Hopefully I do not sound proud....but I do this often and much more than once a year. I heard Chuck Swindol on the radio talk about this about 20 some years ago saying how important it was to have your funeral in order too, picking your casket attendants, message giver, music/songs, locations, eulogizer.

I also imagine what I think people would say about me ... and that motivates me to live a life as close as I can get to what I hope to be remembered by.

Final note: I walk graveyards all the time and read every headstone I can find. There on a headstone, people try and sum up a persons life in 6-8 words. I have 6-8 words I want on my headstone and so I live those words ...............and its good!

I think I should also point out that I love to read the newspaper's obituary page every day. It is usually the first section I turn to when opening the paper (except Sunday's during college football season). These are the most inspiring page(s) in the entire newspaper. There is always beauty and inspiration to read in these papers. It sets my attitude and is a reminder to me, that this could be the day my life stops . . . . so I live it to the fullest and go all out. I breathe it all in....and look as deep as I can in every moment ... and I find pleasure in it all.

Jim in Portland (Imago Dei)
(P.S. Sotalentedgeez is my local news online comment name. Some reason it shows up here. --Jim

MH, -- I have traveled a lot for business around the 5 corners of the US. It seems to me that the Southern region in the US, needs to unpack this issue as it relates to the rest of the country. Here in the Pacific Northwest, you offend people with perfume or cologne. Believe me people talk about the "smellers" after they leave. It's a cultural thing....but in business....that could be the difference in a deal or no deal.

Beautiful! The word "love" was no where in this story and yet "love for another" is the theme of this story. Powerful!!!

Paid $140,000 to live a lie and tell a lie and pretend to be a hero. This dude loved life right up to this year. What a house of cards!! Boy he really wanted to be somebody else pretty bad. SAD, SAD DEAL :(

Tyler and Bryan,

Certainly not every comment was a whine. I spend much time in West Africa and Eastern Nations of South America and I do not see the complaining, nor hear of it in business and social settings. In fact quite the opposite. I have noticed this for about 20 years.

After watching International House Hunters this month (perhaps 3-4 episodes) and seeing the Americans complain over space and looks and upgrades . . . . . and no other nationality complained at all on each episode, I wanted to hurl.

This week met 4 high school friends for dinner and two of them never were able to have kids. Again listened to their story some and the sadness.

Popped on to this blog from who knows how, for the first time, and there was this complaining to read. Bryan is right . . . . I did some whining over the whining! I accept that!

I apologize for the tone and the unfortunate timing. Peace on you all!

Wow Everyone,

What whining! Americans whine more about kids and houses and food and cars than any people group. I think a good majority of you know how to raise good and better kids . . . you just need to shut up and do it. Why the Jack Lick you think you need to vent every day is beyond the stars. Do other people a favor and tape yourself for 8 hours then play it back to yourself. Then shut your dirt holes after 8 hours of your vomit session.

Here is the skinny on High Rocks. The water hydraulics under the surface at high rocks are so random and sweeping. Good water in one swimming spot near the life guard can become bad water and back to good water all in 60 seconds. It constantly changes under the water because of the canyon like walls.

The problem is that the river passes under I205, and 100' feet later hits a large wall and the entire river is forced back around on itself and to the left. The hydraulics do not calm down until they reach the foot bridge (which is the former train trestle bridge). This means the entire swimming area has a risk for swimming.....all year long. The cold water does play a contributing factor...but the whole swimming area during normal flow conditions is a hard place to stay a float. If you are an average swimmer or less, the high rocks area will give you trouble if you are in the water there long enough to experience its random hydraulic cycles.

Personally I grew up here and swam there all thru my teens. Now as a Private Professional Whitewater Guide in 5 states and having to understand this stuff for customer safety I would never let most people I know and raft with swim there. Wear a flotation device... then swim there all you want.

High Rocks is a unique hole and I hate being a downer on it... but alot of junk is under the water as well. That crap bunched up at the water take out station often breaks away and slowly cycles down thru High Rocks. The risk for getting snagged under water is small but real.

For 15 years I have wondered why the owners could not afford to put up some heavy plastic to keep the birds and elements out. Maybe cost all of $500 including a lift. No excuse for letting that warbird get so bad!

If I did my math right....that is 21,818 barrels a day. ......FROM 1 WELL. THERE ARE 5000 WELLS IN THE GULF ALONE! If you multiply the 21,818 by ......say half the wells in the gulf that is a staggering 54.545.000 barrels a day. I am pretty sure we don't use that many barrels a day in the US. SO WHY WE BUYING OIL OVER SEAS????

Horses don't run full sprint in a pack on blacktop, before dawn, looking for green pastures! tookus your animal knowledge is clearly no more than a kitty on your lap. You don't know squat about a horse! I know the road and the area well. I don't know of anyone in that general area who does not have to consider a cougar for their livestock and yard animal loss each year. The tracks are in every ones pastures. Cougar presence . . . not attack is all that is needed. A whiff of a big cat and a horse will run 10 minutes one way. Another 45 minutes to calm a reasonable horse down. No problem for one horse to charge thru a good fence. 8-12 horses would take out the best of fences.