Friends of Russell Rice

Our family is so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that we really don’t know how to thank you. The cards, flowers, plants, food, blog comments, phone calls, visits…I could go on and on….it has all been so incredible! There was such a great turnout for the visitation and the funeral! And many, many people have graciously apologized for not being able to come…isn’t it amazing how many people can be impacted by just one person’s life?!!

Mingled among all those expressions of love were the testimonies of how God used my dad to touch lives. I’ve learned so much this past week about my Daddy. We thought we knew him pretty well, but we have learned even more! As people shared their hearts with us this week, many of them relayed detailed descriptions of how Daddy led them to the Lord, or counseled them through a particularly difficult experience, or mentored them spiritually. Those were such sweet stories. I did know that he was always available to people, because he always answered the phone at our house (any hour of the day or night) and often after he hung up, he’d have to go see someone at the hospital, or he and mom would go meet a couple at the church. I’m ashamed to admit that, as a kid, I sometimes resented that. I selfishly wanted him to myself. As I grew up and matured, I began to understand the significance of those interruptions. But this week I have gained an even deeper understanding of their significance. I’ve heard the other side of those stories. I’ve heard from those people who needed him, and I know now how important it was for him to be there for them.  God was using him to rescue lives, marriages, and sometimes ministries. It has broadened my whole perspective and has given me a greater appreciation for my dad’s life and ministry. So I want to thank you all for candidly sharing with us what Dad did for you and what he meant to you. It has enriched our lives more than we can express.

We feel strongly that your prayers have played a huge part in the way God has carried us. You have obediently answered God’s call to lift up our family in prayer, and He has faithfully sustained us in so many little (and big!) ways. We are so grateful. Would you please continue to pray for us? The next few weeks and months are certainly going to be difficult, and we would appreciate your prayers.

I must say that death has a way of deepening one’s appreciation for God’s grace and for the cross of Christ. Our hope of eternity rests on that sacrifice and that demonstration of love and grace! Without it, we have nothing… and with it, we have everything. Because of God’s incredible love, we will see my Dad again. Until then, we have the assurance that he is with the Lord, and we have the responsibility to carry on the work of the kingdom. We’ll leave you with this final thought…it was one of Daddy’s favorite quotes: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Thank you again for your love and prayers,

The Rices

Just got home from the mortuary, and wanted to let you all know the plan. McDougald Funeral Home (in Anderson) is handling everything, and we will be there at the mortuary Thursday evening, Aug. 7, to receive friends from 6 to 8 pm. In case you need to get directions, their address is 2211 North Main St, Anderson. The phone number there is (864) 224-4343. This will be the time to speak to Mom if you’re wanting to do that…because of the nature of the arrangements, there really won’t be a chance to do that at the funeral.

The funeral will be on Friday, Aug. 8 at 2 pm at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Greenville. That address is 3931 White Horse Rd, Greenville. He will lie in state in the sanctuary of Tabernacle on Friday from noon until 2 pm. We’ll have a private family graveside service following the funeral.

Dad really made this decision process easy on us, because he handled much of it ahead of time.  He had clearly communicated alot of his wishes to Mom, so that has made this much easier for all of us. One of his main requests was that it be a time of celebration. He would want it to be upbeat and happy, not sad and depressing. Please come ready to celebrate his wonderful life and ministry, and to praise God with us for the gift that he was to all of us.

We look forward to seeing you,

The Rices

I know you all are anxiously awaiting the news of the arrangements, and hopefully we’ll have it all finalized by this afternoon, and I’ll update you…but in the meantime, I just wanted to testify to you of the incredible grace of God that we’re experiencing! I want God to receive all the glory that He deserves, so I feel like the rocks are going to cry out if I don’t let you all know how GOOD GOD IS!!!!

I have never experienced the grace of God like I have these past few days. Can’t really describe it except to say that we are being “carried”…like that old Footprints poem. We literally feel carried right now. Every single detail of this whole experience has had the fingerprints of God all over it. The timing alone, for so many of the events, has been miraculous. Over and over we keep seeing how perfect God’s timing is. And then there’s that “sufficient grace” that keeps showing up…sometimes unrecognized in the moment, but always there. Always. God is so good. And even in the “valley of the shadow of death” we can fear no evil, because He Is With Us!! This is no cliche’- His Presence is Here!! It’s so real that it’s almost tangible!! I keep thinking of the words of that psalm: a “very present help in trouble” –He is a VERY PRESENT help!!

My new favorite book is my Daddy’s Bible. I always thought my Bible was my favorite book, but if you could read my Daddy’s Bible right now, you’d know what I mean. Every page, literally, is filled with highlights and notes. Some sermon outlines, some personal thoughts, and some prayers written out in his own sweet handwriting…it is incredible. Words from my Heavenly Father and words from my earthly father, all in one book. God is using that book to sustain me right now.

I hope you all can understand why I’m writing this to you…even though I know you came here to get the information about the arrangements, I had to tell you what God’s doing in direct answer to your prayers for our family. Already this morning over 500 of you have checked this blog, so I know my Daddy would want me to use this opportunity to give God the glory.

In His Grip,

Charity, for all the Rices

Daddy went home to be with the Lord about an hour ago. He was completely at peace. We were all surrounding him, praying with him, singing to him, and holding his hands. It was beautiful, actually.

We all have wonderful memories of our last day with him…yesterday there were alot of family members and friends here, and we sang to him all afternoon and evening. We read Scripture passages to him and prayed with him. The nurse who came to check on him said she could see signs that he was aware of what we were doing. She told us that when she walked in the room she could tell that this man was very loved, because the whole room was so full of love.

All through the night and all morning today, we felt that the end was near. That was probably the hardest part of this…knowing that we were saying goodbye, feeling that heaviness, and yet clinging to the hope that he would soon be with the Lord. Thank you for your prayers. We all felt God’s peace and comfort so strongly.

All morning we were listening to a CD by Lance Carpenter, and as Daddy was leaving us, a song was playing….”The Lord giveth and He taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the LORD. I’ve served Him before, and I’ll serve Him today. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.” I keep hearing that song in my mind, and I’m praying that we’ll all be able to keep those words in our hearts throughout the coming days.

Please continue to pray for us. We’ll let you know the arrangements as soon as possible.

Charity

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”  II Tim. 4:6-7

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven…We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”  II Cor. 5: 1-2, 8

Please continue to pray for Daddy. He is still resting peacefully. And please pray for all of us…we need God’s grace moment by moment now. We are completely relying on His strength, and He is faithfully sustaining us through this. His grace truly is sufficient!

“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”  Ps. 63:7

The Rices

Dad’s doctor and nurse came today. They evaluated his situation and gave us their assessment. It’s impossible to precisely predict in these situations, but they feel that death is imminent, possibly within 24-72 hours. Could be longer, but they feel that’s unlikely.

Daddy is pretty much non-responsive. He sleeps constantly, and we can’t get him to react to our voices or even to touch like he did just a couple days ago when we brought him home. It’s been such a rapid decline…but like I said yesterday, we feel that that’s a blessing.  Mom wanted me to thank you for your prayers for his peace and for God’s will to be done. She’s convinced that it’s an answer to prayer that he hasn’t had to suffer for a long time. He’s resting peacefully, he’s not in pain, and he will soon be with the Lord.

Please continue to pray. We’re asking specifically that you would pray that God would allow him to continue to be comfortable and at peace, and that God would continue to give us the grace and strength we need for this journey.

Thank you so much for your love and concern, and especially for your prayers.

Charity

Dad’s condition keeps deteriorating, pretty rapidly. Yesterday we had our whole family here, and although it was wonderful to have everyone here, it was also very difficult, because of the sad circumstances. Daddy slept through the whole thing. We couldn’t really get him to perk up and realize we were all surrounding him. He had been more responsive the night before when my cousins were here, but all day yesterday he slept.

Today has been the same. He rouses a little sometimes, but he doesn’t open his eyes. Or if he does, he doesn’t seem to focus anymore. This whole process has happened so quickly. He has only been in the “end stage” of this disease for less than 4 weeks. That is an extremely rare situation for Alzheimer’s. Most patients are in the end stage for months or years. We all know, though, that this is the way he would’ve wanted it to be. He wouldn’t have wanted to be bedridden for years. Who would, really? So in a way, it’s a blessing. We know where he’s going, and we’re all doing our best to maintain a spiritual focus.

Thanks again for all that you all are doing for our family. We are so grateful. Your encouraging words and comments continue to lift us up and remind us of how many friends he has and how much everyone loves him. As we sit here, holding his hand and whispering prayers for his peace and comfort during these days, it is so comforting to know that so many of you are thinking of him and praying for all of us. We can’t really thank you enough for that.

With Love,

Charity

We got him home yesterday. We have a hospital bed set up in Mom’s living room, and he arrived via ambulance around 3 pm. He had been sedated for the trip, and he stayed very sleepy all day and though the evening. Most of you know that Sara’s an RN, so she’s our official nurse, and Mom and I are her helpers. Charley and his family got here right after Dad did, and later in the evening my cousins, Mark and Robin, and their families came by. Dad was able to “perk up” a little when he heard their voices. We all are amazed that he still has recognition. Mom said yesterday that it’s truly a gift from God, because the MRI’s show such destruction to the brain, that he shouldn’t really have any recognition now, but he does.

He responds especially to physical touch…when we lean in and hug him, he’s still able to hug back, and occasionally we’ll hear some sweet words like ” You’re so precious” or “I love you”…that’s my Daddy, always pouring out words of love and affirmation. I’ve learned so much from his life, but one thing stands out about his parenting: he continually spoke sweet words of encouragement and love. Continually. Always making us feel loved, cherished, and important. That’s a very special gift that he gave each of his kids, and actually to all of you, too. Many of you have mentioned how he made you feel special and loved. Isn’t that another great lesson for all of us to learn from his life?? To take the time to reach out to people around us and show them love…it’s an evidence of God’s work in our lives when we do that, and I’ve watched my Daddy love people like Jesus would. I’m so thankful for the way he consistently lived out God’s love to everyone around him. What a beautiful legacy.

Thank you so much for faithfully lifting our family up to the Lord. It’s so hard to let him go…and it feels so selfish to want to keep him here, yet it is so painful to say goodbye. Crazy, conflicting emotions. We are reminding each other that he’s nearing the finish line, that we have to keep our eyes on eternity, and that he’s getting ready to be in the presence of God!! What an incredibly overwhelming thought! We have this hope as an anchor for our souls…a hope that is both sure and steadfast!!

We love you all,

Charity

Well, this is certainly an unpredictable journey…we aren’t even a week past my last post, but it seems like a year. Dad’s condition has taken a turn for the worse. We had a meeting a with his doctor Sunday, and he explained to us that Daddy is at the very end stage of this disease. We are bringing him home from the hospital today, and he’ll be under hospice care.

We will try to update this blog more frequently, so that you all can be informed. Thank you all so much for your precious comments here… they are so comforting to us. It’s really wonderful to have those words in print so we can go back and read them over and over.

We continue to ask for your prayers…especially now. Dark days ahead. Thankfully, God is in control and we are all relying on His grace. Our family is blessed to have each other, and we are so thankful for that. We’re all in complete unity and are drawing strength from each other. After all, the head of our family has been an awesome example and has shown us what it looks like to trust the Lord.

With Much Love,

The Rice Family

It looks like we’ve finally found a good medication combination. This week Dad has continued to do well, and has been so much more alert and peaceful. We’ve seen much more of his playful personality, and sweet disposition, which has been really wonderful!

Unfortunately, though, the whole nursing home/hospital ordeal has caused the disease to progress. We’ve learned that stressful events have that effect. When we went to the neurologist on June 17 he was still walking, talking, feeding himself…basically still in the middle stage (or stage 6). I’m not a neurologist, but he’s clearly not at that place anymore. He has lost many abilities this past month. My guess would be that he’s in the”end-stage” (or stage 7) now.

He still has a sense of recognition when he sees us, and he tries to speak to us, but words are very difficult-which is really frustrating for him considering how much he loves to talk! He’s not a quiet Alzheimer’s patient, as you can probably imagine! He’s constantly talking! 

On a different note…I need to let you all know that this blog has a new feature. Phyllis has added a link on the blog roll for photos. She has made it public, so anyone can add pictures. We would love for you all to do that!

Please continue to pray for Dad, and also for all of us as we rely on God’s strength moment by moment. We also would love for you to pray that we would have opportunities to share God’s love with all the people that we come in contact with through this experience. We want to see God glorified through this…and we know that’s what Daddy would want too!

I can’t tell you how much all of your sweet comments have meant to us! What an evidence of the grace of God!! I know my Daddy would love to extend his appreciation and love if he could, so I’ll do it for him!! You all are wonderful…thank you for allowing God to use you to encourage us! We are humbled and grateful.

Charity