Friday evening Michael and i headed over to my parents' for a somewhat-rare-but-becoming-more-frequent family dinner. My sister's family and my brother and his wife came. It was a fun evening. As you can see from the above picture, Kari mastered horseshoes. It was pretty incredible, she just chucked the horseshoe and made it around the stake. TWICE.
Saturday morning Michael and i set off to Whittier for my uncle's memorial service. It was a short service in a beautiful chapel. i didn't know him that well, and neither did pretty much everyone else in our family. He was a quiet, intelligent, well informed man who seemed to have had a thing for sports cars and motorcycles. Some in the family have speculated he had a double life. :)
i regret i did not get to know him better. We don't know for sure whether he's with the Lord or not. He rejected the Gospel his whole life but seems to have made some sort of positive response after my other uncle shared with him just the day before he died. So who knows? All i can do is trust that God will always glorify Himself no matter what. And in any case, the Gospel was presented at the service which is always an encouragement.
Honestly, the normal deep thoughts about the brevity of life didn't really come to mind as i thought about my uncle's death. Instead, my thoughts kind of tied in with a passage i read this past week. "...each man's work will become evident...the fire itself will test the quality of each man's self. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Cor. 3.13-15) This passage struck me, that even if by God's grace i am assured salvation, my works in life can be burned up in the end if they weren't works that furthered the Kingdom or glorified God and His church. i don't want to waste my life, and i want as little as possible to burn when it's all said and done. My uncle, if he is saved, will still suffer much loss as most of his life was lived without regard to the Lord. i pray that God would grant me the grace to live well, even knowing how much i've already wasted.
After the service, an EXCELLENT Chinese banquet style lunch at a real Chinese restaurant, and some time catching up with extended family, Michael and i tried to catch a showing of The Hurt Locker. We've really been wanting to see it for some time in the theater. Long story short, we failed in that quest but ended up spending the rest of the evening with some good friends, steak, and good beer.
Sunday rolled around and we were off to church in the morning. After church i rushed off to Irvine to hang out with my still close friends from college. It was an impromptu get together and amazingly only one of us wasn't able to make it. We've all known each other since our freshman year. Each of our lives has gone in such different directions (especially mine!), but i love the encouragement and fun it is spending time with them. We had a picnic at Woodbridge, made the necessary stop at Yogurtland, then found a City of Irvine sponsored park concert featuring a cover band of five late 40-something women rockin' out. Needless to say, we left after about five songs.
i came home that night, exhausted and in the mood to watch a movie. It was already 9:30 when we started Bedtime Stories and i knew i'd pay for it the next day, but my impulsive urge to watch a movie overrode being sensible. It was actually pretty good. It was pretty funny and just good lighthearted fun. And i think i've decided Keri Russell is one of my favorite actresses. i blame the show Felicity for creating that preference. (Yes, Felicity. i didn't think i'd like it but it was a great show. Yes, all four seasons.)
It was a great weekend. God is good.
