Celebrating the Life of a Friend

Today, I came home from work to find an e-mail that my college roommate and friend had passed away. I never know how to handle the passing of a dear friend or family member. My initial reaction is selfish… “We’ll never be able to _____ again.” Then I experience sadness for his family… “How will they cope with the loss of their husband and father?”

In the end, I have to remember that our life is a gift given us by God to use for a short while. There is no greater end to life then the knowledge that the fragile human shell we live in is stripped away and replaced with a perfect body and an eternity with God.

Jayson Jewell was a man that lived the example of Christ-like love and character, truly caring for others, brining joy to those with whom he came in contact with.

Despite the tears and sadness we are experiencing now, the world is a better place because God loaned us Jayson for a few short years. I am a better man because I knew Jayson as my friend and roommate. During this time of mourning, I pray that his family and friends can embrace his life in Christ even through his absence.

Exploring Oregon

I love the Oregon Coast. This past weekend we spent three days with my cousin Sara traveling the Southern Oregon coast geocaching. We spent time in Bandon, North Bend, and Charleston.

The more we travel and explore our state, the more I am convinced that we live in the most beautiful part of the world. There is so much variety and beauty. There is urban connection and rural solitude.

Incidentally, we found our 300th geocache as well.

I'm Thankful For Friends

I'm thankful for friends. I met my best friend at college in the late 80s. He is the kind of friend I hope I am to others. He stood with me through some of the darkest times in my life. He is always quick to offer a hand, provide a resource, or just hang out. He is always busy, but seldom for personal reasons. His schedule is filled with family activities, aiding his friends, and volunteering at church. He is a jack-of-all-trades. But most importantly, he cares. He has a genuine concern for those people in his life.

I'm thankful for friends. Today, I'm especially thankful for my friendship with Josh.

Chinese Food - for India

I had chinese food for dinner tonight. That wasn't the highlite, though. For you see, this is a farewell dinner for the team of 11 who are going to India from our church. My purpose for joining these intrepid travelers is to support my daughter, who is one of the team.

This will be Kara's second time out of the USA (She went to Mexico during Spring Break.) But I am strangely calm through all of this. I'm proud of her desire to reach out to the less fortunate in the world, to better understand their situation in life, and to expand her world view.

I am completely amazed at how God provided for her trip. Her financial support came in well above what she needed and so she could support others on the team. She was inundated by letters of encouragment and commitments to pray while she is on this trip. WOW!

I invite you to pray with me for Kara and the team. You can stay up on their 15 day trip by visiting the team's official blog.

Because I've ALWAYS Done It That Way

I started my annual fantasy football league yesterday. 12 years ago, when I started this thing, I religiously watched the football games and compared my picks with friends who joined in. I tracked everyone's picks in Excel and sent out e-mails on a weekly basis reminding everying to send in their choices for the week.

Now I utilize a the fantasy sports portion of Yahoo to drive my league and I only have to make my own picks, not track everyone else's activity. Due to my spot in life, I also don't watch as many games as I used to. Seems there are more important things to do with my time.

So, why do I continue this game? Why do I spam all my friend's e-mail boxes once a year to invite them to join, when only a handful actually participate?

I think it is because I like consistancy. I enjoy knowing that things stay the same. I like the fact that even though I'm not writing a personal e-mail, at least I'm contacting my friends on an annual basis. Not really the best mode of conversation and relationship building. But hey... I've always done it that way!