Dad collected hats, some were reminders of places he had been, some show the name of jobs he held and some were just funny things he saw or said. They hang in my parent’s spare room, are stacked in the closet and packed in totes. Reminders of Dad’s life filled with memories. My Dad was born July 23, 1937. He was the 4th of 14 children and the 2nd son of Fred and Laurette Ruggles. At the age of 16, he joined the Vermont National Guard and 3 years later went into active service in the Air Force. Dad got his GED in 1961, later becoming a part of the Lyndon Institute Alumni Class of 1955. He served all over the world and in many capacities, some he was never able to share with us, Dad met and married the love of his life, my mom, had his children and fell in love with his Lord and Savior all while in the military. He maintained his military membership, service and commitment for the rest of his life. He served his country well and proudly and achieved the rank of Colonel in the Vermont State Guard. He wore his eagles with pride and I’m sure now he wears his new wings with joy. When Dad retired from active service in the Air Force, he went to work for OSHA and eventually became the Chief Safety Compliance Officer for the State of Vermont. While working for the state Dad had a life changing experience. He had had a heart attack in 1985, and during the recuperation process; he began to take walks in the evening. He called these his “walks with God”. It was during one of these walks with God that my Dad received his calling to ministry. This calling was later confirmed for him on an Emmaus weekend which he was very active in. Soon, Dad became a student again, and although he continued working for OSHA, he began to minister to the people in the Sheffield Federated Church as well. He eventually retired from OSHA and went into the ministry full time. Dad graduated in the Alumni class of 1995 from Wesley Theological Seminary, while serving in the Speculator and Lake Pleasant United Methodist Churches. He loved being “P. T.” and made lifelong friendships in these communities. When Dad retired from full time ministry, he and my mom moved back to Vermont. Dad continued to serve the Lord as Pastor of The East Haven Chapel. My Dad retired 3 times in his life. But he never stopped working and in fact was still employed as Safety Consultant at Lyndon Furniture for his good friends Dave and Judy Allard. My Dad enjoyed the work he did there and was proud of the changes that he helped to bring about in the safety program, and the memories and friendships he made while there. My dad’s urn was made by the craftsmen at Lyndon furniture. It is made from the heart of a bird’s eye maple. Somehow it seems so right that Dad’s earthly remain will reside in the heart of a maple. My Dad reminded us often that we do not grieve as those who don’t know God. We carry a promise that some day we will be reunited again. 2 Corinthians 5 New Bodies 1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a] 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we long to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. I know there are many now in heaven welcoming Dad. There are grandchildren there who have waited a long time for their Poppa, and parents, siblings, nieces and nephews and great friends rejoicing at his arrival. And my Dad is now finally at peace, no pain, no sorrow, no worry. One of Dad’s favorite books was titled “The Shack” and as the man in this book does I’m sure Dad is walking on the water with his Jesus, talking with God, whom he called Poppa, and gardening with the Holy Spirit. In the midst of our grief, we too must rejoice that this is not the final goodbye….this is a so long for now. This, my Dad taught us, through his faith, with his actions and with his words. My Dad wore many hats; he was called by many names and served in many roles. Some of you know him as boss, Pastor, employee, friend, Brother. He was many things to many people. To my mom he was friend, husband, lover, and companion. To my brothers and me, he was father, teacher and friend. My Dad never let things slide, never accepted an excuse. He used to tell us that…Now looky here, Chummy, If it’s something worth doing, its worth doing today and you better do it right; the first time. Just saying. There are lots of sayings Dad used, some I can repeat in church and some I can’t. Dad forced us to be independent, but was always there if we needed him. In times of sorrow and fear, Dad’s strong presence was always a reminder of God’s ever guiding hand in our lives. So, to honor our Dad we must turn to God in these moments of hardship. We must follow his example. A while ago, my Dad sent me an e-mail that contained a power point presentation about the center of the bible. It had a bunch of cool facts about the shortest and longest chapters in the bible and the one chapter that is the very center chapter in the entire bible. That is Psalm 118. The one verse that is the center verse in the bible is Psalm 118:8. It reads: 8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. That’s what Dad taught me. That would be his message to you all today. When you are wondering where to turn or what to do, let yourself go to the center of the bible and put your trust in God. My Dad’s Pastor Hat never really hung on the wall, he wore it everyday. My Dad wasn’t one of those absent parents that don’t get involved in his family life. Dad was one of those, at every ball game, recital, and play kinds of Dads. We each have stories we could tell of times when we were alone with Dad and how we shared special moments together. We each learned the power of love, as we watched our parent’s marriage evolve and change but always stay strong and vital. My Mom and Dad never stopped holding hands and giving kisses, for 46 wonderful years. Their affection for each other gave us a sense of security in the family that they created together. As a family we shared many times of laughter and joy, laughing so hard we cried. Camping at Groton State Park, trips to Vermont from Maine, family reunions, fixing up old cars, each of our weddings and the birth or adoption of our children, and Dad started several special holiday traditions that we have now incorporated into our own family times. I’m sure many of you have stories you could tell of times spent with my Dad, some of you even shared those here today. He valued these memories and reminisced often with us. Yes, my Dad was there. Dad will always be there. My father leaves behind a legacy of love. Of all the hats my Dad collected and all the hats he wore, his family hat is the most threadbare and worn, the most cherished in his collection. It has the stains of tears and the gleam of love. It is the hat we each carry with us, in our hearts and in our memories, where Dad will always be.