never forgot each other over the years. I pray that you are well and that you are living each day to the fullest with what is most important – faith and family. We all know to well how fleeting it can be. Love to you and your family. Candy
  
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20

Nancy Smith on May 6, 2012 at 10:23 PM
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Dear Suzanne, baby Noraa, Craddock family and Abdella family, Thank you for the truly amazing testimony that you have all shared through Aaron’s Blog. Your prayer, Suzanne, has touched and will continue to touch countless others, giving hope, sharing your faith in our awesome God, at a time when othersmay doubt that there is a God. Through God’s mercy, your family’s faithful vigil has come to an end, and through His grace, the healing has begun. You will all remain in our prayers as you grieve your loss, yet celebrate his homecoming! May the peace that passes all understanding be yours. You are loved. Nancy and Dave Smith

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21

Wendy Francy on May 7, 2012 at 12:01 AM
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THE TRIP HOME
by Keith Overturf

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the
approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your SeatBelts.

Then, after a while, a calm voice said, “We shall not be serving the beverages at this
time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened.”

As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers
were becoming apprehensive.

Later, the voice on the intercom said, “We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the
meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us.”

And then the storm broke . . .

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines.
Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a
cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific
currents of air; the next, it dropped as iit were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He
said, “As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were
upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering
if they would make it through the storm.

“Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She
had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and everything within her small world was calm and orderly.

“Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her
legs, but worry and fear were not in her world.

When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that,
as it rose and fell with frightening Severity, when all the adults were scared half to
death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid.” The minister could
hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and
all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl
whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and the behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not
been afraid.

The child replied, “Cause my Daddy’s the pilot, and he’s taking me home.”

Like this little girl in the story, dear sweet Aaron always knew that his love and complete
faith in Our Father would take him home safely. Aaron is now home and safe in God’s house.There is no more pain, there is only joy and love. Aaron’s family always
knew that God was in control and that He would guide all of them through the storm.
Aaron will live for eternity through our memories and his love will be neverending.

May God bless you Aaron now in person, and may He bless the Abdellas and the Craddocks now and forevermore. You are all truly amazing !!

Love,
Wendy

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22

Scott and Marilyn Hearing on May 7, 2012 at 9:33 AM
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Suzanne, thank you for sharing your prayer. It is an inspiration to all of us and a reminder that God does answer prayer. Not always in the way we imagine, but in an even better way, Eternity with Him is our ultimate goal. Praying for God’s loving arms to comfort you and give you strength to keep putting one step forward one day at a time. God’s Blessings to you , Noraa, the Abdella’s and Craddock families. Love, Scott and Marilyn Hearing

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23

Patti Holland on May 7, 2012 at 11:47 AM
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Dear Candy & Leo – my heart is breaking for you and your family. I know Aaron is in a better place without pain and smiling down on all of you. My deepest sympathies to you all.

Love, Patti

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24

Tabitha on May 7, 2012 at 12:24 PM
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Oh Suzanne,
Thank you for sharing your prayer and your families’ journey. Your unfailing faith and strength is astounding and a true testimony to how faithful God is to us. Continued prayers for comfort for your family during this time. This song was placed on my heart after reading your post:

My Hope Is In You :
I meet with You and my soul sings out
As Your word throws doubt far away
I sing to You and my hearth cries holy
Hallelujah, Father You’re near

My hope is in you Lord, all the day long
I won’t be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes, understanding is my song and I sing
My hope is in You alone

I wait for You and my soul finds rest
In my selfishness You show me grace
I worship You and my heart cries glory
Hallelujah, Father You’re here

My hope is in you lord, all the day long
I won’t be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes, understanding is my song and I sing
My hope is in You alone

I Will with on You, You Are My refuge
I Will with on You, You Are My refuge

My hope is in you lord, all the day long
I won’t be shaken by drought or storm
my hope is in you lord, all the day long
I won’t be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes, understanding is my song and I sing

My hope is in You alone,
My hope is in You alone,
My hope is in You alone

❤ ❤ ❤

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25

zak kauss on May 7, 2012 at 3:20 PM
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life on earth is merely a second of time compared to eternity. It is wise above your years to not ask why when you don’t know the complete picture.

I still know it is not easy letting go but I hope someday you get to see the full picture and the plan that god has for you

Zak & Sara

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26

Nicole Handy on May 7, 2012 at 10:23 PM
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Suzanne, baby Noraa, and both the Abdella and Craddock families,

Our deepest condolences to all of you. We are truly sorry for the passing of Aaron, a wonderful father, devoted husband, loving brother and son, and our very special friend. We know that we will all be reunited again someday when it is our turn to enter the gates of heaven, but until then we each have our memories of the short time we had with him on this earth.
Suzanne, our friend, thank you so much for sharing your very personal journey with us all. Your faith is truly an inspiration to us! We are so comforted in knowing that you have your belief and trust in our Lord as well as the support of all your many friends and supportive family during this difficult time.
There is a quote from an unknown author that we want to share as it brings some peace to us and I hope it will do the same for you:
“Missing someone gets easier every day becasue even though it’s one day further than the last time you saw each other, it’s one day closer to the next time you will.”
We love you and are always here for you and Noraa.
-Mike, Nicole, and Ryland Handy

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27

revhheineman on May 7, 2012 at 10:54 PM
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I am praying for all of you. I know the sadness from the loss of Aaron is so fresh right now. I pray comfort and peace to each of you. God is being glorified by how Aaron lived and battled and how all of you have stood by Aaron and by God’s promises.

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28

Liz Griffin on May 7, 2012 at 11:18 PM
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Suzanne, my heart is broken for you and Noraa….

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29

Ashley on May 8, 2012 at 8:27 AM
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I can’t stop thinking about your family and your story. Your faith is so inspiring…so thank you! I wish you comfort and peace ❤

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30

Mark Murnan on May 8, 2012 at 1:59 PM
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Leo and Candy, Dave and Lisa, and Suzanne: Wendy and I share your grief, and your joy. As parents, we pray for the assurance that our children will know the Savior. Praise Him that Aaron did, and that someday we will all see Him clearly, face to face. May that day hasten.

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31

Jenny Fossen on May 9, 2012 at 3:26 PM
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I felt so blessed this morning as I started with my first patient of the day. I was chatting with him and going over his health history, then he mentioned he almost had to cancel his appointment today because he may have to go into surgery. I had asked him what the surgery was for, and he stated that he was planning to donate a kidney. I asked him further about why he had made this decision, if he was affected personally and what was the reason for this altrustic event in his life? He stated that he has been healthy and fortunate throughout his life and that he had been praying about it for a long time. Currently he is on the donor list and is waiting for an exact match. (I had tears in my eyes as I thanked him and told him about Aaron and Suzanne’s blog.)
I cannot tell you how inspired I have been from reading Suzanne’s amazingly courageous blog, and hearing stories just like this.
Aaron was such a beautiful person. I am grateful to say that I was his friend.
Thank you for being such an inspiration in so many ways-
Jenny

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32

Sarah Brodax on May 10, 2012 at 6:32 PM
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Hi Suzanne, This is Sarah Brodax and I just read this post. I am so sorry for your loss but have to tell you how touched I am now that I have read this and realize how God answered your prayer. That is incredible how He (and only He) revealed that to you b/c I too would get angry but now I will remember and take this with me forever on this earth and eternity. Aaron is now whole, healthy and happy. Wow – what an answer! Thank you for sharing that most sweet testimony! I will pray for your sweet heart to continue to find strength as your life moves forward in Him.
Much Love in Jesus,
Sarah

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