Some Updates and Thoughts

There have been a lot of pictures taken lately but BP has had no time to upload them so therefore this post has no pics of Ro-dawg or Ro-dawg in a bathing suit (everyone knows how Kylie, Kate, Ada, and all the other little girls love to sneak on to this blog in hopes of seeing Rolicious skin).  So just some random updates and a thought that is on BP's mind this morning.  So if the 5 of you who view this blog as a picture book, jump ship now because you are about to encounter more words and no pics.  As long as the blog stat calculator shows BP 5 or so people coming to view the blog, BP will continue to get the sense of "he is wanted and clever and attractive". Ok sure, BP just threw clever and attractive on there but try tagging that onto compliments.  It makes you feel good. 

So a tad bit of seriousness here and excuse BP for coming out of 3rd person.  We went to a funeral last night.  It was the funeral of Fred Gunter.  Now I knew who Fred was because we attended the same church.  I really started seeing him when I returned from Auburn in 2006.  Most of you who read this blog realize that we all know his grand daughter Lindsay as she is a cuzzette and also know his son Neil.  Just knowing them was a good enough reason for Erin and I to go to the funeral, but Fred symbolized something deeper and it was evident in the funeral/celebration last night.  I don't ever remember speaking to Fred in my life but I knew who he was not because he sat in the same place every Sunday, or because he voiced his opinion whenever the opportunity presented himself, or because he was a "flashy" man, or because I hung out with Lindsay, but simply because he was a man after God's own heart.  God speaks louder than our words can ever speak.  Fred was a man that poured out God's love to not only his precious wife but to everyone who walked by.  I always noticed how gentle and loving he was to wife, who since I moved back to G'ville has always been in need of assistance because of health issues.  There was a story told at the celebration last night on how Mrs. June had to go to therapy and Fred would sometimes have to manually push her legs on the stationary bike to keep her moving.  A man in his 80s on his knees at a therapy clinic pushing his wife's legs to help motivate her and show her his unending love - words can't fully express that type of love.  He always had her at church with a huge smile on his face.  But as I watched him over the years I not only started desiring that when I find myself sitting on the porch with Erin in our old age that my love would be equal to what he had for June, but that my love for others would also be equal.  The energy Fred had to care for Mrs. June and then to love on others is something I will not even try to describe here on this blog.  But my main point is that he was seen by me and I even "knew" him even though I never formally met him because his heart overflowed with the Lord.  I hope people can one day say that about me.  I hope they can say I knew him even though I never met him.  I hope they say they saw me not because of my own spot light but because I was chasing after God's own heart.  I have always believed our best compliments are the ones we never hear.  The ones where God's heart is seen in us so much that it overflows into others conversations when we are no where around or it overflows in their prayers with thankfulness.  So many people are thanking God for Fred even the ones like me who never formally met him.  There are not many people who I have never formally met that I can say I wish I can be like but he makes that list.

And going to a funeral in my mind is good for the soul.  I know that might seem like a morbid thought but a funeral, especially one done as a celebration like last night can feed the soul.  It is so easily for us, especially myself, to think death is far off.  We all know we are going to die but we all think it will happen when we hit 80 or 90 which for majority of us seems like an eternity away.  We can so easily get a sense of immortality in our human bodies. I know I do.  To go to a funeral to see face to face that death is coming feeds my soul.  It helps me to stay grounded and realize this is truly, as Carrie Underwood puts it, our temporary home.  And when the funeral is a celebration, it really bring to life Phillipians 1:21 that states "...to die is gain."  That is not a human thought but a God thought.  To die is gain is a life changing thought.  To know that, as the the Chris Tomlin song stated last night as it played at the celebration, "I will rise when God calls my name" is something that can bring tears to my eyes because my life so often doesn't show Phil 1:21.

Back to 3rd person.  Tired of blogging so no random updates. Maybe in a little while.

BP IS OUT!!!