Sandy Lyle Rakestraw
~~~❁༺༻❁༺༻❁༺❈༻❁༺༻❁༺༻❁~~~
"Everyone has their own path. Walk yours with integrity and wish all others peace on their journey. When your paths merge, rejoice for their presence in your life. When the paths are separated, return to the wholeness of yourself, give thanks for the footprints left on your soul, and embrace the time to journey on your own."
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Sandy's INTRODUCTION •
In the spring of 2010, I became interested in finding out more about my father's family. My g-g-g-g grandfather, John P Lyle, settled in Paulding Co, Georgia, sometime before 1840. It is thought that he received land in the 1832 land lottery of the Cherokee lands. After working on the memorials of my immediate LYLE family members, I started looking for the graves in my extended families. I spend the majority of my time in Paulding County and the counties that surround Paulding. I have found this to be a very rewarding way to fill in some of those extra hours I have as a retiree.
I also want to acknowledge and give credit to my late brother, Thomas Edward 'CC' Lyle, and to my 1st cousin once removed, Dianne Jean 'Dolly' Eberhardt. I thank them for allowing me to use their genealogy research information in several of my FAG memorials.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Death can never take away our happy memories or empty the love from our hearts. In this way, love triumphs over death every time." ♡♡♡
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside you while you're still alive."
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
HOPE IS NEVER LOST •
Hope is the feeling and confidence that is wanted or desired to happen. Hope drives us as people; it gives us joy and peace for what is to come. We need hope to provide us with motivation and inspiration to continue. 

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

When things are not going the way we would like them to, trusting in God is the only hope we have in the middle of difficult circumstances.

Life is not easy, but we can still have hope in the middle of difficult times. Even in the most challenging circumstances, we can believe in God for joy and peace.

When we put our trust in God, we can go through the toughest situations with joy and peace, knowing that God will care for us and get us through difficult times.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
A BROKEN HEART •
How do I mend a broken heart?
My entire world has fallen apart.
How do I find hope in a brand new day,
when the one I love has gone away?
My mind overflows with memories of you,
of all that we've shared, all that we knew.
I long for your touch and your warm embrace,
the look in your eyes, the smile on your face.
My dreams are filled with your soft gentle kiss.
I wake and cry for all that I miss.
How do I mend a broken heart,
when my one true love and I are apart?
My heart knows to love only you, it won't let go, what do I do?
Our moments together were precious and few,
but I cherished them all more than you knew.
I love you, my angel, and always will.
I loved you then and I love you STILL.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
A LOVE THAT IS FOREVER •
We started with young love,
Amazed at how far that went.
I valued the time we had,
The good and bad moments spent.

Weathered through the storms,
Beat all kinds of odds.
I promise to keep your love with me,
Even when your spirit sits with God.

I love you forever,
A promise we both made.
Now that you're gone and I'm here,
I'll keep your love for the rest of my days.

Forever is forever,
Even if I'm here alone.
Your love reigns in my heart,
Even though you're really gone.

I love you.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop." - Anonymous
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
TEARS ON MY PILLOW •
Tears on my pillow,
I can't count how many I've cried.
I feel so awfully hollow,
Almost like it's me that died.

How long will I feel so empty,
Will this heartache ever end?
How long will I have to wait,
Until we meet in Heaven, my friend?
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
I THOUGHT WE HAD MORE TIME •
I thought we had more time,
But I know now I was wrong.

If I could see you one more time,
See your much-loved face.
If only I could tell you thanks
And feel your sweet embrace.

I can say I love you in my heart,
But it's just not the same.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
St. Jude's DON'T QUIT Prayer •
'Don't Quit'
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When you're feeling low and the stress is high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When worries are getting you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When we might have won had we stuck it out,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the (God's hidden gift in the) clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight (So trust in the Lord) when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst (It's when things go wrong) that you must not quit!
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Jeremiah 29:11 •
Something we all can focus on...

We would all like to know what the future holds for us. God does have a good plan for each of us, but we have to be willing to follow His plan, rather than going our own way in order to experience it.

God wants us to live the good life that He has prearranged and made ready for us to live. In order to press on, we must forget what lies behind us. Your future has no room in it for bad feelings from your past. Take the good things from the past and the lessons you've learned along with you but let go of anything that is holding you back or keeping you stuck in fear or insecurity of any kind.

You can have hope instead of hopelessness. Start believing today that your future is filled with good things and refuse to settle for less than God's best for you.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Part of a Quotation from Morgane by Charlie Chaplin •
I've cried while listening to music and looking at old pictures.
I've called someone just to hear their voice on the other side.
I have fallen in love with a smile.
At times, I thought I would die because I missed someone so much.
At other times, I felt very afraid that I might lose someone very special (which ended up happening anyway).
But I have lived!
And I still continue living everyday.
I'm not just passing through life and you shouldn't either. Live!
The best thing in life is to go ahead with all your plans and your dreams, to embrace life and to live everyday with passion, to lose and still keep the faith and to win while being grateful.
All of this because the world belongs to those who dare to go after what they want.
And because life is really too short to be insignificant."
~ Charlie Chaplin ~
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
In November 2021, I was still sorting through my mother's things, and found this prayer on the back of an Advent Penance Service Bulletin from her church. •
"THE LIVING SPIRIT"
Lord,
I am often filled with fear when I
think of the future.
I am haunted by past mistakes and
hurts.
afraid of what the future might hold
and I feel paralyzed.
I surrender it all to you now
I ask you to heal all that is
wounded in
me and trust you to take care of all I
worry about.
You are the one
who makes all things new.
With you I go forward,
securely and joyfully,
into freedom.
Amen
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
December 25, 2021 Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Address •
"Although it's a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones," she said.
"This year, especially, I understand why."
~~~❁Prince Philip died Apr 9, 2021❁~~~
~~~❁Queen Elizabeth died Sep 8, 2022❁~~~
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
"THE CLOCK OF LIFE" •
The clock of life is wound but once. And no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. On what day - or what hour.

Now is the only time you have. So live it with a will.
Don't wait until tomorrow. The hands may then be still.
Author - Unknown.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Remembering Lost Love •
Memories continue the bonds we shared with someone we loved and lost.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/202205/remembering-lost-love
(This post is excerpted in part from the book, Grief Isn't Something to Get Over: Finding a Home for Memories and Emotions After Losing a Loved One.)

A continuing bond can trap some people in past experiences with former romantic interests or with loved ones who have died.
We may become lost if the love we once held becomes a distant memory. The awareness that someone is missing outside of our being is difficult to reconcile with their presence within us, especially if their presence and the specialness of a relationship with them contributed to our identity. When we are lost in response to a loss, we may not know which way to go, where to turn, or what to do.
Relationships that end are painful, but our memories do not let us forget those who impacted our lives. When actual death ends the boundary of someone's life, it does not end a relationship. There is a healthy aspect to maintaining a bond with the deceased, and the severing of bonds may not be necessary. Continued bonds can offer comfort, safety, and support, both during the time of transition and afterward. If we can use our memories to restore a lost connection, then imagining the person is still here with us in some way can be a pillar of support and a source of comfort.
An ongoing internal relationship to the image of the deceased is an important aspect of mourning and a normal part of healthy adaptation. Calling up memories of someone as a source of hope or protection can create a sense of stability, a feeling that they are still here with us. An ongoing inner relationship with a lost loved one may represent our best efforts. Thus, through our memories, we tend to hang on when love is lost.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________

Sandy Lyle Rakestraw
~~~❁༺༻❁༺༻❁༺❈༻❁༺༻❁༺༻❁~~~
"Everyone has their own path. Walk yours with integrity and wish all others peace on their journey. When your paths merge, rejoice for their presence in your life. When the paths are separated, return to the wholeness of yourself, give thanks for the footprints left on your soul, and embrace the time to journey on your own."
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Sandy's INTRODUCTION •
In the spring of 2010, I became interested in finding out more about my father's family. My g-g-g-g grandfather, John P Lyle, settled in Paulding Co, Georgia, sometime before 1840. It is thought that he received land in the 1832 land lottery of the Cherokee lands. After working on the memorials of my immediate LYLE family members, I started looking for the graves in my extended families. I spend the majority of my time in Paulding County and the counties that surround Paulding. I have found this to be a very rewarding way to fill in some of those extra hours I have as a retiree.
I also want to acknowledge and give credit to my late brother, Thomas Edward 'CC' Lyle, and to my 1st cousin once removed, Dianne Jean 'Dolly' Eberhardt. I thank them for allowing me to use their genealogy research information in several of my FAG memorials.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Death can never take away our happy memories or empty the love from our hearts. In this way, love triumphs over death every time." ♡♡♡
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside you while you're still alive."
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
HOPE IS NEVER LOST •
Hope is the feeling and confidence that is wanted or desired to happen. Hope drives us as people; it gives us joy and peace for what is to come. We need hope to provide us with motivation and inspiration to continue. 

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

When things are not going the way we would like them to, trusting in God is the only hope we have in the middle of difficult circumstances.

Life is not easy, but we can still have hope in the middle of difficult times. Even in the most challenging circumstances, we can believe in God for joy and peace.

When we put our trust in God, we can go through the toughest situations with joy and peace, knowing that God will care for us and get us through difficult times.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
A BROKEN HEART •
How do I mend a broken heart?
My entire world has fallen apart.
How do I find hope in a brand new day,
when the one I love has gone away?
My mind overflows with memories of you,
of all that we've shared, all that we knew.
I long for your touch and your warm embrace,
the look in your eyes, the smile on your face.
My dreams are filled with your soft gentle kiss.
I wake and cry for all that I miss.
How do I mend a broken heart,
when my one true love and I are apart?
My heart knows to love only you, it won't let go, what do I do?
Our moments together were precious and few,
but I cherished them all more than you knew.
I love you, my angel, and always will.
I loved you then and I love you STILL.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
A LOVE THAT IS FOREVER •
We started with young love,
Amazed at how far that went.
I valued the time we had,
The good and bad moments spent.

Weathered through the storms,
Beat all kinds of odds.
I promise to keep your love with me,
Even when your spirit sits with God.

I love you forever,
A promise we both made.
Now that you're gone and I'm here,
I'll keep your love for the rest of my days.

Forever is forever,
Even if I'm here alone.
Your love reigns in my heart,
Even though you're really gone.

I love you.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
"Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop." - Anonymous
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
TEARS ON MY PILLOW •
Tears on my pillow,
I can't count how many I've cried.
I feel so awfully hollow,
Almost like it's me that died.

How long will I feel so empty,
Will this heartache ever end?
How long will I have to wait,
Until we meet in Heaven, my friend?
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
I THOUGHT WE HAD MORE TIME •
I thought we had more time,
But I know now I was wrong.

If I could see you one more time,
See your much-loved face.
If only I could tell you thanks
And feel your sweet embrace.

I can say I love you in my heart,
But it's just not the same.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
St. Jude's DON'T QUIT Prayer •
'Don't Quit'
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When you're feeling low and the stress is high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When worries are getting you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When we might have won had we stuck it out,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the (God's hidden gift in the) clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight (So trust in the Lord) when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst (It's when things go wrong) that you must not quit!
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Jeremiah 29:11 •
Something we all can focus on...

We would all like to know what the future holds for us. God does have a good plan for each of us, but we have to be willing to follow His plan, rather than going our own way in order to experience it.

God wants us to live the good life that He has prearranged and made ready for us to live. In order to press on, we must forget what lies behind us. Your future has no room in it for bad feelings from your past. Take the good things from the past and the lessons you've learned along with you but let go of anything that is holding you back or keeping you stuck in fear or insecurity of any kind.

You can have hope instead of hopelessness. Start believing today that your future is filled with good things and refuse to settle for less than God's best for you.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Part of a Quotation from Morgane by Charlie Chaplin •
I've cried while listening to music and looking at old pictures.
I've called someone just to hear their voice on the other side.
I have fallen in love with a smile.
At times, I thought I would die because I missed someone so much.
At other times, I felt very afraid that I might lose someone very special (which ended up happening anyway).
But I have lived!
And I still continue living everyday.
I'm not just passing through life and you shouldn't either. Live!
The best thing in life is to go ahead with all your plans and your dreams, to embrace life and to live everyday with passion, to lose and still keep the faith and to win while being grateful.
All of this because the world belongs to those who dare to go after what they want.
And because life is really too short to be insignificant."
~ Charlie Chaplin ~
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
In November 2021, I was still sorting through my mother's things, and found this prayer on the back of an Advent Penance Service Bulletin from her church. •
"THE LIVING SPIRIT"
Lord,
I am often filled with fear when I
think of the future.
I am haunted by past mistakes and
hurts.
afraid of what the future might hold
and I feel paralyzed.
I surrender it all to you now
I ask you to heal all that is
wounded in
me and trust you to take care of all I
worry about.
You are the one
who makes all things new.
With you I go forward,
securely and joyfully,
into freedom.
Amen
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
December 25, 2021 Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Address •
"Although it's a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones," she said.
"This year, especially, I understand why."
~~~❁Prince Philip died Apr 9, 2021❁~~~
~~~❁Queen Elizabeth died Sep 8, 2022❁~~~
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
"THE CLOCK OF LIFE" •
The clock of life is wound but once. And no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. On what day - or what hour.

Now is the only time you have. So live it with a will.
Don't wait until tomorrow. The hands may then be still.
Author - Unknown.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________
Remembering Lost Love •
Memories continue the bonds we shared with someone we loved and lost.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/202205/remembering-lost-love
(This post is excerpted in part from the book, Grief Isn't Something to Get Over: Finding a Home for Memories and Emotions After Losing a Loved One.)

A continuing bond can trap some people in past experiences with former romantic interests or with loved ones who have died.
We may become lost if the love we once held becomes a distant memory. The awareness that someone is missing outside of our being is difficult to reconcile with their presence within us, especially if their presence and the specialness of a relationship with them contributed to our identity. When we are lost in response to a loss, we may not know which way to go, where to turn, or what to do.
Relationships that end are painful, but our memories do not let us forget those who impacted our lives. When actual death ends the boundary of someone's life, it does not end a relationship. There is a healthy aspect to maintaining a bond with the deceased, and the severing of bonds may not be necessary. Continued bonds can offer comfort, safety, and support, both during the time of transition and afterward. If we can use our memories to restore a lost connection, then imagining the person is still here with us in some way can be a pillar of support and a source of comfort.
An ongoing internal relationship to the image of the deceased is an important aspect of mourning and a normal part of healthy adaptation. Calling up memories of someone as a source of hope or protection can create a sense of stability, a feeling that they are still here with us. An ongoing inner relationship with a lost loved one may represent our best efforts. Thus, through our memories, we tend to hang on when love is lost.
____________ೋღ☃ღೋ____________