Matt's in Heaven!

May Matt's spirit be with you all, and Christ's peace fill your heart!

Matthew Adrian Coles
January 13, 1983 - December 5, 2010

Matt, a true holy man of God, went to our Lord on December 5th. He completed his pilgrimage of praise and glory after winning his battle with cancer here on earth.

He will continue to glorify the Lord through his heavenly intercession. He was a man of devout faith, the most loving and faithful husband, and the best father to his three sons. He was an inspiration to all that he met, especially to his family, the teens and community of St. Clare's, and all who had the opportunity to know him. Matt enjoyed praising the Lord through song, scripture and living a life of constant gratitude. He loved being outside playing with his sons and brightening the world of others through gifts of fresh flowers.

He will be greatly missed, but he is at peace and filled with the joy of the kingdom.

He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Lucy Coles, his three sons John-Matthew, Pio and Andrew Coles, his caring mother Cosette Nolen, his father Clint Coles and his wife Jude, brothers and sisters Nan Ray and her husband Sam, Andy Coles and wife Marlen, Elise Meeks and husband Troy, Lucas Lahaug, Lindsay Lahaug, Michael Jetty and wife Maggie, Stefani Tent and husband Marius, Sam Glorioso, Grandparents, Claude and Jeanne Nolen, Parents-In-law Linda Lahaug and Mark and Natalie Glorioso, nieces Rebecca Coles, Sarah and Shannon Ray, and nephews Anthony and Jonathan Coles, Blaise Jetty, Sofie, Marius, Hannah and Nathan Tent, and numerous loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

He is preceded in death by Milt and Emi Coles, and Laurence and Margaret Coles. We love you, Matt. A visitation will begin on Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 6:00pm with a Vigil Service at 7:00pm at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 3131 El Dorado Blvd., Houston, Texas 77059. A funeral mass will follow on Friday at 10:30am at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church with Father Vincent Vuong-Quoc Nguyen officiating. Interment will take place at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Dickinson, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, you may send memorials to the Matthew Coles' Family Memorial Fund, C/O Lucy Coles, Wells Fargo Bank, 2929 NASA Parkway, Seabrook, Texas 77586. (http://www.crowderfuneralhome.com/obituaries.htm)

2-9-09

Praise the Lord for all He has done!

We just wanted to give you a quick update. We found out at the beginning of January that we are expecting another wonderful BOY at the end of May. John-Matthew is very excited and gives kisses to the baby quite often:)

We also found out that as we had expected there are more tumors in Matt's brain. We were able to meet with the doctors here at MD Anderson, one of whom we saw 3 years ago during the initial diagnosis. I know it is hard to imagine, but the appointments were so joyful and each time we came out laughing at how amazing the Lord is! He allows these situations for our joy and not our demise! We learned that there are about 11 new tumors that have grown over the past year since Matt's last MRI. After speaking with the doctors here and then getting a second opinion from Johns Hopkins (as was suggested by the doctors at MD Anderson), we have decided that it would be best to go back to Johns Hopkins for a 4th treatment. MD Anderson's radiosurgery machine is not quite as capable of treating the number of tumors Matt has, and the at Hopkins is also omre familiar with Matt (having treated him 3 times previously) and with the current situation.

So in short, we're planning on flying up to the DC area for about a week. We are currently scheduled for February 17th for this treatment. We ask for your prayers over the next few days as we prepare to head up to the District, and for a successful surgery. (If you remember the previous 3, they are non-invasive except for the titanium frame that is screwed into his skull which is used for precise measurements. The recovery time will hopefully be quick, but we will stay in the DC area for the rest of the week to make sure he is able to rest.)

By the way, we updated a few pictures on the website if you would like to take a look. (http://familycoles.googlepages.com)

May the Lord bless you this week with His love.

Matt, Lucy, John-Matthew, and Baby Boy Coles

12-21-08

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

As we prepare for Christmas this Advent, we are thankfully slowing down slightly with the end of the semester coming soon and many big events coming to a close.

We have just closed on our first house here in Houston!

We are grateful for this gift this Christmas and for this opportunity to serve Christ with a new larger space:) As I was reflecting on this move I have found it very similar to our last two moves, once in DC and finally the move down here. Our first move in DC, I was 5 months pregnant and Matt was undergoing chemotherapy, neither one of us in a state to move down 3 flights of stairs and back up 3 flights into our new apartment. In our last move down to Texas, John-Matthew was 8 months old and we were chasing him every which way (little did we know that would only increase 100% :)) and Matt's side pains had increased dramatically, again not an ideal situation. But in our weaknesses the body of Christ was strengthened by the many many helpers that walked those flights of stairs for us and supported us both on the DC side and down here as we moved in. So I am once again in awe and thanksgiving as we prepare to move again and I am 4 months pregnant, John-Matthew is running:) and Matt is not able to lift as much as he would like without irritating his side (from his initial surgeries)- and in asking for help we were blessed to have so many responses of yes either through babysitting, moving heavy boxes, or helping to organize. In our physical weakness, we have again been uplifted by His body.

As we prepare our new house, as I mentioned, we will be preparing for a new little one to join us and bring much joy to our family and a play buddy for John-Matthew. He/she is due May 28th! We are so excited and blessed by this joyous gift from the Lord.

We are enjoying our job as co-youth ministers at St. Clare's parish in Houston and have been so welcomed by the community and the teens. There are so many programs going on at this parish (what a blessing for these teens!) that it has taken almost the full semester to get a grasp on them, but it has been such a fulfilling job and we learn something new every day. Matt has thoroughly enjoyed being one of the leaders of the weekly bible study for the teens. We have both enjoyed the challenges that have arisen and worked together to solve, and working for the Church has been a wonderful blessing to our family.

John-Matthew is growing into an amazing little boy, he is running full speed everywhere, laughs all the time and most recently has taken to rubbing his belly and saying "Baby"! He loves to read and be read to and is a big helper in taking out dishes from the dishwasher (except for the knives). Right now his favorite phrase is "What's dat?", but also in his repertoire is clock, Jesus, mama, dada, dog, quack, and of course baby.

Matt is doing very well regarding his health, though there are some concerns regarding the tumors in his brain and the functioning of his liver. We are currently looking into the doctors down here at MD Anderson and have a few contacts from our first visit here with his initial diagnosis. He is still proceeding with the natural treatment and diet and has gradually increased in his variety of foods. It was a special treat at thanksgiving to have an avocado, tomato, and lemon salad prepared just for him by my family:). His energy level is great, though recently we have both been a little worn out with all the events taking place. Nevertheless, each day the Lord really refreshes us to serve again. We do continue to ask for prayers of healing if it is the Lord's will and if it will bring us closer to Him.

I am doing well, this pregnancy seems to be easier than the last- or maybe since I am chasing John-Matthew around I don't think about it as much. There have been no cravings and not as much nausea this time around so I am grateful for this. We will have our big ultrasound on January 5th and we look forward to telling you if we're having a boy or a girl.

These past five months in Texas have been a great witness of the love of family. We have seen both our families very often and it has been neat for John-Matthew to be around his grandparents more. We definitely miss our friends in DC and of course the family we left behind there, but have seen the blessings of following God's call here.

May the Christ child bring you great happiness and joy this Christmas,
Matt, Lucy, John-Matthew and Baby Coles

8-18-08

Praise be to Jesus Christ!

As we finished up this school year we pondered what the Lord would call us to next. Matt graduated with the Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L.) and completed the coursework for the doctorate. We had decided we would take a break from school at this juncture as we had finished what we came to DC for- the licentiate. We applied for a few positions in the DC area and in Texas, but nothing was working out. The Lord continued to work on our virtue of patience...as He never fails in generosity and in knowing what is best.

So we waited...until July 18th.

With that said, we have moved to Houston, TX to take on a position, together as a couple, as the Coordinators of High School Youth Ministry at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church. We are very excited to be working together and serving the Lord in this capacity. You may remember that we worked with St. Anthony's parish up in DC in youth ministry

and loved it.

We have enjoyed our first 3 weeks on the job, we have wonderful people to work with, and the teens are a joy to serve. Please keep this ministry in your prayers- these teens are amazing.

John-Matthew is ten months old today! He has 6 teeth, is a super fast crawler, walks with the help of the sofa, eats anything you put in front of him and still smiles about 95% of his waking hours. He loves the water- the bath, the pool, the beach, - as long as it is wet, he is happy. This week Grammy (Lucy's mom) took him diving under water and he has taken to that quite well. On our latest trip to the beach he crawled straight into the waves, slowing down only to taste the newest shell he'd found. He is such a joy and has transitioned pretty smoothly into life as a southerner.

Matt is doing very well. Through prayers and trust in the Lord, he has great energy, feels good, and he has a nice tan:). He is continuing the all natural regimen he began in February. He eats kefir, flax oil, raw veggies, raw nuts, steamed veggies, cheeses, dried beans of all sorts, brown rice, and plenty of sauerkraut. The Houston climate provides lots of sun which has also been very good for the natural treatment. He has occasional soreness on his right side where his surgery was 2 years ago, especially after doing a lot of lifting or carrying of the cute little boy on that side of his body, but overall the cancer has been stable. We are thankful for the life given each day, and we continue to ask for your prayers. We truly cannot serve without the constant strength given by our Lord through your intercession.

Right now we are living in Nassau Bay, a suburb of Houston on the southeast side. We live about a block away from the water, in a 2/2 apartment. We hope to eventually buy a house, but at the moment we enjoy our location and the luxury of having a pool at the apartments to swim in daily (for those of you in DC, the water is pretty much lukewarm and perfect for swimming!)

We have only been here 3 weeks, but we have managed to see almost every member of our immediate family...what a blessing! This was one of the main reasons we came down to Texas and we are so thankful that our families have been so eager to visit. We have loved seeing them so much.

We definitely miss our friends in DC but praise the Lord for being able to know each of them. Though I never thought I would say we miss the north...it is true, it was a wonderful place to begin our life as a family. We have been surrounded by amazing friends, doctors, religious, priests, and family.

We have posted a few new pictures on our website http://familycoles.googlepages.com of our return to Texas and the lil tike growing up!

Though we will definitely be very busy as we begin this new journey, we would love to hear from you and if you have any prayer requests, we would love to offer them for you. Please pray for us!

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us!

Matt, Lucy and John-Matthew

April 20, 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

May Christ be the source of our Faith, the reason for our Hope, and the center of our Lives!

As the Easter Season comes to a close, and we prepare for the feast of Pentecost, we ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit: Come, Holy Spirit! We are also now preparing for the close of the semester and are discerning the next steps in the Coles family journey.

Thank you all who prayed so vigilantly for the possibility of us going to Lourdes. We have been asked to travel to Lourdes, France on a pilgrimage next Wednesday (April 30) for 8 days with the Order of Malta. We will be continuing to ask for Matt's healing, and in all things for the Lord's will to be done. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to go on this pilgrimage (all three of us) and look forward to taking to Our Lady any prayer requests that you may have.

This month we also rejoiced in the visit of the Holy Father to Washington!! We were blessed by his presence here in DC, and there was much activity. One of the small pleasures of the Pope being here was seeing his Popemobile as I was sitting outside for lunch at work. A friend and I jumped up as we heard the motorcade and then started shouting as we saw the popemobile...as it got closer we realized that there was no Pope in the Popemobile...they were just transporting it to his next public location...oh well. But the next day, we all had the privilege of seeing that same Popemobile very close (and he was in it this time) as we were able to attend the Papal Mass! His presence truly is one of hope, and it was beautiful to see and hear the Vicar of Christ. We have placed some links on our website of some of his talks, as well as some pictures and videos from the Mass.

Regarding the cancer, Matt's most recent scans on Good Friday came back mostly stable with only neglible growth in his kidneys and pancreas. This was done about 6 weeks into the alternative treatment that he had started and was very positive news. The metastases in his brain were unchanged (there are several of them), which is even better. His energy level is top notch, and at the moment he is quite happy to not be on any drugs. We still see Dr. Smith every three weeks and have scans every six weeks to monitor the progress. Our next scan will be when we return from Lourdes.Matt is very car eful in attending to the alternative regimen and it takes much energy to do it fully each day- but he does, and we are grateful. We continually get glimpses of how much we need to place our trust in the Lord as even when he is doing everything he can, it is clear that the cancer is still present. It is a humbling experience to know that we are not in charge.

John-Matthew is amazing! He has his first tooth, the bottom right, and the other bottom tooth is pushing through. He enjoys fruits, especially cantaloupe! He is sitting up, rolling over, and continuing to compete for the title of "most joyful baby ever!" We are truly blessed to have him keep us laughing and, as a dominican sister recently said, to be our "sanctifying grace"!

Matt's classes will come to a close in the next two weeks, so all of his coursework will be completed! He will have his oral exams next week to complete the Licentiate in Philosophy. We really don't know where we will end up next year; there are a great many factors that play into the decision - jobs, housing, cancer, insurance, etc. So we ask for your prayers in all of these areas, as well as for a safe pilgrimage to Lourdes. Thank you for all of your prayers.

All of the new pictures, videos and links can be found at http://familycoles.googlepages.com .

May you have a blessed Easter season and a transforming Pentecost!
Through the hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Matt, Lucy and John-Matthew

2-26-08

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been quite a while since we have sent out a Coles Family Update, but I can assure you this is not because nothing is happening here in Maryland. On the contrary, we have been very busy and full of excitement with John-Matthew, Matt's new treatment, and my annual conference here in D.C. As the Lenten season has brought us upon a time of reflection and a greater stillness in our hearts, we hope to relate some of the things that have been going on here and ask for your prayers during this preparation time for the joy of Easter!

John-Matthew is now almost four and a half months old and such an awesome little boy! He is smiling and laughing more and more each day- he starts this around 6:00 AM which makes for a mighty nice wake up. It is easy to want to get up with that ear to ear smile staring straight at you. He has begun pushing himself up quite well and has started rolling over a little bit. He is a great eater and doesn't tend to miss many meals. He is quite a social light and shines most when he is in a group. It's amazing that he can be crying one moment when it is just the three of us, and then we enter a room with many people and his frown turns upside down.

John-Matthew is enjoying his daily time with his daddy which started full time January 2nd. Matt stays with John-Matthew while I go into work full-time. This arrangement has truly been a blessing as Matt finishes up his last semester of school and has night classes two nights a week. We are hoping at some point for me to be able to stay home with John-Matthew, but at this point the opportunity is not at hand. Almost every other day I get the opportunity to view some of the boys' activities through videos or pictures that Matt has taken. This is always a high point of my evenings. On nights when Matt has class, I have a flexible schedule so that I can go in early and get off earlier so that I can watch John-Matthew.

Lucy just finished up with her annual conference and has really impressed the association with her organization and design skills. There has even been talk about trying to keep her on the payroll to design brochures and posters and plan for the annual conference after we move to Texas. In conjunction with this, she's talked about possibly beginning a small business where she could do part-time graphic design while being a stay-at-home mom.

We have met several young families with children in our area and this has been a great source of community and learning as our little family grows. We have worked out a great date-night system, switching off having a date night once or twice a month with another family who has two small children. This has been a nice break for Matt and I to have some quality time together and to allow the other couple to do the same.

At our parish, we have passed on the leadership for the youth group as our schedule and time commitments have begun to change. But the group continues under its new leadership, and we are thankful for the time we were able to dedicate to it. As a sort of shift in our ministry, we have been given the opportunity to speak to several different groups about marriage, discernment, and the gift of life. This has been a special way that Matt and I have been able to grow more together and try to communicate the good news about the wonderful Sacrament of Marriage!

In regards to the cancer, thank you for all of your continued prayers. We are strengthened each time we hear someone randomly say that they are still praying for us. We recently received the results of Matt's latest scans. They showed some progress in the cancer since his last scan 12 weeks ago, and over the past year there has been enough progress to warrant a change in treatment. There was a slight increase in activity throughout his body, with a few 1 millimeter spots showing up in his brain. These spots will need to be watched for further development and we will go back for an MRI in one month. After much prayer and research we have decided to try an alternative treatment for up to three months with an initial scan of progress in a month (Good Friday-March 21). The new treatment does not include any sort of chemotherapy, but rather is based more on a diet and slight change in lifestyle. This will include more sunshine, and relaxation. As far as the diet, he will eat all raw foods which would include salads, fruits, nuts, etc. making sure to stay away from sugar, white flour, and meat. This isn't a huge adjustment since we had already almost gone completely vegetarian due to Matt's allergic reactions to meat while on the chemo. And surprisingly the new rage is the "Raw Diet" so there have been many resources to make up creative dishes. In addition to this, he has a flax seed/oil and kefir mixture 4 times a day which he spices up with some berries or cocoa and honey. If you have any tasty vegetarian dishes- send them on over, we are always looking to try new things. So far Matt has been on this treatment for close to 3 weeks. There are days when he feels that he is breathing much much better, and days when he still has pain on his sides or other cancerous locations. During his chemo treatment he would also have good days and harder days, so this is one reason why we will consistently try this treatment for a specific amount of time rather than on a day to day basis. Please pray for us, for the Lord's will be done- and that we will have the strength to live out this calling to the fullest.

We are looking forward to our upcoming visit to Texas at the end of March for my brother Lucas' confirmation and we also will have the opportunity to see my sister Lindsay dance one last time before she heads off to college! And of course some of the grandparents will have the opportunity to smother John-Matthew with kisses (and I hear through the grapevine that they are more interested in him coming down than Matt and I...but I guess that is understandable as he is so willing to show his love for everyone). We are still praying about the possibility of moving back to Texas this year, so we will leave this in God's hands and see what jobs, houses, & other opportunities arise in the next few months.

Thank you for all of your prayers, we would love to hear how you are all doing.

"The task of man is beautiful: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, this is the happiness of man on earth…" - St. John Vianney

Peace and blessings this Lent,
Matt, Lucy and John-Matthew Coles

9-15-07

Dear Friends and Family,

As we begin a new school year and finish up the summer we are once again reminded of our many blessings. How good the Lord is!

Lucy has only about a month to go with the little guy in her tummy. She's truly a supermom, handling all the discomfort and difficulties that come from having another person growing in her body. She suffers with such patience and self-giving love! As for the little guy, he's happily growing and growing. It is amazing to feel him kicking, elbowing, and even occasionally getting the hiccups for a few minutes. What an incredible gift from the Lord!

Lucy has been continuing to work at the Association of Catholic Colleges and even approaching nine months is still commuting. She's keeping quite busy preparing for the next national conference of presidents which takes place in February. The work, she says, is very productive, fulfilling, and helps to take her mind off the little motherly worries that tend to arise. Still, we certainly look forward to her time off and later to her being able to work part-time from home.

Matt has been working very diligently on his thesis this summer and has turned in all of his chapters for review. Matt has also been working part time throughout the summer at both research jobs. We are thankful for these jobs which have allowed for a flexible schedule both with school and treatments. He has begun studying for his oral exams for the Licentiate and will hope to graduate with the licentiate in December. He will still continue his course work for the Ph.D. (God willing), and finish this portion up in the Spring of 2008.

As far as plans and schooling after the lil guy is born, we are still praying and trusting in the Lord's wonderful plan. We would like to move back to Texas, but we are open to seeing where God leads us over the next year. This summer overall has been jam packed with wonderful visitors; Cosette, Grandma and Grandpa, Troy, Lucas, Sam, Mark, and Fr. Mike Sis, Nick, Aunt Carol, and Linda coming up for a bit- just to name a few. As someone at Lucy's work stated, it is such a testament of the love of our family to have, and continue to have, been blessed by so many visitors. These visits have been wonderful blessings and have allowed us the opportunity to focus on the gift of hospitality. Matt's sister Elise came in to visit us from Anchorage, AK, and planned an amazing baby shower with Matt's sister-in-law Marlen. All in all there were about 35 people who came to celebrate the gift of this child's new life. Elise then stayed with us through the week and helped us with setting up, putting together, and cleaning things to get everything ready for when the baby comes.

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to take a final mini vacation before the lil guy comes. We made our way to Princeton, NJ, visiting Matt's aunt and uncle and then taking a detour home to enjoy the beautiful beach of Cape May and take an unexpected 75 minute ride on a ferry from New Jersey to Delaware. It was such a treat to be on a nearly empty boat as we sailed into the sunset. Though we got home 6 hours later than originally planned, the vacation was a much needed break and allowed us to focus on spending time with each other. We were so thankful for the hospitality given by our family in New Jersey.

We apologize for a poor job on updates regarding Matt's treatment and scans over the summer, but we do thank you for all of your continual prayers, and are constantly uplifted by those of you who have expressed your daily prayers for us. Matt has had 2 major scans in the past few months- one MRI and one PET/CT. This MRI came up negative to any new spots- praise God!! This past PET/CT scan of his whole body showed a decrease in activity level in the cancer in his adrenal gland which was also wonderful as there had been no change in this prognosis since we began treatment last July. The cancer is still scattered in various places (kidney, shoulder, lung, pancreas, and adrenal gland) but is being held almost constant in these areas. Our doctor is opening up more and more and blesses us with his caring smile each time we see him. Today we will go in for Matt's regular treatment and in the upcoming month we will be due for another scan of sorts.

Emotionally, these treatments have been a bit more difficult (probably a little bit of the pregnancy hormones kicking in:) ) so we do continue to ask for your prayers and support as each day is a new day to offer to the Lord. Today's readings were particularly inspiring as we prepare for this treatment...

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." Colossians 1:24

And so we offer this day for you, our prayer team, family and friends . . . the body of Christ!

Thank you for your continual uplifting support.

In Christ's arms of love,
Matt, Lucy and Baby Coles

PS. Gig'em Ags! Our dear friend and neighbor Chris has this new internet thingy (official name) that allows him to get cable from his parents house back in Florida...where the Aggie game happened to be showing. Thus we had the privilege of watching the game and cheering them on (though not in 107 degree weather)! Baby Coles is all set for the big game as Matt's aunt and uncle gave him a set of aggie overalls:)- Whoop!