How I want to be remembered

The beginning of this week a long time friend of my grandparents' passed away after battling with stomach cancer. He was an awesome man of faith and always kind to myself and my brother. I knew him my whole life and though I didn't see him on a regular basis I am still saddened that this world lost a great person. This is the second death of someone of great faith and trust in Christ this year and it has got me to thinking about how I want to be remembered when I leave this earth, what mark can I leave behind me?

Firstly, I want to be remembered as someone who trusted in God and His plan for my life. He has everything under control even though sometimes it doesn't seem like it. I want people to be able to see Him in me because I would be nothing without Him.

Secondly, I want to be remembered as someone who was there for others. I want my friends to be able to say that I was always there when they needed me no matter what. I want my family to say that I put them first and that they would know how much their love and support has meant to me. I want it to be said that I was kind and caring and quick to laugh.

Thirdly, I want others to know that I never stopped trying or never gave up. My life has been hard at times. I've been to the point of death and fought back, with God's help of course. I went through life knowing that I could be an example to others of how God can take someone who may be weak physically and make them strong spiritually and emotionally. There are days when I just want to stay in bed but that will do no good and so I get up. I want people to know that you may feel at time like your life is falling apart, that you may be lacking in some way and you have no gifts to offer. Remember that everyone has talents and gifts and that even if you struggle physically, mentally, or spiritually God is there to pull you out of that dark place and build you up to be strong. I want people to remember me as someone who allowed God to do that for me.

Finally, at my funeral I don't want anyone crying. I want people to celebrate my life and that fact that I have gone home to be with my heavenly father. I want people to talk about fun times we had together and to share pictures with each other. I want happy music and lots of good food for people to eat. I want my funeral to be a time of fellowship and celebration. And if you feel like having a beer go for it because I enjoyed that in life too!
So take a minute and think about how you want to be remembered when you are gone. When you figure it out live your life with that in mind. What will people say when you leave this earth and more importantly what will God say to you when you meet him in heaven? I know I want to hear, Welcome home.

Jumping on the protest band wagon

The United States of America has always been an outspoken country. Its people have no fear of speaking their minds about how they feel when it comes to government, societal issues, etc. In the 1700’s we protested taxation without representation. The 1800’s it was slavery and state’s rights. Then we hit the 1900’s which brought us labor strikes, woman’s suffrage,  the Civil Rights Movement,  anti-war protests, gay rights movement, and disability rights movement. Now we are in the 2000’s and so far things have been interesting. We have people protesting the Iraq/Afghanistan wars outside of soldiers’ funerals (which I find totally disgusting), we have abortion/pro-life protests and last but certainly not least we now have the Occupy Wall Street movement.  We are a country of protestors, a country who isn’t going to sit back and let things go.  The problem is this however, do the majority of the people involved in these protest really know what they are protesting about or is it just a fad?

Let’s take the Occupy Wall Street movement for example. Now I will be the first to admit that I am not completely advised in what all of the issues being protested are but what I understand is that these protestors are upset about Wall Street’s waste of tax payers’ money, and the big wig capitalists getting richer while everyone else gets poorer. I can understand that and relate but my issue is the destruction and damage that is being caused by these protestors to the area surrounding Wall Street.  The news the other day stayed that crews are bringing in fire hoses and clean the streets and areas because of all the waste, filth, and garbage that is being left. Really people?  Is it necessary for you to destroy city property to prove your point? I always feel that some of those involved are just using this “cause” as an excuse to do drugs, drink, have sex with as many people as possible and basically be a waste of space. Sorry sounds harsh but that’s how I feel. Do these people not have jobs or lives? If I was a tax payer in NY I would be completely angry that my tax money was being used to clean up after them.

Another issue is that this movement is spreading. There is now an Occupy Oakland or something like that. Isn’t that kind of missing the point, since you are supposed to be protesting Wall Street? Not only that but these people were given thousands of dollars by the Occupy Walls Street movement and they put it in a Wells-Fargo bank! Wells-Fargo was one of the banks bailed out by the government and is the cause of the movement in the first place! People, if you are going to be a part of a protest,  please make sure you know what you are protesting about! It doesn’t make you look very credible if you choose to patronize the very business you are protesting against!

I guess that is all I have to say. I just get annoyed at those who just jump on the bandwagon  because it’s the cool thing to do, not because it’s the right thing. This country’s right to protest is what makes it great. Don’t violate that right by acting like an idiot. Understand what you are fighting for, it makes you so much more credible and believable.