Tag: Jeff Noel

Funeral For A Friend

Peace Be With You Kevin
Peace Be With You Kevin

Ever get ahead of schedule on a project? Hardly ever right? Well, I can’t remember the last time it’s happened to me, except for right now.

It’s December 24, 2009, Christmas Eve as I write this, and we are getting ready for 5:00PM Mass, the Children’s Mass.

A few hours ago, my son and I attended a funeral for a friend.

Kevin and I were colleagues 14 years ago. His Family and my Family attend the same Church. his son is even younger than mine.

Kevin fought brain cancer, and had won, for the past eight years or so, maybe longer.

My Family and I were in Church when we heard the sad news this past Sunday.

Kevin went to Heaven. His funeral was beautiful. His life was beautiful.

Ever know someone, not well enough to be close friends, but well enough to call friend?

jeff noel Spirit Filled New Year

Well Fed?
Well Fed?

“Happy New Year” !

Have you ever worked on an important project and found yourself looking for creative ways to do things better and faster?

The Church looks for creative ways to do things better and faster. Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Are you feeding your spirit? Feeding the spirit of others?

All we can do as humans is to attempt to put others first, attempt to serve.

And constantly look for better and faster ways to do it.

Are You Afraid?

Fear
Fear

Fear is a survival instinct. (think caveman) A gift, to keep us alive.

You get that, right? Fight or flight?

Fear is also an excuse.

“I’m afraid if I talk about it at work, socially, at the gym, with my neighbors, on the Internet, that I might ruin my chances for **insert** promotion, opportunity, relationship, readers, followers, advocates, etc.”

What the?

Exactly. An excuse.

I do not go around telling everyone I’m a Christian. In fact, I don’t tell anyone.

But I also don’t keep it a secret. In fact, I don’t keep it a secret from anyone.

I wonder if anyone else thinks like this. Actually, it really doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of me being a Christian.

That’s when you know you are no longer afraid.

The End Was Imminent

We Will Miss You, Carter
We Will Miss You, Carter

Imminent. Looming. Threatening.

This is what we thought October 2008, just over a year ago.

Our beloved Canine Son, Carter, a nine-year old Yellow Lab, was very sick.

Our Vet spotted an unusual sore in the roof of Carter’s mouth during his routine annual exam two months prior.

The sore ate a hole in the roof of his mouth at an alarming rate – what seemed literally overnight. In hindsight, maybe we panicked.

We honestly thought that Carter may not see another weekend and we quickly made arrangements for “one last trip” to our favorite Family vacation spot, Sanibel Island.

We talked with our son (eight) about death. We talked about our favorite Carter memories. We talked about what we’d miss the most about Carter.

We said goodbye to Carter.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Carter is still with us. He still struggles with the complications from the hole when he drinks and eats, but overall, it’s a miracle he’s still here.

Tomorrow, the gift that visit brought us.