no wonder her name was Angela...

this past weekend i flew to CA to sing at a memorial service for a precious friend.  she fought the dreaded battle with cancer for 13 years. it began as breast cancer, and ultimately spread to her brain, among other places in her body.  it came and went. and came back and went away again. and came back with a vengeance.
she was the mother of 5 beautiful boys.  home schooled them all! she was a huge reason for our family choosing to homeschool.  i loved this lady.
once again, i was reminded of the brevity of flesh, and inspired by her legacy to live a better life.
one of her boys, as he spoke during her memorial service, said...'no wonder her name was Angela. she really was an angel'

i am inspired to:
love my family deeper...
do the things i keep putting off doing...
make time for friends...
spend time with Jesus...
pray. pray. pray.
live from an eternal perspective

i am reminded that this is not our home.  that our time is limited here, but our time is limitless in Heaven.
i read this incredible devotion by Charles Spurgeon that puts it all in perspective...

"Yonder in the better world, the inhabitants are independent of all creature comforts. They have no need of raiment; their white robes never wear out, neither shall they ever be defiled. They need no medicine to heal diseases, "for the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." They need no sleep to recruit their frames-they rest not day nor night, but unweariedly praise him in his temple. They need no social relationship to minister comfort, and whatever happiness they may derive from association with their fellows is not essential to their bliss, for their Lord's society is enough for their largest desires. They need no teachers there; they doubtless commune with one another concerning the things of God, but they do not require this by way of instruction; they shall all be taught of the Lord. Ours are the alms at the king's gate, but they feast at the table itself. Here we lean upon the friendly arm, but there they lean upon their Beloved and upon him alone. Here we must have the help of our companions, but there they find all they want in Christ Jesus. Here we look to the meat which perisheth, and to the raiment which decays before the moth, but there they find everything in God. We use the bucket to fetch us water from the well, but there they drink from the fountain head, and put their lips down to the living water. Here the angels bring us blessings, but we shall want no messengers from heaven then. They shall need no Gabriels there to bring their love-notes from God, for there they shall see him face to face. Oh! what a blessed time shall that be when we shall have mounted above every second cause and shall rest upon the bare arm of God! What a glorious hour when God, and not his creatures; the Lord, and not his works, shall be our daily joy! Our souls shall then have attained the perfection of bliss."