Live

Live. And Live Well.
BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply.
Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now.
On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.
Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed.
If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well.
At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke.
And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven.
And TASTE.
Taste every ounce of flavor.
Taste every ounce of friendship.
Taste every ounce of Life.
Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift.

Words to live by, but not my words. These words are from the message Kyle Lake typed out and had ready to deliver the morning he tragically died. That was just one week ago tomorrow.

Kyle Lake (pictured here ) never said these words to his congregation that morning, but he lived them everyday of his life. It is a little eerie. I wonder as he typed these words if he had any inkling that he was typing his own eulogy? But can you think of a better eulogy? No one has to wonder what Kyle would have wanted. His loved ones know how he wanted them to live and to grieve. "Grieve well" he said. And so many are doing just that.

I'm sorry if my blog has been a little heavy with this over the last few days. Though I only knew the Lakes through my sister and mutual kid activities and friends, I can't seem to shake the sorrow, loss, and amazement at the life and death of this young pastor.

With each passing day it becomes clearer and clearer who this man of God was and how many lives he touched. To say he will be missed is quite an understatement. The best any of us can do is heed his words to live and love God with a great gratitude that his death won't stop the message he pledged his life to spread.

You served your Savior and all of us so well. May you commune with the Father and breathe in the sweetness of heaven Kyle Lake! May we all "Love God, embrace beauty and live life to the fullest!"