  Spiritual
This week: A Celebration of Life Edited by: Shannon  
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"The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions--the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look and a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable and genial feeling." ~ Coleridge
On Monday July 27th at 10:20 a.m. my coworker's 36-year-old son drove off a cliff, plummeted 70 feet through the air before hitting a tree, and was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no skid marks, alcohol was not a factor, and he was wearing a seat belt. The accident is still under investigation, and it has left us all reeling.
We're a tight-knit group of fewer than twenty souls who have worked together for years. We all knew her son. He visited his mom at work many times just to say hello or to have lunch with her. In May she, her husband, and her son went camping with my husband and me. My husband and I felt sick when we heard the news; we cried and knew she would never be the same. How does one recover from the loss of a child?
On Thursday July 30th my coworker and her husband hosted a Celebration of Life to honor their son. I was in the middle of a five-day stretch, so I was unable to attend, but the get-together got me wondering: why not celebrate one's life while they're still living?
Instead of birthday parties, why don't we have Celebrations of Life instead? Invite our loved one's dearest friends and most beloved family members. Show our favorite home movies and share our favorite pictures. Have each person tell their funniest story and let the celebrated person know how much they are loved and appreciated--how their existence has impacted each and every one of us.
When someone dies, we are left with regrets. My husband said, "You know, I was gonna call him and ask him to go fishing, but I've been so busy. I kept thinking that maybe I'd have more time come September. I wish I'd called."
Don't wait. Don't hesitate. Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. There may not be a tomorrow. Celebrate life now, before it's too late.
Thank you for reading.
"Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort." ~ Sir Humphry Davy
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The following is in response to "Winds of Change" :
I usually reply to each person individually, but this week I am going to let your responses stand on their own. Thank you all for taking the time to read and comment.
Incurable Romantic  writes, "Shannon, they can call it archaic if they want to, but to me the only valid definition of marriage where 2 people are involved (as opposed to the later definitions you listed involving companies, etc.), is the one between a man and a woman. And it's also the only truly biblical definition as far as I'm concerned. The Lord guided my late wife Linda and I throughout our entire (though too short) 14-year relationship, from bringing us together, through those 14 gloriously wonderful years, to getting me through her untimely death at the age of 30. Having experienced His guidance throughout that entire relationship, I am not about to question the wisdom of His Word in any way, at any time, for any reason. He's proven the truth of it in my life many times over. Marriage is between one man, and one woman. Because He said so."
kevint writes, "I have long believed that sin is what I call A soul sickness, that manifests and affects us in many ways, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually etc. and on many levels of severity, and that it is not a moral issue or Good vs. Evil ect. I have also long believed that we humans do not possess the wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, or understanding to care for ourselves and our beautiful planet earth. Now that being said and getting back to the topic of this news letter. I feel Homosexuality falls within this category of this sin or soul sickness. It is a distortion, a corruption, or extreme of the natural emotional, physical, and spiritual entity or our natural desires if you will. It is nothing more than another extreme lust of the flesh. Thus it can not be legislated one way or the other and did not belong in the hands of a small handful of men and women who continually overstep their boundaries and who continually try to re-write the U.S. Constitution. Our laws are rooted in morality and are a complex adaptive system which means that they are continually evolving to fit the needs of our society. But when we abandon the roots of our morality and begin accepting any and all human behavior as normal we are in big trouble. I personally disagree with the S.C.O.T.U.S.’s decision on this matter."
Joto-Kai  writes, "Although I'm for Same-sex marriage, I was a bit disturbed when I heard of preachers being forced to perform marriages they consider legal in Britain. Of course, one could, even if you consider the union wrong. To perform a marriage is to ask God to watch over two people who are forming a union, to bless them and guide them. Cannot we ask for this no matter what we think?"
Elfin Dragon-finally published writes, "Regardless of my religion or beliefs, this decision affects me personally. My husband's first wife has waited for the day when she could marry her chosen partner and is now happily married to her partner. When she first told me her preferences it affected me deeply because she had been following a particular path and now was turning away from it. That was how I perceived it. But to hold two innocent souls (her sons) in limbo, as it were, because of it would be wrong. They're good boys and she has been my friend for more than 20 years, should I throw that away because of what she now wants for herself? My own belief, my God, says same sex marriage is wrong. But He also says that it is not we who are the judge and we should love those around us but hate the sin. There is a difference. So I make it known I don't agree with what they do, but I still love them as a person. That is what my belief is."
Quick-Quill  writes, "Not all you read, see or hear is true. Not all you read on the internet is true. If you decide not to stop at a stop sign because you just look both ways and there aren't any cars (or police) and one day you get T-boned, were you right? One day, no matter what man's law decides we all stand before God. It doesn't matter if you believe in him or not, the day will come. Then all your reasons and excuses will be silent as you face his judgment. There will be no grace at that time. Sad that people want only what is now to make them happy and not plan on the hereafter."
katesthename writes, "God only honors a marriage between a man and a woman."
44special writes, "They have rewritten history (who is they?) now they are rewriting God ordained institutions. It is all about the money. But its fine, just don't expect to be married by other than secularly. But some churches do marry same sex, my nephew got married in an Episcopal church. But they have disregarded God's Word."
Steve adding writing to ntbk. writes, "I am against same sex marriage. It is something that is going to result in chaos and a higher rate of divorce than even now. Children growing up need the influence of a man and a woman in their lives. Two men or two women, trying to raise a child are going to find it difficult to raise a well rounded child. This issue is emotionally charged and can only serve to divide a nation founded upon God even further. Already 'in God we trust' is being removed from our money; and the moral decay will only increase with this decision by the Courts. We are endowed with a knowledge of what is right and wrong; it's called our conscious; and even this is being worn away at every turn. Same sex marriage being ruled okay will also lead to other groups saying that other forms can be right too. We are on the verge of slipping even further from the founding fathers faith in God. Let's stop the slide and stand up for Jesus!"
paeggan writes, "My religion - Christianity - essentially says that it is unlawful for a man to lie with another man. That said, different denominations have now said they will marry homosexuals (linguistic usage - men with men and women with women.) I have had many gay friends over the years, but think that 'marriage' as a practice is a religious thing, and since most religions and denominations are against homosexual sex and marriage, why would homosexuals want expressly to be 'married', rather than having a civil union? It's a very tricky nuance."
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Spiritual: August 05, 2015 Issue [#7133]
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