Her kitchen—the center of
precision and order;
She served from that home, but
Saw just bricks and mortar.
Her treasures in a house now
That’s not made with hands
She died with bold resolve that
Only God’s child understands.
Wonderfully simple,
But wonderfully wise;
Her eye was on details.
Her heart on the prize.
A Titus 2 Mentor
Teacher of youth
Spreader of sunshine
Searcher of truth.
Faithful encourager
Happy note writer
Harry Potter loyalist
Brave cancer fighter.
Faithful wife and mother
Crazy for Don Dodd
Bible class teacher
Servant of God.
Published Christian author
Sermon sheet maker
Confectioner, hostess
Seamstress and baker.
Lover of Ms. Frizzle
And Anne with an E
Digging Deep, preachers
GBN and PTP
The void will be deep
The chasm severe.
But God’s family’s so blessed now
Because she was here.
Her doctors were in awe of faith
Her friends of peace in pain.
Neighbors mourned the coming loss.
But she just spoke of gain.
She talked about the valley
And of His staff and rod
She spoke of angels waiting
To bear her soul to God.
She pondered o’er the moment
When her eyes would see his face
Would she cry out in exultant joy
Or weep at saving grace?
“The angels in my living room!
I hope I can be in prayer.
Then while talking to the Father
I’ll look up and he’ll be there!”
˘
cc
I know God knows best, but I wish Carol could have lived a little while longer because, unlike most people diagnosed with cancer, she came into her spiritual prime AFTER that diagnosis. Not that she wasn’t a force for the devil to reckon with prior to the cancer, but, with all the spiritual tenacity that was characteristic of her whole life, she determined to spend the last months of her life influencing, patterning and preparing for the time when she “being dead, yet speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). And she does speak with clarity now. She went to her long home (Ecclesiastes 12:5) on Saturday morning early and left many of us just longing for the reunion we will know one day.
The first run quickly sold out and we have a very limited supply of the second printing. If you want one by which you may remember Carol, but most importantly draw closer to the God she served, order here: 
loved my grandchildren. She taught them and many of your children and grandchildren. She was the brightest source of encouragement that I’ve known in this world in a very long time. The chasm of this void will be deep for many. We should pray for each other as we walk through the valley of the shadow of this death (Psalm 23:4). He is with us.
A few years ago, I came to know Carol Dodd at Polishing the Pulpit. This beautiful face kept popping up, front-and-center in almost every session and her words following each session were encouraging in ways that touched my heart and made me want to be a better person. She lived in Florida, at the time, and you can imagine my excitement, when I heard, about five years ago that Carol and her husband Don were moving to become members of the West Hunstiville family, If I had a dollar for every note of encouragement that Carol has sent me during the last five years, I could make a down-payment on a new Dickson Bible (and that’s substantial!) And I am one of many (I mean a whole bunch…) of the women in the congregation who have received such notes. Carol does our kids’ sermon sheets, she ministers to the sick, she co-heads our ladies ministries, she gifts other servants, she welcomes and encourages visitors, she works in our seniors program, and she teaches our ladies class.
This will be the best expenditure of your September, by far. If you’ve never been encouraged by Carol Dodd, this is YOUR morning! She’s showing us all how to take the darkest of times and turn them into his glory. A stage 4 cancer patient, at present, she is using every day–through pain and mishap and treatment and sometimes what’s extreme difficulty– to continue to maximize the offering of glory she can give to our great God during the sunset days of her life. I continue to stand amazed at how very encouraging she is to the ladies–the body, even– at West Huntsville and beyond. She recently spoke on our PTP Spark program, and I 
think I can say, without hesitancy, she was the favorite speaker of the week. Her passion is Bible study. Her goal is heaven. Her Lord is Christ. her sovereign is Jehovah. Her purpose is His glory. Her husband is Don (he’s a great blessing, too.) Her people are the Christians at West Huntsville. Her little distraction and game-changer, for the moment, is cancer. And that’s really the order of things in her world. I’m saying…you just don’t want to miss it. Child care, lodging, fellowship and spiritual strength–all available here: