Good morning and happy Tuesday. I written many times after being at a funeral. Today is no different. He's my age and has two boys my youngest daughters age. I was one of his first friends when he moved here and never saw him again after he moved to another part of town. Now he's gone. It was a beautiful service that left me and I hope others there with some questions to answer. Have I done enough to let my family know I love them? Have I passed on enough to my kids to not forget what the lesson was? Is my faith strong enough? Strong enough to let God be in control of my life and of the people I love? We're  told to be prepared for that day, a day we don't know when will come. The answer to those questions come when we understand how deep our relationship is with God the Father. How close are you to Him today? When you can answer that e/question with a definitive answer you can take heart that everything else will take care of itself. Our lives are too short not to have the answers to these questions, find them somewhere, find them soon.  In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Monday. We are never promised tomorrow, not even our next breath. As I've gone back to work after this time off, I'm hearing more about people who have passed away while I was gone. One in particular struck me when I heard it. Since I've known him, he was always talking about the days of his retirement. He had bought a place on a lake and was fixing it up over the last years of his working days. I really liked this guy too and he was the kind that would love for you to come and stay a weekend fishing with him at his place. He didn't have but a few more years till his retirement when on the way home from work he was in a car wreck and killed. Most all if his life was spent preparing to retire. Now I'm not saying not to prepare for retirement. I'm am saying that you have to plan to go on to heaven also. Now Max was a bit older than me and his dying, as sad at is it, didn't feel quite close to home for me. But today my wife and I are going to a funeral for a friend my exact age. It just got close to home, again. God knows our time to the second. He knows the things He needs us to do. He's placed us in lives to have an impact and influence on others for Him and eternity. It seems we don't think about eternity much until someone passes on. It should be what we're working for today. As we get that "lake house" ready, we should be making sure our house we're in is in order first. The retirement years will come to many and most will be ready but will most be ready to stand before God and give account for their lives. Plan for the future and live for today. In love always. <><