The Things I've Learned this Weekend...so far

• It really matters how you live your life. - My grandparents were not perfect, but they loved the Lord.  They were doing exactly what I think that God asks us to do each day.  They worked to make the Lord famous with the people God brought into their sphere of influence.  None of the four Leach girls picked a man that knew the Lord but my grandparents required that the men their girls dated go to church.  So my dad and uncles all did.  All of them know the Lord now.  My dad's two sisters also came to my grandpa's funeral.  His sisters were 5 and 6 when my parents began dating.  My mom's parents took those little girls to church also and brought them over to their house for ice cream.  My grandma had backyard Bible clubs that Lilly and Joyce came to.   Joyce said yesterday that the impact my grandparents had on my dad's entire family was incredible.  That means so much to me...because I realize that so much of who I am comes from who they were with the people in their lives.  My grandparents lived lives of love that pursued those who did not know the Lord.  How often does someone come into my life that I leave alone instead of pursuing for the cause of Christ?  Do I live like I understand that life without Christ is dead...that life abundant is a blessing I should share?
• Being extravagant with words of love is important.  I have some cousins who are fantastically open with verbal affection.  It's not my way.  I want it to be.
• Death is so final...even though I know every omega has an alpha.  I had the opportunity to see my grandpa two weeks ago and that time will always be precious to me.  I thought I was done...and I was.  I told him I love him so much.  Troy shared how his faith touched all they way to our family.  We laughed together.  I told him he was precious to me and he kissed my hand.  It was a very...satisfyingly sweet ending...but his death was still so final.   
• Sometimes, God teaches us things right before we will need to cling to them.  I spent the fall semester of Bible study studying Revelation and one of the most impactful things that I learned is that God is eternal which means with every ending there will be a beginning.  Like every alpha has an omega, every omega has a alpha.  How lovely to know that while Grandpa's earthly life has ended, he is having a glorious beginning in heaven with our Savior.
• I love my family...deeply.  Often for people whose love language is quality time like me, distance can kill relationships because you are obviously getting no quality time.  My family lives all over the States from Michigan to Texas.  Sometimes, I don't realize how much I miss and love them.  I simply cherish each one and treasure times we are all together.  How precious it was this weekend to see the next generation playing together.  I can't wait to see them again and add the missing ones.
• I was crazy to think I would be able to read anything much less something so deeply felt.
• Old pictures are equal parts a blessing and a curse...bad fashion comes back to haunt you.  Saying "that was in then" doesn't really help.