Hi! Sorry it's been awhile since our last post, it's been a busy month! Our family is doing well and would like to take this opportunity to give our deepest thanks to all who have supported us (the outpouring of love has been incredible!!) during this emotional time, and to all of you who attended the memorial service (wow! what a turn out). We are working on trying to post the video shown at the memorial service on the blog (BOB, are you reading this????). The service was beautiful and made us all realize anew what an impact mom (Marsha) had on so many lives. What a blessing! It seemed that everybody (even those of us who thought we knew it all!) learned something about Marsha that they hadn't known before.

We are all enjoying Baby Ryder and loving snuggling a little baby again. Grandpa Dan "Papa" is really having fun with his first granddaughter. Danelle is no longer the reigning Princess!! :-) We have gotten a lot of feedback on the birth announcements and questions about the who wrote the poem. The script on the announcement was small and fancy, making it a little hard to read, so Dad (Dan) requested that we post it here on the blog in a larger font with a little explanation of how the poem came about. See post below.

This is no ordinary announcement, No this was a special delivery
A gift from God in Heaven, a blessing from above

For on my way to meet you all, I traveled a special road
Where I met my Grandma Marsha, on her way to greet the Lord

She held me in her loving arms, kissed my little lips
She said come and walk with me, and let me tell you this

She told me that she loved me, that in my heart she’d always be
Until one day we’d meet again, united forever in eternity

She told to me to always trust the Lord, that He had plans for me
She said to always love the Lord my God, and all that He had made

She said the Lord had made me special, that my life was such a gift
The granddaughter she had always wanted, and thought she’d never get!

But here I was this little angel, so perfect and so sweet
On my way to earth below, to greet my family

So she sent me with a piece of her, that through me her love would always show
To keep her close to all of us, through my little soul

She said that when I miss her, up toward Heaven I can look
For she’ll be looking down on me, and watching over all of us.

Daren and Sky had the announcements done through our friend Justin at JJ Brown Photography (who also did the video for the memorial service). Sky wrote the poem and after came up with the idea for the announcement. Her "special project" that she surprised us with. Dad (Dan) also requested that she tell the story of how the poem came about. So here she is. . . . . .

Hi! Well, it's actually not a very impressive story! I was actually drying my hair one morning and just thinking about Mom and Ryder and how I just knew in my heart that they had met along the way as Marsha entered Heaven and Ryder came to earth. And I was thinking about how much Ryder was going to miss learning from her Grandma. Which led me to think about some of God's Word that I knew she would share with Ryder. I'm sure you will all recognize which verses are referenced in the poem. So, as I was drying my hair the words just came to me and I ran to my computer to write them down. I went back to drying my hair and as more words came I just kept going back to the computer. I guess it took about 5 - 10 minutes and the next thing I knew I had a poem. The idea for the layout of the announcement came as I wrote the part about Ryder being an angel sent from above and I knew I wanted the poem printed over the angel picture faded in the background. The rest of the layout just worked out, and I was really pleased with the finished product. I hope you all enjoy it and that it brings you wonderful thoughts of Marsha!~Sky

Dad has also gotten a lot of calls wondering if we are going to be maintaining the blog. Yes! We will continue to post as the year goes on and keep you all updated on the whole family! We love reading your comments so please keep them coming!

Love,

The Boggs Family

Ryder's Baby Announcement

Left Behind

I sent an email to some of my and Marsha's contact list today and signed off "Left Behind". Some of you called concerned. Thank you for your concern, but let me be clear, I meant it as a positive in that I am "left behind" for a reason and that reason is to tell my family, friends and people God puts in my path, my story, Marsha's story and God's story since Marsha can't since she graduated.

I am convinced ever more that my short time here on this pile of dirt, as Johnny Cash put it, is only useful if I daily point those who are not connected to God's forever family to His Son Jesus so they can join Marsha and eventually me for eternity in a place created with love and peace in mind called Heaven.

Left Behind for a purpose,

Dan

Marsha's Memorial Service

The memorial service for Marsha will be at Bible Fellowship
Church on Saturday, September 20th at 11 am. The service will be followed by a
luncheon.

Bible Fellowship Church
26835 Columbia
Hemet, Ca 92544

September 3, 2008

Details on Ryder Brianne Boggs!!!

Ryder Brianne Boggs was born today 9-3-08 to Daren and Sky at 3:18pm. She was 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 18 inches long. She and mom are doing great. She is healthy. Thank you Lord for this little blessing.

September 3

BABY RYDER IS HERE!!!

Less than 48 hours after Marsha graduated, the baby was born. I am heading to the hospital to be with my family including my 5 grandsons and now my and Marsha's only granddaughter born to Daren and Sky. PTL!!

Dan

September 1

Dear Friends,

Marsha graduated about 2 hours ago PTL! Her family was together most of the day and celebrated with her as she made the gradual transition during the afternoon and evening to her new glorified body in the presence of Jesus her Lord.

She is now "In Christ Alone" and waiting for us who have put our faith and trust in Him alone.

From Danelle: Mom graduated to heaven today at 8pm. She went to be with Jesus very peacefully. At about noon we moved her to Manor Care a respite care facility. Her vitals were very low and the nurse guesstimated that it would be today. Dev and Michelle had stayed with her while the rest of us went to dinner. We got out of the parking lot and got the call that she had taken her last breath. She is now in heaven with a new body!!! We will miss her greatly but know that someday we will see her again.

Dan

August 31

Dear Friends, our Marsha is only with us physically as she lays in a hospital bed in the bedroom. Hospice has been in charge of her medical needs the past 16 days and family and friends have been caregivers along with a couple of paid caregivers who have become "family".

Mona and Bob, our longtime friends from AZ, have been here a week and have done incredible ministry for Marsha and me. Marsha bonded with Mona and mostly trusts her beyond all others.
Mona is a writer of children books that our family have read and shared for many years, check out her website at monahodgson.com. I am asking Mona to fill you in below as she has been with our Marsha day and night.

Here is Mona: Hi, it has been good to be here with Dan and Marsha and their children; to see Devin and Michelle, Daren and Sky, Danelle and Keith minster to one another and to their parents. Thursday was Marsha's best day in the past week or more as it was what we refer to as her "Heaven" day. The Lord ministered peace to her spirit as He prepared her spiritually and emotionally for her eternal rest. And she had sweet time with family and friends--times of song, prayer, and sharing. Though Jesus didn't take her "home" that day or yet in the days that have followed, her body is beginning to shut down and the time of her physical relief is nearing.

Thank you especially for your prayers as the family continues to care for her and one another, and prepare themselves and their own families for losing a beloved wife, a mother, a grandmother, and an aunt.

This is Dan again: Your prayers, messages, food, offers of help, flowers, etc., has been truly appreciated by our family. Last night the hospice nurse came for a few hours and kicked us out to go to dinner together and get a respite. That was truly a blessed time together with Daren and Sky (who continued to have contractions in the restaurant), Danelle and her cousin Scott Lohrenz from WY, Bob and Mona and me.

Please try to leave a short comment or prayer below.

In Christ Alone,

Dan for Marsha

August 28

I have meant to update all of you about our Marsha the last few days, but.....
She is talking about her journey from earth to heaven and wondering why the Lord is not hurrying up the process. I reminded her of the passage she has quoted for the last four years
(Psalms 139) when she first discovered breast cancer. That seemed to calm her.

She is now in a hospital bed and is supposed to be non ambulatory, but she amazes us at times and finds a way to crawl around the rail and appear in the door way. We rush to catch her, but she has heard people talking in the living room and wants to be a part of the party. She usually tires out quickly and we escort her back to bed.

She only is seeing family now and that tires her out enough. She and I had a great conversation this am after she used the word "regrets" with Mona, a great friend who has been here for her most of the time with her husband Bob Hodgson. I leaned over her and said "I dont have any regrets marrying you or being with you these 38 years" and she looked up and opened her one good eye and said "I dont have any regrets marrying you Dan." Then Mona left and husband and wife had a great heart to heart. I shared with her Phil 4:8 which is one of her favority verses and we agreeded to think on these things today.

A special time was her Maid of Honor Kathy visiting Sunday night with her husdand Stan who I have never forgiven for the ball and chain on my leg at our wedding. They shared memorys and cried together and had a very sweet time together for about an hour. Then on monday afternoon her Matron of Honor Leemay who she traveled across the US in a VW in during the summer after Biola came and they had a blessed time together.

She told Mona that she is seeing the light today, but not Jesus yet.

Hospice and my kids are taking care of everything and letting me be the husband and Bob and Gary Long whose wife Kathy have been here for us have been with me daily to help me emotionally and do errand in preparation for her graduation.

Continue to pray for Sky, Daren's wife, to have Marsha's first granddaughter soon as that is all Marsha talks about and Sky is feeling guilty. However, Marsha has had some blessed one on one time with each of the kids and the daughter in laws.

I'll sign off now and leave the future in God's hands.

Dan

August 18

I want to thank so many of you that responded to my blog (Dan); many of you just replied via email or called one of our phone numbers. If you scroll down to bottom of current blog you will see comments. If you make your comments there, others can read them and be inspired as well and I can keep them in the same place for future use and easy access.

Many want to come and read or sign hymms with Marsha and she would love it for a half hour at a time; just call my number to schedule 235 8421.

Some have asked about bringing food. Marsha is on a strict diet of fresh organic steamed veges and grains, so I fix them for her each meal fresh. Then I fix my meal mostly as Marsha is heading off to bed.

Love ya, Dan

August 16

Dan here: I just wrote a blog and clicked the wrong button and now I am doing it over again.

We need our friends and prayer partners to lift up Marsha at this time and seek God's will for her future as she has taken a turn for the worst.

An update: She has had horrific pain beginning two months ago and every pain killer the doctor prescribes is worse, causing her to vomit and dry heaves. She cant eat, which is a problem since she needs food in her stomach to take her meds. About a month ago she began to see double and we found out she has a pulsy behind her eye that has become more and more debilitating to the point that she cant see much and light stings her eyes and brain. She cant drive and only goes out infrequently (doctors, appointments) as she vertigo and balance and riding in a car is a huge problem. The morphine pill tends to take the edge off the pain if she can keep it down. The pulsy has left her left side frozen and tingling from her eyes to her face to her shoulder down her arm and side and now even in her left leg. Chiropractors and massage therapists wont touch her fearing they will spread the cancer that is now traveled up her spine into her lower skull.

She enjoys the only form of communiction she has, her cell phone 235 9226, and would enjoy short 5 minute calls as well as humor to her email ml_boggs@yahoo.com which I can read to her. We read Oswell Chambers "His Upmost for His Highest" and discuss it and pray each day. If you are reading this too for daily devotions you can talk about it when you call that day.

Marsha is excited about including a GRANDDAUGHTER to our picture above that is due in a few weeks to Daren and Sky. She enjoys her family that all live within minutes of us. And she enjoys her church and Christian friends that have become like sisters to her (you know who you are).

Love, Dan

July 12,'08

Our vacation in the Sierras was wonderful. Spring had just "sprung" so we had another chance to view gorgeous wildflowers and green foliage. (Hemet turned from extraordinarily beautiful spring, to summer, hot and brown, many weeks ago.)
Our first 7 days were spent at Silver Lake with Devin, Daren, and their families, along with some longtime friends of theirs who we've known for years as well. We also got to know some neighbors of Dev and Shell, saw the Dad catch an 8 lb. trout and receive accolades and photo shoots for several days thereafter, and fell in love with their two little girls. Our first grandaughter (thanks to Dar and Sky) won't arrive until Sept. so we especially enjoyed getting in practice for the feminine responses in camping situations.
The most fun day Dan and I had was taking Nate, Matt, and one of the girls, on a gondola ride to the top of Mammoth Mountain (11,ooo+ ft. elevation), to play in a little bit of snow, see spectacular views, and watch mountain bikers ride down the incredibly steep slopes below us. After that, we hiked to Devil's Postpile, a geological phenomenon---the only one in the world! I loved teaching the kids, of course, about God's AMAZING CREATIVITY in that, the rivers, lakes, waterfalls, granite walls around our campground, as well as the detailed unbelievable beauty we observed in the fish, flowers, insects, and deer.
Michelle and Sky told me I had to blog my Ug Boot story. Our first night there, Brody, Dar and Sky's dog, started licking my boots! I immediately knew why! Several months before, when it was still cold, I had dropped and broken a jar of mayonaise on the floor in out kitchen. Some of it was on my boots, and wouldn't clean off with anything I'd tried. When I got the boots out to go camping, and saw the big dark brown stains still there, I decided to put more mayonaise on the
light brown parts of the boots. They looked like new--all one color again. (I just didn't know that all dogs who got near them would enjoy their flavor so much. It'll be interesting to see if the attractive taste dissipates by next trip!!) I'm glad to report that I felt great almost the whole time we were at Silver Lake.
The last 3 days we spent at Twin Lakes with dear friends from church, Steve and Roberta Webb.
We hiked, played games and told campfire stories. Dan watched Steve fish, while Berta and I had some good sharing and prayer times together. Fellowship in the Body of Christ is another great creative idea of our Lord!
My health situation is about the same. I do need a little more rest time, and I have to do more
procrastinating than I did in my 65 "Type A" years. Pray that I'll be wise enough to pace myself and better listen to Dan and my body. Thank you for your prayers.

June 17, '08

My last post was right after Mothers' Day, so it's time again, since it's right after Father's Day! (I know it's been too long for some of my prayer partners who need new info a bit more often. Sorry!) Our whole family had a wonderful day on Sunday, spending the afternoon and evening in Devin & Michelle's beautiful backyard and pool....& using their new outdoor barbeque, sink, refrig, and huge tiled countertop which Dev & Dar finished just in time to cook steak and crab legs, and keep some yummy salads and drinks cool.
Since Dan retired April 1, we have been blessed to spend more time than usual with "retired" friends, and family. What fun!!! And much relaxation! We did 2 church-related retreats, 2 camping trips, 1 babysitting Isaac and Caleb weekend, timeshare with friends, trip to San Jose with very long-time friends and for medical treatment, a week at an ocean-front condo with Arizona friends, plus all the usual spring and end-of school-year activities. Oh, I almost forgot: we're leaving for "vacation" in the High Sierras next week!!

We're so thankful I felt up to all that even though I was on a rigorous cleansing-detox during the whole time. (I was in some pain--not cancer related-- and a bit tired, which is expected with that regime.) I'm now in a rejuvenating, rebuilding program, am back to my fast 1/2 hour-45 min. walking 4-5 days per week, and feeling much stronger and pain free! The next phase will be specifically, with more alternative therapies, cancer targeting. (Detoxing always comes first.)
God has been so much in the process so far, and we know without a doubt that the strong support and prayers of the Body of Christ are responsible for that.

For those of you who have been praying, here are some new requests (finally!):
1. For strength for us to "settle in" to being home together more than ever in our whole lives! Dan, especially, needs prayer for coping with retirement and my cancer at the same time. I think it's affecting him physically.
2. That we'll know God's will and timing in planning ministry and missions trips that we thought
we'd be doing after the initial 3-month "vacation" time for Dan. Also, that we'll be open to whatever He knows we CAN do at this point. (I think that He knows way better than we do!)
3. ----This one's for you to pray for us and us to pray for you: Ephesians 4:16-20. There is power in praying God's Word----so don't miss it!

Saturday, May 17

Hi! This is actually Marsha, tonight. Last Monday Dan and Danelle decided to set up a blog for me because so many precious friends and relatives have been praying for our family during this difficult cancer episode of mine. They felt that a blog would be the best way for us to communicate with the most people, and that's when they decided that they wanted everyone on my e-mail list to know my blog address!!! Oh dear! When I saw that THEY had written about my wonderful Mother's Day and sent the blog to everyone, I was a little embarrassed and asked if I could edit it and/or at least have an "intro" paragraph for the site. I was told that it was too late and I was too tired. So. . .

For the few of you who don't know, my breast cancer has returned and metastasized to some bones in my spine and lymph nodes in my chest. We sought 3 opinions: one from an oncologist (from City of Hope) in Hemet, and two at Loma Linda. All agreed that I am not a candidate for any conventional chemo except for the hormone-blocking drug Arimidex, which is palliative (for comfort of patient or to possibly slow growth of tumors)only. The medical prognosis is not favorable, but we all are absolutely sure of the fact that our amazing, sovereign God is the only One knows the number of my days and how I can best spend them to glorify Him in those remaining. Of course, I am also choosing some alternative therapies along with the Arimidex to build up my immune system and hopefully improve the quality! M

Mother's Day

The kids and grandkids took me to Idyllwild for the afternoon. Very few people were in the County Park and the meadow was virtually ours to enjoy. We ate lunch with the same menu which has been a favorite for years. It consisted of fried chicken, potato salad, pasta salad, watermelon, veggie tray and lemon cake. We played Frisbee golf which has been a family favorite for many years. The grandsons played stomp rocket, golf shoes, flew a kite and rode scooters in the parking lot. Then Keith, Dan and I took them on a hike with Brody the dog. We walked by the stream and had a performance at the amphitheater. The family were the actors and performers with branches as guitars with Caleb as the soloist, but hid behind the post most of the time. I enjoyed the interactive conversation among the kids as they discussed the Hawaiian trip for Grandma June's and Grandpa John's descendants. There was a lot of joking around and playful give and take.

When the weather got too cold, we all went down the hill to Devin and Michelle's home for more food, and a time for Caleb, Keith and Dan in the jacuzzi. Then we all viewed the last episode of Survivor.