The upcoming 2025 Beach Ride to raise financial support for the American Heart Association will mark my tenth time to participate in this worthy event.

This year I am riding in memory of my late wife Missy who died suddenly and unexpectantly, in our home, from a heart attack, two weeks to the day after my son and I got back home from the 2022 Beach Ride.

For four Beach Rides, I rode in honor of Marylise and focused on how the research done by AHA has benefited newborns and how innovative technology has saved lives. She will be needing a heart valve replaced in the future, howerver at this time she is being treated for cancer.  Please pray for Marylise and her family.

Another thing that this money goes for is CPR Training. It is a wonderful thing to know and to be able to help someone. That was shown two years ago at our meeting how it saved a life and how well he was doing. I know of several others that this has helped save lives and that they were able to get help and are still with us today.

Additionally, I want you to think about another and different “heart” matter.

I was with Missy when she died. I started CPR on her within two minutes and continued it until EMS relieved me. They continued it for 30 more minutes with no response. I later learned that she passed as soon as she had the heart attack and that there was nothing that I could have done nor EMS if they were in the room with us.

One day, just as Missy did, we all will have our last heartbeat. Missy was secure in her hope of eternal life when she died because she had gained a right standing with her heavenly Father through repentance and through her trust in Jesus her Savior. When the kindness and love of God had become real to her, God saved her from the penalty of her sins, not because of righteous and good things she had done, but because of His grace and mercy that He chose to extend to her. As a gift of eternal life with Him, God gave her a new, pure heart so that she could live in right relationship with Him.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:8-10

Through Him alone is how I get through each day. He has shown me so much how much He Loves me these past months since Missy’s death. He has spoken to me through his scriptures especially through Psalm 23. He is with me, and He will stay with me. He loves me and He has a purpose for me and YOU.

I encourage you to take care of your heart and have more time here with your family. But I really hope you take the time to find out about Jesus Christ. He is the one and only Savior you will ever need.

May God Bless You!