Live Like Mike

Family and friends, we are gathered here today to honor the life and legacy of Michael Giles. On behalf of his parents and siblings, we would like to thank you all for taking the time and creating the space to be with us today.

My name is Keith Pittman and I had the privilege of being Michael’s cousin. He and his twin brother Mark are the same age as my daughter. Our families were so intertwined. We celebrated holidays, birthdays, and so many special moments together. Moments like going to the movies after we ate Thanksgiving Dinner together. With everyone of those moments, I have vivid, memories of Michael. His smile. His laugh. His over the top sense of humor. Simply put, Michael was quite the character.

To know Mike, is to love Mike so today we are going to honor him the way he lived, with a celebration. I want to take a brief moment to frame our time together today.

As you came in, hopefully you got a chance to take a look at the “Walk-through of Michael’s Impactive Life

We will read the obituary as well as have a scripture reading along with acknowledgements, resolutions, and cards from countless well wishers

Next, we will hear from family and friends as we share our experiences Michael. The family would love to hear from you so please consider sharing

In closing, we will have a powerful song and some words of reflection and encouragement, to be followed by a time of food, refreshments, and fellowship at Pace Center for Girls

It is a celebration. We have on our Jags items. We are going to laugh, there will be tears, but we are going to have fun. We want you to laugh, smile, and enjoy.

Prayer

Lord, I ask that you be with us today. As we celebrate Michael, I ask that you give us strength. There is much grief because there is much love. However, we are not alone. Your word declares that when two or three are gathered in your name, you are amongst them. I ask that you give us peace in the name of Jesus, Amen!

Reading of the Obituary

At this I want to invite my bride, Maegan, to come and read the obituary.

Scripture: Teddy Thompson

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 CSB

17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Acknowledgements and Resolutions:

Yessica Cancel

Reflections (Family/Friends)

The life we live is the legacy leave. Michael lives an amazing life and has left an amazing legacy.

Worship Song (Tawana Wright)

Live Like Mike

The life we live is the legacy we leave. I have been thinking a great deal about a scripture that encapsulates Mike.

John 10:10 CSB

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

If there ever is a person that personifies living a life of abundance, it is Mike. That word abundance also translate to mean: complete, out of the ordinary, a life of more, over the top. In other words, living his best life! My last interaction with Mike was on social media a few weeks ago. We went back and forth a bit and I said, you look like you are having fun Biggie and he replied, I am living my best life!

Now that Mike isn’t with us, it is our responsibility to carry him with us. The life we live is the legacy we leave and Mike left a legacy for all of us.

Joy: Mike had a smile that would literally light up a room. He had it since I can remember. That smile was the overflow of joy in his life. Happiness is circumstantial, but joy transcends the situation. Mike had a smile like he was the only one in on the joke. If we want to live like Mike, we have to have joy like Mike

Confidence: You could not tell Mike a single thing. He was “the package”. He had a swagger that kept all eyes on him. Mike was dialed into a frequency that gave him a strong sense of self and refused to let anyone define him. If we want to live like Mike, we have to the confidence and boldness like Mike.

Love: Scripture describes love as being patient, kind, keeping no record of wrong, believing the best. Mike loved people. It didn’t matter your politics, background, color, the list goes on, Mike loved you. With Mike you felt seen, you felt heard, you felt like you mattered. The world desperately needs this. Imagine if we went back to our homes, workplaces, families and friends and truly loved like Mike. I think we could ignite a movement that could bring lasting change.

The life that we live is the legacy that we leave. Mike left us a legacy of joy, confidence, and love. Whatever you are full of, is the overflow you live from. Mike was full of joy, confidence, and love so it overflowed out of him and we all benefited from it.

Response

Mike had joy, confidence, and love but above all else, Mike had Jesus. It is comforting to know Mike had Jesus, so Jesus has him! Mike heard the words that all of us aspire to hear one day, well done my good and faithful servant. He fought the fight, he finished his assignment and he has been promoted to being in the presence of God.

Encourage the family

We will see Mike again! His story is just beginning. He lived his best life on earth, he is living a perfect life in the presence of God.

2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT

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.

Absent from the body

2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Death where is your sting

1 Corinthians 15:55 CSB

55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?

We will see Mike again!

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NLT

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Mike had joy, confidence, love and Jesus.

Encourage the friends

Mike had Jesus! Do you? If you really want to live like Mike: Joy like Mike, confidence like Mike, love like Mike, you need Jesus like Mike.

Water to Wine

I think it is only fitting to talk about Jesus first miracle, turning water to wine, I think Mike would appreciate it. The text tells us, it was a party, a celebration and they ran out of wine. Wine represented: joy, abundance, blessing. So that means, joy was gone. Blessing was gone. Peace was gone. We all feel a measure of that now because those are the characteristics of Mike. However, Jesus was invited in.

Jesus turns a deficit into overflow.

Jesus turns lack into abundance.

It was said, that the wine was better after Jesus got involved. That means, Mike is living a better life in the presence of Christ. It means for all of us, our best days are ahead if we invite Jesus to our lives. With Jesus, it only gets better!

Prayer of Comfort

Heavenly Father, we ask that you comfort all of us. As we celebrate the life of Michael, empower us to allow his life to live on through us. I pray that we can draw closer to you and each other through this. We ask for peace and blessing.

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Closing

Thank you for joining us. However, the celebration is not over. The family wants to invite you to join us for an extended gathering where there will be food trucks, dessert trucks, and continued time together as we celebrate Mike.

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