My friend Sammie

I made it to Northern California. The drive up the PCH was beyond description, and I will save that for another blog.

I got some bad news today. A friend of mine from when I was living overseas in Liberia died Monday night in Alaska moose hunting. He apparently died of a heart attack in his sleep. Sam was a native Alaskan, and was serving as a State judge in Anchorage. He had played basketball at the University of Alaska, and in fact played in the very first "Great Alaskan Shoot Out" against the Hogs and U.S. Reed.

Sammie lived life to the absolute fullest.....more than any human being I have ever known. You would have thought that he was 16 years old if you were with him more than 10 minutes. He was Grizzly Adams and Jeremiah Johnson wrapped into one person.
He was born about 150 years too late because he surely would have loved to have been a mountain man. He left behind a wife and 3 precious daughters.......so please pray for them.

My heart is especially heavy because I am not sure Sammie was a believer. Anytime I brought the subject up, he would very lovingly let me know that he was not open to discuss this subject. He would always let me know how much he appreciated my convictions and faith, but he just couldn't ever get to where he wanted to talk about his belief system. I never forced him to, and now I am second guessing my motives for not engaging him more in this discussion.

Yes, if I had known last week what I know now......Sammie and I WOULD have had that discussion. If you have a relationship with someone who is NOT a believer, think about what just happened to me. I hope the same thing never happens to ANY of you!

Amazing Grace.......how sweet the sound!