Celebration of Life

Good morning,

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, “WOW! What a ride!” -Hunter Thompson

We went to a celebration of life gathering for a wonderful man, Matt Koehnen. The above quote was written on the program each of us received as we sat or stood by the river’s edge in Wisconsin on Sunday. Matt battled cancer for 14 years. Before cancer and with cancer, he was the most fun-loving guy. His only child, Katie, spoke and told how three words came to mind to describe him, “spiritual, fun, loving.” He loved Jesus. He loved fun and he loved really well. To me, that is a wealthy, wealthy man!

Pastor DuWayne Peterson spoke and told how he had lost a daughter and had read everything relating to people who had seen heaven and come back, also describing the Bible in Revelation saying what heaven looks like. He told how all their stories are the same basically. Pastor told us what Matt was doing and seeing as a man who had given his life to Jesus in 1990 and had his name written in The Lambs Book of Life. It was beautiful how he described friends and family meeting him, angels with him, entering the pearl gates with streets lined with pure, translucent gold. Most of all, he is greeted by Jesus with hands and feet still pierced with holes from going to the cross!

Pastor DuWayne gave the prayer anyone can pray to receive Jesus as their savior, too!

If you confess with your mouth,“Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

We only get this one life to live on earth! Let’s use it up like Matt did! Let’s bring people with us to heaven through our awesome savior, Jesus Christ!

Love you, Teri