 You know, we're all going to go through transitions in life Whether it's high school to college getting married moving having kids job changes divorce all kinds of things I Almost three years ago went through a transition of widowhood. It's horrible. Absolutely horrible But you know, it was devastating What happened? It was a tragic accident that took my husband and It was life shattering. I'll be honest it was But I had a lifeline My lifeline wasn't a rope or a thing It was literally the person of Jesus Christ The truth all that Jesus is I clung on to that For dear life as I was going through this horrible horrible tragedy. I Don't know what you're going through here today and But I can tell you this without that lifeline. I don't know how you'll make it My story if you're a mother here, you might want to plug your ears if you have teenage daughters, okay? But I'm going to tell you my story and it's all true. I Met Frank past story When I was 11 years old and he was a much older man of 15 I came from upland a loud Italian family My dad was really into baseball grew up with Vince Gully blaring on the radio and Pots and pans clanging the television blaring. It was a loud house My brother my older brother Johnny went to Damian High School in Laverne and brought over his friend Frank past they called him Frankie past story back then And I don't know what it was about this guy. I Really can't tell you I was 11. I wasn't romantically inclined. I didn't have hormones going But I liked him He was special And I liked him when I was 13. I was now hormonal and now Romantically inclined and he still was coming over to the house and I really liked him So I started doing what he he went to high school as I said with my brother and they were on the ball baseball team together My brother was his catcher Frank was the star pitcher and they started hanging out and I Started hanging out with my brother a lot because I wanted to know more about Frank past story So I started asking him questions. What's he like? Who does he date? What do people think of him? You know that brother sister kind of thing going on and my brother was like well He's really popular. He's the senior class president He's a really good baseball player And I like him. He said but some people think he's cocky And I said why and he said because he walks in the room. He takes charge He's bold. He says things people wouldn't say I'm thinking well. I like that, but my brother said yeah, some people think he's cocky So couple couple weeks later. I'm in Catholic school taught and mentored by nuns and We're in nine o'clock every morning. We have religion class. So I'm in class and This morning's sister was gonna teach on prayer Now I was expecting the usual praying to saints praying to marry that kind of thing But this sister didn't didn't teach that She she taught us a lot of theology we learned about the Trinity and she said prayer was going into Deep time with the Holy God the father Jesus and the Holy Spirit the triune being and she said you pour your heart out to God He already knows all about you because he's omniscient and all powerful But then she said You listen you listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you sometimes he'll talk to you sometimes he won't Well, I was so intrigued with this. I had never heard this before So the next Saturday I decide I'm gonna go in the backyard. She said it had to be a quiet place So I had to go in the backyard because our house was very loud so I had my beach towel and I go in the backyard and I'm thinking if my parents look out the window, they'll just think I'm sunbathing with no sunblock like we did back back in the day So I lay down on the grass. It's a beautiful day And I start pouring out my heart to God and I'm saying God, you know, you know all about me You're all powerful And you know, I like this Frank pastorey and I'm only 13 and he's 17 But I like him and I think I can fall in love with him So I pray Lord. I think I want to marry him someday But if I'm gonna marry him he has to love me back So my first prayer was that God Would that my husband would love or my future husband would love me back my second request was that we would get married and Then my third request and I must have prayed this because my brother told me that everybody thought Frank was cocky I Prayed that he would be loved by thousands. I don't know where I got thousands But I so I prayed that he would love me that we would get married and that he would be loved by thousands So now I was gonna listen to the Holy Spirit as sister had taught us, you know, that this is it's a two-way street She said it's not just talking. It's about listening So I'm laying there and I'm quiet and I'm waiting, you know to see if the Holy Spirit talks to me and all of a sudden I hear Frank is going to die young. I Sat up on my towel. I was like wait a minute. I was not supposed to hear that. This is weird I what am I make of this? I was freaked out So I decided okay, I'm gonna lay back down and I'm gonna do this prayer all over again so I lay back down and I pray again and I wait on the Lord and very gently I hear Gina I hear you but Frank is going to pass away Fairly young and then the Holy Spirit said do you still want to marry him and I said yes, Lord Yes, Lord, I do two years later Frank had signed with the Cincinnati Reds. He got drafted out of high school He went off to play baseball and I'm turning 15. I'm in high school now And I'm thinking oh, he's gonna run off with a baseball groupie and that'll be the end of it I just got to get this out of my system, you know, and I'm like I got to go to high school I got a date. I got to go out for cheerleading. I got to go to the prom all that So I'm really kind of hoping that I don't see him again Well, he comes home from the ball season sees me and goes right to my dad says can I take Gina on her first date? My dad says yes because he knows him and trusts him So we go out we go to them on my 15th birthday He took me to the movies and we went to for coffee. I was 15 having coffee at Alfie's diner But it was the first time I had been alone with Frank because there was always people around so we start talking And oh my gosh now we I really like him. There's no this is it I can't get this out of my system. I like this guy So He brings me home. He says, you know, I'm going off in a couple months to play ball again Maybe when I get back will date again We acknowledge our age difference, you know, and so Next year he comes back. I'm 16 We date That's it. We're coming out of the closet. We like each other This was kind of scant, you know, especially back then 16 and a 20 year old and he's a baseball player This is really crazy, you know, so my dad and mom know him. They're okay with it at first My dad is okay with it. My mom starts to get upset this is where you want to plug your ears, okay, and They start fighting my parents start fighting I start fighting with them There's you know chaos going on so my Frank and I We decide we make a plan we decide to do what any reasonable 16 and 20 year old would do We alope That would be a talk for a whole nother time But if you're interested, it's all documented. My husband wrote a book called Shattered So the whole story's in there But right before we eloped Frank as a pitcher dove into a base broke a finger on his pitching hand so After we get married his fingers healing, but he says to me, you know, we're gonna go to spring training I have to play out my obligation to the Reds, but they're probably not going to Keep me. They're probably gonna release me because I eloped with a 16 year old girl And I have a broken had a broken finger. So I'm like cool. He's like I really want to go to school I want to be an attorney, you know, I'm like, that's great. I don't care, you know, so we go to spring training and low and behold He has the best spring training ever of any pitcher that year and At 21 I'm now 17. He's 21. We are now in the big leagues We're catapulted into the big leagues Life was good Life was good. Oh, there's lumps and bumps and baseball There's long road trips and there's pressures and there's baseball groupies and all that but we loved each other and life was an adventure and we were we were good, you know and We had our two children Frank and Christina Frank became a Christian towards the end of his ball career. That's a long story. You can read it and shattered But I'm not and then a year later. I followed and completely gave myself to the Lord Jesus Christ Life was good. We knew that after baseball, we'd probably have a career in ministry. We both wanted, you know to serve the Lord Frank's ball career ends. We do end up in ministry Again, there's lumps and bumps in life. It's not perfect by any means, but we love each other and We can handle anything. We can go through any transition with each other Frank ends up being offered the drive-time talk show here in LA on KKLA the Frank Pastry show He takes that job and he is just he had gone to school. He was a trained apologist He's in a sweet spot Life is good We have our kids are getting married Our daughter-in-law and son tell us that they're gonna have our first grandchild. We have a little grandson We're mature Christians Life is good. Life is good We have more grandchildren on the way And we're so looking forward to the future We're so looking forward to the future But then life threw me a kerf ball It was November 19th 2012 The day started out like any normal day We got up the alarm went off got up did our coffee had our breakfast. We got on our computers Frank prepared for his talk show every day you know going over the news of the day and He went in the bedroom got dressed early and he said oh I have to go to the studio early today I have to meet with a client He came he kissed me on the cheek Told me he loved me and on the way out his cat. He was gonna ride his motorcycle. He had his boots on his boots are clinging on the tile and he says honey tonight's Monday night football I'm gonna get home right after the show and just have dinner on the table. I said, okay, you know Off he went The garage door I heard the he went through the hallway the garage door shut And I was sitting at my computer and all of a sudden a weird funny feeling came over me and The Holy Spirit said Gina get up and go tell him you love him and kiss him. Goodbye, and I said What's this about? He knows I love him. I always argue with the Holy Spirit. Don't ask me why but so again the voice said Get up and go tell him you love him and kiss him. Goodbye So I sat there for a moment and all of a sudden I realized oh my gosh She's probably ready to leave so I jumped and I ran out the door and he was just about to get on his bike He had his full-face helmet on And I went over to him and he's looking at me like what are you doing, you know, and I put my arms on him I said honey, I love you and I want to kiss you. Goodbye So he had his helmet on all on already and it's hard to take on and off So he lifted up his visor and bent forward and I kissed him on the nose And then I looked in his eyes My husband was a very happy man He was smiling his eyes were twinkling full of life And I said I love you And he's like I know You know, he's wondering what all this is about He flaps his visor down hops on his bike and he backs out of the garage And I just stood there and watched him leave that morning He roared down the canyon on his bike and I just I remember I just stood on the driveway and It was as though time kind of stood still and I felt so content. I really did. I was thanking the Lord The day went on as normal. I didn't the funny feeling left. I never thought about it again the rest of the day and Six o'clock I remember. Oh, he I have to get dinner going. He wants, you know, Monday night football have dinner on the table so I Went in the kitchen. I turned the radio on as I always listen to the Frank pastory show and He had on a guest Professor Keith Matthews. They were talking about The reality of the soul my husband loved he was an apologist and he loved talking about reasons for faith And I loved the discussion and I was listening and all of a sudden Frank said, you know tonight I could be on the 210 freeway and I could get hit and I could be all over the 210 But that's not me. That's my body parts. I Cringed He had said this I had heard him say this a couple times before he's using himself as an example But I just kind of cringed and thought I wish he wouldn't say that The moment passed. I didn't think about it again Eight o'clock. He usually got home right at eight o'clock And I had dinner on the table and I'm waiting and I'm thinking oh, I thought he'd be home right on time tonight, you know Frank and I were very close. He always Communicated with me and called me if he was gonna be late. I knew way ahead of time. So No call. I checked my phone 815 I'm thinking well. He hit traffic or he had to do a commercial or something like that. So 830 comes around and I start to get a pit in my stomach. He hasn't called. That's not like him. I Had checked there wasn't traffic So anyways, I got that all familiar pit that you get if you've ever been in this situation where you fear someone's been in an accident Around a quarter to nine. I just said I'm gonna call the studio I had never done that after the show looking for Frank because he he called me or he was home, you know So I call and I get his producer and I said JJ's did frankly one time and he said yeah He's not home yet and I said no He said well, I'm gonna go down in the parking garage and I'll check I'll call you back. I have to be honest I'm already starting to kind of go into shock a little bit My head is swirling and all that about 15 minutes later JJ calls back and says Gina You need to call the CHP There's has been an accident, but I don't think it's Frank, but here's the number He gives me the number so I hang up and I remember I it took everything in me to press the numbers on the phone And I got the CHP and they did Go ahead and confirm that it was Frank. He was Resuscitated and airlifted to USC Medical Center. I was I'm going into shock at that point It's like you're having an out-of-body experience Almost like you're watching yourself Part of me wanted to run out the front door and screaming The other part wanted to get in my car and try to get to USC where I didn't even know how to get there so I called my sister she and my brother-in-law came right over and Got we Drove to the hospital as fast as we could it there was road construction the freeway was closed It took us two and a half hours Finally got there by like 1130. I had contacted my children. They were on the way and I Was greeted by a young neurosurgeon and a nurse They came right out. They brought me in the waiting room The neurosurgeon looked down at the ground never looked at me and just rattled off all of Frank's injuries multiple broken bones But he said the most concerning was traumatic brain injury and I knew what that meant He brought me back to see Frank and The man that I had said goodbye to that morning with the bright eyes and so much life Was now laying there like he was asleep just like he was asleep his face was not because of his helmet His face was in good condition He just had a split lip that they had sewn up And he wasn't casted yet. They just had his arms and legs wrapped at that point in bandages And I wanted to just jump in the bed and say Frank. Let's get out of here. This is a bad dream But then the better part of reason was coming over me saying This is really serious. I don't know how he's gonna come out of this short of a miracle Frank was in a coma for four weeks Now I have to tell you like I told you I was in shock. I Was in shock for about three days And I couldn't eat and all that But all of a sudden I started to experience in that four weeks something I had never Experienced before I'd heard about it scripture talks about it. It's called the peace that surpasses all understanding And I had it. I Can't even explain it because it was a horrible dreadful time. I was already grieving. I was Filling like my whole life was being turned up, you know up upside down a Title wave had washed over me, but yet at the same time I was aware that this God that I had always told you know many times had ministered to people You got to trust the Lord I would say God's in control all those things now I was having to do that I Was having to trust the Lord and I said to God, you know, I don't understand this I don't know why this is happening But I'm gonna trust you Lord. I had presence of mind. I Could minister to people I could minister to my children. It's hard when you're going through this You have the other aspects of it. My kids are losing their dad It's just horrible But God was with me literally Walking me through each day of that coma and that lifeline. I was clinging on The neat thing was my husband was a man of God And I had the benefits of that as a as his wife We had my husband would say you got to have your tank full. I Had a full tank. I didn't have to Suddenly try to go find God the God that I knew and had studied about all those years was there activated. I Don't know where you're at, but if you're waiting Don't wait, what are you waiting for? This world can't get any worse. I mean we talked already this morning about the recent shootings persecution Cancer divorce all kinds of things We're going to hell in a handbasket. There's nothing to wait for And if you're thinking well, I don't want to be a religious bigot You don't have to be God takes you just as who you are right now and then you'll become a religious weirdo, but That's okay, we'll understand December 17th 2012 was another horrible day Frank had been transported to a local hospital There was nothing more they could do in the ICU for him And the reality was he wasn't coming out of the coma. He would either pass away or he would be an invalid And I had been at the hospital that morning Praying with over Frank with a friend a dear friend came over and I Left around noon because I had to go home and sign disability papers And get them in the mail and then I was going to go right back to the hospital so I Get home from the hospital and they're calling me telling me Mrs. Pastore get right back here Why well, we can't just get right back here. So I know that Frank has probably died So I get in my car. I race over there and I get to the hospital. I walked down this long corridor And the hospital administrator is there with her head down. So I know what's happened I walked towards her. I grew we hug. I'm sobbing and I'm saying I left I was just here this morning and I left I went home and she said Gina your pastor was in the room with Frank. I Turned the corner and there's pastor David and David boost Amani as soon as I left They had come to the hospital to see Frank and we're in the room with them praying over him God's faithfulness was so evident to me. Now. I'm not I'm not pulling any punches here It's horrible to lose a beloved spouse or if you've lost a child There's certain losses that are harder than others and it is horrible But because of my lifeline because of Jesus Christ and all that he claims that he is and he is We have that hope We have hope We know we're going to see our loved ones again Frank's memorial was right in this sanctuary several churches had offered we were expecting a large crowd And I said no he'll be at our home church. I sat right right here And during the service I had selected speakers that represented my husband's life. It was the Lord really put it together well It was an awesome Service it was very difficult for me to sit through but it was it was awesome But during that time I'm sitting there and I had like this really quiet moment with the Lord And he said to me Gina. Do you remember what you prayed when you were 13? I had never forgotten, but I had pushed it down I didn't want to think about it and all of a sudden I realized. Oh my goodness He loved me We married And he is so loved by thousands Thousands of people were writing and sending letters and praying and it was unbelievable prayer time at 13 came full circle it came full circle because The god that we serve is faithful He never leaves us even in our darkest moments And what he says is truth absolute truth You can take it to the bank You know, I started this morning talking about transitions and how we're all going to go through these transitions But there's one final transition We're all going to die There's no two ways we're not getting out of that one There's two things they say you're gonna do in life. You're gonna pay your taxes and you're going to die Please don't Don't leave this room or if you're listening on the internet. Don't Leave wherever you are without trusting in jesus christ It's not It's not a big deal really It is but it isn't it's it's like being like a child and just saying Okay, jesus, I need you and I want you in my life and I'm going to entrust all that I am about to you He's your creator and maker. He knows you already And don't wait for something bad to turn to him if you do that, that's fine. He'll be there Do it now. Don't wait