There is no guarantee of tomorrow, even with the best well-laid plans. A message in which you encourage them to serve God, praise them for their accomplishments, and express your desire to see them in heaven. But how much more meaningful, if you have advance notice that your days are numbered to give certain valued items to your children, along with a history of that item and its meaning to you. Of course, the most valuable possession that we have is the truth. We can honor God with a funeral in which God is praised, Jesus is magnified, and Christianity is portrayed as having the answers for life and death.
Many funerals are almost last minute affairs, with hurried preparation.
How much better to have everything pre-planned with specific songs, specific speakers, subject matter, prayers, and so on. Many books on death and dying point out that when it comes to dealing with the funeral home, negotiating the final cost is appropriate. The mark-up on caskets is often 300 percent and even up to 500 percent or more. Various people prefer to buy their own caskets, or actually make them themselves. A Manual of Death Education and Simple Burial by Ernest and Jenifer Morgan.