For the third time in my life, I have witnessed 3 young students see their lives cut short by cancer. The first student was one of my best friends in high school, Maureen, who was diagnosed the day before graduation. Maureen was one of the most encouraging people I have ever met in life, yet to my knowledge never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. After several years of wrestling with God for answers, Maureen’s death served as a catalyst for me to follow a calling into youth ministry.
The second student was one of my high school students at Red Lion who was diagnosed with cancer during the fall of her senior year. Kaylyn, like Maureen was a wonderful person. Though quiet in class, Kaylyn was a spiritual warrior, a motivational leader to her classmates. Most of the student body prayed for a Lazarus like miracle, but God had a different plan. Thousands of people packed Red Lion’s gymnasium, celebrating Kaylyn’s entrance into heaven. Through Kaylyn’s testimony displayed during her battle with cancer, by dying she was used by God to lead many to Christ.
This final death is the most difficult one to comprehend. Joseph Feeley went to be home with the Lord early Monday morning. Although Joseph is no longer in pain, thousands of people in 19 different nations are beginning the grieving process. Joseph was an amazing athletic with pro potential in baseball and in golf as a long drive champion. I played golf with Joseph a week or so before being diagnosed with cancer. Joseph flew a ball 380 yards in the air, plugging into the fairway. Joseph also holds the state record for 8th graders, running a 18:30 for 5K.
As great as an athletic Joseph was, he was even a more committed believer. I had the honor and privilege to see Joseph’s faith blossom in my Biblical Leadership class. The 17 other students who were blessed by Joseph’s presence will have rich memories to cling to during this tough time. As for now, all we can do is cry out to God like Habakkuk in 1:2, waiting on the Lord to make sense of yet another death.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 
I was just talking about Joe’s death with a close friend of mine and realized that life is a large, complex jig-saw puzzle and we are only privileged to see one tiny piece of it. Often time our place in that puzzle, and the place and condition of those around us, makes little or no sense to us but if (when) we are able to see the entire completed puzzle, we will come to realize how incredibly critical each and every piece, each and every event, played in an overall master piece.
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