{photo via Hope Jewell}

Love.

It is something I have begged God to help me understand just how deep and wide and BIG His love for me is.  You see, if I can just grasp, it will rescue me from fear, show me who really am and what true self worth is, and connect me to my sweet Maker in the deepest of ways.  I long to know and feel His love in deeper and deeper ways.

God is granting my request, but in His mysterious way, is doing it in a way I never dreamed He would. He has done it through tragedy.

I don’t understand His ways. But I do know that He is pure love and only good, so I trust His way.

I have experienced His promise of working all things for the good of those who love Him, even the most tragic of things.  I’m seeing it right before my eyes, as I read story after story on a Facebook Memorial page dedicated to 2 of the most influential people I have ever met.

Ty & Terri Schenzel went to Heaven 2 weeks ago today. They died in a horrendous, fiery car accident, while on their way to a vacation with a younger couple they mentored.

Ty & Terri both had a huge impact on my life, in person when I was young and vulnerable. I just soaked up their love and words of wisdom.   I recent years, I’ve soaked their love in via social media, especially Ty, who was such a cheerleader to me with all his “likes” and “hearts” and comments when I would post.  I’ve wanted to share them with you all week, but have not been able to find my words,  and still don’t have adequate words to do justice to the amazing people that they were.

Instead, I’m going to share photos, videos, links & quotes to give you a glimpse of what God’s love looks like when fully lived by His people.  This post really is as much for me as it is for you, a place to come back to for words and resources from my sweet friends.  It is a privilege to share them with you.

{photo via Hope Jewell}

{Ty & Terri in their own words}

{Their 4 Children Speak At The Funeral-so raw, beautiful.}

Ty & Terri were:

Hilariously Holy
Optimistically Open
Prayerful Pioneers
Exalted Everyone

{Pastor Murdoch’s Words From The Funeral}

………………..

MARRIAGE

Ty & Terri had the most beautiful marriage, and were more in love the day they died than they were the day they met.  They left behind so much priceless marriage advice, and I am ingesting it all and finding myself so influenced by their words.

The following podcasts are so very good and capture the love they had for each other.  I’ve listened to them twice and took notes the second time.  Be sure to make time to listen to them, you won’t regret it.

{How they met, in their own words, and amazing marriage advice}

“‘You become what the most important person in your life thinks that you are. “At the end of Ty’s life, I want him to be able to say, ‘Terri was the greatest earthly blessing in my life – the best thing that ever happened to me – and that I’m a better man because of how she loved me. And that’s the goal that I live with every day. That’s how I want to love this man.‘”

-Loveumentary podcast episode 36.

 

{more marriage advice, part 2}

Hope Filled Marriage — This was Ty & Terri’s new venture.  Encouraging other couples in their marriages through videos, a website, and workshops.  Oh, how I wish I would have attended one! The videos alone are so great.

 “Love is like a bank account. Every interaction you create is either a deposit or a withdrawal. If you keep making deposits, your love always overflows. You never go bankrupt.”

Videos on Marriage From Ty & Terri

“I think “BFF” means “Best Friends Forever”. When it comes to my marriage to the former Terri Alexander, she is for sure my best friend…forever.

How great is that?! My wife is my best friend. Like, I can’t get enough of hanging out with her. I’m pretty sure she feels the same way about me…at least I hope so.

When we’re together, which is a lot, we: laugh, eat, process our thoughts, feelings and emotions…go to movies, get a cone at McDonald’s, walk around at the mall, drive through neighborhoods looking at homes, eat, laugh, call our kids, work at the Hope Center, carpool as much as possible…to name a few.

With each passing year, our love, joy and friendship continues to grow and go deeper. I love my best friend the former Terri Alexander. I’ll love her forever…till the day I die…and when I get to Heaven and see her there, we’ll have forever to continue our friendship…because our friendship is forever.” –February 14, 2012 Ty Schnezel

……………….

TY SCHENZEL

The Hope Center -Ty was founding executive director, and a pastor in Omaha, NE

“Comma before the exclamation point” Ty Last Sermon at Waypoint Church

The graveside burial is a comma and not a period. For the believer, the lover of Jesus, this is not the end. This is not the ultimate, this is not the goodbye, this is the “we’ll see you” — eternally speaking — soon. The graveside, for the believer, is a comma before the exclamation point. / Pastor Ty #‎commanotaperiod

Ty’s Last Tweet

I want the gap between how much God loves and how much I experience His love to be narrowed. #Love  — Ty Schenzel (@tyschenzel) August 17, 2015

Ty’s Book “A Thousand Screaming Mules: The Story of Stubborn Hope and One Dad’s Dream To Transform Kids’ Lives”

Wordz From The Hood —  A weekly podcast hosted by Pastor Ty Schenzel and former Hope Center for Kids youth Frank Lucas, Wordz from the Hood hopes to provide a window into the heart of life in the inner city.

 Ty’s Tumblr Blog

Step Up To Life Booklet – The Little Booklet That Led Ty To God

Ty Sermon Please Be Seated   on 1 Thessalonians 1. His teaching was unbelievably moving!  Watch it here…..He starts his teaching at 14:24.

“God loves me more than everyone else, not really, but kind of.” –Ty Schenzel

…………………

TERRI SCHENZEL

{Terri’s Favorite Song}

Top 10 Impacts Terri Had On My Life – a great post full of Terri’s words of wisdom

Terri’s Famous Spaghetti Sauce Recipe – just made this yesterday.  Oh. My.  It makes a ton and is simply delicious.  I will be blogging about my experience soon!

Terri’s Blog

………………..

{A song played at the funeral, my new favorite. It is a beautiful reminder of how loved we are.

‘We Dance’ by Steffany Frizzell Gretzinger}

Ty & Terri’s Memorial –attended by 3,000 people in person, and at 7,000-8,000 more by satellite.

Ty & Terri’s Memorial Youtube Channel

Ty & Terri’s Memorial Facebook Page – thousands of stories and tributes made here. It’s been such a place of comfort reading about them!

Take The Baton T-Shirts – to benefit the Schenzel Family Legacy Fund – I’m ordering mine today!

Acts 20:24, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.” May the mantle Ty & Terri carried be passed down to many. With the mantle on our shoulders and their baton in hand, may this scripture describe us all.
– Pastor Lincoln Murdoch

………………

Thank you for taking the time to read about and learn about these super special people in my life.

I will see you again, Ty & Terri.  Until them, thank you for living loved and sharing the love.  Thank you for faithfully holding the baton. I will grasp it, hold on to it and always remember your example.

Oh…and Ty?  God loves ME most, not really… but kind of.