DennisMansfield.com

Ending a year of grieving by beginning a future of hope. Farewell to Nate Mansfield!

2010-03-11T05:55:00-07:00

A year ago today Nathan Dennis Mansfield left this world and was ushered into the presence of Almighty God. He was 27 years old. Today he is ageless...

And his family and friends are individually a year older. Mark and Andre are in different spots in their lives. Meg, Caleb and Cole are older and are in a much different place in their lives..and little Cole knows his Uncle Nate by photos and by visits to his grave.

Colin's finishing his Senior Year in HS and is just a couple months away from going to Beast Barracks (Boot Camp) at West Point. Ginny's life is far different today, though she still lives in the same house in KC, Missouri that she and Nate shared at the time of his death.

If I could say anything to Nate today, it'd be:

"We're all older. You are not. We're looking forward to seeing Jesus face to face. You already do, every day. We get ill with flu. You are forever young and healthy. We still watch Marty McFly and Doc Brown, Tombstone and The Shawshank Redemption. Eric Clapton makes us cry. Izzy's Rainbow song makes us sob. And you are watching the universe unfold and laughing like crazy.

And I still love you, son."

Nate left several legacies and gained many more.

He left us with many memories of discussion, debates and dogged determination on issues of passion. We remember Nate well and we do not "saint" him. He was a hard man, a good man and a man's man. He fought criminals, saved lives, loved tenderly and did not put up with bullshit. He lied and yet loved fairness. He cussed and was respectful. He loved his aunts and uncles, his cousins and he was so proud of his sister's "beating" him at having a child.

He gained the following in Heaven: I lost a sibling to miscarriage when my folks were young. Nate met that sibling of mine. Susan and I lost a child in between Nate and Meg through miscarriage, too. We grieved that loss deeply. Nate met that sibling of his in Heaven. Then, I found out from Nate (just before he died) that he had a child in Heaven. A former girlfriend had aborted their child years before without him knowing it and when he found out, he grieved so deeply because he had no say in the act.He met his child in Heaven. My Mom, Ginny Mansfield, died when Nate was young. His other grand-mom, Wanda McKay, died only 7 weeks after Nate died.

Nate met all of them in Heaven.

His other grand-moms, Marilyn and Vonda, loved him til the end, as did his grandpas, Bill Mansfield and Larry Rampenthal. His cousins and friends...he loved them all and was loved by all of them. He had years of joy when he was a boy with "Funny Old Pop", Mac McKay.

Now we are all looking forward. This video points forward, just as much as it captures Nate's past. He loved movies and he loved adventure. One day soon I'm gonna have a film company and call it Nater Films...he would love that.

Good bye, Nate. You sent a sofa on ahead, in your lifetime. I'm in the process of doing that, still. We all are, aren't we? I cant wait to be shown around the many rooms in our Father's mansion...and to sit on your sofa.

Until then, we're takin' this thing to 88 mph and lettin' the Flux Capacitor send us "Back to the Future".

Who wants to go with us?

Den

Nate Mansfield memorial: slidshow presentation from Colin Mansfield on Vimeo.

Ending a year of grieving. The words of a mom and dad.

2010-03-10T07:08:00-07:00

As the anniversary of Nate Mansfield's passing approaches, on March 11th, I'm allowing the comments that were said at the celebration of his life to be posted one final time. I've posted those comments of his best friends and his "best" sister and brother. Now it's time to say farewell publicly by the two people who knew Nate the most...and the longest: his folks.

I'd like to thank Ginger Bridger, Nate's fiancee (at the time of his death) for her years of love and support for our son...and her man, Nate. Ginny was with Nate when he died and was with his body when we flew it out from Missouri. She stayed with his casket off and on through the whole 9 days that preceded his funeral.

Ginny Bridger loved Nate. Nate loved her. Thank you, Ginny, for loving us too.

-----------------------

Here are the words of my bride, Susan and me.

Den

Nate Mansfield memorial: Dennis and Susan speak from Colin Mansfield on Vimeo.

Middle of the voyage...sailing the political and spiritual waters of Israel - Baptism and Bethlehem

2010-03-09T12:29:36-07:00

The students of the Boise Vineyard Christian Home School Co-op are mid-way through their Israel trip.

Susan and I are enjoying their presence more than I can express in mere words. Their sincere and intense interest in their faith, in the politics of Israel, in the history of the Old and New Testament and in their fully realizing that we're REALLY all the same,has been so uplifting to Susan and me.

We've been discussing the political nature of Israel - even as it pertains to touring the country.

For example, in order for us to travel from Jerusalem to Bethlehem we cannot use an Israeli bus driver. We can't use an Israeli bus. So that means we've got to use an Arab connection...and that ALSO means that we cannot go to a certain study area in Israel, with that new driver...because he's Arab! Aghh. Frustrating...but it IS the way it IS.

Yesterday, as a lay Pastor at the Vineyard, I had the honor of baptizing three of the students in the Jordan River. Pastor Sam Calk, of Texas, joined me.

The discussion among and between the students, in preparation for a possible re-baptism, was VERY interesting. They struggled.

These are Seniors in High School who know their math, know their science, know their English and THEY KNOW THEIR THEOLOGY. They entered into some deep discussion about the act of baptism and the outward expression of an inward spiritual occurrence. They wanted this possible act in Israel to represent their views of God and of the new birth, so many years now mature in their lives.

Plainly put: they know their stuff. For us to watch them wrestle with the deeper meanings of life and God when so many of their peers simply seem to ignore this line of thinking in favor of fulfilling their personal and seemingly selfish passions, is amazing to me.

I've been scouting the countryside for potential places that could, in the future, be beautiful places to video/film. The countryside of Israel is stunning in its subtropical climate...but it's much, much more beautiful in the cultural fabric of its everyday life....Jews, Druze, Arabs, Christians of every stripe, secular Israelis and international visitors, like these four students. These kids fit in.

At one point today, at the pool of Bethesda, we read from the New Testament about a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years and was asked by Jesus if he wanted to be healed. We prayed for Hannah Freeman, whose brain tumor changed her life 4 years ago.Hannah understood the words of Jesus, more than I will EVER be able to understand them. She wants to be healed AND she is grateful that the fact of a brain tumor brought her to her knees to re-seek her Creator...and find Him. She is healed, already, and she is waiting for her body to catch-up to her fresh and clean spirit.

I could hear Koreans, who were just around the corner from us, reading the same words in their language...and a little distance off, I could hear people from Spain reading it too. I saw Orthodox Jews walking by and I saw some Arab businessmen selling items just outside...a rich tapestry...one worthy of God's signature.

Colin has been placing daily events on his FaceBook...and they can be read by clicking onto mine, as well.

May the things these students are learning be learned by you and me. May the things with which they struggle be honestly struggled with by us, as well.

And may the joy in their faces be the joy in our hearts...

Den

Ending a year of grieving. Colin and Meg speak about their brother, Nate.

2010-03-09T06:16:00-07:00

As this year of grieving comes to an end, I decided to remove the Vimeo videos of the celebration of Nate's life. It's a sad and necessary removal. It's also a joy to rejoice in who Nate was...and is.

As a family, we've lived our life out loud for almost 20 years. Last year's public grief expressed by friends and family - at the time of Nate's death - was an extension of those two decades.

The videos we posted on Vimeo were kept on this blog for the full year of our grieving.

So, one by one, these videos are also being released...as we get closer to March 11th, the first anniversary of "Nater Potater's" home-going.

He is with Christ today not because of what Nate did in life, but because of Nate accepting what Christ did in His death.

Here are the comments by Nate's sister, Meg and his brother, Colin.

They knew him like no other...

Den

Nate Mansfield memorial: Colin and Meg speak from Colin Mansfield on Vimeo.

Ending a year of grieving. Mark Smit and Andre Alfonso speak about their friend.

2010-03-08T06:27:00-07:00

Almost a year ago, on March 11th 2009, my family and I (along with many, many friends) lost Nate Mansfield.

At 27, he died of what the Kansas City coroner determined on their toxicological report to be an "adverse drug reaction". He was taking two prescription drugs that reacted against each other and our precious and at times, difficult son, Nathan Dennis Mansfield, died in his sleep.

Precious and difficult. Yes. Why such apparently discordant adjectives?

Because Nate was a complex man. And yet a simply lovable man at the same time. I suppose we could all be described with such terms that seem at odds against themselves.

If we were honest with ourselves, we would.

And Nate, despite his years of substance abuse and hard times, was an amazing man, a tender heart, a believer in Jesus and a supporter of those who were weak and unlovely to the outside world.

He talked of God when he was high and saved druggie-buddies' lives on treacherous snowboard non-trails. He loved his dogs and he loved his Ginny. He loved so many people.

Two people in whom he placed years of love and good relationship were Mark Smit and Andre Alfonso.

As we all wind-down our year of grieving Nate's death, I wanted you te hear the words of his two friends, one last time.

They loved their friend, Nate Mansfield.

Den

Nate Mansfield memorial: Mark and Andre speak from Colin Mansfield on Vimeo.

Life in Panic. Life in Peace. Life in Pain. And Life in a Wheelchair.

2010-03-07T15:00:59-07:00

Susan and I are watching the Senior High School students from Boise, as they process Israel...

I feel like an eye witness to their personal and spiritual growth, as if it's happening right before my eyes. Because it is...

Shalom, Sara, Hannah and Colin finished day 2 of their trip through the Holy Land. These Idaho kids have known each other for many years (since elementary school) and they've experientially learned many things together. This, though, is the crowning achievement as home educated kids.

Their study of the scriptures has now taken them to where it REALLY happened.

For example, Colin wrote a great post today on the "Gates Of Hell" that really captured his learning curve trajectory. It's the home of the god, Pan, from whose name "panic" derives its meaning.

Shalom heard her name spoken daily from the lips of hundreds of Israelis...and the significance of "peace", she has realized, has come for Israel at quite a price of "war' readiness.

Sara watched grown men talk of the deaths of their three children today (Tim spoke of 2 year old Kirby, Ron spoke of 19 year old Kristen and I spoke of 27 year old Nathan) and she cried with them for the hope they have in seeing their kids once again.

Hannah, strapped to her wheelchair was dependent at times today on the help and care of people from our party JUST TO SEE SITES...because handicapped access is not always available, no matter how thoughtful the intent is.

Dennis and Susan, along with the other adults on the trip are amazed.

Long ago, the parents of these kids decided not to raise children....but to raise adults.

With all four of these kids on the timeline of "18", I think the parents have succeeded.

Again, follow Colin's postings and his FB for more detailed travel lessons learned.

Den

P.S. It was nice having Kiah here, too.

We're in Israel with the High School Students - Join us by FaceBook

2010-03-07T00:32:58-07:00

My Blog entries are going to be few and far between, for a few days.

We arrived in Israel with about 20 folks, just a handful are Seniors at Vineyard Christian Home School Co-op...but they ARE here!

Please go to my FaceBook account (on the right sidebar) and click on. I'm having my son, Colin Mansfield, use his FB on his iPhone to keep track of the trip.

Please visit that AND keep coming back here, too. I anticipate posting on both...but will be exclusively communicating throughout the day via his FB.

Become a friend of his...and see some amazing things about Israel.

Den

"March-ing" through time.

2010-03-04T06:40:00-07:00

During this next week, my bride and I will be chaperoning a group of Seniors in High School through a very amazing trip. It'll be nice to see the world through the eyes of young adults who have EVERYTHING ahead of them...and so little, thus far, in their rear-view mirror.

Chances are, you'll be seeing some pretty interesting landscape on the blog. Please enjoy. We'll be in Israel. The students have been planning this all year. My wife and I are honored to be with them - as a direct response of the gifts and blessings from friends, to help us heal. And we've needed it.

Particularly, this year.

Since Susan and I will be gone on the 1st year anniversary of our son's death, (March 11th) we stopped by his grave yesterday to say hello to our son's memory in a month called March - in a year that's different than the one on his gravestone. Just seeing that change reminds of how time does indeed "March On".

Please bear with us, as the days just prior to his "home-going" anniversary date of March 11th, on this blog I will present some of the remarks that were given at his memorial service last year. Those four upcoming postings will be the last time I feature that day of sadness and joy on this blog. It's far too sensitive to mention again. Our year of publicly grieving his loss is now coming to an end. We will always miss our son. He was (and is) a most amazing man. Thanks to his fiancee, Ginny, for loving him till the end.

Jesus said "Let the dead bury the dead". It's a hard saying...and it's true. Why? Because when you know Christ, you live forever. Nate knew and loved Christ. Concentrating on death steals the anticipation of new-life, doesn't it? In fact, Nate never really died, he became more alive than even we are here in these pictures or on video tape.

That's a mind blower...

So, shalom, Nate.

And shalom Israel.

Den

Tempest in a Cowboy Hat?

2010-03-03T15:48:18-07:00

Saw this article on the brewing controversy in Governor Otter's staff and thought you might like to read it. Thanks to Randy Stapilus for his post on the subject.

Tempest in a Teapot?....Hope it's not a Teapot Dome.

Den

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The hottest person of controversy in Idaho right now may be not the governor, C.L. “Butch” Otter, but the director of the Department of Administration, Mike Gwartney. Though many of Gwartney’s critics evidently are missing the point: If Gwartney is rightfully controversial, then that controversy has to land at Otter’s doorstep.

As director of administration, even if only for a dollar a year (as the reports say), Gwartney reports directly to Otter. Otter can overrule anything he does. He serves at “the pleasure of” the governor – the governor can fire him at any time, for any reason or none. Whatever he does, good or bad, isn’t his own alone; the buck stops with Otter.

More.

Brian Regan...and dealing with Mr. Wizzard at UPS

2010-03-02T23:12:35-07:00

Laugh with me as I keep laughing at Brian Regan...and remember that it's REALLY hard for guys to ship boxes.

By the way, what's girth? Ha!

Den