On a slightly different note, many of you already know that my mom passed away on Tuesday, January 11, 2011. I want to thank all of you that sent notes of condolences along with your prayers. She has joined dad in Heaven.

I write these words tonight with a bit of a melancholy attitude, as expected. Not so much mourning the loss of my mother, which I do; but from knowing the attitudes and beliefs of some friends and family. Mom had faith, to the end. She is without a doubt enjoying the blessings of heaven that she did not earn nor deserve. By grace we are saved, through faith….. Mom wasn’t perfect, nobody is. Did she have faults? Absolutely! When I was young, did she cut my hair really short when she was angry with dad? Yes. (or was she really mad at me?)

What really matters is that she was connected to Christ to the end. And in the end, that is the only thing that matters. To her, to me, and to you. Not how good she was or how good we are! That did not earn her nor will it earn you a room in His mansion. Nothing you or I do will. Not even her generosity when she baked 20 loaves of bread on a weekly basis.

She was connected…..to Christ. Are you? Since the bible tells us that faith comes from hearing, when was the last time you accepted God’s invitation to worship? When was the last time you rejected it? Which question was easier to answer? Permit those words to sink in.

I spent a portion of last evening watching a gorgeous sunset over Banderas Bay and it was amazing. One is a fool if they don’t stop and think about the artist behind every sunset. How appropriate it was to sit back in awe of the Creator, and say Thank-you, not only for the sunset but for mom.
Buenos Dias, mi amigos.