A Life Well Lived
/A few weeks ago, Heaven gained a man bigger than life. Steve Peterson was one of those guys who made a difference in so many lives. He started out a bit of a renegade, played high school football in Mesa, Arizona and ended up at BYU in Utah. He wondered at the time if he had made a mistake, if BYU had been the right choice for him and his lifestyle. Steve chose to stick with it, and to the day he passed said it was the best choice he had ever made. He found God, his testimony, and his eternal sweetheart. Ron and I knew Steve and in turn came to know two of his sons who walk in his footsteps. These are men of integrity, not only in the woodworking business, but in life. Steve and Becky raised great kids but not always without trials and struggles. Through life they worked together putting God first and taking care of their family as they served others.
I love celebrating the lives of those who have graduated from this earthly life in meaningful ways. Flowers are always great, but sometimes I like to create something with a little more lasting meaning. I love using Luminara battery operated candles using them in the candle jar I made for his dear wife Becky as well as the large porch lanterns for his two sons Chris and Jon. I ordered the rose candle for Becky because Steve always had the best looking yard and flowers in the neighborhood no matter where he lived. The indoor candles from Luminara are real wax and the wick looks realistic as it moves. The heavy-duty outdoor lanterns came from H. Potter, and for these I went with the outdoor Luminara candles to go inside. I added ribbon streamers onto the large outdoor lanterns. One is for BYU game day in honor of Steve and his years playing football there. The other is more neutral for everyday year-round display. Most of the ribbons came from Knot + Spool here in Utah. The best brick and mortar store to find ribbon locally.
Here are the links to get all the good stuff!
Outdoor Luminara Lantern Candle:
https://luminara.com/products/outdoor-pearl-ivory-pillar-unscented-melted-top-3-2w-aa
H. Potter 23” Cast Iron Outdoor Lantern:
Collegiate Ribbon for ribbon bundles – Knot + Spool:
https://www.knotandspool.com/collections/collegiate-bows-and-ribbon-sets#school-byu-cougars
½ Gallon Anchor Hocking Glass Candle Jar – (I usually get mine from WalMart, but you can also order them from Amazon – they cost more on Amazon than they do at WalMart.):
Steve played football for BYU graduating in 1967. I found the photo on the card I made through a Google search online. The helmet was the official helmet BYU used in 1967. I found that image on the BYU football website. The quote was one Steve used throughout his life and one he had memorized in the sixth grade. “If you mean to do a thing, And mean to do it really, Never let it be by halves, Do it fully freely. . .” He lived by this motto and taught his children and grandchildren to do the same. They even got up at his funeral services and recited it together! It was the last thing he wrote in his life history.
Steve was LIGHT! Even when days were dark for him and his family at times, he always had a positive, uplifting, can-do attitude and gave everything he did 100%, he never did anything half-way.
My wish for you this week is to think of someone who has influenced your life and write them a note. A real hand-written one in an envelope, mailed through the post office with a stamp. You never know when you won’t get the chance to let that person know how much they influenced your life before it’s too late. And who doesn’t like to receive a surprise note in the mail that isn’t a bill or someone trying to get you to buy something.
Love Ya, Les 😊