In Remembrance...

It was a wonderful service remembering Gabe and giving the glory to God for Gabe's great life. He was an oustanding man of God who wanted so much for himself to be an instrument of God. In every area of his life he gave one hundred percent. He was so devoted to Hannah and little Gabriel. He was so proud of his son. He would be very proud of Hannah. She has been so strong through all of this. She trusts that the Lord knows best. She and Gabe talked about this before he even left for Iraq. Gabe told Hannah that God had put all the pieces together for them to get married and have a son and even if he were to die in Iraq God was still putting together all the pieces. Gabe was an awesome soldier and put forth all of his effort to be so. The men in his unit looked up to him. He was a witness to his fellow soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ and he even said that he would rather die than any of them so that way they would still have a chance to be saved. Even though it hurts so much that we don't get to have Gabe with us here on earth anymore God is still putting together all the pieces and we know we will see him again in heaven. May the name of the Lord be praised!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16&17


At the church.





SPC Eric Sakuma was there with Gabe when he died. He was also Gabe's escort back to the United States. He spoke at both the memorial service at Fort Lewis and the funeral.


For the funeral procession there was a police escort. They even shut down highway 16 and Interstate 5 so that we could all stay together. It was amazing. The line of cars in the procession must have been about a mile long.


At the graveside there was a 21 gun salute and Taps was played on a trumpet.






General Hillman




It is so hard to be sad when little Gabriel is around. He must be the most bubbly happy baby in the world. He is always smiling and laughing. He will even start laughing when there is nothing to laugh at. Whenever he sees someone smiling he smiles right back and might even start laughing. He is already so much like Gabe. We are so thankful that Hannah has little Gabriel.





"Greater love has no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Gabe

The Final Roll Call

Going Home, The Final Role Call

Michigan News Video about Gabe

Kiro TV News Video about Gabe

Article from the Seattle P-I

Website for Gabe
This is a website that two of Gabe's brothers-in-law are putting together. As time goes on more will be added to it.

In memory...

In memory of Sgt. Gabriel Glenn DeRoo. Killed in action in Mosul, Iraq. Sunday August 20th, 2006. He leaves behind his dear wife Hannah and their little son Gabriel. Our hearts are broken because he has left us, but we rejoice because he is in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.




Gabe, Gabriel and Hannah

Special Service

It's A Boy!

Pen Pulpit

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Galatians 5:22, 23
January 16th, 2006


“For the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, against such there is no law.”

First you will note that “fruit” is singular. There are not nine Fruits of the Spirit. There is one fruit with nine flavors. These nine flavors are the constituent elements of one fruit. Let’s look at each one.

LOVE

There is a sense in which everything else in this verse flows out of love.
• Love is greater than faith and hope
(I Corinthians 13:13)
• Love is the great commandment (I John 3:23)
• Love fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-10)
• Love serves an evangelical purpose
(John 13:34, 35)

I Corinthians 13 is the most complete commentary we have on love. Love is seen in 15 movements or expressions in verses 4-7 - all self explanatory.

Love -
suffers long
is kind
does not envy
is not puffed up
does not parade itself
does not behave rudely
does not seek its own
is not provoked
does not keep a record of a wrong suffered
does not rejoice in iniquity
rejoices in the truth
bears all things
believes all things (puts the best possible construction upon everything)
hopes all things
endures all things.

Paul wrote to the Colossians that he prayed for them when he “heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints (Colossians 1:4).”

So love is our badge. Let’s wear it!

Love to all.

--Pastor Charles Covington 1933-2006

Psalm 8

Psalm 8 is one of my favorite Psalms. I was reading Charles Spurgeon's Treasury of David and here is some of his commentary on it.

PSALM 8

"O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all
the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the
heavens!"

"Unable to express the glory of God, the Psalmist utters a note of exclamation. O Jehovah our Lord! We need not wonder at this, for no heart can measure, no tongue can utter, the half of the greatness of Jehovah. The whole creation is full of his glory and radiant with the excellency of his power; his goodness and his wisdom are manifested on every hand. The countless myriads of terrestrial beings, from man the head, to the creeping worm at the foot, are all supported and
nourished by the Divine bounty. The solid fabric of the universe leans upon his eternal arm. Universally is he present, and everywhere is his name excellent. God worketh ever and everywhere. There is no place where God is not. The miracles of his power await us on all sides. Traverse the silent valleys where the rocks enclose you on either side, rising like the battlements of heaven till you can see but a strip of the blue sky far overhead; you may be the only traveler who has passed through that glen; the bird may start up affrighted, and the moss may tremble beneath the first tread of human foot; but God is there in a thousand wonders, upholding yon rocky barriers, filling the flowercups with their perfume, and refreshing the lonely pines
with the breath of his mouth. Descend, if you will, into the lowest depths of the ocean. where undisturbed the water sleeps, and the very sand is motionless in unbroken quiet, but the glory of the Lord is there, revealing its excellence in the silent
palace of the sea. Borrow the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea, but God is there. Mount to the highest heaven, or dive into the deepest hell, and God is in both hymned in everlasting song, or justified in terrible vengeance. Everywhere, and in every place, God dwells and is manifestly at work. Nor on earth alone is Jehovah extolled, for his brightness shines forth in the firmament above the earth. His glory exceeds the glory of the starry heavens; above the region of the stars he hath set fast his everlasting throne, and there he dwells in light ineffable. Let us adore him "who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea; who maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the
chambers of the south." (Job 9:8, 9.) We can scarcely find more fitting words than those of Nehemiah, "Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee."' --Charles Spurgeon

Pen Pulpit

THE CHRISTIAN BATTLE
I Peter 5: 8, 9
January 9th, 2000

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

The Explanation - verse 9

1. Common Suffering - This passage teaches that the Christian brotherhood shares a common suffering. No Christian is exempt. Suffering is our appointment based on our connection with Christ.

2. From a Common Source - Your adversary, the devil, has been the enemy of God’s people from the time of his fall.

The Exhortation - verse 8

1. Common Caution - We are to be cautious and watchful all the time. The devil never takes a day off, never observes a holiday. He told the Lord that he “walked up and down throughout the earth.”

2. Common Conflict - Resist him steadfast in the faith. All Christians are to resist. Steadfast means unrestricted determination by standing firm in the Word, the body of revealed truth.

The Enemy - verse 9

1. His Character - A roaring lion striking fear into the heart.

2. His Custom - Walking about seeking someone to devour. Satan is always on the move, always hungry for more victims.

HOWEVER, remember John said, “He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). This promise is ours in the midst of every battle no matter how severe the fight rages.

Love to all.

--Pastor Charles Covington 1933-2006

Josephine

Two days ago I was at my Grandparent's house and I got a call from my cousin Eva-Karin that she had just found a very small kitten in her backyard. She was home alone and she didn't know what to do with it. So I went over there and sure enough it was a very small kitten, probably only 3 weeks old. I picked it up and took it inside. It kept trying to nuzzle hands and arms for milk. My mom went to the store and bought some canned evaporated milk and an eye dropper. When she came back I fed the kitten. I had to force its mouth open and squeeze a couple drops of milk in and after the first couple times I think she realized it was food. She could fit in the palm of my hand.

She is dark brown with light brown mixed in and she has these big beautiful blue eyes. We went around to some houses in the neighborhood and nobody knew where she belonged. We called the pound and they were not helpful at all and were most likely just going to put her to sleep. My uncle's cat had just had kittens a few days before. We got the crazy idea that maybe we could take her over there and the mama kitty would adopt her into her litter. My uncle said that would be fine but that the mama might not accept her. We thought it would be worth a shot. So we took her over there.

The cat had her kittens in an old sink leaning against the back of the garage. I carefully took her and laid her inside with the mama and her kittens. She mewed the entire time I was transporting her and then was soon as I put her with the mama she stopped meowing and the mama started cleaning her off immediately. We left then there hoping that the mama cleaning her off was a good sign. After a few hours I went out there to check again and there she was with all the other kittens eating. The mama was letting her eat! I was so happy. The next morning I went out and checked on her again and she was curled up with mama and the other kittens sleeping.

So for the past couple days I have been going out there and checking on her and everything is going wonderfully. The mama has accepted her as one of her own. It is so cute because even though she is so small she is still 2 times bigger than the other kittens. Eva-Karin will get her back when she is finally weaned from her adopted mother. Eva-Karin decided that her name is Josephine.

Pen Pulpit

OLD/NEW
II Corinthians 5:17
January 2nd, 2000

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away: behold all things have become new.”

Two Observations

1. The passing of the old.
2. The advent of the new.

January 1, 2000 marked the passing of three old entities and the coming of three new ones - two of which none of us has ever experienced.

1. old year - new year
2. old century - new century
3. old millennium - new millennium

Christ’s first coming marked the passing of an old era and the coming of a new era. We read in Hebrews 1:1, 2

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

When a person comes to Christ this marks the passing of an old era and the advent of a new one.

1. old position - no longer in Adam but now in Christ
2. old person - now a new creation in Christ Jesus

May each of us in this new year, new century, new millennium realize anew the wonderful position we have in Christ and live each day to His glory as new creations in Christ Jesus. God bless.

Love to you all.

--Pastor Charles Covington 1933-2006

My Birthday Pie

Monday the 31st was my 22nd birthday. We had a BBQ at my Grandparent's house and pretty much all of the family was there. I have a pretty big family which I love a ton. For dessert I asked for apple pie. Since I am not able to eat cake I thought apple pie sounded yummy. My Gramma said she had never been asked to make an apple pie for someone's birthday before. I was glad that mine was going to be a first. She made two from scratch and they were very very delicious!

Polka-Dot Balloon

On Saturday evening Rue arrived! The doorbell rang at my aunt's house and my aunt told me to get it since it might be Rue. As I was walking to the door I told myself that it probably wasn't Rue and I was going to be disappointed. When I pulled open the door there was Rue! I gave him the biggest hug and of course we shared a good long kiss. :)

That night my cousins Mary Beth, Eva-Karin, Melanie and Mary Beth's boyfriend (they have been dating for two years and are planning to get married and they are so wonderful for eachother and we already consider Daniel a part of our family), Rue and I decided to go to Red Robin at about 9pm that evening. We got a couple baskets of fries and some drinks and had a great time just hanging out. They give you little paper coasters under your water glasses and on the back it asks what color balloon you would like. Of course this is meant for little children but we thought it would be fun to see if they would give us balloons. I wrote down "purple", Melanie wrote down "green" and Daniel wrote down "polka-dot". We knew, of course, that they did not have polka-dot balloons. The waitress came by and took our little coasters. About 5 minutes later she came back with a purple balloon and a green balloon and sure enough a polka-dot balloon. The waitress had taken a white balloon and with a black permanent marker put polka-dots on it. She proceeded to tie his balloon on his wrist. Daniel was a little embarrassed but we all got a big kick out of it. We had a great time! :)