Today, December 6th 2008, around 11am, Derrick moved on to live an eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He passed away peacefully in his bed, holding his wife in his arms and surrounded by his closest friends and family. We were wishing for the miracle of a cure, but instead we were treated to the miracle of Derrick and Mindy's true courage, true strength, true mightiness, and true faith. Derrick and Mindy taught us so much in the last 10 months and are an example of true love in God's eyes. Derrick will always be my big brother and it was an inspiration to see him battle leukemia with all of his heart, with all of his strength, and to never once consider complaining about what he was enduring day in and day out. He reminded us of the important things in life and how much we should cherish our loved ones and remind them of it every day. Our family and friends continue to be a foundation of strength for us and we are so thankful for these people in our lives. We are thankful that God blessed Derrick with such a beautiful, caring, selfless bride who never left his side. Most of all, we are thankful that Derrick is in Heaven, free from all of the struggle and hurt that he endured here on earth throughout his battle with leukemia.
like Jimmy V said,
"cancer can take away all my physical abilities, it cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul, and those three things are going to carry on forever"
John 16:22
So with you: now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy
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16 comments:
My deepest sympathy and condolences to you all. I wish you all the Lords strength in the next little while as you greive the loss of your husband, brother and son, Derrick.
dear dull family,
thank you for posting such a beautiful message, marcy! we know that derrick is whole and strong and enjoying God's presence at this very moment. He no longer has any bad cells but is completely free of any pain or illness. Praise God for that. we do miss him as we pray for all of you through this time of grief. we will remember so many funny and neat memories of derrick through the years. plus we treasure all the special moments we experienced with him, Mindy, and the rest of you in this past year. we loved talking to derrick and reading his posts because he always had something really meaningful to say and of course many times he totally amazed us with some of his statements!! God must be so very, very proud of him and loving on him so much right now that it must feel unbelievable. i wonder how it must feel to be in HIS arms!!! we love you guys and pray that God will wrap His arms around all of you also to give you strength, comfort, and peace! we are only a phone call (or text) away if you need anything!! you all are in our thoughts and prayers, the sensenig family
We are so sorry.
We are so sorry for the loss of a son, brother and husband. We have been following along this last year and have been amazed many times on the faith, attitude and outlook displayed. (as in the last posting Marcy!) Derrick will/has affected many lives in a positive manner. He always had a great attitude and wonderful smile. And now he is smiling in God presence. No more illness and pain! Please no that our prayers and thoughts are with you all in your grief. Hold tight to the good and happy times. The Heck Family
Peace be with you now and forever. Thank you for sharing this past year with us. Derrick, Mindy, Jim, Donna and Marcy have all shown us what the true meaning of love is this year. Derrick is free of leukemia! We wish he was still here on earth with us, but he is now watching over us. So, we must all now follow in his footsteps and strive to love God, one another and not "sweat the small stuff" as Derrick had asked us before in one of his entries. God Bless the Dull Family! Much Love, the Harmes' Family
Marcy,
your comments show a mature behond your age. Our family is deeply sadened by Derricks entry into heaven. He will always be your big brother as well as Mindy will always be your sister inlaw. Derrick was once part of our family and we all grieve with your entire family.God bless you.
Love,
The Thompsons, Schnettlers and the Wattersons
We are very sorry for your loss! Derrick was an excellent example of God's love to so many people. May God's peace surround your family and may you rest in His promises. We will continue to pray for your family!
Brad & Lori Ortenzi
Dearest Mindy,
I'm so, so sorry. When I saw you two together it was so clear that he loved you and that your presence by his side gave him the strength to go on. You're a remarkable person and your husband was amazing as well. He will be missed greatly. I wish I had known him longer than I did.
If I can do anything, please let me know.
Wishing you and your family strength during this time.
Love to you, Mindy.
I send my condolences to all of you. Derrick was an amazing person who will never be forgotten. He touched the lives of so many of us and really taught us what true love and courage are all about. Derrick is so blessed to be walking with god right now and free from all pain. I know that he will watch down on all of us and continue to share his warm smile that we have all learned to love with us. I read a poem posted on the internet today by Pam and i thought it sounded appropriate to share with everyone on here as well.
Christmas In Heaven
I see the countless CHRISTMAS TREES around the world below
with tiny lights like HEAVEN'S STARS reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so SPECTACULAR please wipe away that tear
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.
I hear the many CHRISTMAS SONGS that people hold so dear
but the SOUND OF MUSIC can't compare with the CHRISTMAS CHOIR up here.
I have no words to tell you of the JOY their voices bring
for it is beyond description to HEAR THE ANGELS SING.
I know HOW MUCH YOU MISS ME, I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.
I can't tell you of the SPLENDOR or the PEACE here in this place
Can you just imagine CHRISTMAS WITH OUR SAVIOR face to face
I'll ask him to LIFT YOUR SPIRIT as I tell him of your love
so then PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER as you lift your eyes above.
Please let your HEARTS BE JOYFUL and let your SPIRIT SING
for I am spending CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN and I'm walking WITH THE KING.
I am very sorry to hear the loss of your family. Derrick was a good friend during our younger years. He is an awesome person and was a joy to have known. I wish you guys the best.
I am so very sorry to hear this sad news. I didn't know Derrick. But I came across this blog about 6 months ago while on the internet looking for other stories of those whose lives have been affected by Luekemia as mine had. And I was so inspired by Derrick and how he handled his difficult circumstances. And mostly by his faith and devotion to the lord. He touched my life and there are tears in my eyes as I write this. For some reason, I just felt a connection to him. I don't know if it was because my beloved Mom, who I lost in Dec. of 2005 had the same type of Leukemia as he did and I understood what he was facing and admired his strength. Or if it was because he had his bone marrow transplant on my birthday and his new birthday, July 23rd was one that we both shared. It was probably a little of both. My heart goes out to Mindy and the entire family. I KNOW the deep sadness that you are feeling. You will be in my prayers. May God hold your hands and bring you peace and comfort during the difficult days ahead. And always remember, this life is temporary and you will be together with Derrick again one day in a place where there is no more illness, pain, tears and sadness. And you will never be separated from your loved ones again. For three years this month, this has helped me to deal with the most painful thing that ever happened in my life. Although my Mom wasn't as young as Derrick, she was only 59 years old and still had a lot of living and loving to do. But knowing that it's a temporary separation and believing with all my heart that we will be together again one day in Heaven has helped me endure the tough days that followed her loss. Spending a lot of time with my loving family also brought much comfort. Lean on each other and help each other. I extend my deepest sympathy to you and I will continue to pray for you. God bless you all. Leisa
Your family has constantly been in my thoughts and prayers since I first heard of Dericks illness. Your whole family has show the world an amazing amount of love and devotion not only towards Derick but towards the Lord in this difficult time. Derick is now enjoying being in the presence of God and being healthy and whole. He will continue to watch down on all his loved ones just as he did while here on Earth.
Deepest Sympathy
Ann
Dear Jim, Donna, Marcy and Mindy,
I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love. We have all been so changed by your whole family and the strenght and profound love you have shown for eachother and for Jesus Christ. We Pray that God enfolds you during this most difficult time. We carry you all in our hearts.
The Wilson Famly
To the Dull Family,
It has taken me until now to respond to the news because I honestly still didn't know what to say, but felt I should post something. Derrick and I didn't talk much in school, but I knew he was well-liked and always treated me with kindness. I can only imagine what a loss this is for all of you. Unfortunately, I have a final to take today and tomorrow and will not be able to attend the services, but I will keep your family in my prayers.
Sometimes we don't know why things work out the way that they do, but Derrick is no longer suffering and that is a blessing. May you all continue to stay strong in your faith. Take care.
Ashley Wiseman
Mindy-
I can't begin to know what to say, and I know that words can only offer so much comfort and support, but I wanted to extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy and condolences. I have known you and your family for a long time, from church, and being neighbors to my grandma. I have watched you grow from a young child (whom I used to babysit)into a lovely young woman who possessed and possesses strength and courage, all evident during your time with Derrick and his battle with Leukemia. I am overwhelmed by the love the two of you had for each other, as it should be an example to everyone about the true power of love. Derrick is no longer in pain and I am certain that as you were his angel here on Earth, that he is now your angel in Heaven. God Bless--Jessica (Shearer) Cohick
Mindy--
This is Michele, Kelli's sister. We met at her wedding and I remember very clearly how sweet you and Derrick were together. I loved when you caught the bouquet and he the garter--you two had the most amazing smiles on your faces! I remember thinking, "Those two are meant to be together." I am so, so sorry for the pain you are going through. As I sit here reading the blog, tears are streaming down my face. I'm so impressed with the strength, courage, wisdom, humor and love you two display in your writing. Please know you and your family are in my prayers.
My deepest sympathies-
Michele Neidlinger
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