Oh how my heart aches today. Georgann and Anna I just learned of Mark's reunion with Jesus this morning (5.16.08). I have been in Florida for the past 9 months. Josh attended a basketball academy (IMG in Bradenton, FL) his first semester and we decided to have him attend a new academy in Las Vegas his second semester. He is training where the NBA pros train. Pursing his dream!
That is what we loved the most about Mark! He knew how to dream BIG and encouraged others to do the same! I don't know how I am going to tell Josh. He will be heart broken and will want to see you Anna, as soon as he comes home. Josh loved your Dad for all the encouragement he gave him and we have so many wonderful memories of being your neighbors, friends and especially how much your Dad loved you, Anna. His face would beam so bright when he would catch me up on how you were doing. Our support, love and prayers are with you and your Mom.
Georgann, I will never forget the day you guys were driving around looking for a home. We were outside as a family playing with the kids (we had just moved back to Arkansas (1996) after being gone for 15 years). Mark recognized Mike and introduced himself and said that he had cut out our engagement announcement (1981) and was going to call Mike to see about our insurance needs. We must have moved to St. Louis before Mark was able to contact us. Anyway, Mark was so excited because he said that he still had our announcement :) Sure enough, a few days later Mark showed up with the announcement and then said that you guys would be our new neighbors. I couldn?t believe he had the announcement after all those years. Bless his heart; he was such a pack rat.
I am so blessed to have known Mark. We were kindred spirits ? encouragers, dreamers, servant hearts and goof balls :) If we hadn?t seen each other for some time, it would only take minutes to get caught up on our dreams and families. He was such a blessing and an answered Prayer during my physical therapy (after my car accident 3 years ago). Mark had cut his hand and we were both attending the same physical therapy center. Our appointments were on the same days/times and what FUN we had visiting and telling stories. Other patients didn?t seem to mind too much ? the center had a relaxing atmosphere until we showed up ? then it became the Mark and Dana show :) I needed the humor so much back then.
A few weeks into my physical therapy appointments, I read ?The Dream Giver? by Bruce Wilkinson. It is a modern-day parable ?The Parable of the Dream Giver? that tells the story of Ordinary, who dares to leave the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream and become a Somebody. In the book Ordinary discovers a long white feather resting on the still of his window. I had resigned from Procter & Gamble (left the land of familiar) to pursue my dreams and 6 weeks after resigning ? BAM! I was in a car accident. After reading this book, I knew that this obstacle wasn?t going to keep me down ? I couldn?t wait to share it with my sweet dear friend! I drove to his office and as I got out of my car, my eyes were drawn to the ground and on the grass was this white feather ? just like in the book. I knew God had placed it there in Mark?s office lawn so that I would find it. God knew that Mark was a Dreamer like me and that every time I would look at the feather ? I would see my dear friend?s face and send prayers his way for all his Big Dreams to come true! After telling Mark about the book I told him that I found the feather outside his office and he smiled, his eyes watered and he said, ?God is so good.? It is a memory that has been in my heart but will go even deeper now that I have lost such a special dream buddy.
Mark has touched so many lives and was a true blessing to everyone that had the great honor and privilege to meet and know him. Josh and Anna will fuss at me for writing this, but I have had a secret prayer for years that someday these kids would marry so that Mark and I would be in-laws. I imagined all the FUN our families would have
