Friends,Brothers and Sisters.

I have been greatly blessed and loved by the people God has brought into my life. Oddly you never know that from a casual conversation a lifelong friendship can grow. Some friends are like the trees of the forest of my life. Oaks that weather the changes of the seasons the good times and bad. Always there, unchanging and dependable. Some friends come along for a short season, much like a summer rose, they bloom and bring a wonderful fragrance and beauty to your life for a time then they are gone. Leaving you with a lasting memory of your time with them. I've been blessed to have a handful of brothers and sisters. These are men and weman that started out as "hang out" teenagers who I've grown old with. Many have become grand parents. Good people who I could call on anytime for a chat a pray or just a simple laugh. Let me share two examples of friends some life long some seasonal. Main Junior high early 70's walking down the hall on a day they declared would be "wear your clothes backwards"day. Being a stoner and too cool I wasn't gonna partake. I was still getting over being expelled for long hair and I hated that school. walking down the hall coming my way was this guy named Randy...wearing his stuff backwards. Left an amused impression on me. I forget our first meeting it was probably during a pot smoked moment behind the school with all the other stoners. A year or so later I got SERIOUSLY saved! Holy Ghost saved and back then I would share Christ with everyone and just about everything that wasn't nailed down or glued to the wall. One day at school I spent most of the lunch period telling Randy about his need for Jesus. That night he called me at home "HOW DO I GET SAVED?"..."When you were talking to me today I wanted to do it right then and there".".Easy, ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your heart"..OK "click"..a few moments later he calls back.."Ain't I suppose to feel something?" "Ya, that's what happened to me"..".I ain't feeling a thing"...huuum...go do it again"...click...then he calls back and I reassure him we walk by faith not feeling and if he confessed Christ he was in fact SAVED! Randy and I would become involved in the One way In and the early years at the Lighthouse Christian Center. He and I would sit for hours and play music. I would learn my first licks on the guitar with him. I would be best man at his wedding and he would return the favor with my second ex-wife. From mere pups to aged old men we have been brothers and I count myself blessed to have known him. My last few years in Alaska Allison and I got to know this guy who used to deliver mail to the music store she ran. My guitar tech kept telling me about these dinner parties he and Roscoe were having. Roscoe was a total expert on wine and fine food and just one of the coolest guys we had met in a long time. Schedules finally permitted us to attend a meal at his home where we ate and amazing meal. I drank my first class of 300.00 wine and he ,Chris my tech , and myself played some jazz(he played congas) He was a wonderful guy to hang out with,talk about food,wine ,books and music. I was playing a gig at this greek resturaunt a few months later when I called Chris and asked him to bring our wwine expert buddy along(I needed a drummer and bass player that night) Little did I know that that night I would be fullfilling a lifelong dream for Roscoe. He had always dreamed of playing on stage with real pro musicians. I recall He and Chris were looking over the wine with a rather critical eye when I sat down and said"I'll take the house Merlot"...Ross looks at me with a very concerned expression(kinda like a teacher concerned over a failing student) and says"Steve..we have to talk" That night we got up and played jazz and had a great time. He grinned ear to ear all night. When we were done I told him we would do it again soon. I'm sitting at home a week later when Chris calles me and says.."Roscoe has died! He daughter found him in his study inhis chair, heart attack"!!He was a mere 48. Allison and I attended his funeral and we all met at Levlles Bistro where he had helped the owners with the most well stocked wine cellar in all of Alaska. Frank the owner named the cellar atfter him in lew of his passing. I walked away that day with to few memories of my wonderful friend but like the rose thankful for the season I knew him and the feeling I was made a better and wiser(at least in my choice of the wine I drink)man for having known him. In the end..it is not our worldly goods we take to heaven it is all the people we love and who love us in return...I tip my glass to you my friend..God bless you.