Ryan Weaver

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.: 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

.: 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

.: Neptune…

February 18, 2015 by Ryan Weaver Leave a Comment

Winter Storm Neptune provided a few inches of snow for us in #DowntownSBY yesterday… Good times.

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Family

.: Cardboard and Ashes…

February 15, 2015 by Ryan Weaver Leave a Comment

Today is the final Sunday before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.

Lent is a season of giving up something(s) in our lives that we normally enjoy to allow for a deeper focus on what Jesus the King has done for us. Lent is a traditional 46 day fast, which includes 40 days of fasting (Mondays-Saturdays) and a weekly day of communal celebration (Sundays)… and culminates on Resurrection Sunday (or Easter).

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Last year, I wrote about my family’s annual Lent rhythm, gave a bit of further insight on Lent, and provided some helpful resources that many in our community at Remedy Church have discovered during this season of fasting and feasting.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that creates an intentional void within our lives. This void reminds us to be filled with deeper devotion to Jesus the Christ.

While we were in Haiti last month, we visited a sustainable artisans’ guild called the Apparent Project which works to preserve Haitian families and prevent children from being orphaned by empowering artisans to care for their families’ with dignity and hope.

The artisans at the Apparent Project create amazing art from discarded materials like oil drums, trash paper, and cardboard cereal and cracker boxes.

After only a few moments watching one of the artisans create a jewelry bead from a triangle strip of cardboard on a stick and a small tube of glue, Rance sat down and began creating. He didn’t even hesitate long enough to ask permission or pause to consider the probability of failure.

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There was such focus in his face and determination in his hands. We all stopped moving and watched. We stopped our activity to observe his activity. We smiled and paused as this ever-moving and ever-exploring jitterbug of a boy sat on the edge of a Haitian concrete wall, slowed his breathing, and moved his fingers over the reclaimed strip of cardboard with skill.

He was inspired and he moved to act on that inspiration.

And that’s exactly what Lent is all about.

Faith. Forgiveness.
Remembrance. Inspiration.
Hope. Healing. Emptyhandedness.

We determine to act on the inspiration.

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This year, the elders at Remedy have decided to host two Ash Wednesday gatherings for reflection, worship, and prayer. You are invited to begin your Lent rhythm in community with us on the third floor of the City Center at 6am or 6pm this week.

Regardless, of your Lent rhythm, please remember that we are called out of our isolation and into community during this season of remembering and forsaking.

Join.
Love and be loved.
Act on the inspiration with others.

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

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