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March 18, 2007
Today, while out with my family... I get a phone call from one of my students,
Erika Vaughn. She has a family member named Hazel, a young lady that I
had been introduced to a year or so earlier, has been given a few more
hours to live. Hazel is what most would say, is a young lady that is special,
beyond the obvious confinement to a wheel chair, and despite her obvious
health handicap. Hazel, greets you with the warmest of smiles, the small
clapping of hands, and the bright eyes of a person who loves seeing you
once again... even if she had never laid eyes on you before. I remember
teaching a small group of children at a Super Kids Night at our local
Chick Filet. An organization named Grayson's Gift, has been getting together
for quite some time, trying to help people break down the wall between
people, and how they look at those who's needs are special. There rolls
in Hazel, smiling and clapping at all the excitement that is buzzing around.
She grips my hand as well as she can, pulls me in for a hug and a kiss,
then is back to the wonders of the moment. Family and friends moving about
as I lead a small group through some basics of Karate, Hazel smiling and
clapping as we do our thing. Erika, assisting me, as we hold hand shields
for them to practice heelpalms and hammerfists. Moments that are far too
soon over... children and families packing to leave. Hazel, dosen't need
to pack any more, she finally is able to leave her chair behind... this
evening around 9:30pm, she walked from a hospital in Canton, Ga holding
the hand of her Lord. Hazel has found her voice, and sings with Him. I
hope you had the blessing to have met her, but if you didn't... look for
her at the gates of heaven, the smile, the clapping of hands, the hug
and kiss, as if she has known you all of her life.
-keith mathews
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| June 2008
Erika Vaughn let me know something today... her Papa (Erika's Grandfather),
was having a 70th birthday. They were planning a party for him, and having
some family and friends there to celebrate. 70 years, a wonderful thing,
but that was not the only thing she wanted to talk about. She let me know
that he had been diagnosed with Cancer a while back, and recently, they
found out that he went from 400 to more then double that. I am not a doctor,
so the technical names and numbers are out of my level of competence...
we are asking that you and you family keep Papa in your prayers. No one
knows the plans that GOD may have for us, yet if you are able to ask GOD
for his hand to be with those doctors and staff, the Vaughn family would
thank you for it.
-keith mathews
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