My Eulogy

I do think about final days occasionally. Between skiing down the black diamonds of Seven Springs, taking time to smell the roses at the National Arboretum, and enjoying an exhilirating jog in the fresh morning air, a few minute of final days occasionally take center stage in my thoughts.

Besides the fact that I intend to go out in a blaze of glory there is the subject of my eulogy. There are four things that my eulogizer will mention if they really know me. These are things that occupy huge spaces in my life.

Andy Griffith – Anyone who does not mention The Andy Griffith Show does not know me at all. It’s not just Andy and Barney that I find entertaining. It is all of the other uniquely crafted personalities in the show that make watching it a repetitive pleasure. I know almost every episode word-for-word.

Skating and Skiing – Anyone who does not mention skating and skiing does not know me. I jokingly tell people that when it comes to skating, I am the best I know. While I nicknamed myself the Masterblaster, my friends call me The Professor. I assume that I earned that name because they say that I have gotten skating down to a science. Anyway, I say it jokingly but I do love skating and skiing.

Family – Some of my family are not big on me at least by their behavior, but that is only behavior because in that God-shaped place called “heart” I believe that I hold a special place of endearment in those eternal spaces.  They are me. All conversations and activities with the kings and queens of this world can be placed on hold by a simple call from my family. I am family.  This includes those whom I have excluded from my social media groupings. I have a severe case of the, “can’t help its”, when it comes to family.  It is also interesting that friends hold similar spots as family and it is probably due to the reciprocal love that I sense from them.

Jesus\Ministry – He has worked so well in my life that I cannot envision life without Him. He has fixed so many errors, straightened out so many messes, and He even overrides my hatreds and prejudices with agape’ to such a degree that it settles me and grounds me in the now and the hereafter. Because of Him I enjoy sitting down with a friend over a cup of coffee helping them find answers to their dilemmas. It’s called, “Ministry”. I enjoy helping people find the narrow gate that He said leads to life (Matt. 7:14 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A14&version=KJV)

You have to cover those bases in order to do my eulogy properly.

PS: Among the other things I love are:

1. Biblical preaching
2. Aspirations toward eloquent oratory
3. Classic literature.
4. Music with a special love for Soul, old Rock music with Iron Butterfly, Rare Earth, and classical music.
5. Wife and children
6. Wife and children
7. Wife and children
8. Jesus
9. Jesus
10. Jesus