Happy Easter

Happy Easter! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I am still in Baton Rouge and leave in about 30 minutes to go to the airport. I just wanted to write to let you know that the service yesterday was wonderful. It was fitting that Marianna passed away so close to Easter. While we are mourning the end of her time with us, we should celebrate that it's only the beginning of her eternal life with Jesus. Marianna was in even more pain that we realized and her family had been praying for mercy. She is finally at peace. She was truly a beautiful, remarkable person. She worked as a Children's Life Counselor at a hospital and comforted the families and friends of children in the ICU. Whenever a child "gained their wings," Marianna would make a cast of their hands to give to their family so they didn't leave the hospital empty handed. She had the biggest heart of anyone I've known. Only someone like Marianna would think of something so touching. Last year she visited Nashville and made a studio recording of her singing "Amazing Grace." They played it at the service. It was very fitting that Marianna chose that song because she lived for God's grace and lived to show others. While we were sitting at the service it dawned on me that I never realized that the next time I sat in church with Marianna it would be at her funeral. Life just gets in the way sometimes but we only have a limited number of days on this earth and they should be spent with the ones we love. I am going to try to start living with better priorities and stop being too busy or still searching for the best airfare. And the next time I see you look out because I'm going back to my hugging roots! People in Colorado just don't hug like they do down South but I'm bringing it anyway! I hope you're all having a wonderful, meaning filled Easter.