It's about the One....

Hogan Sayer Dominy

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 NLT

I wanted to update everyone that fell in love with our son Hogan over the past year and let them know what is going on with us! We are moving on with life after Hogan. Of course, there isn't a day that goes by that Hogan doesn't cross my mind many, many, many times. I am sure this will be the case until we meet again.

Noah turned 4 on August 12th and Lily turned 2 on August 16th. They both started pre school again this week and the usual tears and fears that go along with your child have been gripping us this week. It is so good to see their smiling faces every day when I get home from work. I worry about Noah and how he views Hogan's death. He talks about Hogan periodically. He is extra worried about us leaving him. I want to think that it is because he loves us and is just being a normal 4 year old but I can't help to wonder what is going through his mind. We stress to him that we are coming back to get him but I wonder if he thinks that Hogan is somewhere left alone. We have told him that Hogan is with Jesus but I wonder if in his little mind if he thinks Jesus is sitting with a class of babies in a pre school somewhere looking after him until we can come pick him up. Noah released a few balloons after his party on Saturday. As he was watching the balloons fly into the sky he turned to me and asked "Dad, are we sending these balloons to Hogan?" Noah loved Hogan so much. I guess that is why even more of my hair is turning a lighter shade.

I ask for your continued prayers for us as we move through the fall and the memories of the diagnosis and the memories. Again, I know we are blessed and many, many people are in much worse shape but it doesn't take away the pain.

I can't thank you enough for loving us and for being so good to us with your thoughts, prayers, cards and the contributions to Hogan's Memorial area in the Prince Avenue Christian School. We can't thank you enough. You will never know how much this support carried us through Hogan's journey. Thank you.

It is because of this support, Hogan's journey that I have been inspired to start a website that I have mentioned in other blogs. This website is going to be a place that I hope a family can be touched like we were touched during Hogan's journey. It will be an area of hope, love and support for the one's. I will always remember the one. It's this one out of "x" that will never be forgotten. It's the one that will never be alone. It's the one person that I hope will never go through a battle feeling alone. It's the family that will be able to communicate with people all over the world that might be going through a similar battle. It will be a success if God uses this website to change or touch one life.

I have been so worried about the website not being good. I have been wanting to make it the best website it could possibly be and that God would use it to touch hundreds and thousands of people. I know it might. I know it could. I know that it isn't wrong to wish, hope or pray for these things but a strong peace has overtaken me in the past few days. It's the feeling that it's about the one that gave me peace. If that one person can be helped then this website will be a success in my eyes. We will never forget the one. We will never forget our one (Hogan). We will never forget the one's that are fighting for their life. We will never forget about the one that is abused, abandoned or neglected. We will never forget the one's that can't stand up for themselves. It's the one's that make the statistics. It's the one's that are special to me. It's the one that will be remembered on this website.

My vision is to enable families to build a website for their loved one. It will be as private as the family wants their website to be but it will also be able to be accessed by anyone if the family wishes. There will be a calendar on each website that will enable the family to update family and friends of important dates. This could be the next cancer treatment, the next surgery, the upcoming doctors appointment, the date the loved one is scheduled to come home or even a fundraiser for someone. The website will be driven by the people that use it. Someone will be able to blog, post pictures, communicate with loved ones and connect with others that are going through the same life event. I ask for your prayers for the website. The internet was a blessing to us during Hogan's journey. We used facebook and the blog to share Hogan's story. We were told by many people that Hogan's life gave them inspiration. Those same people were inspiring to me. Isn't it neat how God works!? Isn't it neat that the phrase "Remembering the One" can make your mind go to so many different places? I have shared this vision with a few people and each one of them thought that it would help a different group of people. I pray that it will be used for God's glory just like Hogan's life was used. I pray that this website and the people that might be here to operate it long after I am gone will stay focused on the "point" that Hogan was focused.

In His Love,

Kip

Developing a Warrior Mentality...

Hogan and his warrior gear during his fight.

Noah had his first Taekwondo lesson last week!

I know this is going to be quite a shock to many of you that have read this blog. I wasn't voted best dressed, most athletic, cutest, etc. etc. (I am kidding!) at Dublin High School but I was voted the "best personality". I know that actually is a big shocker! I believe that God has quite a sense of humor too. Angie and I went to Dublin to celebrate a birthday of a friend a couple of weeks ago. We drove down on Saturday afternoon and attended the surprise party that night. As usual, my mother was more than happy to volunteer to keep Noah and Lily for us. The next morning we decided to visit Dudley Baptist Church with my sister Debbie. We walked into the Church and saw many faces that we recognized and many friends of Hogan during his journey. Like many of you that read this blog, these friends have been so good to us. We made our way to an open area and sat down to read the bulletin. The topic for the message was "Developing a Warrior Mentality". WOW.

Hogan's name means"young warrior". Hogan's entire life on this earth was about being a warrior. As you remember he was covered with accessories that made his little 3 lb. body look like a warrior that was in a battle unknown to many. It was a battle to live. It was a battle to fight. He reminded me of how not to take this life for granted. I often hesitate to mention the future much anymore. My job requires me to plan out retirement for my clients. My life revolves around planning. Isn't it a little ironic that God has put me in situations that require me to have total faith in Him? I don't mean that I believe we shouldn't plan or look forward to the future but I believe that we should do this with an awareness to not look past the present or take it for granted. I am in that battle everyday.

I have been mentioning a website that I am trying to get built. I hope that if you are reading this blog that you will pray for this vision. I believe that I am being led to do this. It was an amazing blessing to have you along with us during the journey. I believe that the journey isn't over but Hogan's journey has just taken a turn. He has inspired me to build a website that will be a resource and a tool that will be used by God to connect people. If you know of a person that has overcome a tragedy or that is going through something that has inspired you, please send me their story. If it's your story... send it to me. I am going to have a few featured stories on the website and then update the stories periodically that are on the home page. If you could please send me an email to rememberingtheones@gmail.com or sending me a message through facebook (Kip Dominy), that would be very helpful.

I feel that I am not a very emotional guy but I know that I have witnessed a battle for life. I have also witnessed a battle that ended in death. No, it doesn't seem fair but who determines what is fair in this world? Isn't it always in the view of each person? The one thing that is certain is that we will all die at some point. Some of us will die soon and some of us will die later. I am not trying to be depressing but just trying to be real. What will be said at your funeral? What will you want to be said? How do you want to be remembered? What do you think your children will say about your life if you passed away today? I think it is important to step back and think about these things. I was blessed to be able to sit beside a little boy that only lived 16 days and this little man made a bigger impact on this world than I could ever have imagined.

I was sitting in a restaurant in Dublin, Georgia having coffee before meetings yesterday and I saw an older gentleman leaving. He walked by my table and stopped to ask me if I was ready for my meetings (noticing my computer, etc. on the table). I told him that I was and then he wished me well. I thanked him and told him my name etc. and asked if he could tell me a story of anyone that he had ever known that inspired him or that's story stuck with him. He told me about a friend of his in Texas. He told me that his friend was a proud grandfather and that he and his little grandson were very close. He was blessed to see him very often. I haven't felt this love but I can see it through the eyes of our mothers as they love our children. I was told that this grandson had gotten very sick very quick and that death was emanate. He told me about how this grandfather was sitting beside his grandson during his last minutes of this earth. As his grandson laid there on the bed on this afternoon... he looked over at his grandfather and said "papa, it's getting dark, I will see you in the morning, ok?." These words would be the last he would hear from his little buddy. The grandfather's words after his grandson had passed away, "I can't wait until the morning". I can't wait to that morning either.


So think clearly and excercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God-who chose you to be his children-is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." I Peter 1:13-16 NLT