Memoir of Hank Halbur (R.I.P. Papa)

There is no pain that surpasses that of losing the person we love the most. Tonight, on September 26th, at 1120pm,  I watched my great grandma's heart break to pieces as her husband and best friend of 68 years passed away.

My great grandpa was the best man I have ever known. The legacy he left behind for his family is something that I will hold close to my heart all the days of my life. He was strong: he never complained, never gave up, and always did what was required of him. He was full of love: married and cherished, my sweet grandmother, for nearly 69 years, fathered a beautiful family of children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even lived to see a few great great grandchildren. My papa refused to believe anything bad about any person in his family, no matter how strong the evidence was against them. He believed in each one of us, irrevocably, and against all odds. He was also a war hero who served courageously in the second world war. His courage and strength was honored with a number of medals. He was a hero not only in the war, but in the lives of those he loved.

Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things, for us as his family, to do. He was a truly selfless all the way to his last breath. Many of his family members were able to spend a good amount of time with him at the hospital before his passing. He laughed and visited with us nearly all night. It was like he was giving us our last beautiful memory of him, and then not even an hour after we left, he went.

After leaving the hospital, the family sat together in unity, remembering and appreciating the life of Hank Halbur. Coffee brewed, hearts broke, tears fell, and the consolation of memories and laughter filled our burdened hearts. There is nothing better than family. 

Hank Halbur will be dearly missed by his family and friends. He taught us all the meaning of hard work and dedication. My papa will always be my hero

Wednesdays Full of Wisdom---> In the Word...

Hey Everyone...


This week, the Lord has reminded me of the importance of being in the Word on a daily basis. Due to the busyness of this life and the hectic scedules that we all face, sometimes it can be hard to make sure we find time to dig into the Word. But it is a necessity of walking with the Lord. Praying and listening to worship music each day, which is what I was doing, is good, but not quite enough.


I realized this when I was challenged by a friend of mine on a doctrinal issue. As I began to dig into the Word, even though it was mainly to back up a theological issue, I felt myself become less stressed, happier, and more on track with the Lord. I ended up spending about 3 hours in the Word, by the time I had to stop to go to class, I felt like a completely renewed and rejuvinated person. Spending time learning and studying the Word is so important to the Christian life. If you find yourself overly stressed, or anxious, or worthless, or insecure, or lost, ask yourself how long its been since you have had some quite time with the Lord. How much do you read your Bible? Do you just read it quick to say that you did it, so that you can check it off your list of things to do for the day? I encourage you to really dig, really press in, when you read the Word. Find the time. Draw near to God. Pursue the time you spend in the Bible and ask God to reveal to you something, ask Him to teach you something. You will not be disappointed. :)


And remember...the Bible teaches that we need to be ready for battle! You WILL be defeated if you are not prepared spiritually...


Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Wednesdays Full of Wisdom! - He is all we need!

You are good, You are good, when there's nothing good in me. You are love, You are love, on display for all to see.

You are light, You are light, when the darkness closes in. You are hope, You are hope, You have covered all my sin. You are peace, You are peace, when my fear is crippling. You are true, You are true, even in my wandering. You are joy, You are joy, You're the reason that I sing. You are life, You are life, in You death has lost it's sting.

Oh, I'm running to Your arms, I'm running to Your arms. The riches of Your love will always be enough. Nothing compares to Your embrace, Light of the world, forever reign!

You are more, You are more, than my words will ever say. You are Lord, You are Lord, all creation will proclaim. You are here, You are here, in your presence I'm made whole. You are God, You are God, of all else I'm letting go!

Those are lyrics to Hillsong's new song called Forever Reign. When I heard this song for the first time, I found myself entirely lost in the goodness of the Lord. He is so good! Even, and especially when we are not. He is all we need. When He is living inside of us, what else can we ask for? He supplies strength when we have none, He calms our hearts when we are anxious, He gives us hope when we are discouraged, He heals our broken hearts when we are in pain, He gives us joy in the hard times, He gives us life when we are lost in sin and death.

The goodness of the Lord really never ceases to amaze me. His love is never ending and if we live in Him each moment of our lives, there's nothing we will ever need. He is our all in all. I just know that there have been so many times in my life where I have been so bogged down, or depressed, or in pain, or anxious...I have lived my life in bondage of those emotions, but the more I learn of the Lord, the more He reminds me, that as His children, we do NOT need to live that way. We were not created for those things. We were created to worship and honor Him with our lives! He created us to walk with Him, to commune with Him, and to show His love to those around us.

I encourage all of you to spend some time, calming yourself before the Lord today. If you have anxiety, He is here to give you peace. If you are brokenhearted, He is here to give you a perfect love beyond comparison. If you are discouraged, he is the author of joy. Live your life to SHINE His love to the world. Let Him be your everything. Rely on His unfailing love in every situation. You will never be disappointed. He is all we need! :)

I am back! The Lord is SO good!

Hi Everyone!

I have been gone for some time due to the loss of internet connection I had. Sorry I vanished. I have gone through a rather significant amount of changes in the past month, and now its time for me to catch up on my blogs!

So something I have been learning lately...is that all things truly are possible with the strength of Christ as your foundation! I recently moved into the dorms at UWSP and for certain reasons, I thought that doing so was going to be very difficult for me emotionally. But I stayed in prayer and had faith that the Lord would grant me the strength I needed, and of course...he did! I know I should not be surprised, but His love never ceases to amaze me. He is always always there for me, no matter what I face. His grace is always sufficient. I want my life to show that in everything I do, He is all I need. He is my all. He is my focus. Nothing can ever tear me away from sitting at His feet in amazement of all that He does. No matter how far I drift away, or how distracted I get, He always finds a way to draw me back to His arms...where I truly belong. And He reminds me of all His promises and His purpose for me. And I know I'm finally home.

The strength that walking with Jesus gives me is simply amazing. I know I could never feel this way or be as strong as I am without Him. I am not sure how people even do it. I know I would surely drown without Him at my side. Actually, I have. And walking without Him is nearly impossible. I am not me, nor am I whole or happy without Him. He truly is the center of everything.

Ahh...It feels good to be back! Praise the Lord. His love endures forever! :)