Live Well...Love Much...Laugh Often.

Life does not stop because of tragedy. The sun rises and sets and what happened yesterday won't happen today. You don't forget, but you can't relive. Each day, each hour, each moment is here but for a breath and then it ceases to be. That is why each one should be held so very special.

Today, I buried a friend. I wish for anything that it could be undone...but life...is transient. Life, is a vagabond and it moves from you after a while. Sometimes, it seems like the years it stayed were too short...others, they enjoy its company ages beyond expectation. When life moves on, some people mourn, some accept it, others grow angry at its parting, some question "why?" The undeniable thing is that it comes to us all and it leaves us all...and the ones we love. Personally, as a Christian, I see life as something far more infinite than the few years we spend on this earth. Life does not end, it simply changes form...we cast off these jars of clay and put on our immortality. I believe my friend knew where his hope was placed. I believe that as of the moment he slipped from this mortal coil, he was standing in the presence of the Lord of all Creation. I believe that I will see him again, see his smile, and hear his laugh. I believe in what Psalm 30 verse 5 tells us that "...Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy Comes in the Morning." That night may last a long time, but how much more glorious the sunrise will be.

At the funeral today, my best friend spoke...as she knew him better than anyone else. She told of how he had hurt, of the things he'd endured in this life and how we would all love him and miss him. She spoke of his laughter, his smile, and his kind and caring heart. The words she spoke were not those of bitterness or despair, they were words of hope...words of a promise. "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."-Isaiah 40:29 "...not one of them is missing." how much more do we matter to God than the stars? Infinitely more...infinitely more.

I choose to believe that each day is a gift. I will mourn, I will grieve, as it is just as much a part of the human condition as joy, laughter, and love. How would we know the heights of one without the depths of the other? I hope that each of you will see life in the same fashion. Call your mom or your dad, your sister or brother, that friend you haven't spoken to in years. Help a stranger in need. Spend a day out in the creation taking it all in instead of passing it by on your way to the office. Let someone know that they matter...even the smallest gesture can mean the world. Live each moment as if it is on loan. So in closing, I will leave you with this, a friend gave me a bracelet inscribed with a message, the day he passed, I saw it gleaming in my jewelry box. I felt that the inscription held a new timeliness: "...live well...love much...and laugh often..." God bless you my friend. I love you. I will miss you. Goodbye.

The New Year...passings and beginnings

I don't know why some things happen. I'll never be able to understand the paths some people walk. I'm not sure I even want to write about this, but I think I need to. New Year's Eve, I received a phone call, during my lunch hour, informing me that a friend of mine had been found dead. I don't even know what to type or what to say. While it was unintentional, his own choices were the cause and while it's something I feared, it's something you never expect regardless of what you see. I will miss him. I will miss the person he was before he started down his destructive road. I will see pictures of us and our friends and think of good times, football games, and road trips. I will remember your sense of humor, your laugh, and your friendly nature. That's how I will remember you.

It's hard to put my thoughts into words. How do you draw good from tragedy? I guess...I'll just use this post as a plea. For anyone out there that feels at the end of their rope...for anyone who doesn't care about themselves anymore...someone cares about you. I'm proof of that, here I sit on the other side of someone who gave up on themselves. I know life can be utterly horrific and you might feel completely alone or hopeless...but you always have options! If you're convinced you don't have any friends or family that would care, then tell a pastor, a co-worker, make a phone call or web visit to one of the sites I've listed below. People care about your life! Accept the help when it's offered...it's offered because you are loved.

For those of us left behind...don't blame yourself. Don't question what more you could have done...none of the "what if you'd picked up the phone that one time?"...or if you'd called someone for them again. There is only so much help you can offer...in the end, it's always up to the person on the other end to take your hand. You just can't blame yourself.

Each life is precious...it's like the title of my blog...the subheading "each ordinary life is extraordinary." We were all fearfully and wonderfully made...God tells us so in His word. Every single person has value...you have value. Someone cares enough to help you...a friend, a family member, even a stranger...you'd be surprised.

There is help...
http://www.thehopeline.com/ 1-800-394-HOPE
http://www.hopeline.com/ 1-800-SUICIDE
http://teenchallengeusa.com/
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/
http://www.na.org/index.htm
http://www.walking-wounded.net/html/christians___suicide__suicidal.html

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD,' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more."

" It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags!" He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore...then, the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. "Maybe Christmas..." he thought "doesn't come from a store? Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more?"What is it about that day that makes the harshness of the world soften a bit? The Grinch learned that the joy of Christmas was something that couldn't be purchased, and even better, something that couldn't be stolen. You see, Christmas, doesn't come from a store...yes, Christmas in fact, means a little bit more.


It is a time to gather in with family and friends. It's a time to be full of glad tidings and cheer and a time to relish in that sense of magic that eludes us most of the year.



We see the dreary world with new eyes. Lights glow a little brighter, fires seem a little warmer, and charity spreads its wings from pocketbooks and bank accounts that know a new generosity. Still...the glitter of the gifts, the sparkle of the tree, and the love of kith and kin are only shadows of Christmas. Christmas still means just a little bit more...

"Isn't there anyone out there who can tell me what Christmas is all about?"


*Lights please*

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Merry Christmas to all. May the true Joy of Christmas be found in your
heart on this and every day.