Eulogy notes: what Larry Ragan learned from his father:
1. If you put yourself out there, expect to be judged. Rest in that. Includes beauty pageants. It’s worth the risk let your kids learn for themselves.
2. Humor is vital. Laugh at yourself. Makes it easier when others laugh at you. Sadly, we live in a society where you can’t laugh at people anymore (except Christians).
3. Image and first impressions matter. People deserve the dignity of being dressed nicely. Wonderful story of escorting the dead pilot home. Glad he got a shave and wore his dress uniform when a thousand people were at the train station waiting on him.
4. Demote yourself in order to promote others. When the pilot's uniform didn't have it's wings and bars, his dad pinned his wings and bars on.
5. Life’s satisfaction does not come from working your dream job. Satisfaction and excitement are not the keys to life. Meet your needs and your family's needs, not your dreams.
6. Generosity: always faith forward not backward. Give in the time of your greatest need. Increase your standard of giving, not your standard of living. After Larry went off to Emory University as a freshman, his dad was moved to give away what had been earmarked for Larry's future tuition. Larry did not know this. At the end of the year Larry went to his dad, saying he wanted to transfer to Georgia Tech. His dad was able to pay 85% for tuition.
7. Never feel sorry for yourself. You have more than 99% of others.
8. Yelling doesn’t help.
9. Everyone can finish well. God is a redeemer. It's never too late to change. Forgive others as God has forgiven me.
10. Learn the heart of God the Father. No matter the disfunction, no matter how others have wronged you, remain open and loving. Ephesians 1:18-20.
11. Our Savior is worth following. The cross takes care of your sin. The resurrection takes care of your soul. Larry’s father never led a family devotion - he was soft spoken, but was devoted to God, his wife, and family. A visiting general asked to ride with his dad as he flew his touch and go's. They chatted about faith and family. Then the general picked his dad to fly him on missions behind the Iron Curtain. The chat had been a job interview! Over the next few years the general discipled his dad in the faith.
After GT Larry went to seminary, then worked on the staff at FBC Atlanta and several other churches. Larry has known classmate Linda L for over 30 years.
This and that:
I was never a big fan of vests. Figured if you were cold enough for a vest you’d be a lot warmer in a jacket. Pullover vests just made me look fatter. I’d see people in vests and say that wasn’t for me. Vests just weren’t on my fashion radar screen. Then I read an email about Goldman Sachs in NYC becoming the last firm to go from wearing dress suits to business casual. How casual would such a stuffy firm go? Experts guessed they would wear the “midtown uniform” - a term I hadn’t heard, but so in vogue that it had it’s own Instagram account making fun of it. I quickly looked it up. The midtown uniform is the zip up vest, dress shirt, and slacks. I could wear that, except I had no vests. Found one and am looking for more. Got compliments the first two times I wore them. I also see a lot of solid quarter-zip pullovers. These are looks worn by guys like the Braves executives. And now me.
People can reduce their risk of memory loss by adopting key habits. Start now - it’s never too late or too early to incorporate healthy habits: exercise regularly, take an online class, quit smoking, lose weight, don’t bang your head, eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, manage stress, avoid anxiety and depression, connect with people, work puzzles or learn something new.
Phrases that make you sound clueless: “no problem,” “whatever,” “it is what it is,” “pissed off,” “can’t,” “don’t,” and “hope.” Instead of saying “I can’t get that report to you until Monday,” say “I will have that report for you on Monday.”
Browns Bridge Road, the southernmost red light on GA 400, is where I turn to go to Johnny Tallant’s Hot Stove meetings. It’s a far piece up there.
Speaking of fish and chips, I saw an ad that Captain D’s has all you can eat fried fish, fries, hushpuppies, and cole slaw on Sundays for $7.99. Not exactly the Buckhead Diner, but it was interesting to coworker Brad.
Overheard: Will I be more gangsta if I use a darker skintone on my emoji?
Did you know – the 2015 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year was emoji. But there seems to be some confusion about the plural of the work emoji. Is it lots of emojis, or lots of emoji? No one really knows. While researching this I see where the definition of the word “word” is being defined. This is a crazy time we are living in.
I wonder if talking like a Northerner is as much fun as talking like a Southerner. Surely not.
Seems like I’m getting more and more junk phone calls, even on my cell phone. They say they’re coming from random areas: Maryland, Ohio, Arizona. Calls for expiring warrantees, asking if I’m in pain, and the like. Probably best to not pick up, but you never know. Everyone hates these junk calls.
Recently we’ve getting calls asking “Do you need urgent prayer? If so press one.” My question: what Christian organization thought this was a good idea? Surely they are pushing more people away from God than the people they’re reaching.
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