Posted on by Katie

From Ian: Open Letter to Benji

This blade forged in peace
Never taste of blood
Or drawn in anger,
Or the quiver of fear as the enemy rushes,
Instead to remind, of those blades that have,
so this one might not.

My son,
A great man has passed away. But while he is no longer with us, he will not be forgotten. You share his name, so it is fitting that you have been chosen to bear his sword. You never had the opportunity to know him as I have, so let me tell you about Ben Morrell.

Ben and I became friends when I was ten years old. I can’t recall those early days other than that it seemed effortless. Ryan Palmer was friends with Ben. I was friends with Ryan. It must therefore follow that Ben and I would become friends. We shared a passion for all things computer-related, a love of science fiction/fantasy novels, and an appreciation for absurd humor. Continue Reading >>

Posted on by Katie · 2 Comments

A Life Well Lived

Day’s Verse:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

Ben, Benji, Ian & Katie April 2013
Early Thursday morning, Ian’s dear friend Ben Morrell went to be with his Lord and Savior. He was 31 years old and had battled cancer for the previous six years.

I’m not the person to eulogize Ben; he was more Ian’s friend, and many people knew him better than I did. But as the days have gone by and I’ve started to internalize the reality of Ben’s passing, I’ve started thinking about what I’ll take away from Ben’s life. In pondering this, I’ve begun appreciating how courageous Ben was. Continue Reading >>