Steph Raquel

"Get busy living or get busy dying." ~Shawshank Redemption | @illinois_alma grad | Wife, Mom, Foster care advocate | Cancer survivor | Sports fan | Truth Seeker

[Abdimalik Hassan @zamzam2009]

Microsoft says they are "restarting the servers" to fix Outlook. Glad to know a trillion-dollar tech giant fixes their problems the exact same way my grandma fixes her Wi-Fi router. #OutlookDown #Microsoft @MSFT365Status EX1550543

[Trey & Lea's Stronger Marriages @StrongMarriage5]

I did a funeral for a man that had been married to his wife for 55 years. "It wasn't just any 55 years, it was 55 good years," his widow told me.

After the service I found myself standing alone at his casket along with his wife. She was trying to figure out how to say her last goodbye before they closed her husband's casket for the final time.

She looked at me, smiled and said, "He kissed me every night at bedtime and hugged me every morning when we got up. He faithfully sent me flowers, and still told me everyday that I was beautiful." I felt as if I was listening in on a private conversation as she continued to tell me, "He often called me Hazel." I asked how she got that nickname and she said, "My eyes are hazel, and he always told me how beautiful my eyes were." I smiled at her as my heart hurt for her.

It was then she continued to talk, but now she spoke to him and not to me. "Thank you for being so good to me," she said with tears and a smile, "I will miss you, and I will see you soon." She patted him on the hand, kissed him on the forehead and nodded to me and said softly, "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

As I drove to the cemetery to say a few last words for the family, I realized that I had been privileged to witness a very holy last moment between a husband and wife. I couldn't help but be thankful and inspired by this man who was no longer alive.

I sat for a moment by myself to collect my thoughts ... and then I prayed, "Lord, please raise up more men who will hug their wife every morning, kiss her every night and remind her every day that she's beautiful."

~Trey

[Courtney Anne @CourtAnne1225]

Forget world peace. All I want for Christmas is Freddy’s PTO package

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

🧡💙🧡

[The Field Pass @TheFieldPass]

Bret Arnold Bielema lost his father, Arnold “Arnie” Bielema, on October 25. He missed practice this week to attend the services.

If you know Bret, you’ve heard him talk about how meaningful names are. He carries his dad’s name as his own middle name.

Fittingly, on Dads Day in Champaign, his team won their fourth straight to become bowl eligible for the third consecutive season.

College football is the best.

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

@ALionEye 90-91-92. IIRC. 🧡💙🧡

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

Yessss?!? 🤣

[Midwest vs. The Rest @midwestern_ope]

The Farmers Almanac predicts snowfall totals in the Midwest this year:

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

For realz.

[ClarksonsFarm @ClarksonsFarm1]

At what point do we stop focusing on who needs to pay more tax and start asking where all of our tax money is going.

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

❤️🤍💙

[John Rich🇺🇸 @johnrich]

There a thousands of American bodies buried all over this planet that gave their lives so you and I could live in freedom, and VOTE. Do you duty, stand in the line, and VOTE! Take your spouse, your buddies, your neighbors, the grandparents...and make your voice count. Godspeed!!

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

Thank God it’s true!

[VeggieTales @VeggieTales]

This is a great song to have in your head on a "spooky day" God is still BIGGER!!

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

🎯🎯

[Sean Davis @seanmdav]

Happy Reformation Day to all who celebrate!

[Matt Smethurst @MattSmethurst]

Grace alone.
Faith alone.
Christ alone.
Scripture alone.
God’s glory alone.

Happy Reformation Day!

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

@CollinCorbett Unreal!!

[Church Curmudgeon @ChrchCurmudgeon]

Congrats to the US on another World Series win.

[Diane Langberg, PhD @DianeLangberg]

Clergy sexual abuse is not an affair; pedophilia is not about struggling with difficult circumstances; molesting adolescents is not about a struggling marriage.

Such things must be called by their right names—the abuser needs to be held responsible for their abusive behavior.

[Steph Raquel @Stephraquel]

Brilliant!! 😂

[The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee]

Life Hack: Quit Paying Taxes And When The IRS Asks If You Owe Them Anything Just Say 'Not To My Knowledge' https://t.co/3su15KY9tZ

[‏ً @omgsidewalks]

One day you’ll realize that your mom wasn’t decorating the house for Christmas because she had extra time.

She was doing it because she wanted you to have memories.

The lights. The cookies. The same decorations every year.

All that effort was love.

[Frank Pavone @frfrankpavone]

The measure of love is sometimes how much future we're willing to protect for someone we've never met.

[VeggieTales @VeggieTales]

You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to make a difference.
Kindness counts. Faithfulness counts. Showing up counts.