Fireman’s Last Call

 PSALM 23

I’m going to say something controversial; Dempsey was a Jerk…………….for leaving as early as he did! 

MILD LAUGHTER….

I’m not happy about it, none us are and I am going to tell him as much, a LONG, LONG time from now.

I don’t have a sermon for you, Dempsey didn’t want that. 

Strong wind rattles the windows in the Mausoleum, I look at the casket….mild laughter. I told you!

I am going to be informal today, as a matter of fact, Pierce hand me the box.

Pierce hands me a box, and I put on the shirt that I wear when I go fishing with Pierce and Demps. I ask Susan, if wearing the fishing hat was going too far. She laughs and gives me the green light,

I’m going to wear this outfit one more time with my guy. As a matter of fact I brought a hat that he borrowed a couple of years ago. It didn’t fit me that well before he wore it and now it definitely doesn’t fit me. 

I walked over and put it on the casket.

I think Demps should wear this. I figure the sillier I look, the easier it will be for me to get through this.

How lucky are we that we’ve been able to gather to celebrate so many joyous moments. We’ve been together for: dances, graduations, engagements, holidays, weddings, births and so much more. Today we grieve. 

I’m not supposed to be up here. I feel like there is an innate, predisposed aversion between: father of beautiful daughter and high school boyfriend. Which is another reason why I am mad at him. Can you imagine the irony of the conversations that  I was gong to have with him eight years from now? NINE, make it nine years from now? I can see us sitting around a backyard fire at Christmas, (he made the best fires).

Acknowledging the Fireman in uniform: All of those fires were by the book gentlemen, they were all strictly by code. 

Addressing the attendees, Can you imagine if I get Demps disqualified from his last call on a technicality? Upon further review, based ion new evidence, unfortunately Dempsey no longer qualifies for the ringing of the bell.

Laughter

We’d be sitting around the fire with a highball and a Cigar (if Pierce wasn’t around) and I would say to him: can you believe that she laughs at EVERYTHING that he says? Most of the stuff is not even funny but all she does is giggle. At least I was witty, right? It would’ve been fun to commiserate with him..

I remember the first time that Dempsey was annoyed with me, I’m guessing that it was just about 24 years ago. I worked at Baskin Robbin’s, when my shifts were over on the weekends, I would come over to spend time with Ash, I’d make her laugh. For some reason, I had a couple of Ash’s text books. I don’t know why I had them, I’m sure she left him them at my house while “studying” I know I wasn’t copying her work. We only did that once and it led to our biggest fight to date. I’ve tried to remember why I had them, I can’t but for some reason it was imperative that I get them back to her before school the next day. It was a Sunday night, I got off late and our agreed upon plan was that I would leave her text books in her 96 Camry (Demps had good taste).

Now, the last thing I would do is point the finger at Ashleigh on the day we bury her Dad but the car was supposed to be unlocked. I pulled in to the alley way behind her house, pulled the door handle and the loudest car alarm rang out! I had a couple of choices, I could run and drive away and everyone would know it was me or I could stand there and take my medicine. The lights were out, everyone was asleep, the back porch light flicked on and the door opened. Dempsey's 6’4” frame filled the doorway. 

“GEORGE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

My answer was preposterous, nothing I was going to say was going to make sense. “I’m returning Ashleigh’s text books, sorry”.

LAUGHTER

I have a couple of tiny fish stories for you because when you leave us too early you don’t get the big fish stories. In 2008, Ashleigh and I took our parents to Estes Park. It was a bucket list type of trip. We rented out a huge house with large windows and a big deck. The guys would grill out every night, smoke cigars and toast each other. One of the “bucket list” items was to fly fish the Big Thompson.

Dempsey, Mom, Dad and I split up. Mom and Dad went with one guide and Demps and I went with another. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, tell tale sign of anyone describing a fishing trip and they start with the weather is a good indicator that the fishing wasn’t not that great. 

We enjoyed the journey, we learned about the biology of the eco system “Triston, you would’ve come in handy”, no one fell in the river. We caught a few fish but Demps caught the tiniest fish of all time and we didn’t  let him forget it. 

Later that night we compared fishing stories. Mom and Dad had a record day, caught all five species of trout twice over and Demps and I barely caught two. It was a great trip!

We’ve fished the Inter-coastal in Pensacola for years. After 2022 we decided we caught enough Spanish Mackerel, Sheep head and Remora. On the final reel of the day, Demps snagged a fish that was having a bad day. The fish didn’t take his bait, the little Red Snapper just got hooked in the side as Demps was reeling his line in. Amazingly, the fish was smaller than the one he caught in the Thompson 14 years prior. 

In 2023 we ditched the Inter-coastal and headed out to the deep waters. All year, Pierce and I told Pop that he was gong to catch that Red Snapper again and that this time he would be all grown up, he would be big enough to keep. We all caught a lot of fish that day, Demps waited until the last hour to catch that Snapper and it was all GROWN UP! We celebrated him, “POP, we told you POP, we told you were going to catch him again! He laughed his laugh. 

 

We kept the kids home Thursday after sharing the news with them. I don’t get called in to fix Audra’s hair very often, I’m an admirable sub when needed. Friday was one of those days, I asked Audra how she wanted her hair and she replied “high pony” (which is my specialty).

I was looking at Audra, she said to me with a smile on her face “everything is your specialty” She didn’t say that because that is how she felt, she said it because I tell her (regardless of whatever it may be) “that is my specialty”.  We had a sweet moment, (which I desperately needed).

I sprayed her hair with all of the stuff, brushed it, pulled it back and twisted it in to a pony. All the time I thought to myself, I bet it didn’t feel like all that long ago Demps was fixing his girls hair. 

My tradition with the kids is on Fridays before any extended break, is to get donuts. That day was no exception, we parked, Audra grabbed my hand and was skipping down the sidewalk. Her pony tail was bouncing with the rhythm of her skip. She asked me while she was skipping, “Daddy, what are you going to miss most about Pop”?

You never know when you’re going to get a knot of grief in your throat. I instantly had a big one and it became hard to swallow. I choked out “I’m going to miss his laugh honey, I loved his laugh. 

Knowing that she had been thinking about it, I asked her, “how about you babe, what are you going to miss most”? She replied, “Well, Pop was my pool buddy, so I’m going to miss swimming with him”.

At this moment I choked up, and took several seconds to compose myself.

We’re just so lucky to have had so many good times together. 

It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, that Demps and I were standing in that alley. I am the same age today as Dempsey was. I’ve been thinking a lot about that encounter this week. 

IF we were in a sitcom, and that scene was frozen while Ron Howard narrated over it:

“Little did Dempsey know, that this kid that’s not grown in to his nose or ears yet, with pralines and cream and mint chocolate chip all over his shirt will be at the end of the aisle that he walks his daughter down, will preside over his youngest daughter’s wedding and deliver his Eulogy.   

We really aren’t here for very long.

“George, What are you doing?"…….

The answer today is the same as it was 25 years ago…..Whatever your Daughter wants me to do Demps! Forever and Ever….Whatever she wants. And Now….Whatever Susan needs too.

We Thank You God for life and the joy of living it. Amen.

My Experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I’m just trying to figure out the Silver and Black Lining. 

 We Love You Papacito

Do your remember when you learned how to “read a clock”? When we got to this lesson in school, I remember breezing through it. The teacher would pass out worksheets consisting of clock faces with big and little hands and we were tasked with writing what time each clock displayed. 

Time has a way of playing tricks on us. Everyday is measured the same exact way. There is never more or less time in any given day, week, month or year and yet sometimes it feels like some days are longer than others or a year feels shorter than it was.

It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was bouncing on Papacito’s knee. We were sitting on the couch in the Flora house, a round face style alarm clock (black with white numbers) was within reach. I’m guessing I was around five years old and I’m certain He-Man was on the television. I know it was some type of cartoon because if a Western was on, I don’t think Papa would’ve been as motivated to teach me about telling time. Papa loved a good Western.

I remember vividly, sitting on his knee, his arms wrapped around my torso holding the clock in front of us. He manipulated the hands around the face and explained how the little hand and the big hand worked together to give us the time of day. 

He was a good teacher, had a great disposition and an AMAZING sense of humor. That doesn’t mean he was incapable of getting fired up. I recall hiding his remote a time or two. One time specifically we were watching cartoons together, Papa decided to go play pool in the other room. I wanted to be with him but I also wanted to make sure we kept watching cartoons, I hid the remote before I went in to play pool with him. After we played a couple of games, he went back to the TV room, to change the channel. He couldn’t find the remote, I walked in and pulled it from behind the speaker, sat down and smiled. He didn’t smile and in fact called me “Cabezon”!

Papa was strong, he’d ask me to show him my bicep, he referred to it as a potato. Flex Mijo, show me your potato, (his was bigger). He gave incredible Bear Hugs with those “potatoes”. He was smart, he could fix or improve or build just about anything. His sense of direction, second to none. I suppose driving all over the southwest as a young Dad motivates you to know where you’re going. I recall, more than a few times him sitting in his chair studying a Rand McNally in his free time. 

Perhaps the greatest lesson he imparted to all of us was how important family is. He didn’t give a dissertation to any of us on the topic, instead Papa showed us how to be there for one another, he led us all by example for THREE Generations!

Above all, I’ll hold the countless memories I have of Papa making Mamacita laugh. The way he could make her smile and laugh while telling a story, the way she would sort of rock back and place her hand on his shoulder and her saying his name “Jorge” while we all laughed. He loved and cherished her. 

He rested all of us on his knee, wrapped his arms around us, put his scruffy cheek on ours (it tickled) and taught us what he knew. He held the majority of our two feet in the palm of his hand and chanted Salito, while smiling and laughing his laugh. 

Time is tricky, I wish I could turn back the hands on that clock and sit with him a while longer but at the same time, I know we were all so blessed to have been able to spend as much time with him as we did. 

Pues……He was our Patriarch, our King and now, after: Guiding, Protecting, Providing, Teaching and Loving us, he gets to Rest.

Salud!

My Experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I’m just trying to figure out the Silver and Black Lining.

AUDRA

Let's travel back in time to June 25th, 2015, Do you remember what you were doing on that day? I do! Our baby was due to arrive on July 5th, 2015. My first child, made it clear from the beginning that he was going to operate on his own schedule from opening day without regard for anyone else. He arrived eight days past his due date. I bring this up because my wife was determined to see to it that she was going to make up for the difference and get back to even with our second child.

The story starts: 

It was a Dark and Stormy Night...

I fell asleep quickly on June 25th, 2015. My wife touched my shoulder as I slept and let me know that she was having contractions. Ashleigh said that she had experienced them for the last hour. She had gone downstairs and tried to watch a movie while enduring the beginning part of labor but it was apparent that number two was going to come more quickly than number one.

You can wake up in several different ways/states. There is nothing quite like the love of your life telling you that she is going to deliver your child soon. The baby moon classes that Ashleigh made us take were invaluable the first time and were just as useful the second time. We followed our game plan to the letter. I got ready while Ash labored in the shower for as long as she could. I filled the jacuzzi tub up. She was able to knock out about 30 minutes in the shower. I called my parents so that they could watch Pierce while we went to the hospital. Ash moved to the tub, the contractions started coming quickly. My labor app said it was time to head to the hospital.

I went outside to pack up the car. Ashleigh was ready to go and waiting for me at the top of the stairs (breathing heavy). She waited for a contraction to pass and walked down the stairs while I was jacking with packing our essentials.
She had another contraction at the bottom of the stairs and absorbed it without me. She walked to the door that exits to the garage, (wondering, I'm sure where the hell I was), I met her at the door and helped her into the car. It was a down pour. Thunder and Lightning and big drops of rain.

This is where I bobbled the ball (literally and figuratively). After putting Ashleigh in to the car I went back in to the house and gave my parents last minute instructions. I also decided to grab one more tool. I feel like I have to explain why I decided that it was a good idea to bring a yoga ball with us. It proved useful the last time and I was just thinking "better to have it and not need it the to need it and not have it".

I've joked with Ashleigh and others about this three minute window in our life. As I was barking instructions to my parents with a huge purple yoga ball under my arm I heard a thumping sound that I hope I never forget. I heard this noise over the thunder and the hundreds of millions of raindrops crashing to the earth. It reminded me of the sound that the main characters from Jurassic Park were hearing for the first time. They heard a large thump and looked at each other, they saw the ripples of water in the cup sitting still in their drink holder before they heard the roar and saw the T-Rex.

I looked back to the car hoping Ashleigh was not about to be eaten by a dinosaur and saw her bare feet pressed to the windshield and kicking it while screaming through another contraction. I ran to the car (with the ball still under my arm) and opened the door. Ash looked at me and to her credit, calmly explained to me that we were not going to need the ball. I hurled it in to the garage and we headed to the hospital.

The rain was relentless, thankfully we live minutes away from St. Joe's. The contractions were coming one right after the other. Ashleigh mentioned to me that she'd be ok with having an epidural. I didn't argue with her but I knew that we were past that point and that she was going to have to this naturally and I also knew that she could do it.

We pulled up in front of the door, I was going to walk Ashleigh in and park the car. An assistant met us at the door with a wheelchair and could tell that Ashleigh was close. When he realized that I was leaving to park the car he told me to forget it. 

I wheeled her in to the lobby and the receptionist started the process of checking us in. She asked one question and Ashleigh powered through her biggest contraction yet. She, without a doubt woke everyone in the lobby. The nurse sent us right up.

The staff immediately put us in to a room. We got her in to bed, Ashleigh inquired about the epi. The nurse checked her and said, "honey, you're meeting your baby within 20 minutes, there's no time for that". I comforted Ashleigh and told her what an amazing job she had done and that despite her doubts, she was strong enough to this the way she wanted to. I looked at the nurse and told her I needed a gown and gloves stat.

Guys joke about not being able to handle watching your child come into the world. "Stay North of the equator", they joke. I'm not down with that, my thoughts are, if my wife is tough enough to deliver our child, I should be tough enough to tell her about seeing it happen. Watching my son come out of wife is the closest I've ever been to God. I couldn't feel myself standing, I felt his hand on all three of us simultaneously, he held us while it happened. It was an amazing, breathtaking moment in my life and this time, I wanted to deliver it!

We decided to not find out the sex of our third baby. We made the decision in part because after our miscarriage and struggle to get pregnant a third time, the excitement of  finding out that we were pregnant was enough to carry us to the due date. There aren't many surprises in life anymore and we wanted to be surprised.

I was gloved up and Ashleigh was pushing! Our midwife wasn't going to make it in time. The Doctor on call was next door delivering another baby so the senior nurse took the wheel. Ashleigh began the last handful of pushes. The Doctor might have walked in during the final one, the nurse coached and I encouraged Ashleigh through the last one. We saw the head, I put my had under the neck and quickly noticed that it had more hair than Pierce. The torso was out and it happened again! I felt like God took Ashleigh the baby and I into our own private room, just the four of us and no one else. I was looking at our daughter, Ashleigh wanted a girl and I was overwhelmed that I was able to make that happen for us, one of the few times in my life  I was speechless. The nurse said "she's beautiful", Ashleigh looked at me and as I handed Audra to her, I said, "meet your daughter"!

Being a Father to a Daughter is different than a Father to a Son. When you find out that you are having a son, there is an agenda that focuses your energy on raising a man. When I held my daughter for the first time, all I wanted to do was protect her and love her forever. It'd be easy to confuse those two thoughts. Of course I love my son and want to protect him and of course I'll raise my daughter to have the same morals and convictions as my son but while I would be Spider-Man for my son, I would morph into Venom for my daughter.

What I'm trying to convey is that daughters and sons touch your heart and soul differently and I am happy and blessed to have experienced the love of both.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just trying to figure out the Silver and Black Lining.

     

AUDRA

Let's travel back in time to June 25th, 2015, Do you remember what you were doing on that day? I do! Our baby was due to arrive on July 5th, 2015. My first child, made it clear from the beginning that he was going to operate on his own schedule from opening day without regard for anyone else. He arrived eight days past his due date. I bring this up because my wife was determined to see to it that she was going to make up for the difference and get back to even with our second child.

The story starts: 

It was a Dark and Stormy Night...

I fell asleep quickly on June 25th, 2015. My wife touched my shoulder as I slept and let me know that she was having contractions. Ashleigh said that she had experienced them for the last hour. She had gone downstairs and tried to watch a movie while enduring the beginning part of labor but it was apparent that number two was going to come more quickly than number one.

You can wake up in several different ways/states. There is nothing quite like the love of your life telling you that she is going to deliver your child soon. The baby moon classes that Ashleigh made us take were invaluable the first time and were just as useful the second time. We followed our game plan to the letter. I got ready while Ash labored in the shower for as long as she could. I filled the jacuzzi tub up. She was able to knock out about 30 minutes in the shower. I called my parents so that they could watch Pierce while we went to the hospital. Ash moved to the tub, the contractions started coming quickly. My labor app said it was time to head to the hospital.

I went outside to pack up the car. Ashleigh was ready to go and waiting for me at the top of the stairs (breathing heavy). She waited for a contraction to pass and walked down the stairs while I was jacking with packing our essentials.
She had another contraction at the bottom of the stairs and absorbed it without me. She walked to the door that exits to the garage, (wondering, I'm sure where the hell I was), I met her at the door and helped her into the car. It was a down pour. Thunder and Lightning and big drops of rain.

This is where I bobbled the ball (literally and figuratively). After putting Ashleigh in to the car I went back in to the house and gave my parents last minute instructions. I also decided to grab one more tool. I feel like I have to explain why I decided that it was a good idea to bring a yoga ball with us. It proved useful the last time and I was just thinking "better to have it and not need it the to need it and not have it".

I've joked with Ashleigh and others about this three minute window in our life. As I was barking instructions to my parents with a huge purple yoga ball under my arm I heard a thumping sound that I hope I never forget. I heard this noise over the thunder and the hundreds of millions of raindrops crashing to the earth. It reminded me of the sound that the main characters from Jurassic Park were hearing for the first time. They heard a large thump and looked at each other, they saw the ripples of water in the cup sitting still in their drink holder before they heard the roar and saw the T-Rex.

I looked back to the car hoping Ashleigh was not about to be eaten by a dinosaur and saw her bare feet pressed to the windshield and kicking it while screaming through another contraction. I ran to the car (with the ball still under my arm) and opened the door. Ash looked at me and (to her credit) calmly explained to me that we we're not going to need that. I hurled it in to the garage and headed to the hospital.

The rain was relentless, thankfully we live minutes away from St. Joe's. The contractions were coming one right after the other. Ashleigh mentioned to me that she'd be ok with having an epidural. I didn't argue with her but I knew that we were past that point and that she was going to have to this naturally and I also knew that she could do it.

We pulled up in front of the door, I was going to walk Ashleigh in and park the car. An assistant met us at the door with a wheelchair and could tell that Ashleigh was close. When he realized that I was leaving to park the car he told me to forget it. 

I wheeled her in to the lobby and the receptionist started the process of checking us in. She asked one question and Ashleigh powered through her biggest contraction yet. She, without a doubt woke everyone in the lobby. The nurse sent us right up.

The staff immediately put us in to a room. We got her in to bed, Ashleigh inquired about the epi. The nurse checked her and said, "honey, you're meeting your baby within 20 minutes, there's no time for that". I comforted Ashleigh and told her what an amazing job she had done and that despite her doubts, she was strong enough to this the way she wanted to. I looked at the nurse and told her I needed a gown and gloves stat.

Guys joke about not being able to handle watching your child come into the world. "Stay North of the equator", they joke. I'm not down with that, my thoughts are, if my wife is tough enough to deliver our child, I should be tough enough to tell her about seeing it happen. Watching my son come out of wife is the closest I've ever been to God. I couldn't feel myself standing, I felt his hand on all three of us simultaneously, he held us while it happened. It was an amazing, breathtaking moment in my life and this time, I wanted to deliver it!

We decided to not find out the sex of our third baby. We made the decision in part because after our miscarriage and struggle to get pregnant a third time, the excitement of  finding out that we were pregnant was enough to carry us to the due date. There aren't many surprises in life anymore and we wanted to be surprised.

I was gloved up and Ashleigh was pushing! Our midwife wasn't going to make it in time. The Doctor on call was next door delivering another baby so the senior nurse took the wheel. Ashleigh began the last handful of pushes. The Doctor might have walked in during the final one, the nurse coached and I encouraged Ashleigh through the last one. We saw the head, I put my had under the neck and quickly noticed that it had more hair than Pierce. The torso was out and it happened again! I felt like God took Ashleigh the baby and I into our own private room, just the four of us and no one else. I was looking at our daughter, Ashleigh wanted a girl and I was overwhelmed that I was able to make that happen for us, one of the few times in my life  I was speechless. The nurse said "she's beautiful", Ashleigh looked at me and as I handed Audra to her, I said, "meet your daughter"!

Being a Father to a Daughter is different than a Father to a Son. When you find out that you are having a son, there is an agenda that focuses your energy on raising a man. When I held my daughter for the first time, all I wanted to do was protect her and love her forever. It'd be easy to confuse those two thoughts. Of course I love my son and want to protect him and of course I'll raise my daughter to have the same morals and convictions as my son but while I would be Spider-Man for my son, I would morph into Venom for my daughter.

What I'm trying to convey is that daughters and sons touch your heart and soul differently and I am happy and blessed to have experienced the love of both.

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just trying to figure out the Silver and Black Lining.

     

Dearly Beloved

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today....

Those are magical words, that most every girl dreams about.

On behalf of Charlie and Melissa, I want to thank you for being apart of their dream.

You all have a special place in Charlie and Melissa's hearts. You've met them at one of life's intersections. You all have stories to tell and experiences that you've shared. 

After today, we're all going to have a new story to tell.

Today, we share a new experience.

Because today, 

We celebrate.

Today, we ask GOD to recognize Charlie and Melissa's Love and Dedication to each other.

Who gives this woman,

to be married to this man?

Dempsey: "Her, mother and I do". 

(Dempsey, turns to take his seat next to Susan, as he begins to take his step, he realizes that he has not considered the variable of Melissa's train. He performs a feat of athleticism that he has not achieved since college and hop jumps the aforementioned train. Everyone is polite and No one acknowledges the misstep).  

"Can we all acknowledge Dempsey, sacrificing one more time for Melissa"?

Well, I'd like to first start off by asking for a little latitude today? I have never officiated a wedding before. It might be helpful for some of you to know that I am Melissa's brother by marriage but I have had the pleasure of watching her grow up over the last eighteen years. When Charlie and Melissa asked me to be here today I wish that I could say that the first thoughts that went through my head were touching. I have to be honest, (now more than ever) they weren't. I was shocked, I've never thought about doing anything like this before, let alone train for anything like this. I asked Ash later that night:

How morally bankrupt are the rest of their friends that they would ask a car salesman to marry them?

(Lots of Laughter)

Well that went over well. Let's just skip to the "I do's".

(Still Laughing)

I told Charlie that I would try to get a Seinfeld reference in here. This would be just like the episode where George checks out after dropping a one liner. "George is checking out!"

Often times in this world we find ourselves shaking our heads at life's circumstances. We turn on the TV or check our twitter feed and it doesn't make sense, our vision is blurred. I think I can speak for everyone in here today and say that when we heard about your engagement, we said to ourselves:

"Now that makes sense, Charlie and Melissa make sense".

The thought of Charlie and Melissa, together forever in this world and the next fills us up, it leaves us feeling whole and our vision clear.

Vision is where I'd like to settle in to today.

I would be remiss if I didn't tell my little sister that she is a vision today. "Melissa honey, you are beautiful". and "Charlie, what can I say.......

you tried".

(Laughter)

Any successful venture requires vision, it requires planning. So what is our vision? What is our plan? I think we need to ask: What is GOD'S plan for marriage?

Pastor Andy Stanley says: "To fall in love requires a pulse. To stay in love requires a plan".

I gotta tell you this is an area where us guys are at a bit of a disadvantage because when it comes to girls; love, planning and vision are not our strong suit. Most of the time, we're just trying to trick a girl in to saying yes and hoping she doesn't change her mind before she gets up here.

So what GOD'S purpose for marriage? He gives us two, the primary purpose for marriage is to reflect God's Image. We all bear his image. He put it in us. Together in marriage we create a clearer image of GOD than we would if we were separate.

The second purpose is to reflect God's Love. God loves us in an unending and unconditional way. People are going to look at the way you behave and the way that you care for one another and will have a better understanding of GOD'S Love. 

How do we accomplish this?

Well, God also gives us a couple of priorities to help achieve his purpose.

The first priority is to submit to one another: You first, me second. This is where I need a little latitude. I really want you to understand these priorities, so I am going to give you an example:

(For you out of town readers, the Friday before the wedding, Lexington KY was hammered by a blizzard. One to two inches fell per hour with an accumulation of about 10 inches)

I want to paint you a picture. Lets just say, in a hypothetical scenario that........ an EPIC BLIZZARD blows in.

(Laughter)

Now unless you have a REALLY important event to attend, most of the time you are probably going to snuggle up on the couch, with a couple of cold pops or some hot chocolate. You'll turn on the TV and check out what you have in the DVR bank and you're going to have a couple of choices: you can watch a Lissa show or a Charlie show. Now I think this would be a good time for Lissa to submit to Charlie and........let him watch one of his episodes of Downtown Abbey. 

(Laughter, I know it's Downton Abbey, I say it that way to aggravate my better half).

The second priority is to sacrifice for one another. I'm not talking about anything complex. You hear about it all the time and read about it in most Hallmark cards, "it's the little things that count". 

A few years ago Ashleigh and I had the privilege taking a trip. It was cruise on the Mediterranean and it was with group of Toyota dealers. We met a great couple and spent so much time with them that by week's end they invited us to their home. What is unique about our relationship is that they had kids our age. They are a strong catholic family and we've enjoyed a few trips to their home now in Southern California. One of our first trips out there we had a discussion about marriage and sacrifice. Scott mentioned that one of the sacrifices that he makes to Patty everyday, is to bring her a cup of coffee in bed. Everyday for 30 plus years he's brought her a cup of coffee. 

So Charlie, your challenge is to bring Lissy coffee every morning. It's only fair seeing as how she let you watch your show. It's the little things that make up the big picture.

Paul gives a clear vision of what Love is in his letter to the Corinthian Church.

He tells us that: Love is Patient and Kind

It's not Jealous or Boastful or Rude.

It does not demand it's own way.

Love is not irritable: Let's hit pause right here. What Paul is saying here is that Love requires a cup of Coffee in the morning.

(Laughter)

You see, Scott was trying to give me the secret to a happy marriage.

(Laughter)

LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF BEING WRONGED.

I get so excited reading the first half of this scripture that in my head it reads like a Coach Cal halftime speech, trying to fire up the team.

LOVE NEVER GIVES UP.

NEVER LOSES FAITH.

IS ALWAYS HOPEFUL.

AND

ENDURES THROUGH EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE!

It endures through every circumstance.

Love is undefeated.

It's the ultimate Light saber!

We all have heard these words before, probably at a wedding. My question is, do we listen to them? Do we actively pursue Paul's definition of Love. That is our challenge, everyone of us.

So, that is our Vision!

Reflect GOD'S Image.

Reflect GOD'S Love.

Submit to one another.

Sacrifice for one another.

Keep No Record of Being Wrong.

You won't be undefeated.

It doesn't work like that.

But I can promise you this, you'll come out on top more than you will on the bottom.

Let us Pray:

God our father in Heaven

We thank you for the gift of life.

and for the joys of marriage.

You have loved us 

and you have made us so that we can love,

and be loved

We ask for you blessing on this day

and on this marriage.

Groom and Bride stand humbly before you.

Guide them Father.

In the name of Jesus we Pray.

AMEN.

My experiences are new to me. They're probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out what the Silver and Black Lining is.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Pastor Jon Weece for his teaching and my friend Greg Chandler for his guidance.

My Eulogy: Rest Now Grandma

If you'll allow me, I'd like to add a little levity today...

Her touch was as soft as the biscuits that she baked,

Her laugh as sweet as the tea that she brewed and

Her wit was as quick as a slap on the knee (or arm, or shoulder, or any appendage available to her).

Aunt Kristie if you were sitting a little closer I'd slap you on the knee right now.

All of us knew Grandma at different periods in her life, obviously I met her at a latter station. As I have reminisced about our time together over the last few days I couldn't help but to think about the summers spent while visiting from California. 

The days always had the same basic script. Patrick and I would get up with grandpa at 5am, I'm not sure we knew what 5am was before we met Grandpa. He'd take us in to town to Bill's Texaco station and buy us a Yoo Hoo and a treat while he drank coffee and visited with his friends. Patrick and I would fight over who got to sit on the only thing that could be used as a seat. It could be best described as a cinder block window ledge but at 5:30 am it was relief. We stopped by the post office on the way home. Grandma was usually up by then and the four of us would start to make breakfast while everyone else was still asleep. 

Patrick would go with Grandpa and they would make gravy while Grandma and I would bake the biscuits. The rest of the house would wake up except for Uncle Mike and Aunt Kristie, they always woke up an hour later than everyone else.

The rest of the day went something like this: we'd all pile into a caravan of vehicles and drive minimum one hour to somewhere fun, day trips to Grandfather Mountain, or to my favorite a picnic on Roan Mountain and at the same time we'd plan the next meal.

Six years ago after one of those trips to the Roan, with Ashleigh and I, Grandma asked me if I would speak today. I'm glad that I can honor her request. It's a difficult task to manage, speaking about someone you love and honoring their character. I was never nervous about it. I figured God would help me put the right arrangement of words together. It's amazing to me how he delivers his message. 

The story that I want to tell you today might be considered controversial, it wasn't to Grandma and so I think that it shouldn't be for you because, well, it's her day. So, I'd appreciate a little latitude. 

I'll never forget the circumstances surrounding our conversation. Grandpa, Grandma and I drove back from Aunt Patti's after eating dinner. My stomach was upset because Grandma convinced me that I really needed to have that third plate of BBQ, (she was good at that), third plates are never a good idea. 

Grandpa went to bed while Grandma and I stayed up to play Rummy. We were sitting at the nook in the kitchen. Grandma and I talked about more than baking biscuits. We were close. I was in High School and my curiosity in scripture had reached a peak. I don't remember the current event at the time that prompted my question: 

"Grandma, how do you feel about homosexuality"?

Her response was epic: "Honey, I love Elton John". "Rummy"!

We laughed and continued our conversation. This isn't a direct quote, I can't remember what her exact words were but the general gist was "if we all spent more time trying to solve the problems in the mirror instead of pointing fingers at others, we'd all be a lot better off. 

I don't quote scripture often but she helped weave the fabric of my character that day. Matthew 7:1 Judge Not. It's not like I went around judging everyone prior to that but like I said before, God delivers his message in amazing ways when we are ready to receive them.

A friend of mine told me that if we look at our life like a vessel sailing over still water, we'd want to make sure that our wake doesn't negatively impact anyone else. I feel like that embodies Grandma, her wake gently touched you in positive ways.

I know I'll make biscuits with her again one day...

because...

I just can't imagine Heaven without Biscuits and Gravy. 

My experiences are new to me. They're probably not new to you. Most of the time, I'm just working out in my head what the Silver and Black Lining is.  

God Gives Us Light in the Darkness: A Testimony

Little did I know While I was turning the lights out on 359 http://gchernandez3.blogspot.com/2013/11/lights-out-on-359-testimony.html God stoked embers inside of me that glowed brightly in the dark. I'm happy for the power of positive thinking. I know that no matter what my troubles are, there is always someone willing to trade their problems for yours. 

Tragic circumstances exist on this globe which (on the surface) make the lesson learned from blacking out during a marathon seem trivial. Most people probably think to themselves "that's what you get for running 26.2 miles" or some variation of that and I completely understand. "Big deal George, you blacked out, get over it, move on." My problem (or my blessing the way I see it), is that God didn't build me that way.  

I enjoyed math as much as the next kid, I certainly appreciated when the professor balanced the equation, showed us the way and turned on the light when I was in the dark. This isn't about running anymore. I quit breathing last year on Manayunk Ave between miles 20 and 21 of the Philadelphia Marathon. I recognized last year that that this script could have been completely different, I'm thankful that it wasn't.

Pastor Weece says that God doesn't inflict pain on us but he sure doesn't waste an ounce of it. After my Beautiful, Supportive and Loving Wife made sure that I saw our family doctor and a cardiologist and I passed all the tests, she put some winter running gear under the tree for me. I went for an easy three miles on Christmas Day, I shuffled along for 2 miles at an eleven minute pace and walked the last. I let doubt creep in to my psyche, "maybe I should bury this running activity." I had lost so much stamina in only one months time that my claim to the ER nurse at Roxborough Memorial of "I'm coming back next year to finish" seemed like a fable.

Starting over can be frustrating but it can also be refreshing. No matter what the circumstance, whether you're moving, taking a new job or it's your second chance at a degree we tend to reflect on the time invested the first go around as a waste before the reboot instead of the experience that we gained by the failure. We can't think about the work that was lost because there was something wrong with how we built it and the reality is that failure was inevitable.

Anyone that knows me, knows that these "building metaphors" that I'm incorporating are so hypocritical because when it actually comes to fixing or building anything around the house, I live by the motto "close enough is good enough." My three year old picked up on the fact that if something goes wrong around the house "we call a guy." It's so bad that a few months ago a light bulb when out in one of the fixtures and Pierce said, "Dad, when are you calling the guy?"

One of my favorite sayings is, "I know what I don't know." I'm interested in knowing more of what I don't because if I'm not learning then I'm not growing and that is a poor example to set for my son. That doesn't mean I'm going to start tiling my own floors but it does mean that I've spent the last year learning about why God saved me and why he saves any of us.

Through his blessings I trained hard this year, indoors and out, through nine degree weather and 90. He allowed me a lot if time to reflect and pray during the 600 miles logged. I opened my heart to his word everyday, the embers that he stoked November 17th, 2013, illuminated this realization: He saves us so that we can do Great Things! "Great" is different for everyone of us. It is our mission to realize and then maximize the potential that he instills.

My good friend says that failure can tear you down or it can galvanize you. We shouldn't be afraid to fail, cautious of how not to fail is different from being afraid because if God is on your side then who can be against you ~ Need to Breathe? 

After starting over I learned how to be a smarter runner, I'm thankful for the failure and the result of last year and by His Grace am stronger for it. I knew that even with one marathon completed between last year's episode and a string of PRs throughout 2014 that Philly wasn't going to be easy.

I was tactical during my training and was confident that no matter what happened, I would listen to my body and not a clock. I was cruising at a 8:40 pace through 20 miles. Making the final turnaround on Manayunk Ave was satisfying. Unfortunately, my legs started to cramp. I began a slow shuffle and after they locked up, I stood still, praying for comfort and lightly massaging them. With his help, I strung together a 14+ minute mile, a 12, and an 11. Ashleigh called after she got out of church she talked to me the last two miles, she told me the sermon that she just listened to was about slaying your giants, how's that for irony?

Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but The Lord establishes his steps.

The Lord established my steps those last two miles while I listened to Ash and my baby boy, they helped me cross the line to establish a new PR of 4:06. Reflecting now, I think it was fitting that my legs stiffened up at about the same spot that I blacked out last year and I think it was fitting that I didn't finish less than 3:59. It's a reminder that without his help, I can't come close to maximizing my potential. I'm here to do great things and through him, I'm going to.

You can to!

Thanks Brian

My experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time I'm just figuring out the Silver and Black Lining!

P.S. If you visit Philly, stay away from Manayunk Ave.