Lessons from Our Papa

They say that memories with our loved one will last a lifetime. We certainly have our share that will carry us through. Beyond that we also have lessons that you’ve taught us along with way. Lessons that I assure you will be carried on through us. And with that, I present you with Lessons from Our Papa:

· That any celebration is centered around good food - and if it’s really good, don’t be shy about going back for seconds

· That there’s always room for dessert - especially if it’s key lime pie, or mint chocolate chip ice cream, or a handful or Hot Tamales or Mike and Ike’s, or a slice of pecan pie, apple pie, or well, you get the picture...

· To laugh and make light of life any chance you get - be goofy and find the humor in any situation

· To love and serve others - look for their needs and meet them if you can

· To look for natural alternatives to healing - allowing for those solutions to lead to better health

· To assume the good in others, always - believing that everyone has a positive intent

· To enjoy the thrill of the hunt for the best deals - whether it be at a flea market, garage sale or online find

· To capture every moment with a picture or video - sealing the memory with the perfect photo

· To dream big - not settling for what’s reasonable, but always take it one step further to make it even better

· To never lose hope - to have faith and believe in a positive outcome

· To work hard, with passion and to truly love what you do for a living

· To travel and explore - taking time away to relax and unwind

· To love our pets and nature - admiring all of God’s creation and beauty

· To pick out the perfect cards for your loved ones - the ones with the heartfelt messages and sweet notes

· To forgive - and enjoy the freedom that’s found when you let go of the past and focus on maintaining the relationship and love that exists

· That family is a priority - and each moment and milestone is to be celebrated together and each hardship is to be endured with one another.

· There are countless more lessons I could recall, but the most important lesson of all? To live a life a surrendered to God. To have a personal relationship with Him - knowing Him through His word, praying and learning from other believers.

You’ve left us with precious memories, love in our heart, lessons to carry with us and a deeper longing for heaven. Until then we’ll commit to living our lives surrendered to God, doing our part to bring some Heaven to earth.