A NOTE FROM DAD ABOUT ANGIE

Angie wrote 1348 blogs over a 13 year period.   The first one was just after she recovered from a serious bout with pneumonia, and she really had a lot to say in 2012 when she wrote 342 blogs.  She was most proud of her blogs and sharing them with anyone who would take the time to read them.  The blogs were her legacy.

Angie was born in Conway, Arkansas on September 2^nd, 1971.  Her parents are Wayne and Bobbie Riffle, a couple of college students just struggling to get thru school.   Angie went to public schools most of her life graduating from North Pulaski High School in 1989 and she attended three Universities, graduating with honors from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois in 1994 with a degree in Microbiology.

At a very early age we noticed that her muscles were not developing correctly and this led to getting braces and corrective shoes.  BY 1984 or 85, we had made our way to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and with two family studies it was determined that she had a nerve disease called “Charcot-Marie-Tooth”  (CMT) a rare disease with no cure or treatments.  By 1986 Angie had developed “Scoliosis” and it was necessary to place rods in her back, to prevent further complications.  Without a cure for the CMT it progressed and muscular atrophy continued to make her body weaker. It was necessary to supplement her breathing with machines, and wheelchairs to aid her movements and lots of drugs to keep the pain under control.  Angie died on December 4^th 2023.

To follow is :

·         Angie’s Testimony

·         Comments  from Four of her Friends

Gloria Godbee

Mary Perssons

Vera Blevins

Betsy Peters

 

Hope you have enjoyed the blogs.

 

 

 

                                                                                   

 

MY TESTIMONY

 

From the beginning, I was raised in the church.  As a child, I faced the weakness of this body that my soul was in.  I found comfort in what I was being taught in children’s church and other youth activities.  I learned who Jesus was. . .my Creator, my Redeemer,  my Savior for my sin debt.  At the age of 9, I gave my life to the Lord and was baptized.  I wanted to feel secure in knowing where I’d spend eternity if my life were to end and to have my own relationship with Christ.

At the age of 9, I had not really faced many temptations of the world, but I knew I was a sinner in need of grace to save me.  As I grew older, I did have the Spirit of peace within me as I dealt with life’s trials of surgeries, being different than my friends and just life as a young girl in a wicked world.   I found strength through prayer.  My downfall was the belief in myself, as much as the Spirit within me.

Even when I was away from church, the desire to seek more of God remained in me.  I know God has been working on my sanctification in many ways and opportunities.  One example, a church student union at college allowed me to park my scooter in their building.  After making friends there, I ended up in a Bible study. 

My life wasn’t a ‘total’ surrender to His will until the age of 30.  I’m guilty of wanting what the world offered and ignoring the cost of it.  God allowed me to have all that I wanted from the world…a marriage, a home, a career…therefore I reaped the consequences.  I’m thankful for this discipline.

My life was at a crossroad of choice….will I hang on to my will or trust in His guiding?  My world was stripped away and what I thought was my end…..was actually my new beginning.  I thank God for doing whatever it took….and yes it hurt a lot….to get my dependence centered on Him alone.  I thank God that since age 9, I’ve never felt truly alone.  I thank God that as much as I’ve failed Him and chosen the world, that He hasn’t given up on me and continues His good work in me.  I thank God that I am forgiven because of His sacrifice.  I thank God that I don’t fear death because of His resurrection and promises that He has prepared a place for me with Him.

 

                                                                                              Angelia Bridger

(written in 2019)

 

Romans 8:17 (NIV) says: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

 

When I think about what Angie's blog meant to me, I would say it was an invitation to share in suffering.  This may sound odd, as suffering is something most of us do not necessarily want to be invited into.  But in God's economy, an invitation to share in His suffering is a profound gift, because sharing in His sufferings allows us to share in His glory.  If I had not read Angie's blog, if I did not know her story and witness her suffering, then I would not have been able to share in the glory that was her passage into Christ's presence.  

 

In her last blog entry, Angie wrote about being in a desert. But Angie knew, if only by faith, that God's purpose was never to leave her there. Angie's blog walked us through the desert with her; through sufferings, unknowns, and surprising joys, so that we might more fully understand and value the Hope and Glory that await all of us Believers on the other side.

 

To me, Angie's life and blog can be summed up in the faith passage of Hebrews: 

 

"All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."

 

Hebrews 11:13-16 (NIV)

 

Mary Persson

 

For many years I've had a friend named Angie, one most dear to my heart. Her body was more frail than anyone I have ever personally known, but her spirit, her intellect and her spunk far exceeded most and overcame any challenge that was put in her path. Indeed, she was something to behold, "fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14) I Miss her. I will always miss her. But she is home now, complete in in the arms of the Savior whom she loved and shared diligently with others.

 

Her desire was to see Christians grow and unbelievers believe. If you have read her blog, you know this already. You have perused and contemplated and been richly blessed by what she shared. If you have not, please engage your mind and listen to the rich thoughts and words.  Allow the meditations of a life well spent to sink into your intermost parts and change your way of thinking about things, your worldview.

 

I watched her over the years, as she began to blog several years ago. Initially, she would often used it as a way to share her "beefs." Very quickly though, it became a means for her to " speak," using this as her megaphone as she overcame her inability to speak aloud. It was her feet to lead others down the path of freedom. It was her hands to reach out and give to others the bread of life. Nothing could stop that frail body from doing the work she was called to--not even death. She lives on in the legacy she has left--the myriad of friends and loved ones who have grown from her gift of love, and the vital truths that she has shared with all of us.  It's not so much about Angie. Angie was not perfect. It's about a perfect God who used an imperfect woman right where she was. The hours it took for her to tenaciously write each of those blogs are a testimony to a life well lived and an example to each of us to press through our seeming inabilities, and to make a difference in this world in which God has placed us, just as Angie did in her small space but very big world. Thanks, Angie. I for one am eternally grateful.

 

Gloria Godbee

 

 

Memoir of Her Friendship with Angie

Amazing Angie, that’s what Angie Bridger was to me, amazing!  The first time I met Angie was at church.  She came with her Mom and Dad because she had moved back home.  I soon learned two things about Angie.  She loved Jesus and she loved cute clothes.  We had a small group who usually went to lunch after church and Angie and her parents were included.

I always looked forward to being with Angie because of her intelligence and sense of humor.  We could talk for hours.  We wound up going to different churches but whenever I came into contact with Angie, it was like we had never parted ways and we picked up as if nothing had changed.  On one occasion I ran into Angie at Funland in Burns Park where I had taken my grandson to ride the rides.  Even with her disabilities she was a thrill seeker and loved the rides.

If Angie invited me to accompany her to various events and other activities, I gladly accepted because she was a joy to be with.  She came to know my grand kids and they adored her.  She was an inspiration to countless people that she met in the course of her life.

I cherish the memories of going with her and her caregivers to concerts, movies, restaurants, shopping, along with many other fun venues and activities.  Angie was also my greatly valued prayer partner and spiritual advisor.  Many times, I sought her advice regarding matters involving family and church and she not only gave good council but also prayed with me on these matters.

Despite the inevitable deterioration of Angie’s body, her spirit and unfaltering trust in the Lord was evidence for all who knew her that in her life, God’s grace was indeed sufficient.  What a powerful testimony that was for believers.

In closing, I want to thank Bobbie and Wayne for their tireless efforts to make Angie’s life as pleasant and productive as possible while sharing her with the world.  Yes, Angie was amazing, and my best friend.   

Vera Blevins

 

 

A TRIBUTE TO ANGIE – BY HER FRIEND BETSY

There are few circumstances in my life when I have felt like God clearly orchestrated the process and outcome.  But in the circumstance of meeting Angie 14 years ago and becoming her friend, I feel very confident that this was a direct gift from God to me and my family. 

I started getting to know Angie while my (now) 14 year old son, Jed, was a baby.  I would bring him to her house every week and with the help of Angie’s aide, Angie and I got to know each other very well.  I loved Angie because she had a depth of faith and a commitment to God, in spite of her suffering, that I felt was genuine.  I wanted her to rub off on me and my kids.  Over the years, I had 6 more children and Angie developed a loving relationship with each one.  She invited them over for crafts and parties, swim dates, bought them birthday gifts every year, and even brought them to their first real concert.

her simple instructions on trusting God.  Her blog posts were very simple and that is the best way for kids to learn.  I never have and never will know anyone else like Angie.  She was a blessing in my life for 14 years and her testimony will live in my heart until I see her again in eternity.  Her optimism and sense of adventure still spurs me on to want to live life to the fullest.  Her generosity and interest in others encourages me to treat others the way Angie treated them.  And her faith in the face of suffering made her stand out.  I want to live like Angie and I am eternally thankful that God gave me her example to follow.

 

Betsy Peters