If I die soon

If I die soon I'd like to leave the following instructions for my funeral service:

Message? I'd like for the message- the talk- to be lead by the members of my small group (because my small group is Spirit-filled and the members of it are such amazing people that have helped me follow Jesus better! I want them to share that same zeal, zest, joy, love, overflowing passion for the Lord with my family and friends). I still want Pastor Jimmy to be there because...well... first of all... he knows what he is doing :) - and more importantly, he will allow the Spirit to work through him to lift up my small group members to give the message, which will ultimately lift up the rest of the people who come. (Ok... yeah... good point... maybe no one will come... but at least all the funeral leaders will have eachother!)

Music? This might be going a little overboard, but if we can get them, I'd like for Josh & Tasha Via to be the worship leaders and for the Journey band to play/sing/WORSHIP their hearts out! I LOVE the Journey band and when they let go of themselves, they lead us to let go of ourselves and that's when the Holy Spirit can really dig in and get some good work done - plowing our hearts.

I used to want a gravestone or a monument or something to remember me by...but I don't anymore. It's not about me. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. (Carissa to heaven!! booyah!!)

I WOULD like for my family to talk to my small group and to read my blog- so any of you who are reading this out there, if I die- please ask my family to please read my blog -- at least the part where they can see (if they can see) how God picked me up and gave me a whole new life!! I want them to know that they can have that too! Ask them to read John. My sister Corie gave me a John devotional when I was going through a tough (<--understatement) time.  That really kicked off my desire to [really] read the Bible and whet my appetite to know more and more about God.  Incidentally, the devotional Corie gave me was called The Discovery: Beyond the Jesus of Flapjacks and Grilled Cheese by Josh Via.

side note:
Someday I'll write a blog about why I want to be a Via (<-- a whole family of Spirit filled, Christ-centered, Father-pleasing believers!)... but for now, it was the influence of Pastor Smooth [truth] Via and his family, and Josh [transparency] Via and his family that has given me a snapshot of who I want to be when I grow up. I grew up in a family that ran amusement parks and I used to have lots of kids that wanted to be my friend because of my family- and I think that I'm on the other side of the coin now. It's kind of crazy and I feel envious (in a positive, they're-my-role-models way.... NOT a creepy-stalker-way.... I just wanted to clarify that. :)) Anyway, the Via's are doing it RIGHT and because of that, God has put them in my life as an example- it all started when Corie gave me Josh's book and somehow I ended up with a CD, and now I can't get enough of them! Ooops... this is NOT an Ode-to-the-Via's blog!!! This is DEFINITELY a "When I DIE" blog and I've gotten waaaaay off track!

Focus!

Angh. I guess I'll get back to it another time- I'm pretty tuckered out and ready for some ZZZZssss. What I SHOULD be focusing on when and if I get back to writing about "when I die" is on the things that I hope to have done...

I hope to have lived honestly.
I hope to have loved fully.
I hope to have not held back.
I hope to have worshiped with everything I have, over and over and over
I hope to have witnessed and appreciated God's creation over and over and over
I hope to have been true to the Spirit's prompts in each moment
I hope to have conquered my sin nature!!! <--pshaw! a girl CAN hope, can't she? :)
I hope to have SURRENDERED my sin nature. <--- ahhhhhhh yes.
I hope to have been a good friend
I hope to have been faithful to my spouse in every way
I hope to have been obedient.

I hope that someone will have seen the light in me and said "I want that too!"... and that as an outcome of that, they surrender their life and will to Jesus and that we (whoever that person is) get to worship our God together under a Heavenly tree by a Heavenly babbling brook in the Heavenly place that Jesus has prepared for us!

I'm wrapping up now- please- peoplepeoplepeople, DON'T WORRY! I know this is a kind of crazy topic, but it's what I have on my mind. I'm not going anywhere... yet. Not until God takes me...and please know, that when He does, it will be the BEST DAY of my LIFE!

I love you!
Mooshy smooshy, signing off!
<3