It's a Season of Firsts.

It’s a Season of Firsts.

           

Well it’s been six months since Danene went to spend her life everlasting with our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Almighty God the Father. But for the Edalgo’s it has been a series of firsts. While I try not to make things about me, there are some things you all need to be aware of.  Hold on to the memories that you have and make memories with your loved ones daily.  It will help you when there is a loss. I have found that if I have too much time on my hands, it takes its toll on me.  I learned this the hard way when we took our first family vacation.  I rented a large beach house south of Aptos, and just south of the little town of La Selva.  My parents and in-laws started renting a condo together back when I was in the 6^th grade and Danene was in 5^th.  Our families continued to vacation together for 28+ years.  All of us watched our families grow, and out of those vacations there came two marriages. Danene and I were the first, and then my oldest nephew Jeremy and his wife Alisha married.  She was a product of one of the many that met together with our families during the 4^th of July. With their union, Danene and I enjoyed becoming a Great Aunt and I the Greatest Uncle. Jeremy and Alisha’s daughter, Madison, is going to be two. Wow. Our families have so many wonderful memories from those vacations, and I will cherish them for as long as God allows me to be here. So for me I'm going to watch just how much free time I have while on vacations, and when we do go, we will be on the go. There will not be much lounging time for me during the future vacations. Definitely there will be no more walks on the beach alone. 

            But back to the firsts, there have been so many that I made a list.  First day of work and not getting a phone call from my wife, first vacation without Danene (4^th of July), first trip to Phil’s Fish Market at Moss Landing, first trip to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, first summer break, first tea party, first fire on the beach, first family crisis without Danene to smooth it out, first shopping trip for a bra (sorry Meghan), first parent conferences at school, first back-to-school night for Meghan, first trip to high school to make the agreements for Zac’s classes, first day of school (that was a tough one), first fishing trip, first soccer game for Meghan, first baseball game for Regan and I, first badminton game for Zac, first last day of school and start of summer break, first doctor appointments, first dentist appointments, first trip to church camp for Zac, first planting of the garden, first tomato from the garden (Danene’s favorite), first hamburger using that tomato (a tradition), first batch of spaghetti sauce with the bounty from our garden, first time of not getting to celebrate Danene’s birthday, first Valentine’s Day, first spring break, first Easter Sunday, first pool/baseball party at our house, first loss of a tooth, first time for me to hire a baby sitter and to determine how much to pay her, first time for filling out all the paperwork for the first day of school (it took 2 hours), first piano lesson for Meghan,  first song that Meghan wrote for the piano, first varsity letter for Zac in badminton, first progress reports from school, first reports cards, first Mother’s Day, first Fathers Day, first day of drivers training for Zac, first day of letting Zac drive with his permit (I’m still sweating from that one), first Relay For Life, first night of sleep without Danene (a hard one for us all), first time I had to fill out all of the graduation cards and buy the gifts (thanks for gift cards at Safeway), first shopping list, first menu for the week, first time get ink out of a shirt, first time planning a vacation (ha, I still have Danene’s notes), first time paying all of the bills, first trip to Danene’s school and her not being there in her chair, my first birthday without her, and soon it will be kids first birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  One of the toughest I face will be my first wedding anniversary without Danene on August 8^th.  It would have been our 23^rd anniversary.

            As you can tell there have been a lot of firsts, and there will be many more to come.  But there will always be firsts in our lives, and some of those will change us forever.  God can be what changes our life the most, but don’t wait to make that happen.  God is just waiting on YOU.  “For God so love the world the he gave his one and only Son (A First), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6: 33.  Please don’t take this Scripture out of context as so many of us have.  “We love, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4: 19. “Jesus replied:  ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22: 37, 38. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation22: 13.

For those of us that know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God has given this Scripture for us to do. “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.” Mark 13: 10. Please read all of Mark 13 (I read it in the NIV version), because the time is at hand, and share what you have with others so that they can experience a FIRST in their life.  Please, don’t put it off.  Today, be willing to be used by God for His purpose and His will.  Make the choice to serve the Almighty God.  One thing I’m sure of is this: If we let God steer our car (life), although road maybe rough, along the way He will grow us to be the person we need to be.  He will get us to the everlasting destination as he did with my loving wife, Danene.  However, if God is only our co-pilot, get ready to crash.   Fortunately, He will always be there to pick-up the pieces.  Join me and let God light our pathway as we follow after Him who sits on the throne, and we can then handle any of the FIRSTS that may come our way.

Danene’s partner in life, Matt.