My old buddy Mark Miller passed away unexpectedly a year ago today. I’d known Mark since around 1989. Apart from being in the same small group for several years, we didn’t hang out a whole lot socially, but he was one of my longest-running friends from my years living in Lincoln. A fairly hard-core introvert (who became moreso as he got older), Mark could nonetheless be coaxed out of his condo on occasion to hit one of the local brewpubs, attend BFG (Beer Fellowship Group), and attend the annual Cornerstone Music Festival (in Illinois). While Mark was zealously protective of his time and his personal space, he also loved Jesus, lived simply, was generous with his money, and was kind-hearted.

In addition to brewpub beer, Mark was also a fan of red wine (primarily the boxed variety). So this evening I’m having a glass of Chambourcin from SchillingBridge Winery in his memory. SchillingBridge is located on the edge of Mark’s home town of Pawnee City, Nebraska, and the bottle was purchased last year on the day of his funeral. And in doing so, I trust that we’ll eventually run into each other again on the other side of eternity.