On June 22, 2004 an angel on earth was called home.
Mattie Stepanek peacefully left us with poems and thoughts on life and faith.
Mattie was able to balance his life and his faith like no one else.
He wanted to be remembered as a poet, a peacemaker and a philosopher who played.
What a wonderful way to be remembered. No matter how important we get in our jobs, lives and families – we need to play.
We need to jump into the pool cannonball style – run without inhibitions in every direction – grab a friend and do the unexpected.
Did you watch Friends, I loved that emsemble of characters!
My favorite character was Phoebe.
I know, I know, they all had their quirkyness that make them loveable personalities. And there pieces of each personality that I love, but Phoebe was always true to herself, not needing to pretend to be something she was not. She was smart, kind, compassionate and forgiving – and totally Phoebe!
One of my favorite Phoebe scenes is when she runs with Rachel in Central Park. Phoebe run like a wild person and Rachel is embarrased. Phoebe doesn’t understand why anyone would run so uptight – she runs like a child, as fast as she can, arms flying all around her – but with pure joy.
Let’s take a lesson of pure joy from what mattered most to Mattie – “Praying and playing, and celebrating life every day in some way.”
Playing and running uninhibited.
With pure joy, not worried about what others think. 
The Dust of God
A long time ago, I was a leaf on a tree…
I was hanging on my tree and
it was during spring so it rained a lot,
and that was good because I was thirsty.
Then it turned into summer
and it was so hot, but I felt good when I saw
the beautiful flowers down below.
Then fall came.
I was green, but then I turned red
and fell down to the ground.
When winter came it was cold,
and I began to disappear and turn back into the dust that I was made from.
Then spring came again…
I was not a tree anymore, but buried into the ground.
But I was still a part of the flowers and of the trees and of
all the life around the world…
because I was the dust that God made,
and that is the dust that God used
to make the whole world, and the animals
and the plants and the people
I am the dust and I am the life and
I am so happy…
Hanging on my tree,
Floating to the ground and
being the dust of God in the earth.
June 22,1995 ~ Mattie Stepanek
Balancing Life and Faith 