After reading so many wonderful posts about Nicole on Facebook today, I thought about what I could share to honor her memory and this is what I came up with, I hope this will serve those who read it as a way to remember her fondly and be encouraged that our hope is not in this world.

What follows are the literal notes I used at Nicole's funeral service. I copied and pasted from my notes, so please forgive the sentence fragments, and poor syntax or grammar. In putting these notes together I spoke with many of Nicole's friends (most of whom are my friends too :) and recorded what they said about her so that the people at the funeral (there were about 1,000 people) would get a clear sense of what she is like.

October 10, 1990 - November 27, 2007
Met the Lord on June 22, 2007 at Frontier Ranch

Things people remembered about her and things she did:

her smile

friendliness

Cheerleader

Golfer

mascot

Scuba dived

Fished

Hunted

parasailed

water skied

snow skied

Chased Snakes

cut up snakes

Got on roofs

Jumped off roofs

she dressed up

smart

singing

shopping

origami

tae kwon doe

she really liked collared greens

she beat alot of guys in poker

she could run incredibly fast on all fours

she danced on the dance floor, in parking lots, on busses, waiting for busses, on beds, on cabinets, light poles anywhere else

encyclopediac knowledge of music

she loved to dress up and when she did she went all out

personality, things you appreciated about her personality:

superfun, always fun, but could be serious

she could be trusted to keep a secret

blunt, lovingly honest

energetic

always available, there for her friends

her obnoxious laugh, that she was embarrased about

Quotes about her:

“she made awkward situations comfortable”

“there was never a dull moment with her”

“after i spent time with her i would always think about how awesome she is and how I wanted to be around her all the time”

“she found a way to make people feel so good no matter how their day was going or what kind of mood they were in.”

“Nicole was the perfect girl she had it all from looks to personality. If i picked any girl to hang out with again it would be Nicole there is no other girl that is as much fun as she was.”

“poker on friday nights, oh geez the boys were so intimated by her because she would kick all their butts in poker every single time. and enjoyed doing it.”

“she was so secure with herself that she could just be wild Nicole (in a really good way) all the time.”

“She never stopped smiling, unless it was to do one of her faces. In every class I had with her she was not afraid to ask questions and argue with the teacher until she got her way :) she knew how to make everyone laugh while we were trying to learn but really didn't feel up for it. She would always talk loud enough so the entire class could hear saying "Who was an indian princess girl?" and I would turn around and yell "Me!" and she got all excited that we had that connection. And then on Monday she asked, to everyone, "So who's ready for Christmas music?" and again I turned around excited to say "Me!" and again she got so pumped. Her laugh, her walk, and her smile are so distinctive, and they will never leave my mind.”

“She was the girl that you run to with your problems, your fears, your tears, and your everything. Anything that you Ever needed, she was there. That's Nicole Corser “

“you lit up a room and were always so fun to be around, i can't wait until we meet again and we can dance together in heaven, like we danced for three hours at homecoming”

“The one thing i will remember most of all, other than the perfect smile that greeted me, is the mouse outfit you wore in elementary school. You're the only one who coulda pulled it off”

“she taught me how to look someone in the eyes and shake their hands..i use it everyday and get compliments for it...but i cant take the credit cuz that was all her

she was also so respectful..

one time she got in trouble with another parent and got the courage to call that parent up on the phone and apologize...i had so much respect for her, she was my best friend, my sister, my snuggle buddy, my partner in crime, my other half, my rowdy dancing buddy, and my ipod, she was also my therapist, if i had any problem she always knew exactly what to say, she was blunt when i needed her to be..that is what a good friend is, if i wore something that looked stupid she let me know and i would never do it again, she showed me love, and forgiveness”

“Nicole, I will never forget when I was the awkward new girl in 5th grade with no friends, but you talked to me and made me feel more at ease”

“Nicole, You were such an light shining for Christ in the lives of others. You were a beautiful girl with a wonderful happiness that made others feel the warmth of your soul. I'll always remember your amazing smile and love of life. You left behind many that loved you deeply”

After this I read and walked through John 11 and how we can find hope even after death through Christ's power over death. I was honored to speak at the funeral and share with confidence that Nicole had trusted Christ and put her faith on His work on the cross and His ressurrection for eternal life. She came to know Christ at Frontier in June before her junior year at Taylor, and she met Him face to face on Nov. 27, 2007.