One of my heroes is a man I have never and will never meet, well at least not in this world. This gentleman was a man of God, and has touched my life with just his words. I strive to live like he did. If I get even close to this walk I strive for, I will die a fulfilled life. Yes, this gentleman can be manifested and is manifested in Jesus Christ, however this is not the gentleman I referring. The gentleman I am referring to is Mr. Kyle Lake. If you know who Kyle Lake is already hold tight and I will come back in a min. For those of you who do not know who Kyle Lake is I will tell you his story.
Kyle Lake was a native of Tyler,Texas, but I won't hold that against him. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High. Soon after he attended and graduated from Baylor University. Kyle followed with a Master's of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. After which he became a pastor at University Baptist Church in Waco,Texas. He remained there until his death on October 30, 2005. Kyle was preparing for a baptism service that morning, and as he stepped into the baptismal, he adjusted his microphone which accidentally made contact with the water and, electrocuted Kyle in front of congregation of 800. Doctors in the congregation rushed to the aid of Kyle, however Kyle was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center at 11:30 am. Kyle was survived by his wife Jenifer, and their daughter and twin boys.
God has a way to show his light, glory, and power even through tragedy. Sitting on the podium was Kyle's sermon that he planned to preach, later that day. This sermon was read during his funereal. Here is a excerpt from this sermon:
"Live. And Live Well.
BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now.
On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.
Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed.
If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well.
At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."
WOW!!!!! when I read that the first time I wanted that urge, and hunger for life. This is what I loved about Kyle Lake. He did not waste life, he embraced it. Life is messy, and for most of us we want to close ourselves off to the world, and live in our own little planet. On this planet everything is fits our wants and desires. However, Kyle saw life as a God given gift, which is most certainly is, in all seriousness of the word. It is only by God's grace that we have the air in our lungs at this very second. Every time we awake in the morning, is just another way God shows his love for us. That's way Kyle Lake is my hero. He fully grasped that every day is a gift, so live it like so.
Which is why I named my blog, this tool for my ministry, "Beauty Authenticated". I strive, and search for the true beauty every day the Lord allows me to live in it. I have several hurdles I need to jump over to full achieve that desire. I hope that Lord allows me to live long enough to do so, but I know I have a finite number of days on this planet. Just today, 1/13/11, my girlfriend Heather pointed out that I shut myself off, emotionally. Which is probably why I do not have a best friend. I'm just not good at that aspect of my life. However, for me to truly understand authenticated beauty, I have to open myself up to the emotional side of life. I ask for her favor and patience on this subject. Heather is so good at emotion, which is one of the many things I love her for. We make a great team. I learn emotion from her, she receives logic from me. She is such a blessing in my life, and I hope it last for a long time.
In closing, Kyle Lake always closed his sermons in a benediction of, "Love God, Embrace Beauty, and Live Life to the Fullest" I love this phrase. I need to hear it over and over and over again. Its such a call to enjoy every ounce, every second, every aspect of life. So, I hope you all have a better understanding of what I want in my walk with Jesus Christ. Fell free to comment, disagree, agree, or just shoot the smoke. So, in the tradition of Kyle Lake,
Kyle Lake was a native of Tyler,Texas, but I won't hold that against him. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High. Soon after he attended and graduated from Baylor University. Kyle followed with a Master's of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. After which he became a pastor at University Baptist Church in Waco,Texas. He remained there until his death on October 30, 2005. Kyle was preparing for a baptism service that morning, and as he stepped into the baptismal, he adjusted his microphone which accidentally made contact with the water and, electrocuted Kyle in front of congregation of 800. Doctors in the congregation rushed to the aid of Kyle, however Kyle was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center at 11:30 am. Kyle was survived by his wife Jenifer, and their daughter and twin boys.
God has a way to show his light, glory, and power even through tragedy. Sitting on the podium was Kyle's sermon that he planned to preach, later that day. This sermon was read during his funereal. Here is a excerpt from this sermon:
"Live. And Live Well.
BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now.
On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.
Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed.
If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well.
At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."
WOW!!!!! when I read that the first time I wanted that urge, and hunger for life. This is what I loved about Kyle Lake. He did not waste life, he embraced it. Life is messy, and for most of us we want to close ourselves off to the world, and live in our own little planet. On this planet everything is fits our wants and desires. However, Kyle saw life as a God given gift, which is most certainly is, in all seriousness of the word. It is only by God's grace that we have the air in our lungs at this very second. Every time we awake in the morning, is just another way God shows his love for us. That's way Kyle Lake is my hero. He fully grasped that every day is a gift, so live it like so.
Which is why I named my blog, this tool for my ministry, "Beauty Authenticated". I strive, and search for the true beauty every day the Lord allows me to live in it. I have several hurdles I need to jump over to full achieve that desire. I hope that Lord allows me to live long enough to do so, but I know I have a finite number of days on this planet. Just today, 1/13/11, my girlfriend Heather pointed out that I shut myself off, emotionally. Which is probably why I do not have a best friend. I'm just not good at that aspect of my life. However, for me to truly understand authenticated beauty, I have to open myself up to the emotional side of life. I ask for her favor and patience on this subject. Heather is so good at emotion, which is one of the many things I love her for. We make a great team. I learn emotion from her, she receives logic from me. She is such a blessing in my life, and I hope it last for a long time.
In closing, Kyle Lake always closed his sermons in a benediction of, "Love God, Embrace Beauty, and Live Life to the Fullest" I love this phrase. I need to hear it over and over and over again. Its such a call to enjoy every ounce, every second, every aspect of life. So, I hope you all have a better understanding of what I want in my walk with Jesus Christ. Fell free to comment, disagree, agree, or just shoot the smoke. So, in the tradition of Kyle Lake,
Love God, Embrace Beauty, and Live Life to the Fullest
-The Nashvillian
Well, I hope you know I love reading your blog! I am one lucky lady, let me tell you! :) Let's not slack mister, it's been too long since your last post! Keep it up :)
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