10-19-11

Dear Family of Faith,
By now you should have received the special email that I sent out today about the unexpected death of Bob Maas. We hold Carol and their family in our prayers. If you would like to send a card, Carol's address is 5331 Harbinger Road, Spring Hill, FL 34608. A memorial service will be held next month of honor of Bob's life.
Every unexpected death causes us to pause a moment and consider our own mortality. As Christians, we do not fear death, for we know that God promises us life that goes beyond our physical death. Even so, the knowledge that our time in this world is limited should always remind us to do the things that are important today. The only day of life we have for sure is today. If we need to tell others that we love them, today is the day. If we need to help those in need, today is the day. If we need to get our spiritual house in order, today is the day. The greatest freedom in life comes not from pretending that we will live forever in this world (which is not true), but rather from being ready for our last day whenever it comes so that we can enjoy the time at hand. That's one reason Jill and I are going on a hot air balloon ride (now postponed until next Wedesday morning). We only pass this way once; don't live with regrets. Celebrate and mourn, laugh and weep, dance and sit still, write letters and listen to others-- do what is important today.