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Showing posts from January, 2013

Jesus Christ, Ray!

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As my friend Suzanne and I neared the finish of a 9 mile run in 9 degree weather, we chatted about various things.  For some reason, I remembered how my mom's favorite term of endearment to my dad was "Jesus Christ, Ray".   This phrase has become common in my family and we (lovingly) use it on each other when the situation calls for it. After I got in the house and warmed up with some coffee and added the dregs from the Bailey's bottle, I started thinking of my mom's entrance into heaven.  The first thing she said to my dad was probably, yup, you guessed it - "Jesus Christ Ray".  She probably said this because, as I have been told by the minister who performed both my mom and dad's funeral, you get your best self in Heaven.  So my dad probably looked like this: My mom looked like this but she didn't realize it yet since there are no mirrors in heaven because finally looks become unimportant and we get to see inside each other's soul. 

never stop loving

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As I sat in church last Sunday, I looked around me.  Not many people were there since it was the first Sunday after the holidays.  More people come during the Christmas season...and Easter, and other traditional holidays but then slack off and stay home and drink coffee and read the newspaper. I have been there.  That's okay though cause going to church every Sunday as we all know,  (and as Garrison Keillor said) "won't make you a Christian, any more than sleeping in your garage will make you a car". I felt some sadness as I looked around at the empty places where some of my old friends used to sit.  In the years that I have been going to this church, I have met and befriended many elderly people, who, it seems have been plucked out of their pews, one by one - plucked out of this life and placed somewhere else.  And let's face it - whether we go to church or not, we don't exactly know for sure where they go. No one has come back to tell us unless you count m