Grove

New Year

Today we laid my sweet mother-in-law Janet to rest. Although it was so painful to say goodbye to her earthly body, we know that her soul is with Jesus, that her body was just a shell that she temporarily lived in.

Thank you all so much for the kind words and love that you've shown us over the past weeks and months. I joked today that I hugged more necks in the past 48 hour than I have my whole life, but I want you to know I cherished each one and I was so touched at how many people showed up to honor Janet. The thing that struck me most was our friends who came to support us. Those of you that were there to support Bryan and I, our friends, coworkers, and family, means more to us than you will ever ever know. Being on this side of the experience puts it into perspective. I am going to try to be much more intentional with my life and my time, because that honestly meant the world to me. Several of my friends that I hugged made me cry, not because I was sad, but because I was so happy to feel loved. We really do have the best friends and family and such amazing support.

I just heard that the live-feed of Janet's service has had over 2600 unique viewers. How incredible is that? She continues to impact the whole world even after she has passed! The overwhelming thing that we heard at the visitation last night was how much people appreciated her blog. We had no idea when we started it what an impact it would have, and I think I am just now understanding it. God is so good.

So this all brings me to the reason for this post. My goal for 2014 is to be intentional. Intentional in my relationships and with my time. Janet has inspired me to love like never before. So as of tomorrow night, I will be deleting my Facebook. I have felt convicted about it for a few weeks now, but kept it to see us through Janet's services, etc. I have spent too much time on facebook while I could have been reading my bible. Too much time on it while I could be playing with my boys or taking them on walks. Too much time when I could be spending quality time with my husband. I could be out getting coffee with my girl friends instead of on facebook at night or writing encouraging cards to mail. I want to get more involved in our church and to be able to serve. In the past (well... and recently too) I have gotten upset about things people have posted and jealous of things that others have, it isn't healthy for me. It will be hard to get off of facebook because I have so many friends and family that I love keeping up with, but it is something that the Lord has been pressing on my heart.

I'd love to be able to keep up with you. I will continue blogging, probably like never before, because it is a great way for me to go back and look at memories of my boys. Please leave comments if you feel led to. I love hearing from you all. I will also be keeping my instagram, you can follow me here if you'd like to continue seeing massive amounts of pictures of my boys. And anytime you want to chat, I'd love to email (jmkbuett (at) gmail.com) or text.

Jordan and I have been asked numerous times what our plan is with Janet's blog. It is something we are praying about. I have had a desire to write a book about Janet's life (she has an incredible story and she gave me her blessing before she passed) and incorporate her blog, or we may find a way to print her blog. I really have no idea right now. If anyone has any ideas please let us know. We know how much it impacted people and want to be able to continue to share her story. But I can tell you that we are not going to take it down. It will stay there. I have gotten so many emails from people who hadn't even heard of her story until after she passed and of people who've gone through and read her whole blog in a day. She continues to reach people.

Our Janet will be so missed, but changes are stirring in all of our hearts because of her impact.

One of my very favorite pictures of Janet with my boys, what a sweet treasure to have

Comments

  1. I am a reader of Janet's blog and I have been so happy that you have posted about her on your blog and that her daughter has also set up her own blog. I did not know her but I followed her fairly faithfully and it is strange for me because I did not know her but I certainly was very sad to learn about her death. My prayers are with your family. As for her blog, it would be nice to hear some stories about her. There is a background story to Janet that has not been told.
    I also wanted to add that I do not do Facebook, but I do blog. It has become an amazing scrapbook for my girls and I love blogging. I too though have been spending far too much time online then I should be. I justify it as having it be my reading time in the evening, but lately it has crept into just checking things at different points of the day, etc. These little ones grow up too quickly, they really do and I want to soak it in as much as possible.

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    1. Thank you Carrie! I agree, they grow up SO fast. I am thinking about Jordan and I posting some posts on Janet's blog about her life prior to Ovarian Cancer... I need to talk to her about it, but it really is such an incredibly story of God's grace.

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  2. l came to your blog through Janet's blog. I have been praying that I too would become intentional in my service, thoughts, words and deeds. I have also had the word specific become very real to me. I believe God wants me to be very specific in my prayers and my faith.

    I want to thank you and your family for allowing complete strangers into your lives. I know i have been greatly impacted, and I will choose to be specific and intentional in my relationship with Jesus.

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    1. Gail, you are so welcome! It was Janet's desire to have the name of the Lord proclaimed and we want to continue that! It seems like a lot of people are feeling like the Lord is telling them to be intentional or specific because of Janet's story. So glad she left that legacy!

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  3. I started reading Janet's blog shortly after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I can't even begin to tell you about the impact she has had on my life. I never met Janet yet my heart is sad because she is no longer with us on earth. My heart hurts for your husband, you, your children, Jordan, Tony and the rest of the family. I have never seen someone live their life with such an unfailing faith in Jesus. Janet knew that he would heal her and she knew that it might be in heaven or it might be here on this earth. While we all want her hear with us she is having so much fun right now, I'm envious because she has met Jesus face to face!! I am so glad that you will be keeping her blog up. I would love to read a book of her life if you write one. I will also continue to read your blog and Jordan's blog. I was able to watch her service online today and oh what a blessing it was. To know that even more people gave their life to Jesus today because of Janet. Oh I can just imagine the joy she was feeling as she watched from heaven. God bless you and all your family as you deal with your grief and may God carry you during your time of need!

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    1. Thank you Jenny! We will either do blog posts about her life or work on a book... not sure what direction we will take yet. Thanks so much for sharing with us on this journey!

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  4. I'd love to read a book about her!!

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  5. I started reading Janet's blog through Kelly's several months ago. It has been such a blessing to me. I went back and read all of the earlier posts I missed the other night and was thinking that yall should put them in a book. Look up Hannah Sobeski online sometime. She was a teenage girl here in Spartanburg who had cancer and passed away. Her story is an awesome testimony. Her family did a book from her caring bridge posts and her aunt wrote a book. I believe Janet has a testimony that needs to be shared. God has not finished using your precious mothernin law!

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  6. I am so sorry about Janet's passing. May you live intentionally in her memory : )

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  7. jenna, I just watched her service and even though I never met her (or you), she has impacted my life. her faith is amazing, and I could only hope that if I'm ever faced with a path like hers, I will have the same grace and faith. she is truly an inspiration. that was the most god centered service I had ever seen, a wonderful reflection of her life. be blessed and comforted jenna! hopefully one of these days our paths will cross ;)

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    1. Thanks so much Kimberley! Did you happen to run into Jordan at Acambaro? She came home and told me about it and you were the only person that came to mind! So funny that we live in such a small town but have never met! Maybe one day soon!

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    2. it actually wasn't me, so the mystery continues! :) if I ever see you, I will try not so awkwardly to introduce myself :) take care!

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  9. Jenna, First off, I'm sorry for your family's loss. I pray for you all in the upcoming days/weeks/months. While your family lost an amazing person, we all gained an angel. I have been reading Janet's blog for a while now and last night as I watched Janet's service online, it felt somewhat normal and strange to me at the same time since she was a stranger to me. I did think that the memorial service was very well done. As I was watching the video of her, I thought that her smile was geniuine and contagious. She truly is an inspiring Godly lady who has had an impact on so many (many who she did not know). She is someone I wish I had the opportunity to know. I hope we can both be more intentional this New Year!

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    1. Stephanie, Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I love so much hearing these stories of how Janet has impacted people! I am so glad that you got to see her service, it was the most incredible thing I have ever been to! She was an incredibly lady and I was so blessed to have her in my life. :) Thankfully she lives on through Jordan and Bryan, and I am so glad that I have them in my life. If you haven't yet you should check out Jordan's new blog (Gloriousrestoration@blogspot.com). Thanks again for reading and loving our Janet right along with us!

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  10. I just wanted to let you know that I have been praying for Janet and your family. Although I never got to meet her, she had a huge impact on my life. I love that she was able to record her voice on books for your children. What an awesome treasure that will be. Even though my mother and mother in law are not sick I am having them do this for my kiddos, because we never know God's timing. And I know that I would love to be able to listen to their sweet voices long after they are gone. So I thank you for sharing Janet's life with so many!! May God continue to wrap his loving arms around you and your family.

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  11. There are companies who will take your blog and turn it into a book. Not sure which company is the best, but I've seen the books, and they are nice.

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  12. I feel like I know y'all. I've read Janet's blog for two years and popped over to yours from time to time. :)

    I,too, felt led by Jesus to delete my
    Facebook a while back. It has been such a blessing not being on it anymore. It was a place I allowed myself to rob time from my Jesus and my family. Also, I sinned by coveting what others had or looked like. Boo. Thankful for Jesus' grace!!!

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  13. Thank you for sharing your heart. Your words were very well written and I can only imagine what it must be to lose someone that near and dear to you. I appreciate as well what you said about facebook. I too have been contemplating deactivating my facebook account for good too because it can take a lot of time out of your life that you could be devoting to other things! I admire you for taking that step and just saying, that's it I'm done. Either way, just wanted to let you know that you did inspire me to want to spend more time doing other things as well and get out there and do life instead of just reading about others who are going and doing life on facebook! Thanks again. Love reading your blog!~ Sherry

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