Recently in Focus on da Family Category

You were born 11 years ago today. We can still remember the sense of awe we felt when we held you in our arms for the first time. We were parents! God had given us a beautiful little daughter! We could see in you the glory of a loving heavenly Father who gives unspeakably good gifts to His children. You were and continue to be glory in our lives, the glory of God.

Our prayer for you, Hannah, is that there would be an overabundance of glory in your life. Not the glory of fame or popularity or accomplishment or prestige, but the glory of God. May you daily know the glory of His goodness, the glory of His saving name, and the glory of His sovereign graciousness. May you be a woman who seeks for glory and honor—not the glory and honor of your name, but the glory and honor of God in Christ Jesus.

Our prayer is that you be satisfied with the glory of God, that it be your great delight, your single passion, your rock of contentment, and your joy in the face of an unknown future. May your life be filled with the glory of God.

Happy Birthday, Hannah! We love you!!

My boys enjoyed a little dunk session recently. Noah, the first one to dunk in video one, is 3. Isaiah is 5.

Our family’s life is closing one chapter and entering a new one. Our time at BBC has been wonderful. There aren’t many things as exciting as college ministry. I absolutely love teaching the Bible to and interacting with college students. It’s been a great privilege to teach students who are hungry for the gospel. Their thirst for God in Christ by the Spirit has been a constant source of encouragement. They have stirred me up to love and good works over the past three years more than they know. So, to all those who have had me in class I say thank you. Your faith in Christ and love for me and your fellow students has been a joy to experience and observe.

God also gave me some great friendships and acquaintances with colleagues. I have very high regard for those with whom I have served. Their commitment to serving God within this academic context is very evident to me. God has given me some very good friends here. BBC has been a great “chapter” in the unfolding story of my family’s life.

So what am I going to do in this new chapter? I hope to be able to announce what I’ll be doing sometime in July. Let me just say at this point that it’s something we’re very passionate about…. (sorry to leave you hanging)

It is hard to believe that our son, Daniel, died four years ago this Sunday, November 19th. The picture to the right, taken four days before Daniel's death, was an attempt to testify to the glory and sufficiency of the gospel in our suffering. The gospel of Christ was our hope then and it continues to be our hope now. Below is the tribute I wrote for Daniel's memorial service.

A Father's Tribute to His Son and His God By Dan Cruver, South Carolina(For those who do not know our story: Our precious Daniel William Cruver II was born on October 12, 1999. When he was thirteen hours old, our seemingly healthy baby boy began experiencing seizures. After one week in NICU and many tests, we were sent home with no diagnosis and some seizure medication. Throughout the next several months Daniel's seizures continued unchecked by medication. As he grew healthy and strong physically, we noticed that he was not reaching any of his developmental milestones. Our Daniel never smiled, cooed, turned his head, rolled over, sat, crawled, talked, or walked. The doctors of Duke, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Johns Hopkins concurred with our local doctor that Daniel had some unidentified type of incephalopathy that was causing his seizures and preventing his development. Our family and friends around the world prayed with us for healing and for the grace and strength to meet each challenge. We settled into life accepting Daniel as the sweet and helpless son and brother that he was.Every day God answered our prayers. He abundantly provided the grace and strength we needed. On October 13, 2002, the day after Daniel's third birthday, God began to reveal His answer to our prayer for healing. As an ambulance rushed us to the hospital after Melissa (Mommy) administered CPR to Daniel, we began to realize that Daniel's disability was not static. We repeated this scenario two more times until on November 4, 2002 Daniel was placed on a ventilator and was admitted into the PICU. Daniel's seizures had taken away his ability to swallow. This inability was causing him to aspirate on his own secretions. On November 19, 2002, God answered our prayer for healing. Our answer was not for physical healing but for spiritual healing. Our good and gracious God took Daniel from this world of pain and suffering. On that day our baby heard the words, "Welcome home, my child!"The following tribute, written by Dan (Daddy), was read November 21, 2002 at the memorial service for our son. You may hear that service on sermon audio at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=112102231916)

In the midst of his suffering, Job spoke these words: "My days are past, my plans are broken off, even the desires of my heart" (Job 17:11). For the first time in our lives these broken words of Job echo the substance of our thoughts and the emotions of our hearts. Surely it is the Lord who gives and the Lord who takes away; blessed be the name of our Lord. We prayed for healing. But should God, in His gracious wisdom choose not to grant healing, we prayed that God would take Daniel gently and tenderly. We asked our God for grace. Grace to let Daniel go for His glory and Daniel's eternal joy. We prayed that God would sanctify our deep distress unto us; that He would continue to work through Daniel's testimony in the days, months, and years to follow; that He would keep us from being overcome with regret and guilt, and that the Great Shepherd of the sheep would minister intimately to Daniel's spirit in those moments of passing from this world to the next. We prayed knowing that God gladly hears the cries of His children. And though He did not grant all of our pleadings, we put our hands over our mouths and bow our heads in worship of our Sovereign God. Psalm 115:3 says, "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases." Our God does whatever He pleases. So with heads bowed in worship we say, The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending was pleased both to receive our requests and to take our beloved son, Daniel. Again, we put our hands over our mouths and worship. Worthy is our God, who in His unspeakable grace was pleased to bruise His own Son, to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing for He has done what He has pleased with our little Daniel!

While Daniel was with us, we were the ones who were free, we were the ones who could walk and talk and sing and play and smile and touch and kiss. His was to sit quietly and take in a world that he could not understand or enjoy. But now things are quite different. The tables have been turned. Daniel is now the one who is free and we are the ones who remain in these bodies of death. We are the ones who groan with all of creation to be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Daniel has that freedom which we all desire. Yet we with Daniel groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. So we cover our mouths and worship the God who will one day make all things new.

Daniel's life's seed has fallen to the ground and died, but will now bear much fruit. The flower of his joy has just begun to bloom and its blooming will be without end. We rejoice that Daniel's three years of almost unrelenting suffering are over. May the Christ who has carried our sorrows and sufferings be praised! Unlike Lazarus, who was raised by our Christ only to die once more, Daniel lives never to die again. The One who is the Resurrection and the Life has granted to Daniel not only an abundant, overflowing life of intense consciousness, but such life as is everlasting. We say to our son, "Daniel, we grieve not only for our loss of you, but also for our sin-induced blindness and unbelief in the face of the most weighty moments of our lives. But though we grieve we also rejoice in your inheritance! And Daniel, we wish to go HOME too. We love you and through your life we have grown to taste more of God's goodness. O Daniel, our great hope, amidst our grief, is that Jesus paid for all our sin. And one day, with you our son, we will stand complete before the throne." So our hands cover our mouths and we worship the majestic God who made our precious Daniel.

Daniel was God's silent little preacher. He has preached and we have listened. So we praise our God who has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and in that choosing gave us Daniel for a short, but deeply treasured time. We cover our mouths and worship the God whose strength is made perfect in weakness; blessed be the name of our Lord.

I close this tribute with words from a friend: "What a ministry little Daniel has had in our lives! More powerful in many lives than the wasted worldliness of those who grow old for nothing. Weep for your loss, and weep for those who have never tasted so much of God and eternity. Things are not what they seem."

Noah, 2 1/2, is our youngest. I had the privilege of interviewing him last week.

me: "Noah, what does Superman do?"

Noah: "Ahh, Fly."

me: "What does Spiderman do?"

Noah: "Hmmm, Climb."

me: "What does Dash do?"

Noah: "Run fast."

me: "What does Buzz Lightyear do?"

Noah: "Fly."

me: "What does Woody do?"

Noah: "Pulls a string out of his back, 'There's a snake in my boot.'"

Go Woody!!!

*Pic of Noah was taken by agirlwithacamera. Thanks!

Our family’s Memorial Day activities unfolded at four different locations: (1) Lackawanna State Forest; (2) Lackawanna State Park (State Forest and State Park are 40 minutes apart); (3) Manning’s Farm (where we enjoyed ice cream); and (4) our home at the end of the long day. We primarily did two things. First, we talked about the significance of Memorial Day (on our way to Lackawanna State Forest). Second, we had as much family-fun together as we could. Below you will find a few pictures and a video clip from our day together.

The video shows what happens when our 2-year old is confronted with water from a hose:

This pic of our daughter was taken at Lackawanna State Forest:

This one of Melissa and our two boys was taken at Lackawanna State Park:

This last pic was taken at our home at the end of the long day:

My daughter and I took our annual mountain (little "m") hike this past weekend (Mt. Rainier would be a big "M" mountain). Our custom is to pick a different mountain to climb each year. This year we chose a mountain that we thought would give us a good overlooking view of the Lackawanna River Valley. Below is a video clip of what we saw from the summit. You will see Scranton, PA as the clip pans to the right.

My daughter with the Lackawanna River Valley in the background.

Scranton, PA.

We got a fairly good view of Baptist Bible College on our way down.

Our children could do this for endless hours if we let them. If I didn't weigh 215 lbs., I'd join them in a second. Nevertheless, it is proof that "suitable-for-extended-outdoor-play-temperatures" have come to our little town.

Earlier today my brother Stephen sent me this picture of his three children kneeling down beside Daniel’s grave. Melissa and I can hardly believe he died three years ago tomorrow (Saturday). One portion of Scripture I have meditated on the past few weeks to put our experience with Daniel in its proper perspective is the second half of Colossians 1:18. “Jesus is the beginning, the first born from the dead.” It's significant that just a few verses earlier Paul stated that “Jesus is the firstborn of all creation” in that it is by him that all things were created (Colossians 1:15-16). Verse 18 tells us that Christ is not only “the firstborn of creation” but also “the firstborn from the dead.” He is not only the one by whom all things were created at the beginning. Christ is also the one through whom all of his people will some yet future day be resurrected from the dead. In other words, Christ is also the one through whom the saints will experience re-creation when they are bodily raised from the dead. Daniel’s resurrection life is now hidden with the resurrected Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). But when the resurrected and exalted Christ, who is Daniel’s life, appears, then he also will appear with Christ in glory. When that day comes, Daniel’s currently hidden resurrection life will no longer be hidden. His lowly body which now rests in a South Carolina grave will be transformed to be like the resurrected Christ’s body of glory (Philippians 3:20-21). So as we think about the death of our son tomorrow, we will seek to set our minds on things above, that is, where “the firstborn from the dead” is, seated at the right hand of God(Colossians 3:1).

I vividly remember my 6th birthday! It was my first surprise birthday party! My dad took me to Endicott Johnson Shoe store where he bought me a brand new pair of shoes. I can still see all those shoes lined up on the shelf and the new pair that I wore home as I rode in the front seat of the car, alone with my dad. When we arrived home, it was a total surprise that many of my young friends and neighbors were in our back yard, with a table stacked with presents. The memory of my 6th birthday is one of the highlights of my childhood memories.

Today, October 12, 2005 is our grandson Daniel's 6th birthday. However, there will be no party....instead, a huge void of what might have been. Six year old Daniel has been in the presence of the Lord for 3 years. God loaned Daniel for those 3 years. We cannot quarrel with the Sovereign God for taking what He owns.

When this Grandmother thinks about what might have been...a six year old, a birthday party, balloons, hats, presents, cake and ice cream, family and friends gathering....clearly these thoughts pale in comparison to the joy in Heaven when God called Daniel Home to Heaven after Daniel had graced our family for those 3 short years and a month, ( here a short time and gone forever), and ten weeks ago God called my mother Home, (hear for a long time and gone forever). But, because of the saving grace of God, we will one day be with them forever.

My heart rejoices in the fact that my mother and father introduced me to the Gospel of Christ and lead me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, as they made Christ and His Word the focus of our home; and now our children are teaching their children what it means to know Christ as their personal Saviour. Whether we are here a short time or a long time, we will someday be gone from this life forever, but because of the grace of God and His saving grace in our lives, we will be together with Christ forever.

My heart takes great comfort that Daniel is having his 6th birthday in Heaven and his great grandmother has joined him, along with other family members that have gone before. Paul says in I Corinthians 2:9b "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." The vastness and depth of God's plan for eternity is overwhelming.

There is great sadness and pain in the separation by death of a loved one, but there is great anticipated joy in being reunited because of Christ Who loved us and gave Himself for us.

In the midst of moments of sadness for a missed 6 year old's birthday party, or not being able to pick up the phone and hear my dear mother's voice, the Word of God gives great comfort...."Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." II Corinthians 1:3 & 4.

The following poem by David MacBeth Moir has recently been a blessing to me, during this time of sad reflection on what might have been. A missed 6th birthday can't compare to eternity with God.

"Fair thee well, thou fondly cherished;
Dear, dear spirit, fare thee well.
He who sent thee now hath called thee
Back with Him and His to dwell.

Like a sunbeam through our dwelling
Shone thy presence, bright and calm;
Thou did'st add a zest to pleasure;
To our sorrows thou wast balm.

Yet while mourning, O, our lost one,
Come no visions of despair;
Seated on thy tomb, Faith's angel
Saith, thou art not, art not there.

Where, then, art thou? With the Saviour,
Blest forever, to be;
'Mid the sinless little children
Who have heard this: "Come to me."

Passed the shades of death's dark valley,
Thou art leaning on His breast,
Where the wicked may not enter
And the weary are at rest."

You would tell us, if you could--
"Be thou..not sad"
For I and Great Grandma have
Seen and touched the face of God!