She Said Yes!

On Friday night April 25 at around 10:30pm I got on my knee and asked Kristin to marry me.

We were on our way home from our lifegroup meeting and I had Kristin stop at the Crosses. I knew she wouldn't really be expecting it, so I had to do it quickly. This is one of her favorite places so I knew it would be meaningful for her.

Please don't ask when its going to be and all that good stuff. We will be giving everybody more information as soon as we know it.

HPC Men’s Conference

2 days, 4 main speakers, 2 awesome panel guests, and 2 hosts, what an awesome weekend.

Dino Rizzo and Mike Haman just hosted the first HPC Men’s Conference. They lined up some truly great speakers, Coach Bill McCartney, Kevin Mawae, Joel A’bell, and Zhenya Kasevich. There were two breakout sessions, the one I attended was hosted by Dino and was a panel with Julio Malara and Le Domainge. These two men are both very successful businessmen who’s calling in life is to make money for God and to minister to the business world. One of the questions that was asked was “What do you tell people when you are at a conference and a young man asks you what is your secret?” Julio said without hesitation “I answer my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” He said that the usual reply is something like, “that’s great but what’s your secret?” So he tells them again. I could sit and glean knowledge from these two men for days on end.

The speaker who touched me the most was Joel A’bell of Hillsong in Australia. He talked about the 5 weaknesses or traits rather that the Devil likes to attack men with. I have to say that I defiantly struggle with one or two of them. And about when we get idle we tend to lose focus on what is important. He really made me realize that the last 2 months I have been focusing too much energy on work and allowing it to define me. I have been so intent on it that I have stopped reading the books that better my life, and stopped really studying the Bible. I had based too much of my happiness on what was happening at work and not on what was good in my life.

I have resolved to change those areas and have felt so much better over the last week. I am taking the problems at work in stride, and focusing on my relationship with God and Kristin. In just one week I have felt a change, I am sleeping better and more restfully, I have much more energy and I see God working in my life again.

What a great weekend.

Bittersweet Weekend

Funeral weekend. Need I say more. But even in times of sadness you have to have a little fun.

It started out with a lovely 6 hour ride to Birmingham from Baton Rouge. We got in at about 10:45pm, and were all dog tired. After we went to our rooms my mind was still racing with the drive and events to come in the weekend. So I kidnapped my brothers for a nightcap. The funny thing is that when I went to get Eric I think that Lisa Marie was genuinely offended when I said that she wasn't really invited. Nothing personal there are just some things that you can only discuss with your brothers. I am very glad that I did this because we were able to have an excellent conversation about, well things that only brothers can discuss.

The next morning the funeral started early. It was open casket, I don't like open casket deals. The answer is no they don't look like they are sleeping. Kristin was able to come and did without ever asking, she was a trooper all the way through it (even with the open casket), even though she never even met my grandma before. That meant so much to my family and myself.

The memorial service was pretty awesome. Uncle Fran gave the family remembrances. There was no one better suited to do this. He very eloquently talked about the best parts of my Grandmother. No one else in the family would have been able to hold it together and speak with such power about her life. Thanks Fran.

The pastor was great also. My favorite thing that he said was that we don't move on to a better place like we just up and moved to Florida. We actually die, and it IS Final. The true power of our lives as Christians is that God promises to resurrect us just like he did for Christ. We will be brought back to life in a new world that God has created just for us. All tears will be wiped away by God himself, and there will be no more pain, death, or suffering (Rev. 21:4).

Grandma is up there with Granddad with nothing but joy in their hearts looking down and smiling at us right now.

Enough of the depressing stuff. You absolutely cannot stay sane if you go through a day with only thinking about the depressing idea of death. So we defiantly had some fun. Just a short recap. We broke into the bell tower at the church, and of course while we are up in the bells my dad started to ring the bells. Later we left the church and beat my dad to Betty's house and he is the native. We left and went to Grandma's old house and took a tour of it while the current owners weren't home. Just as we were walking out of the house the current owner's brother in law drives up. Luckily the next door neighbor, Mr. Neighbors, had our back. And then of course a long ride back home.

Thank you to everyone who has offered their prayers up for my family and I. We greatly appreciate it.

An End To Suffering

This morning the Matriarch of our family Wilberta Brinson died. She had suffered for over 10 years with Alzheimer's disease. Even though she has been dead in the mind for at least the last 6 years. It doesn't make her passing any easier on the family.

The good thing is that she had a relationship and is now sitting with Jesus, and I am sure has already had a great long hug from my grandfather who went ahead of her in 1991. All suffering and confusion that she had here over the last few years has now evaporated away, and she now has clarity that we can not even imagine.

What kind of woman was she?

If anyone asks what kind of person she was, all I have to do is tell them to look at my father and then tell me what kind of person she was. For the last 9 years she has been living in an assisted living home in Charlotte. My father took the reigns on taking care of her and staying with her while this disease ran its course. My parents were determined that grandma would not be one of those that was left in a home and forgotten. Everyday Dad would get off of work and have dinner with her (although in the past 3-4 years he has actually been feeding her). He would even go on Sat and Sunday. If for some unforeseen reason my Dad couldn't make it my Mom would go in his stead.

So what kind of woman was she?

If children are a reflection of their parents then, she must have been an incredible woman because my father is one incredible man to do what he did.

Though it is sad, I am thankful that the suffering is over for her and that she can finally see what heaven is like.

We'll miss you Di-Di mama.

God's Spin

Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

I have been thinking today about blogging. I don't ever do it, and I've been told that either you do it or you don't. I see other people's blogs and think that everyone seems to have something to say every day, and I don't. So I though that I would just give it up and close my account today, but then I saw this story.

(http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344350,00.html)

If you don't want to read it then here is a brief synopsis. A boy drew the picture seen above for his school assignment, and the teacher gave him a zero because it depicted a cross and religious verse. The teacher says that he was trying to promote religious views. The boy is suing because he says that there are figurines of buddha and indian gods around school and other kids were allowed to draw demonic images. So why is he not allowed to show his religious views.

I agree 100% with this kid. I think he has the right to draw whatever he wants, and that the school and all of these atheist fanatics out there don't have the right to try and take away a kid's first amendment right that they themselves so freely use. I believe that there is a minority in the US that is allowed to persecute/segregate against Christians, (who by the way founded the country and make up a majority of the population). I wish that something would be done about that, I would vote for that Guy, if he ran.

So my initial reaction was outrage at what was going on, but then God smacked me on the back of the head and said "No, look again." So I did, and I had to laugh. The anti-Christians out there have tried to block this kid and not show his religious values. But just like Romans 8:28 says God spun it around and this art and story has now been broadcast to a million times more people than would ever have seen it otherwise. This teacher and other "equal rights" activists were trying to stop the spread of God's message, but God will always find a way.