Purple Post-its

I've had some purple post-it notes tucked away in my purse since December 3, 2009. I took some notes on them that are very dear to me and it's time I transfer what I wrote on them to a place where I can be sure not to lose them. I also promised to share them with my sister, so posting them here serves both purposes.

They are notes of some of the things that were said at my grandpa's funeral. Several people shared thoughts on how he impacted their lives. My uncle Larry read a great top 10 (note to self: I need to ask him for that, it really was priceless) I was asked to read the text I had written and posted on my blog shortly after Grandpop passed away.

These notes are fragmented now and I don't necessarily remember the exact points that were made, but they are still precious to me:

-His life was a careful piece of work, just like his book. (Note: With the help of my uncle Lew, Grandpop had written memories from each decade of his life up through the 1989 and had it published into book form for family and friends in 1999. It is an impressive 400 pages long.)
- Come to me, and I will give you rest. There is no other place or person that can give us peace and comfort like the Lord. I can trust his presence, promise, peace.
- We are all called to stewardship of life - we are caretakers of others. He was faithful to this and lived life the way it is supposed to be lived. Not for self, but for the Lord and others.
- Thanks to God for the gift of faith he gave to Grandpop.

Hymns I noted: Come Home - Jesus is calling - The Old Rugged Cross - Beneath the Cross of Jesus - Take my Life that I may be - O Jesus I have Promised

Bible verses: Psalm 121 - Psalm 23 - Ecclesiastes 3 - 2 Corinthians 5 - Matthew 11

I still reflect often on how special Grandpop was and the positive influence he had on everyone around him. He was loved by so many and I miss him so much. I wish we had more time to enjoy with him here in our town (he moved here from Denver about 5 months before he passed away), but I am comforted by the fact that he was ready to go home to heaven. His truly was a life well lived and a good example of what it means to love God and others.

After flipping through his book again this evening as I prepared this post, I found a lot of tidbits I would like to share here at some point, but for now, I will leave you with the closing words of his book:

"We should all take the time to live
before each day goes rushing by--
Time to search for deeper meanings
and to give our dreams a try;
Time for laughter, time for music,
time for flowers, trees and birds--
Time to look for new ideas and to
put our thoughts into words.

The author is unknown to me, but I couldn't have said it better myself. It captures succinctly the essence of my philosophy of life. Cherish yesterday, dream tomorrow, and live today. Connect yourself with the world you live in and enjoy. Happy trails to all of you!" - Grandpa Lee