Jeff Tartaglia:
CLASS OF 1973
Coldwater High SchoolClass of 1973
Coldwater, MI
Jeff's Story
Jeff is from Coldwater, Michigan. Jeff's schools include Coldwater High School.
Music Jeff likes includes Boston, fiddler on the roof, Electric Light Orchestra. Books Jeff likes include The Bible, Derek Prince, Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis. Movies Jeff likes include Food Matters, The Terminator, Fireproof the Movie. TV shows Jeff likes include PBS History Detectives, Outside the Lines, Keiser Report.
One of Jeff's favorite quotes is:""If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything â all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."- Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement speech, 2005
"Some Birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty without them. I guess I just miss my friend."Morgan Freeman in the movie Shawshank Redemption, and Lou Price, Mattawan Drama Teacher, speaking at Matt's memorial service
"I refuse to do nothing with my life. I will do something great. I don't know how or even when, but one day I will help humanity one way or another." from Matt's journal
"May we see each other through the eyes of a child, and appreciate the gifts of our humanity. May we take the love Matt has engraved in our hearts and pass it on. If we do so, that would be the greatest honor we could give him. God bless you." Nancy Garman, Matt's Math teacher, speaking at Matt's memorial service
"Matt would have reminded us to dream big dreams, for if no one bothers to dream, life loses significance." Matt's best friend Ryan Sensenbrenner, speaking at Matt's service
"Wisdom is found in real-life experience and humility, and for many people, painful losses are required before the penny will drop." Danielle Park
If you think that the cost of an education is too expensive, just look at the cost of being ignorant." Author unknown
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
"You will observe with concern how long a useful truth may be known and exist, before it is generally received and acted upon." Benjamin Franklin
"For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7.
"In every difficulty therein lies opportunity." Albert Einstein.
"To pray and not to practice, to believe and not to obey, to praise and yet at heart rebel, is to take the name of the Lord in vain" -Alan Redpath
"Come to me, all of you who are burdened and h...Expand for more
eavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Jesus Christ".
More about Jeff:"Married for 31 years, husband of a loving and supportive wife, Sandy, father of two great kids, Michael and Matthew.
I have been an HVAC Sales Estimator and Project Manager (17 yrs), mortgage loan officer (8 yrs), commercial insurance underwriter (7 yrs), EBAY book and antiques seller, dishwasher, Big Boy cook, foundry worker, parts assembler, warehouse unloader, marine deputy patrol officer-(seriously- 3 summers in a patrol boat for the Branch County Sheriff Department, patrolling a group of lakes near Coldwater, Mi. while in college), law clerk (1 year), owner of small HVAC business (2 years), and clerk for a Professor at WMU.
Everyone will encounter challenges and tough times in their lives. I have had a good life, but not without its' problems.
My father died when I was 17 (1972), my mother died when I was 25 (1980), my only sibling my sister died in 2004, and my son Matt died in 2007. I know something about grief.
I am far from perfect. I went bankrupt once (1996) due to a bad business decision and being taken advantage of by my business partner, lost a business, my A+ credit, lost a house, and had vehicles towed away due to non-payment.
One thing I do have is my faith in God. I honestly don't know how anyone survives in this morally bankrupt world without knowing that there is a loving Creator who knows EVERYTHING about us.
I believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, and He said openly that He was God. Jesus said in John, Chapter 14, Verse 6: " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me." Jesus said He was the Way. I don't believe there are many ways to heaven-there is Only One Way-Jesus.
Jesus Christ said that He was God. Is that true? He was either 1) a LIAR, the biggest one ever, for he has fooled millions of people throughout history, or 2) a LUNATIC, who believed he was God, but was terribly wrong and died for it, or 3) He was who he said he was, our SAVIOR and LORD, sent to die for our sins, take away our guilt and shame, and save us from an eternity seperated from God the Father.
CS Lewis wrote in his best-selling book Mere Christianity, speaking of Jesus: "You can shut Him up as a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come away with any patronizing nonsense about Him being only a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us; He did not intend to."
Most of us will study hard on our jobs or in school so we can have a good career. But how many of us will do the hard work necessary to find out who Jesus really was? Will we take the opinions of others as fact, or will we take the time, work hard, not be lazy, and seek to form our own strong beliefs?
I would start with the source for Christianity, the Bible, particularly the Life Application Bible because of its research. 2 other books, "Evidence that demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell, and "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis, also examines critically the claims of Jesus Christ, to see if this Christianity is true, or it is a fraud and sham.".
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