MARY RUTH BEGAN HER LIFE JOURNEY ON MAY 24, 1932 IN MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS. HER LIFE JOURNEY WAS CONCLUDED PEACEFULLY AT 11 PM, DECEMBER 3, 2015 AT SAINT DAVIDS HOSPITAL SOUTH DUE TO CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.
MARY RUTH WAS BORN IN MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS BECAUSE HER FATHER, JAMES HART SNIPES WAS WORKING TWO JOBS IN THAT CITY. ONE HE WAS WORKING AT A BRICK MAKING PLANT AND SECOND HE WAS HAND POURING THE CONCRETE FOR WHAT BECAME THE THEN FAMOUS BAKER HOTEL IN MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS. AFTER THESE JOBS WERE FINISHED THE FAMILY MOVED TO GRANDFIELD, TILLMAN COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. MR. SNIPES WANTED TO BECOME A FARMER AND MARY RUTH'S GRAND FATHER, SAMUEL WESLEY SERRATT OWNED LARGE FARMS CLOSE TO GRANDFIELD. THE SNIPES FAMILIES BEGAN TO ATTEND THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN GRANDFIELD, OKLAHOMA. IN 1938 AS A 6 YEAR OLD MARY RUTH ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS HER LORD AND SAVIOR. RONALD ACCEPTED JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR IN 1943 AS AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN ABILENE, TEXAS. FOR MARY RUTH HER ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS BECAME THE EVENT THAT LED MARY TO A LIFETIME OF MINISTRY IN HER PROCLAIMING JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR TO ALL THAT SHE MET. HER PASSION IN LIFE WAS TEACHING OTHERS ABOUT JESUS. MARY RUTH STUDIED THE BIBLE AND HEBREW LANGUAGE. SHE ENJOYED SHARING HER PASSION AND LED BIBLE STUDIES FOR YEARS. HER LEGACY IS FAITH AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE SHE HELPED FIND IT. IN THE SPRING OF 1950, MARY GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL FROM GRANDFIELD HIGH HIGH SCHOOL. IN THE FALL OF 1950 SHE ENTERED SCHOOL AT HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY IN ABILENE, TEXAS. SHE BEGAN AS A SCIENCE MAJOR WITH THE GOAL OF BECOMING A MEDICAL MISSIONARY.IN THE SPRING SEMESTER STARTING IN 1951, RONALD HUMPHREY ENROLLED IN HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY. RONALD WAS ALSO A SCIENCE MAJOR. AS A RESULT OF THEIR COMMON INTEREST IN SCIENCE MARY AND RONALD TOOK THE SAME SCIENCE COURSES. ONE VERY DIFFICULT COURSE WAS QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY. THIS COURSE REQUIRED MANY LONG HOURS IN THE LABORATORY. MARY AND RONALD WERE LAB PARTNERS FOR THIS COURSE. EACH HAD TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN TASKS. IN THE SAME SEMESTER THEY TOOK BIOLOGY COURSES TOGETHER. THESE COURSES ALSO HAD LONG LABORATORY HOURS. ESPECIALLY ONE COURSE CALLED COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME MARY AND RONALD DISCUSSED THEIR INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES. MARY HAD GROWN UP ON A FARM IN RURAL OKLAHOMA. RONALD HAD GROWN UP IN A CITY. SO IT APPEARED THEY HAD LITTLE IN COMMON, BUT DUE TO THEIR WORK AND STUDYING TOGETHER THEY CONSIDERED THEMSELVES GOOD FRIENDS. ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS WAS A CLASSMATE OF RONALDS FROM ABILENE HIGH SCHOOL. HIS NAME WAS JOE RANDAL. HE WAS ALSO A SCIENCE MAJOR. ONE DAY HE MADE THE OBSERVATION TO RONALD THAT RONALD AND MARY APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS. SO HE ASKED RONALD IF HE WOULD CONSIDER ASKING MARY ON A DATE. RONALD ADMITTED HE MIGHT LIKE TO DO THAT. SO JOE AND MARY WERE WALKING ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ONE DAY AND JOE TOLD MARY THAT RONALD HAD SOMETHING TO ASK HER. LATER BEFORE ONE OF THEIR COURSES STARTED MARY TOLD RONALD THAT JOE HAD TOLD HER THAT I HAD SOMETHING TO ASK HER. I SAID YES I DID AND THAT WAS WOULD SHE CARE TO GO ON A MOVIE DATE TOGETHER. MARY SAID YES SHE WOULD. THAT MARKED THE FIRST SOCIAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN MARY AND RONALD. AFTER A SHORT TIME RONALD TOLD MARY THAT HE WAS IN LOVE WITH HER. MARY REPLIED BY TELLING RONALD SHE FELT THE SAME WAY ABOUT HIM. A FEW MONTHS LATER RONALD PROPOSED MARRIAGE AND MARY ACCEPTED HIS PROPOSAL. DURING THE SUMMER BREAK FROM SCHOOL, RONALD WENT TO GRANDFIELD, OKLAHOMA TO MEET MARY'S PARENTS AND TELL THEM OF THEIR PLANS AND ASK THEM FOR THEIR BLESSING. WHICH THEY GLADLY GAVE. MARY AND RONALD BEGAN TO PLAN FOR MARRIAGE AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE WITHIN 6 MONTHS. SO THEY WERE MARRIED ON DECEMBER 28, 1952 IN ABILENE, TAYLOR COUNTY, TEXAS.SHORTLY AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE, MARY TOLD RONALD THAT SHE HAD DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE THE IDEA OF GOING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL IN ORDER TO BECOME A MEDICAL MISSIONARY. THE THING SHE DISLIKED, WAS HAVING ALL OF THE SCIENCE COURSES, BUT THEY WOULD NO LONGER HAVE A PURPOSE. RONALD TOLD HER THAT HENDRICK MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WHICH WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HARDIN SIMMONS HAD A PROGRAM IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY THAT TOOK A YEAR TO COMPLETE AND WOULD USE ALL OF HER SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE. SO MARY ENROLLED IN THE COURSE AND IN A YEARS TIME BECAME A REGISTERED MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL TECHNOLOGISTS.
RONALD HAD CONFERRED ON HIM A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE FROM HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY ON AUGUST 19, 1953. WITH A MAJOR IN CHEMISTRY AND A MINOR IN BIOLOGY. RONALD EXPRESSED TO MARY RUTH A DESIRE TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION BY EARNING HIGHER DEGREES IN GRADUATE SCHOOL. AFTER EXAMINING SEVERAL SCHOOLS, RONALD DECIDED ON THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. SO THE COUPLE MOVED TO AUSTIN, TEXAS IN THE FALL OF 1954. MARY APPLIED FOR A POSITION OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST AT AN AUSTIN PATHOLOGY LABORATORY KNOWN AS BOHLS, PELPHREY, RAINEY AND PRICE LABS, WHICH WAS LOCATED ON RIO GRANGE STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. RONALD HAD CONFERRED ON HIM THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS ON AUGUST 1, 1955. THEN RONALD HAD CONFERRED ON HIM THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ON MAY 31, 1958.
DR. HUMPHREY THEN ACCEPTED A POSITION ON THE RESEARCH STAFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, M. D. ANDERSON CANCER HOSPITAL IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. SO RONALD AND MARY RUTH MOVED TO HOUSTON, TEXAS IN JUNE, 1958.
MARY RUTH ACCEPTED A POSITION AS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST AT HERMAN HOSPITAL WHICH WAS ALSO IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THEIR FIRST CHILD, DEVON HUMPHREY WAS BORN IN 1961. THEIR SECOND CHILD BLAIR HUMPHREY WAS BORN IN 1964.
AFTER BLAIR WAS BORN, MARY RESIGNED HER POSITION AT HERMAN HOSPITAL. THEIR THIRD CHILD, RHETT HUMPHREY WAS BORN IN 1965.THEIR FOURTH CHILD WAS BORN IN 1970 AND DID NOT SURVIVE, DYING 4 DAYS AFTER BIRTH DUE TO A BIRTH DEFECT. ALL OF OUR CHILDREN WERE BORN IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
THEIR THIRD CHILD, RHETT HUMPHREY BORN IN 1965.THEN IN 1966 DR. HUMPHREY RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN TRAVEL AND RESEARCH. THE FAMILY WENT TO THE NETHERLANDS AND STAYED ONE YEAR. UPON THEIR RETURN IN 1967, DR. HUMPHREY RECEIVED A PROMOTION TO FULL PROFESSOR AT BOTH THE ANDERSON HOSPITAL AND THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES. HE WAS ASKED TO JOIN A PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR A NEW PROGRAM THAT WAS TO BE HOUSED IN A NEW ANDERSON FACILITY CALLED THE SCIENCE PARK WHICH WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEAR SMITHVILLE, BASTROP COUNTY, TEXAS.DR. HUMPHREY WAS OFFERED THE POSITION OF ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR. HE ACCEPTED THE POSITION AND THUS THE HUMPHREY FAMILY MOVED FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS TO BASTROP, TEXAS. THEY BOUGHT A HOME ON JEFFERSON STREET IN BASTROP, TEXAS. IT REQUIRED EXTENSIVE REPAIRS, WHICH MARY RUTH HAD TO SPEND CONSIDERABLE TIME ON. MARY TOLD RONALD) THAT HE HAD COME TO GET A CANCER RESEARCH LAB AND A NEW PROGRAM STARTED.BUT SHE HAD COME TO MINISTER THE WORD OF GOD AND THE LOVE OF JESUS TO A NEEDY COMMUNITY. THIS DID NOT TAKE LONG TO GET STARTED. ONE DAY MARY RUTH TOLD RONALD THAT A CHRISTIAN GROUP FROM AUSTIN HAD RENTED SPACE IN THE AMERICAN LEGION BUILDING IN BASTROP. AFTER THE SERVICE, THE LEADER SAID THERE WAS A FAMILY IN THE MEETING WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE A BIBLE STUDY IN THEIR HOME ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS. MARY RUTH STOOD UP AND SAID THAT FAMILY IS MINE. THUS THE BIBLE STUDY BEGAN AT 1405 JEFFERSON STREET IN BASTROP. IN ADDITION MARY RUTH HAD MET AND MADE FRIENDS WITH SOME OTHER LADIES IN BASTROP AND THEIR FAMILIES. THEY CONTINUED IN THE BIBLE STUDIES AND WE BEGAN TO HAVE AS MANY AS 15 TO 20 PEOPLE EACH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

MARY RUTH WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS AND HER SISTER, NORMA CAROLYN SIMS AND AN INFANT SON. MARY RUTH IS SURVIVED BY HER HUSBAND OF 63 YEARS, RONALD HUMPHREY. CHILDREN DEVON HUMPHREY AND HIS WIFE, BONNIE HUMPHREY. BLAIR HUMPHREY, RHETT HUMPHREY AND HIS WIFE SHARON HUMPHREY, GRANDCHILDREN MELISSA HUMPHREY URSO AND HER HUSBAND SHEA URSO, MATTHEW HUMPHREY AND HIS WIFE TIFFANY, JOSHUA HUMPHREY, ANDREW HUMPHREY, DILLON HUMPHREY, BRADLEY HUMPHREY, JACOB HUMPHREY, SAMANTHA HUMPHREY, STEPHANIE HUMPHREY, KELLY RODRIGUEZ AND HIS WIFE, ALLIE;GREAT GRAND DAUGHTERS KAYELYN FAITH HUMPHREY, KEELIE RYAN HUMPHREY AND ELIANA RODRIGUEZ.

MEMORIALS CAN BE MADE TO THE BASTROP CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER. THE SALVATION ARMY, THE MD ANDERSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER.

A CELEBRATION OF MARY RUTH'S LIFE WAS HELD ON DECEMBER 6, 2015 AT 2;30 PM AT THE BASTROP CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER.HER NIECE, GAIL SERRATT/HILL WROTE THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO HER AUNT MARY ON 12 6 2015. A NOTE TO SHARE ABOUT OUR BELOVED AUNT MARY: WHILE I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY, I WANTED TO SHARE MY LOVE WITH YOU AND PASS ALONG SOME REFLECTIONS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. FROM MY EARLIEST MEMORIES, AUNT MARY WAS A BIG PART! BECAUSE MOM AND AUNT MARY WERE SO CLOSE, IT WAS NATURAL TO THINK OF AUNT MARY AS A SECOND MOM. THEY DEFINITELY ALIGNED WHEN BLAIR, RHETT AND I WERE DISCOVERING GREAT ADVENTURES THAT SEEMED PERFECTLY FINE TO US, BUT PROVED PROBLEMATIC TO BOTH OF THEM.
QUITE OPENLY, I WANTED TO BE LIKE AUNT MARY. SHE IS A ROLE MODEL. SHE WAS STRONG, CONFIDENT. AN ELOQUENT SPEAKER AND A CHARISMATIC PERSON. SHE HAD SUCH A MAGNIFICENT VOICE THAT WAS UNIQUELY HERS. SHE SEEMED TO BE WELL VERSED IN ALL THINGS FROM MEDICINE TO ART TO SCRIPTURE TO FAMOUS AUTHORS TO COOKING. I REMEMBER ONE SUMMER WHEN THE FAMILY LIVED IN HOUSTON SHE SHOWED ME HOW TO EAT AN ARTICHOKE FANCY! AND LET ME RIDE IN THE FRONT SEAT WHILE SHE DROVE THROUGH HOUSTON --ROLLER COASTERS HAD NOTHING ON AUNT MARY'S SPEED. LATER SHOWED ME HOW TO MAKE APRICOT PRESERVES AND WHAT GREEK LETTERS LOOKED LIKE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. SHE KNEW HOW TO MAKE BIRTHDAYS AND HOLIDAYS EXTRA SPECIAL. SHE KNEW ABOUT PLAYS LIKE THE FANTASTIKS AND COULD ARTICULATE SIGNIFICANT LINES FROM HITCHCOCK MOVIES AND UNRAVEL MYSTERIES BEHIND THE CLASSICS. SHE (AND YOU TO UNCLE RONNIE)ARE SIMPLY TWO OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE! HER CLEARLY ETCHED MEMORIES ABOUT THE FARM IN OKLAHOMA,SCHOOL IN ABILENE, WORKING IN THE LAB, LIVING IN HOLLAND, TEACHING BIBLE STUDY WERE FLAWLESS IN HER TELLING. I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HER AND IT HAS SHAPED ME FOR GOOD AND FOR GOOD!

A WISE SOUNDING BOARD THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, SHE DEMONSTRATED NOW AN AUNT SHOULD BE, SO I HAVE SOUGHT TO FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS. I THANK GOD FOR AUNT MARY'S LIFE AND JOIN YOU IN CELEBRATING WITH TEARS, LAUGHTER AND HUGS.GAIL SERRATT/HILL IS NOW THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN SPENCERPORT, NEW YORK.

RHETT AND SHARON, BLAIR, DEVON AND BONNIE, AND ALL OF THE CHILDREN --I AM LIFTING YOU TO THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TODAY AS YOU GATHER. AND UNCLE RONNIE MAY YOU FEEL AN EXTRA MEASURE OF GOD'S GRACE AND LOVE THIS DAY. MY LOVE TO ALL, GAIL

ANOTHER TIME IN RONALD'S AND MARY'S LIFE. RONALD RETIRED FROM THE ANDERSON SCIENCE PARK IN 1993. IN 1994 THEY SOLD THEIR HOME ON JEFFERSON STREET IN BASTROP, TEXAS. THEY THEN BOUGHT A LARGE MOTOR HOME, BETTER KNOWN AS A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE OR RV. THEY BEGAN TO TRAVEL ALL OVER CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. THEY TRAVELED TO EVERY PROVENCE IN CANADA EXCEPT THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. THEY WENT TO EVERY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT HAWAII. THEY RETURNED TO BASTROP, TEXAS AND LIVED IN A LOCAL RV CAMP, OWNED BY PAUL POPE JUST OUTSIDE OF BASTROP. IN APRIL OF 2004 RONALD HAD A SEVERE STROKE. AFTER HIS RECOVERY THEY RENTED A HOME IN RIVERSIDE GROVE SUBDIVISION. THEY LIVED THERE UNTIL 2011. AT THIS TIME MARY RUTH HAD A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE. THIS REQUIRED RON AND MARY RUTH TO MOVE TO THE ARGENT COURT ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY ON OLD AUSTIN HWY IN BASTROP. THEY LIVED THERE UNTIL 2015. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT MARY RUTH BEGAN TO HAVE ATRIAL FIBRULATION, WHICH IS AN ABNORMAL HEART BEAT WHICH LED TO CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IN 2015.

THE NEXT SECTION WAS WRITTEN BY MARY'S GRANDSON, PASTOR MATTHEW KYLAN HUMPHREY. MATTHEW PRESENTED THIS AS A PRESENTATION AT MARY'S MEMORIAL SERVICE AT BASTROP CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER.

Good afternoon. For those of you who may not be too familiar with who I am, my name is Matthew Humphrey. I'm the associate senior pastor of New Heights Church in College Station and Ron and Mary Ruth's grandson. If I'm totally honest today, which I always try to be, when I was first asked to do this I was a bit concerned. Concerned on whether or not I could say the right things. Concerned on whether or not I'd be able to find the strength to properly deliver a word today. As my mind and heart were battling so many emotions this weekend i stopped and meditated. I meditated on the one thing that has never failed me. On the only thing that remains true time and time again. The Word of God. The bible.

Let me encourage you this morning. When a tough situation arises and questions and concerns and circumstances seem to begin flooding every ounce of your thoughts, life and emotions... Take heed the word of God.

Proverbs 3 The words of God giveth life.

Ephesians 6 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

This book holds every answer to any question we could ever ask on how to deal with, and navigate thru this roller coaster we call life.

Grandma loved this book.
Grandma slayed Giants with this book.
Grandma lived everyday pulling wisdom, guidance and encouragement from this book.

It's good to see so many familiar faces here today. Though I'm sure we all wish the occasion was different. Close friends and family have gathered here this afternoon to remember, pay tribute to, honor and celebrate one of the greatest women I've ever, we've ever, known.

I have so many wonderful moments and memories with Grandma. Some of which I'll share with you today. And others that I'll keep specially for myself. I can remember growing up in a little town right outside of San Angelo Texas called Grape Creek. Grandma and Grandpa's visit was just as looked forward to as Christmas. I remember being in school on the days of their arrival, just excited, and walking outside to be picked up and seeing their Motor Home towering over everything else in the parking lot. Those were some of my favorite times! I can remember, vaguely, spending summers and holidays at the house on Jefferson here in Bastrop. Playing outside. Riding bubba, my uncle Rhett's dog, down the hallways of the house. Jumping up in my grandmas chair with her and watching marry poppins and Chitty chitty bang bang. I can remember the nights her and grandpa would put me sleep reading Peter Rabbit. Or Tiki tiki timbo. We played candy land together. We played checkers together. We laughed, we cried and we loved together.
Some of the family were able to see grandma this past week in the hospital. I, unfortunately, was not. My last visit with grandma was Thanksgiving afternoon, just a little over a week and a half ago. We sat at the kitchen table at uncle Rhett and aunt Sharon's house and I held her hand. We talked about my children, my church and Christmas plans. If there was one thing about grandma that you could expect was you could, with out fail, expect any conversation to eventually come around to Jesus and her love for him and his word. She talked about his presence in a way that only someone who really, truly understood His presence could. She talked about his love and his goodness and his mercy and his grace. She talked about how good he had been to her and how she was feeling tired and she was ready to go home. She talked about Heaven.

I've always been hesitant on acting on feelings. Mainly because I never want to come across a certain way. But last Thursday afternoon, I had a feeling. I didn't want it. But I had it. That grandma was prepared to enter into eternity fairly soon. That this conversation could be the last for me. And I sat I thought about that this weekend... Which was a difficult thing to do. I thought about if I just had a few more moments with her that day what would I have said to her. I would have held her hand a little longer. I would have looked into her eyes a little deeper. I would laughed at her jokes a little harder. And I would have thank her a little more. For never giving up on any of us. For always believing in the dreams of her children and grandchildren. For always providing love and nurture in times we needed it the most. For being obedient in the lord. And for praying, without ceasing, that the will of God in my life would come to fruition. I'm a living testimony to the persistence of grandma prayer life. I stand here today, an ordained minister with a reputation, a Godly husband and father because of her seed that was sown into my life.

I think we can all agree that grandma is the spiritual backbone of this family. There is no telling how many attack plans of the enemy were diverted in our lives because of the consistent prayer life grandma lives. She truly is saint. And she has made her way home.

Paul in 2 Corinthians:
To be absent from the body is to present with the lord
We've all got a pile of loved ones up there none of us here want to go early but we can all be excited about seeing them again. The bible says that you will know them just as you know them here. Meaning you're not going to have to be reintroduced to everybody. You're not gonna have to be like... This is your cousin, this is your... You know what, some people you don't want to be there might be there.
I mean you might just be surprised. You know, I'd be careful or cautious if I were you about worrying about who you might not want to live next to because God's just got this way about him.

Grandma is in Heaven. No doubt about it. She's experiencing the greatest moment imaginable right now. And guess what.... She has no walker. She has no breathing tube and she's not carrying around an oxygen tank. She can eat and drink what she wants, when she wants. You have to understand something here... Heaven is as real as Austin. The bible tells us that it's streets are paved with Gold and are as pure as transparent glass. There is no pain. There is no sorrow.

Of course we miss her here. And will continue to miss her for many days , months and years to come. But, the bible also tells us in 1 Thessalonians that "We don't mourn like those will no hope"

1 Thessalonians 4:12-14
NKJV
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

The Message: 13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

We as believers have a promise of an eternity spent in paradise. Those that have gone on before us are just a little early to the party. If grandma could talk to us right now I'm sure she'd ask to hold the tears, and keep mourning to a minimum because she's just fine. Is it appropriate to mourn...absolutely. But understand that for us, this isn't necessarily a goodbye but more so a "See You Soon."

We're going to miss grandma here. No doubt. But she won't miss us. "Matthew how could you say that!!" Please, allow me to explain...

2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

1 day in heaven is to a thousand years here on earth

Now, if we believe the bible is true... Which we do... Then we can do a little math and really put this into some sort of perspective.

Quick math says 1 earth day is about 0.23seconds to God, based off 1=1,000

So 3 days is less than a second.... 4 days is basically a second

One year is like 84 seconds

Ten minutes in Heaven is a little over 7 years here

50 years here on earth is equal to 1hr and 10 mins in heaven.

Let's just take care of everyone in here...
75 years here on earth will calculate to 1hr 45 mins in heaven

Grandma doesn't miss us because she hasn't had time to
She won't have time to.
I'm not claiming to know everything about heaven here but one can just assume that it may take a little longer than 1 hour to fully encompass the majesty and awe of a place like that. Knowing grandma, she will want to see and talk to everyone she's ever read about. Kind David. John the Baptist. Mary, Joseph and of course, Jesus himself. And by the time she's ready to make her way to the incredibly massive mansion the Lord has prepared for her in her homecoming, she'll look over her shoulder and say "isn't this beautiful..." And there we'll all be holding her hand and saying yes grandma, yes it is.

Life is a very powerful thing when you live it for God. Because there's opportunities that come up that may or may not be expected. Our lives are filled with choices and situations that come up. Some desirable. Some not so.

NKJV - Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It's times like these where the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding is very, very much appreciated.
Find your peace in him today. Find your strength in him today.

I am a product of grandmas love for God
I am a product of 28 yrs of watching someone live for God everyday.
I am a product of love.

If grandma were here today and could leave us with a few last words this is what I believe she would say...

Continue the journey
Continue the fight
Never waiver
Never settle
And may the praise of God be forever on your lips

As ms Teresa comes up to sing one last song I'd like to read one of grandmas favorite scriptures.

Psalm 91

THE FOLLOWING SECTION WAS WRITTEN BY MARY JACKSON, MARY JACKSON IS MARY RUTH'S CLOSE FRIEND AND WORSHIP PASTOR AT BASTROP CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER. I THANK HER VERY MUCH AND SAY GOD BLESS YOU MARY FOR THIS CONTRIBUTION TO MARY RUTH'S BIOGRAPHY.

MARY RUTH WAS BORN FOR A REASON, A PURPOSE. SHE WAS DESIGNED AND DESTINED TO SHOW GOD'S PASSIONATE LOVE FOR LOST PEOPLE.

EVEN WHILE SHE FULFILLED HER POSITION AS A FAITHFUL WIFE AND LOVING MOTHER, HER HEART'S EAR WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO HER HEAVENLY FATHER'S VOICE. HER PASSION TO KNOW HIM AND SERVE HIM OPENED DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY THAT LED TO EXCITING ADVENTURES.

ONE TUESDAY MORNING AS SHE SPENT TIME IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD SHE HEARD HIS VOICE DIRECT HER TO GO TO A SMALL HOUSE ON FARM STREET WHERE THE LORD SPOKE AND SAID HE WANTED TO REVEAL HIS LOVE TO A GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN WHO LIVED THERE. DURING THIS TIME IN BASTROP, THERE WAS AN OIL BOOM, AND HOUSING WAS QUITE DIFFICULT TO FIND. MANY OIL FIELD WORKERS FAMILIES LIVED TOGETHER IN SMALL HOUSES. MARY RUTH FOLLOWED GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS, ONE OF WHICH WAS TO BE THERE AT 10 AM THAT DAY. AS SHE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR,SHE WAS GREETED BY FOUR WOMEN WHO BY ALL APPEARANCES HAD LIVED VERY HARD LIVES PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY AND WERE VOID OF HOPE. WHEN MARY RUTH STARTED TO INTRODUCE HERSELF, SHE WAS STOPPED BY ONE OF THE LADIES SAYING "WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE". THEY SHOWED HER A LETTER THEY HAD WRITTEN THE PREVIOUS WEEK TO GOD., ASKING HIM TO SEND A TEACHER AT EXACTLY 10AM. THEY TOLD HER THAT THEY KNEW SHE WAS THE TEACHER. THAT GOD HAD SENT TO THEM. MARY RUTH PRESENTED THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR, AND THESE PRECIOUS YOUNG WOMEN RECEIVED HIM AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.
THIS IS ONE OF MANY TIMES THAT MARY RUTH HEARD GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS, WORDS OF LOVE FROM HIM THAT ONLY HE COULD HAVE KNOWN FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

BASTROP,TEXAS BECAME AN EVANGELICAL MISSION FIELD FOR MARY RUTH. PRESENTING GOD HER FATHER, JESUS CHRIST HER SAVIOR AND THE HOLY SPIRIT HER COUNSELOR TO A VERY LOST COMMUNITY. THIS EVENTUALLY LED TO A DEVOTED BIBLE STUDY THAT GREW TO AN OUTREACH FAMILY CHURCH THAT DISCIPLES AND EQUIPS PEOPLE THROUGH GOD'S WORD ALL OVER THE WORLD. MARY RUTH'S PASSION TO SERVE GOD AND MAKE DISCIPLES TO FOLLOW HIM LEAD TO A LEGACY OF GOD'S LOVE.