Month: June 2022

“You Watched Me”

You watched me grow up big strong,

and you wanted nothing but for me to live a life that was happy and long

You watched me as I caught my first fish that all began with one tug…

I’ll never forget how proud you were, giving me that famous big bear hug

I watched you work, play, laugh, and pray, helping others in every way,

Teaching me to share the love, joy, and peace of Christ, moment by moment, day by day

I watched you grow older, never losing the vivaciousness from your younger years

But even as you moved on to a better, brighter place, my eyes filled with tears

Yet now I can live my life the way you wanted, through all I learned and saw

Knowing that you and our divine Lord and Savior are watching over us all.

Eternal rest grant to Him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the soul of Doyle Carlton Smith (1928-2013) and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

Yesterday, June 9th, was the birthday of my dear Uncle Carlton! And what a man he was indeed! Please offer up a a special prayer for him, and be assured that your smallest, slightest prayers and sacrifices for those who are still awaiting full entry into Eternal Glory can go SUCH a long way!

Eulogy for Doyle Carlton Smith (1928-2013)

Written and Delivered By Gregory O. Perenich, June 1st, 2013

Today we pay our respects to a man who changed all of our lives forever.  A man of courage, of simplicity, of love.  A man who will live on in all of us until we at last rest with him up above.

Carlton lived more than a great life; he built a legacy, completed a journey and fulfilled his purpose on Earth.  Of course, he was always happy. I never once saw him with anything but a smile on his face as he would teach me how to catch my first bass…okay my first minnow.  Or the look of excitement on his face as he brought a skinned succulent fish inside to cook and share with all of us.  Or even the look of contentment on his face as he would just sit back and enjoy the beauty of everything unfolding right in front of him.  He would just sit and watch, at peace with the lake, the world, and himself.  Simply watching, never taking even the smallest things for granted.  

And that was the thing about Uncle Carlton.  As diligent, disciplined, and determined of a man he was, at the end of the day, after all the work was done, he wanted nothing more than to watch the glowing, golden sunset God gave him over the glorious lake he had grown his seeds off of.  He would watch his plants that were finally blossoming, his flowers that were finally blooming, his little saplings which were becoming great trees, bringing shade, brushing against breezes, bearing fruits.  And that’s exactly what he saw in each of us.  Little seeds that were growing in the world, extending our branches upward to the sky, and eventually, letting our fruit fall back to the ground where we once came from.  And you can bet the that he is gonna be there to soak up the sun under our shade.  For he planted each of our seeds, and placed us all in this garden together.  And I have to thank him for that. Because there’s not a single one person in this room who I wouldn’t want to grow in this garden of life, laughter and love with.  

I know that he is watching us today, with that old grin and glimmer in his eyes, knowing that his lifelong journey is finally over, his seeds finally planted, his saplings grown, his trees producing fruit, his garden complete and his purpose fulfilled.  And now he hands the orchard over to us.  So that no matter how tough times are, how many obstacles we face, or how many cold winters plague our pastures, we may remember our Uncle Carlton and persevere, persist, and prosper through passion, praise, and pure love, just as he did.  

His soul is now in a place of peace. He looks out upon all he has created and cultivated…us.  And he awaits us on the day our own lives have been lived, our own seeds planted, our own purposes fulfilled, to join him in the eternal resting place with God, looking back on the setting sun and the shinning world that each of us, like Carlton, made just a little bit brighter.

Verse:

“Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” -Mark 4:18-20

Quote:

“Today I wish to speak to My children about heaven. Heaven is real, dear ones. It is a place and I am there. Most of your deceased family members are here along with all of the saints and many others whom you have not met. There is great fellowship in heaven, particularly among souls who served Me in similar ways. You will feel no pain or fatigue here, but, at times, you will rest in ideas and concepts so that you can learn them. You see, My children, your learning continues and the quenching of the thirst for knowledge is a part of heaven because everyone is able to learn about any topic that sparks their curiosity. You can then build on that and graduate to even deeper levels of knowledge and knowing. This does not feel like school. It is joy and wonder. It is innocence and love. It is coming into the mystery of your universe in such a way that you then help to direct the universe. My children, because of your limited understanding, which is necessary while you remain on earth, I cannot tell you everything. But I wanted to share this glimpse of heaven with you and I will continue to part the curtains, as it were, so that you understand where you are going. It is good to know your destination so that you know how to prepare. I, your Jesus, am helping you prepare. If you listen to Me and prepare well, you will be ready for heaven when it is time to come here. In this way, the day of your earthly death will be the best day of your life. Believe Me, My children, when I tell you that all of Us here in heaven await your coming.”

-Jesus on August 27^th, 2003 to Anne, a lay apostle in Volume 2: Conversations with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus