Ryan Weaver

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.: Hold Fast…

March 6, 2015 by Ryan Weaver Leave a Comment

A story aired in North Texas last week about my Pops as his battle (since 2008) against multiple myeloma continues. His motto has been “Hold Fast” through this journey.

My Dad, Kevin Weaver, has been working as often as possible through the stem cell transplant (his second) in the last 18 months and the on-going treatment. He is the principal at WhiteWright High School, and it is such an encouragement to see the WhiteWright community embracing my Dad’s story in this way.

I have written about my Dad in the past, and pedaled my first SeaGull Century in 2013 in his honor.

#HoldFast

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Filed Under: Family, Storytelling Tagged With: Family, Storytelling

.: a Legacy among the Living…

May 26, 2016 by Ryan Weaver 1 Comment

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The Scriptures teach that when followers of King Jesus die our soul is present with him. We don’t get wings, and we don’t become angels. We are no longer messy and broken and stained.

When we die, we don’t need bags of medicine to fight an invasion of cancerous death.

The Scriptures teach that when we die, followers of King Jesus won’t need to worry about tomorrow or today or forevermore. We won’t need to weep and mourn.

The Scriptures teach that when followers of King Jesus die then, our story lives on as a narrative wrapped in the grace and love of Yahweh.

I’m honored to celebrate the life and death of my father this week. And I am so grateful that his pain has ended, and these bags of medicine are no longer needed to sustain his life. Dad isn’t here any longer.

The man, Kevin Von Weaver, has left his legacy among the living.

After 8 years of battling multiple myeloma, my Dad is resting in peace because of the victory of Jesus the King.

Death has no victory in this life remembered.

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Filed Under: Family, Justice, Storytelling

.: my Father…

May 25, 2016 by Ryan Weaver Leave a Comment

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This morning, at 12:54am, my father moved into eternity.

The life he lived, was lived unto God. The legacy he left, lives on in me (and many others who were influenced by his life).

After his diagnosis, Dad battled multiple myeloma with courage to his very last breath.

Because of this, Dad has chosen to gift his body to UT Southwestern Medical Center to serve the medical staff in further research. UT Southwestern Medical Center is the same hospital where his first myeloma tumor was removed in 2008. As I filled out his death certificate and willed body paperwork, I was reminded how important it is for us to memorialize our loved ones in a way that honors God. Dad will not have a tombstone on a plot of land because of his desire to give his body to scientific research. And there won’t be a place for family and friends to visit. So my family and I have decided to capitalize on this beautiful opportunity to honor Dad in a unique way, utilizing the same technology that he championed in the classroom as principal at Honey Grove High School and Whitewright High Scool.

With guidance from Chris McIntosh, we have designed a “digital memorial” to the life and legacy of Kevin Von Weaver.

Our desire is that those who have been impacted by Dad’s life will take some time to reflect upon this and write a story or a memory. The memorial portal for Dad also allows the upload of a photo or video. We invite you share your stories and memories of Kevin Von Weaver at:: kevinweaver.me

The family has one request if you decide to share… please remember that Kevin Von Weaver is not suffering anymore. He is not here. These stories, photos, and videos that we share in this digital memorial are intended to encourage and challenge the living. In a journal entry last November, Dad wrote that he would like those who remember him to be able to simply say: “see you soon.”

May it be so.

I am honored to live a portion of the legacy of Kevin Von Weaver. The love of Jesus the King was so evident in the life of my Dad. See you soon, Pops.

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Filed Under: Family, Storytelling

.: arrivals and departures…

May 16, 2016 by Ryan Weaver Leave a Comment

IMG_8904Remember that scene from Home Alone (the first one) where the whole family is rushing through the airport to make their flight on time? The family running in panic through the terminal… The bags and children being dragged along… The yelling and chaos… The John Williams double-time score speeding things along… Well, that’s what I imagined my first missed flight would be like.

It didn’t really go down like that for me this morning.

Succinctly, a collective series of unpropitious events brought me to gate D-5 as the 747 was taxiing away from the terminal jet bridge with my empty seat. The discompassionate attendant at the counter informed me that I was “five minutes too late” for my Baltimore to Dallas flight. Five minutes.

A few phone calls, a flight reservation change, and a second security screening later and I am now waiting within the bowels of Baltimore-Washington International Airport for another seat, on another flight. I am flying to Dallas in a couple of hours to spend some time with my dad.

On so many of my previous visits, dad and I made plans for backyard croquet campaigns, watching our Texas Rangers, fishing ponds around the Caddo National Grasslands, drinking Shiner, and smoking large cuts of beef. But this time will be a bit different. On this trip I will be joining many who are caring for my dad while his body is fighting sickness.

My dad has endured much over the past 8 years in his battle with cancer. Three stem cell transplants. Numerous surgeries. Countless invasive procedures and tests. I have written about my dad’s story over the past few years; a story that has had so many amazing moments. Dad’s medical care is carefully watched over by a team of doctors, nurses, and professionals who monitor and care for him. In March, the team decided they needed to run a few more tests to sort out what appeared to be a virus. There are many hundreds of acronyms connected to my dad’s medical care, but recently, we have been discussing GVHD and CMV more than any others. Weeks later and the medical team is beginning to see some signs of improvement in my dad’s body.

When I missed my flight earlier this morning, it wasn’t some insurmountable obstacle. And neither is this sickness

And neither is this cancerous sickness that has taken up residence in my dad.

Sometimes we are caught standing in a busy terminal as our seat leaves without us. Flights get missed. Sickness invades. Tension happens because tension is synonymous with life. Arrivals and departures are part of the rhythm God has entrusted to us.

But, I will be arriving soon.

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Filed Under: Family, Storytelling

.: Hope has a Name…

April 17, 2014 by Ryan Weaver Leave a Comment

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On this Covenant Thursday (the Thursday before Easter is also known as Maundy Thursday and Holy Thursday) I found myself reflecting upon Matthew 12:18-21… and remembering in whose name I place my hope.

In the past, I have expressed my fascination with the power of naming… and the joy that is gifted to humanity as God has entrusted us with this task (both:: being named and naming others & objects).

The act of naming is not a trivial matter for the weak of heart… and the act of being named is inherent in our humanity.

My family and I were in Texas last week for a wedding. In between all of the officiating, pre-marital counseling, and wedding photography… we were gifted with some limited time among our beloved family.

During one of our all-too-rare father/son front porch talks, my dad (@kvonweaver) and I reminisced about one of the “names” that he has been forced to forsake through his journey with cancer.

Dad had just completed another run of check-ups and tests with his doctors and cancer specialists in July of 2012, when he received the surprising news that his doctors had decided not to remove the rod that the surgeon fused to Dad’s T-8 vertebrae when the tumor was removed in 2008. This rod was intended to be removed once he had recovered, but now the doctors decided that it would be unwise to remove it for fear that the result would be far more detrimental than leaving the titanium in his back.

This was truly disheartening news. The rod has always caused Dad some discomfort and manageable (but consistent) pain. But the most difficult side-effect of the rod remaining fused to his T-8 is that he would no longer be able to compete as a long-distance runner and marathoner.

As long as I have been a “son-of-a-Weaver”… I have known my father as a “RUNNER”. He ran on country roads, on the shoulders of major highways, in gymnasiums… and he even ran up and down an unforgivably-steep hill beside an old factory that smelled of rotten eggs and battery acid in Frisco, Texas.

And then the doctors asked my Dad to stop running.

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In light of the news that we have received regarding Dad’s battle with myeloma (the first tumor was removed in the fall of 2008, a second tumor was removed in the summer of 2012, and a total “Day Zero” stem cell transplant on November the 15th of 2012, predominant loss of sight in his right eye)… this bit of news regarding Dad’s titanium rod and doctor’s orders to stop running may seem a bit too minor to even mention. Nonetheless, my Dad must now speak of his marathon running days in the past tense.

Names (no matter how peripheral) are powerful.

Thankfully, it is not in the name “runner” that my Dad has found his name. And it is not in the name “runner” that my Dad has placed his hope.

In Matthew’s record of the Good News about Jesus the Christ, he quotes Isaiah the Prophet::

Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope.
(Matthew 12:18-21 NIV)

And this is where I found myself early upon this Covenant Thursday morning… reflecting upon this beautiful passage of anticipation and hope again… while also remembering in whose name I place my hope.

Through suffering… this Hope has a Name.

Even unto death… this Hope has a Name.

In resurrection… this Hope has a Name.

In the Name of Jesus the Christ… that is where I find my name and my restorative hope.

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Filed Under: Family, Mission, Storytelling Tagged With: Family, Mission, Storytelling

.: My First #SeagullCentury…

October 6, 2013 by Ryan Weaver 2 Comments

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I have finished my first Seagull Century today.

That which I began in 2009 while training with my good friend Ryan Jackson… and that which was delayed because of the news of my Dad’s battle with cancer… has now been fulfilled.

I am exhausted. But I am so very glad that God allowed me to finish this dream after four years of waiting.

There will be many stories from this ride shared in the days to come, but I wanted to start by simply sharing a thank you and then sharing some cycling metrics.

This morning, my ride began at 7:30 am with a group of 10-12 guys. Some I knew very well (like Remedy Covenant Partner Philip Crouse who was pedaling in his 21st century, and Remedy regular attenders like Alex McRae and Joshua Hale). And others I had never met previously.

We started the ride together, but I quickly fell behind the group in the first leg. Just before we reached Fruitland (and the circle on St. Luke’s), Alex dropped back to ride alongside me. And thus began our Century ride together.

The group we started with early this morning (Alex’s group), finished the entire Seagull Century in roughly 4 and 1/2 hours. Alex would have normally been leading that group with Philip. Instead, he coached me to the finish line (which was crossed at just three minutes less than 8 hours).

There were so many moments in my ride today where Alex was my coach, Sherpa guide, encourager, and source of laughter. But more than any of these, Alex played the role of shepherd for me today as he pedaled with me at the sacrifice of finishing much sooner. This photo was taken earlier today… look at Alex’s amazing socks!

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I’ll still be teaching on “The Resistance” in the two Remedy Church worship gatherings tomorrow (alongside Elder Andrew Thompson). I can’t wait to share more stories with our church.

In closing… here is a photo of my cyclocomputer at the end of my long-awaited first century ride.

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Filed Under: #SBY, Family, Storytelling Tagged With: #SBY, Family, Storytelling

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