1-25-07

Moriah has looked good on all my visits this week. No major medical issues at this time. Her left eye is still not quite 100%, but she has had her eyes open almost all the time during the day. She seems to respond occasionally to voices and touches. Man what a battle.

I checked out the movie "We are Marshall" I guess I now have a different perspective on loss. Escpecially when it's sudden and unexpected. It's a great story about what winning is really all about. Very touching.

Well this morning I decided to hit the random button on my I tunes program and see what song I came up with. Here it is

When this world's got me feeling low
I don't need nowhere else to go
Cuz I get all the love I need
From three little girls
In the garden collecting snails
Or on the bed readin fairy tails
I get all I ever need from three little girls

Cuz my worlds was sad and weary
All my days were winding down
Then you showed me a better way
My three little girls

Lord you put me to the test
Lead me through the wilderness
Then you showed me a brighter day

Mary Alice (inserted 3 different names)
Moriah Leigh
Danielle Christine
You take my breath away
My three little girls

Written by J.J. Cale with Eric Clapton
From the Album Road to Escondido

Wow not what I was expecting
Have a great weekend
Go Hawk's!!!!!!!! Hopefully they will beat the Badgers cuz I'll be there.

God's Peace
Dale

1-20-2007

Happy Birthday Moriah! #25
Thank you to all of you who remembered Mojo's birthday. She's hangin in there, looks good, and puttin up one hell of a fight.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

Peace
God Bless
Dale

1-12-07

Moriah looked great yesterday and continues to remain in good condition medically. We continue to pray that she gets unstuck.


12-27-06
Cross planting for Mary

Attendees
Bob Stewart
Brent Nichols
Angela Hodges
Mark Kamps
Tim Madsen
Angie Madsen
Doug Warner
Laura Warner
Sid Rowland
Helen Ann Reed
Leonard Reiman
Anice Reiman
Danielle Reiman
Yours truly
Hope I didn't forget anyone.

"Life sure can be cruel"

Yeah I sang a little song

Oh I wish I were a baby bear sleepin in the brown
Winter grass in April while the sun is going down
I wish my shoes were empty and I was still in bed
Holdin you beside me with your dreams all in your head
Oh I wish the world would do what I want it to
I wish the wind would blow me blow me back to you

I wish your mom was ugly(sorry Verna)
And your dad was ugly too(sorry Claude)
Cuz then they couldn't have had a girl to be as beautiful as you
I wish I was a tight rope walker with legs made out of gold
I'd hold you in my golden legs and never let you go
Oh I wish the world would do what I want it to
I wish the world would blow me blow me back to you

I wish I could see Jesus shining in the sky
So he could finally tell me that this was just a lie
And I'm pretty sure that God's love is all I'll ever need
Along with all my friends we'll keep you in our dreams
Oh I wish the world would do what I want it to
And I wish the wind would blow me
Blow me back to you.
Words(most of them) by Bob Schneider

Mark Kamps lead us in the Lord's Prayer

Thanks to all that made this a very special event

More words of wisdom from Jawon

Hey Dale, can I stay with you since you don't have any friends??

Hey Dale can I tell you a story, it's kind of short,
Go ahead Jawon
"I love you"

Hey Dale, It sure is a nice day to get together.

Hey Dale I gotta an idea, let's watch Nemo!!!!!!!!

Safe travels to all
God Bless
Peace
Dale

Here is the memorial service without my words that i posted a couple of days ago.
God Bless
Dale


CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
325 Mormon Trek Blvd.
Iowa City, Iowa 52246
338-5236
December 27, 2006 A Service of Remembrance for Mary Reiman
A Service of Healing for Moriah Reiman

P: Grace to you and peace from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.

A reading from Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
A reading from Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
A reading from Romans 6:3-9
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Readings from Mary’s funeral – Rex Spicer
Job 19:23-27a
"O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Meditation – Pastor David A. Aanonson
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
It has been one year and one day, one year and one day since we all, in one way or another, received the tragic news that Mary had been killed. It was a moment that changed our lives, forever changed our lives. We have all lost a friend that we know will never be replaced. For Dale and Danielle there is an emptiness that cannot ever be filled. For Moriah, well, for Moriah nothing has changed and that is so very, very tragic. Tonight we remember Mary and we pray for Moriah. For one year and one day Dale, Moriah, and Danielle you have been in my prayers, everyday for that one year and one day. This congregation has remembered Moriah every Sunday in its prayers for one year and one day. We pray that one day the prayers for healing will be prayers of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Dale, you faith has been uplifting. As I have sought to give you strength, you have been the one who has given me strength. I believe that is probably true for so many others also. I have referred your blog to countless pastors and told them that they needed to read it. I thank you Dale for this gift to the rest of us and for putting your faith and your life together so very well.
I would like us to meditate for a few moments on the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, the fifteenth chapter. These words were read to you at Mary’s funeral and also earlier this evening. The fourteenth and fifteenth chapters of this book are so very inspirational. St. Paul is writing about the resurrection of the dead. He proclaims the resurrection as the victory of Christ over sin, death, and the devil. He proclaims total victory. Death is decimated; to be no more. God speaks His promise to us through St. Paul in these words. Those who have died will be raised to new life in Christ. What was perishable will be raised as imperishable, as St. Paul proclaims. "Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." God raised Christ from death and proclaimed victory over death for all eternity. Because of a baptismal promise made to Mary many years ago by God, I believe beyond any shadow of a doubt that Mary is now in Christ and shares with Christ in His victory over death. It is in this that we have our hope. Mary has inherited God’s promise. Over this St. Paul raises a shout of victory, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? …thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." So it is for Mary and so it is for us. Death has not been victorious. Even as Mary has inherited the promise, we now await the fulfillment of the promise for us. Yet, Mary is not separated from us. Whether we live or whether we die we are in Christ. In Christ, we are yet together with one another and with Mary.
I would like to close with some words that I read on a recent blog, Dale, apparently they are words on an anniversary card given to you by Mary in 1994. So when you look ahead to future changes or think about how the past used to be, don’t forget to look beside you, because that’s where you’ll find me…. I am sure that each of you, in some way, feels Mary to be beside you everyday. But, you, of course, realize that those same words could have been said by our Lord Jesus Christ. He is always beside you and will carry you through this and all other challenges and tragedies in your life. Again, the words of St. Paul, this time from Romans, Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ... nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remarks – Dale Reiman (1-6-07 blog)

Prayers in remembrance of Mary
[P] Almighty God, source of all mercy and giver of comfort: Deal Graciously, we pray, with those who mourn, that, casting all their sorrow on You, they may know the consolation of Your love; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.
[P] Eternal God, You gave Mary a new birth in Baptism and entrusted her to us for a time that seems too short. As we thank You for the life we shared, help us now to release her to Your mighty keeping. Bring us all to that day when we shall stand in Your presence with all Your saints in light eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.
[P] With reverence and affection we remember before You, O everlasting God, all our departed friends and relatives. Keep us in union with them here through faith and love toward You, that hereafter we may enter into Your presence and be numbered with those who serve You and look upon Your face in glory everlasting, through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.
[P] O most loving Father, You want us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing except losing You, and to lay all our cares on You, knowing that You care for us. Grant that no clouds in this mortal life may hide from us the light of Your immortal love shown to us in Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.
[P] Merciful Creator, Your Holy Spirit intercedes for us even when we do not know how to pray. Send Your spirit now to comfort us in these days of need and loss, and help us to commend Mary to Your merciful care; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.

Prayers of healing for Moriah
[P] Let us pray for all who suffer.
[P] Merciful Lord, You sent Your Son to be our peace, Help all who suffer pain or grief to find in Him strength and peace, so that their trust in Your promises may be renewed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.
[P] We are here in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who restored the sick to health and who Himself suffered for our sake. He is present among us still to heal and to make whole. We entrust our sister, Moriah, to the grace and power of Jesus Christ, that the Lord may ease her suffering and grand her health and salvation.
A reading from Luke 4:40
When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.
[P] I lay my hands upon You in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, beseeching Him to uphold You and fill You with grace, that You may know the healing power of His love.
[C] Amen.
[P] Moriah, I anoint you with oil in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[C] Amen.
[P] Holy and blessed Trinity, sustain Your servant Moriah with Your presence; drive away sickness from her body and spirit; and give her that victory of life and peace which will enable her to serve You now and evermore.
[C] Amen.
[P] Let us pray.
[P] Merciful Lord God, constant source of all healing, we give You thanks for all Your gifts of strength and life, and above all we thank You for the gift if Your Son, through whom we have health and salvation. As we wait for that day when there will be no more pain, help us by Your Holy Spirit to be assured of Your power in our lives and to trust in Your eternal love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[C] Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen

The BENEDICTION
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen

1-6-07

My apologies that it has been over a week since the last posting.
Moriah still looks good and is in pretty much the same condition. I did seem to get her eyes to follow me a little bit while visiting her today. The battle continues.

I'm going to post my words from the prayer service last week. I will post the rest of the service and the cross planting next week some time. I re-read this tonight, must have been some inspiration given to me. Here it is, you will have to picture me speaking and struggling and stopping many times to regain my composure. It was much harder than I thought it would be, but also I needed to say these things.

Memorial/Prayer service for Moriah and Mary Reiman 12-27-06

I sure hope I can get through this so please bare with me. It is impossible for me to believe that it has been a year since our lives were changed forever. In the past year I lost my wife and best friend from my adult years and my best friend from my childhood. I'm sure if Gunner and Mary have met that he is probably getting quite a lecture. Also as you know we continue to pray for Moriah's recovery.

In Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 v 4 it says,

a time to weep and a time to laugh
a time to mourn and a time to dance

This tells us that it is ok to celebrate and to laugh and to cry as we remember Mary and pray for the healing of Moriah.

Bet you never thought you'd see me on this side of the pulpit!

If adversity introduces a man to himself I have certainly become to know myself much better through the past year.

Thank you for coming to remember Mary and again to pray for Moriah's healing. And for all that you have done throughout the year. I do not know what's going to happen with her but I do know that it is in God's and Moriah's hands and all we can do is pray.

The events of the last year have lead me to cover every emotion possible. But most
importantly it has taught me how blessed I am with family and friends. I am honored and blessed to count all of you in that group.

It has taught me not to be so selfish as to think that I have suffered the most or the greatest. We all carry burdens and have our own trials and tribulations. so I am sure that I am not alone in needing help or prayers. One of the hardest things for me to face after the accident was to tell family and friends as to what had happend. Seeing your suffering showed me how much it impacted you also. I know how much Mary and Moriah mean to you. And how special their friendships are. I now know the depths of those friendships.

Mary and I had what I believe was a unique/special relationship. It wasn't perfect of course as we had our moments, but they were few. She lived by the rule to never go to bed or end the day without resolving something that was bothering you. It 's a good rule. She was the most forthright, honest person I have ever known. She believed that one should be content and happy with what they had and what they had been given. We'd do our own thing but loved doing things together. Several months ago I received a note from her Mom thanking me for not restricting her life, but for enhancing it, for letting her do her own thing and for letting her be herself. A finer compliment I could not think of.

If the depth of one's pain is measured by the depth of one's love, then you know why I have suffered so much.

She had one of the greatest smiles ever. She had a great sense of humour and many of you know a lot of those stories. I've heard a few more since she left us and I'm sure there's even more out there. Several years ago after popping my achilles tendon while playing softball, I realized my jumping, running etc. days of that type of sports were probably over so I decided to take up golf. I hadn't ever played much but was always interested in it. I played a few times and on a trip to Des Moines I played golf with my friend Laird and ended up buying some golf clubs. On the way home she asked me where her clubs were? She told me that she would not become a golf widow!! So she got clubs for Christmas that year and we started playing quite a bit of golf together. There is no one I would rather play a round of golf with.

Her friends in the Galway neighborhood are honoring her with a plaque that will be placed in the ground not far from here. I couldn't think of something more fitting to remember her by. Many thanks to those of you who had a hand in this. Her compassion, her love of children, her sense of what a neighborhood should be, are all wrapped up in that memorial. She really felt that the most important job in this world was in being a mother. I couldn't disagree with her.

She was a mom, a daughter, a friend, my wife and my best friend ever. I am so proud of her. But most importantly she was a Christian. She taught me so much and continues to teach me something everyday. Whether she was tending her garden, decorating, sewing, golfing, reading, dancing, sitting in the sun, or socializing with her friends and family, volunteering, or many of the other activites that she was involved in, she really felt that it was our responsibility to try and make the world a better place. "Do what you can where you can" was one of her motto's. We had many dreams together, some of which I still hope to accomplish.

She was true evangelist for her faith. She wasn't afraid to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime, any place about her faith and her beliefs. I know of so many times that she did this. She wasn't pushy or pretentious and always had a respect for others. Whether it was a piano player and his wife in Jamaica, a street vendor in Mazatlan, a waitress in Vegas, a person from another religion that knocked on the door, boy did they get a surprise when they knocked on her door! Amongst family and friends, you knew where she stood. And speaking of where she stood, when someone would ask her how tall she was, she would usually respond by the now famous answer 5' 12"!! She didn't believe in (pardon the pun Pastor Dave) preaching, she belived in leading by example and being a witness to the grace of God and the compassion of Christ.

Then there is our Moriah,

She has a lot of Mary in her. Stubborn and tough. Loved music and fashion and decorating. Loved to get dressed up and go dancing. Mostly she loved her friends and her family and loved life.

As most 24 year olds do, she was trying to find her way. Once when she got into a little bit of trouble, her Mom and Dad wanted to help her out. Nope! I got into this and I'm going to get out of it on my own. There in lies the term Independence! She would accept help but surely wouldn't expect it. She also loved to have a good time and had a wonderful sense of humour. This won't mean a lot to all of you but she will long be remembered as Nick Faldo's girlfriend and for coining the now infamous phrase uttered in the Amana's "There is always room for more bread"

I have had many people tell me how much she thought of her family. For allowing her to be herself and how much she thought of her Mom and Dad. Again I don't think I could think of a finer compliment. Well Mojo we're very proud of you also and we know what a fight you have put up so far.

The two of them touched many people who I did not know before, but who I have become to know now. This truly speaks to the friendships that they have formed.

I cry often, not only tears of grief, but tears of joy, for being so blessed with 3 great girls in my life and for the blessings that all of you have give us. And for the many fond memories and moments of joy that fill my brain.

Obviously, We could not have gotten through this without a lot of help. I only hope that maybe somehow I can return what has been given to me. Collectivley I would like to thank everyone who has helped us out during the past year. To all of our friends who have laughed and cried, and grieved and celebrated with us. To those of you who have prayed for us, please continue to do so. This struggle isn't quite over yet. And I continue to pray for all of you also.

Individually I would like to thank,

Bob "Silos" Stewart, for making the cross. You have been a great friend. There is also something special about one of your friends becoming your wife's friend.

To all the writers and musicians who's words and music have helped me and inspired me. It is a gift from God that you have. I only wish I would have received more of you talent.

Any of you who have visited Moriah or brought us something to eat or done something to help us out.

To Pastor Dave and Christ the King!! Lutheran Church. Your strength and faith astounds me. You have all been a great blessing.

To my little buddy Jawon. Thank you for helping me keep things in perespective, and for being a symbol of the beauty and innocence of a child. Thank you also to your family for allowing me to remain in your life.

To all who have cared for Moriah. From the ambulance drivers to the outstanding staff in ICU at the University of Iowa Hospitals. To all the staff at On With Life in Ankeny. And to the providers at Windmill Manor in Coralville. You are surely doing the Lord's work.

To Brent and Chris Nichols. For the cookouts and for offering me the diversion of watching sports on your big screen in your basement in HDTV. Man is that cool!!

To Darlene and Brian. Dar I know you miss Mary alot. You were the short in the tall and short of it! For opening your home to members of my family. And for all that you have done to help me since the accident. Brian thank you for sharing your love of music and for getting me out of the house several times to listen to some great live music. For exposing me to some music that otherwise I wouldn't have enjoyed.

To Mark and Angela, Also for opening your house to be Grand Central during the first few weeks after the accident. For inviting me to join you for dinner or a nite out. For just calling to see if I'm ok or how I'm doing. I've got to admit I probably didn't tell you the truth in regards to that a couple of times. You have been great friends. I am honored to be counted among your friends.

To Laird and Sandy,
Words can not express how much I value our friendship. You have done all you could to help me. Laird you came to my rescue immediately. I never thought us two tough guys could cry so much. I will be forever grateful not only for you love, but for your words, your honesty, your advice, and your spirit. You also shared some of our dreams and I hope we can accomplish some of those even after all of this.

To my families, To my Mom and Dad and my family and to Mary's Mom and Dad and their family. For being there since the beginning and throughout our lives and for teaching us the values that I needed to cope with this tragedy. For teaching me that bitterness and jealously are two terrible traits. If I had not learned this lesson early, I would have never had 26 great years with Mary or two beautiful children.

To Danielle, You have been a rock and I am so proud of what you have accomplished and how you have handled this past year.

But most importantly to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God's grace and spirit is surely alive, even during these troubled times.

I will leave you with a story,
Several months ago and after starting the blog, I was contacted by someone who I know casually. He wanted to buy me breakfast and meet some of his friends. I didn't know him well and I didn't know any of his friends. So anyway I meet the four of them for breakfast and we tell each other a bit about our lives. They tell me how much the blog has touched them and how amazing they think I am, ha! Of course I'm a little embarasssed and I said something like,and you know it's not just me it's also people like you, my friends and my family that are all part of this. Now I've never been much of a writer, and I think the last official story I ever wrote was in 3rd or 4th grade, a piece called "Fred the Red Penguin". I think I might have got an A, but afterward the teacher and probably my parents were a little concerned with the content and they sent me to be psycho analyzed, anyway that was the end of my writing career. I woke up that night with a thought in my head,
"It's not me It's you"
The rest just sort of happened and I'm not sure I know where it came form, well actually I do.

I wanted to write it so not only would it mean something to a group but also to any individual that I might share it with. I wanted to convey the thought that this is a group effort and that the strength of others and of our faith is what gets us through.

In Job chapter 6 v14 it says,
Those who withold kindness from a friend forsake the fear of the almighty.
My friends, you should all know that you have not forsaken me.

Many of you have read this and I would like to read it now.
Again thank you for being a part of our lives and for coming to this service.

It is not I, it is you
It is you that I receive my motivation from
It is you that I receive my strength from
It is you that inspires me
It is my faith that guides me

It was easier when I knew nothing
for what a fool I once was
And even though I have learned so much
It is much harder now that I have lost so much

But it is you
Not me
Without you I would be lost
and weak
So may God's grace continue to give you the strength
That you so unselfishly
Give to me
God Bless
Where would I be without all of you?

Peace
Dale