Last Full Ruppert Family Pictures

This picture was taken about 3 weeks before he died. The whole family was there taking pictures. We got our last full family pictures that day. And then each one of us with him alone. Even my best friend Megan made it in town from California this day, to share in these pictures. When we were 13, her dad could no longer take care of her due to an illness he had, she lived with us for a little while, we almost adopted her. Then the mom she barely knew demanded she come to live with her, we could not deny her that right, so off she went, coming back to visit as often as she was able.
For as long as I can remember Mom and Dad were taking in somebody. Whether it be friends of ours that needed a safe place to live, or foster care. They had made such an impact on so many lives, and taught us kids that you never turn away someone in need. Today, I am very sensitive to that about people and I owe that to the example both of my parents set before us.

The question "Do you need to grow old to complete your service to our King?" was answered in these short 6 months. Certainly not....... so be ready for anything. Be willing to embrace any and every situation to help and serve others. From opening a door for someone or helping them find a specific book in the store..... to taking someone into your home when in need and being that mentor for life.

There were lots of tears this day, thoughts went through our heads of "this is it". How did we know it? When you're in it as deep as we were, there comes a point when you just know, that there's not much time left. I remember my oldest sister Angie was 3-4 months pregnant with her second child. That was hard for all of us to accept, the fact that Dad won't be here for all the other grandchildren to come. A huge feeling of jealousy would overcome me at times because not only would I not have him here for my babies, but my future husband will never have the pleasure of meeting this man in my life. My Daddy would not be there to sift through my boyfriends and give consent for marriage. Little did I know that he had already met my future husband, in fact my husband's whole family had been introduced to him almost 2 years before this moment.

We knew what was about to happen, but didn't know how we were going to get through it. But what mattered more than all those things, is that we knew why we were going to get through it. Because God gave us this job to do. .... to make it through this in order that people see Jesus when they look at us. We knew that God would give us strength, but we didn't how He'd make us stand. We knew He would give us courage in the face of death, but didn't know how we'd be able to even breathe. We knew somehow He'd comfort us, even when our tears seemed endless.

So I say again, whether or not we knew what was about to happen, we didn't know how we would get through it, but held on to why we were going to go through this fire. Because HE wanted us to, and that's all that matters in the end.