A Deer for the New Year

One hour. That's all that's left until midnight. I'm sitting here in my comfy chair watching some guy about to jump a snowmobile over a lake. At least I think that's what going to happen. I'll let you know. The lengths some people will go to for attention!!??! Maybe I'm going the wrong direction. Maybe I should quit my teaching job and practice jumping my rusty bike over my Honda in the driveway. Not sure I'd get the same attention, but the neighbors would probably be entertained. Not sure if I'll stay up 'til midnight tonight or not. Normally, I probably would, but we're getting up early for church tomorrow and I need my beauty......well, I need sleep. So I may celebrate the new year a little early. Ok, he just jumped....with a motorcycle beside him or something. I'm not sure what just happened. I joined in late. I wasn't that impressed. Maybe I should be. Anyways......

We did end up going fishing a 2nd time yesterday, but I didn't catch squat.....again! Not even a trashy plastic bag. My youngest son caught a fish....all by himself. He was quite the happy camper. But we did have a great week with family down in Georgia. We're home now and it's always good to sit in your own chair and sleep in your own bed. It's nice to be able to ring in this new year at my own house.....even if I do ring it in through my dreams tonight.

So I thought I'd take just a minute here as 2011 is coming to a close and reflect on 2011. What a year! I mentioned in a post back in September that it has been the best and worst year of my life. And I stand by that. I will never forget 2011. There are parts I wish I could forget. I have to purposely stop remembering some things some times. It's just too hard. But the good news is that there are some things I never want to forget. Despite the fact that 2011 was the most difficult of my life, I got to experience some wonderful things as well.....the best and most important being my relationship with God growing in ways I could never imagine. I don't want to forget that or for it to stop for that matter. I want to continue to grow closer to Him. I want to continue to have those special times with Him. I want to continue to worship Him in ways I never have before. And I want to continue to soak up His Word and read it for what it is and what it means for me. I'm looking forward to this new year. I have a feeling that God is going to bring great things in 2012. I have a feeling that it will be a special year for me and my family and I pray the same for your family. I pray and plead with God that He will use me this year as He's never used me before. I want to be His instrument and His servant. One thing I know is that with this new year, I will be one year closer to Heaven and that brings me more excitement than I could ever ask for. I know God will continue to bless me and my family this year as He always does. He already blessed me today......He sent me a deer. Quick story....

When we got home from Georgia today, my wife suddenly realized that we missed the deadline. There was an ornament waiting for us that we were supposed to pick up by Dec. 30 and we had forgotten. This ornament was at the Woodbine Funeral home and it was made in honor and remembrance of Griffin. We had gotten a letter about a month ago saying that they would have an ornament for him on their Christmas tree and that we could come pick it up after the holiday. She quickly called the funeral home to see if it was indeed too late. They were so kind and told us that of course it wasn't too late. We could come pick it up anytime. So I headed there this afternoon after getting unpacked and resting a bit. Along the way, I put in a new CD full of spiritual songs that was given to me. I was dreading a little what I was doing simply because going back to the funeral home would bring back some memories. But the music put my mind at ease and God actually gave me great peace as I drove there. When I got there, the parking lot was empty. Guess they don't plan many funerals or visitations for New Year's Eve. I parked my car and got out. That's when I saw her.....a beautiful deer only a few feet from my car. The funeral home is not exactly in the woods. There are a small amount of woods around it but it's basically on a main road. But yet here was a deer very close to me, staring at me and not moving. It was just a beautiful sight and I think God was again trying to bring me peace and happiness through His creation. I watched the deer for a minute or two before heading inside. There was nobody in the lobby so I walked around the corner toward the rear of the building. As I rounded the corner and looked down the hall, I saw what was probably the most beautiful Christmas tree I had seen all season. It was a huge tree covered with white lights and angel ornaments. As I was staring at it, one of the workers there came out and asked me my name. He got Griffin's ornament off the tree and was very kind. When I went back outside, the deer was still there. She had moved a little and was heading toward the woods, but her eyes met mine one more time before she gently walked away. I couldn't help but remember Psalm 42:1 as I watched her for a couple minutes more....

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.

I got in my car and the music came on. It was a new song for me that I'm really enjoying called "Oh You Bring." These lyrics were playing over and over again.....

All honor
All glory
All praise to You

God had turned what could have been a sad, sorry for myself, "woe is me" moment into a beautiful reminder and praise to Him. God gave me a wonderful end to 2011 and reminded me that all is not lost. He reminded me that He is in control. And He reminded me how much I am longing for Him. He deserves and receives all honor, all glory and all praise. My soul, filled with His Spirit, longs to be with Him for all eternity and I'm filled with such joy and happiness just thinking about it. So I thank God for the deer, for the song, for the angel ornament, and for the reminder about who I am, whose I am, where I'll be one day. God is SO GOOD! Praise His name! May your 2012 be filled with the blessings of our Father and may you allow Him to use you to your full capacity. Make every effort to give every day of this year to Him. He deserves our constant praise and devotion and love. God bless you all!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

More Fish and No Trash

I appreciate the positive response I had to my last post. I was a little worried about the subject as it can be a touchy one. But I've had so many positive comments both public and private. Most have agreed with me....actually all have. The encouragement I have received has meant a lot and I thank those of you who said something. It was a great Christmas and I pray you all had as wonderful of a holiday as I did. I'm now really enjoying this week and relaxing until school starts next week. Arrrrgggh. :)

Two more days! That's all that's left here in 2011. Hard to believe. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating the new year and now we're about to do it again. We've spent the week with my in-laws and we're having a great time. Today, my father-in-law took all of us fishing at a local pond. The boys had a great time despite the fact they didn't catch a thing. We may try again tomorrow. Susan struck out also. My father-in-law caught two....even though he was casting in exactly the same spot we all were. How does that work? I think he had some secret live bait or something. Myself......well I hadn't caught a thing either. I had felt a nibble and thought I had something but wasn't having much luck. I thought it was going to be zero for me too, but then I felt it. I cast out as far as I could and had this feeling that something was going to bite this time. I was going to pull in a huge bass or a catfish or a shark....I just knew it. I started slowly reeling in the line in great anticipation of what was about to happen. Then I gradually started reeling a little faster. That's when I felt it. I got something.....and it was heavy. It was pulling hard on my line. I could barely pull it in. 'Wow', I thought. 'I got the big one of the day. Everyone is going to be amazed at what I'm about to pull in. There going to take pictures and clap and send the pictures in to the newspaper. I'll be the town hero. ' At least that's what quickly went through my head. I'm not too old to dream, right? "I got something!", I said. My family paused to look. I finally got it right under my pole and used my strength to pull it up out of the water. It was huge. It was heavy. It was a bag. A dirty..... yucky..... dripping..... disgusting....stinkin'.......old plastic bag. It was trash. It wasn't a fish! It wasn't alive. It was dead....just like my dreams. There would be no pictures. No glory. No cheering. There would only be a quick laugh and everyone went back to fishing. So that's it. That's all I caught today. A bag. The only glory I got was from making the pond a little bit cleaner. I wanted a fish, but I got trash. Kindof like life. Huh? You knew a spiritual point was coming, right? So here it is.....

It's resolution time. New year. Resolutions. They go together. I usually make them. So why should this year be any different. But I just have one this year. I want to catch what I set out to catch...and I don't want to settle for trash. Jesus approached fishermen first. He told them to stop catching fish and to start catching men. What an honor! For the rest of their lives, they got to bring others to Christ. That was their job, their mission, their life's purpose. And I want it to be mine. I want to catch others too. In the past, I've said I would do it and I've wanted to do it, but I haven't really put my mind to it. I've done ok, but many times I've made excuses. I've said that praying was enough. (Don't get me wrong, prayer is great, but it often takes more than prayer. It takes words, actions, effort.) I've often given in to fear and discomfort. I've depended on others to spread God's Word and haven't put 100% effort in to it like I should. Like I'm expected to. Like I want to. I've set out to catch "fish", but all I've caught was "trash." From now on, I want to catch what I set out to catch. My resolution is to go out and catch others and I'm praying God will give me the strength, courage, and opportunities to do that. So no more being satisfied with dirty plastic bags. I want fish. I want a lot of fish. I'm planning on going to Heaven and I want to bring as many with me as I can. What about you? How many fish can you catch in this new year?

Let's cast our nets on the other side this time and get a full load. I pray God makes 2012 the best year ever....a year I can look back on and be proud of what I've caught.....a fish, several fish, many fish.....and no yucky bags.


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Christmas Part 2

Well, did I ever predict it incorrectly!!! The boys went to bed last night around 8:30 or so. I had said they'd be up by 4 or 5. Wrong! We had to wake them up at 6:10. They were BOTH snoozin' away. They slept fine. It was ME that couldn't sleep. Not sure why...but I slept absolute zero last night. And yet I'm still awake here at noonish on Christmas day. I must be runnin' on adrenaline or something. Anyways, Susan woke up Max and I woke up Carter. Carter's first words when he woke up...."Dad, is my arm bleeding?"....."Ummmm, what?" Wasn't quite the Christmas excitement I was expecting. Apparently he was dreaming. Once I fully woke him up and assured him his arm was blood-free, he was excited, as was Max. We did Santa and parent presents in about 27 minutes and headed for Waffle House. Got there around 6:45am to a sparse crowd. Very friendly workers and lots of "Merry Christmas!" shouts all over the place. We had a great breakfast and got home in time to get ready (quickly) for early service at church. It was a good morning and another great Christmas with the family....both immediate and Christian family. God is good! As is His Son, our Savior!

I mentioned our Savior, Jesus in the last post and said I wanted to mention something about Him. Here's the deal. I'm just going to be honest here and state my thoughts. Feel free to disagree. Some may and I repeat that I'm not perfect. I'm trying but will never get there. But let me share for a minute or two.... When I grew up, Christmas was never a spiritual holiday. Christmas was about family and joy and presents and Santa Claus and it's still about that stuff to an extent. But as I'm growing older, I'm realizing that all of that is not the main focus at all. Family is still in there pretty dominant, but there's something else. I'm starting to see it as more of a spiritual holiday. That definitely goes against what I was taught in my family and in my church, even today, but I'm questioning it. And I'm changing my opinion of it. Just mine. Not trying to change anyone else's. I was taught that we don't know Jesus's birthdate. And that's true. I was taught that the Bible doesn't give any authority to celebrate his birthday. And that's true. I understand those things and I agree. We don't know the day and God doesn't tell us to celebrate his birthday, but does that mean we can't? Besides God my Father, Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me. He is the reason I live. He is the reason I didn't give up several months ago when the world came crashing down around me. He is the reason that despite my many many faults, I still know I'm going to Heaven one day. He gave His life for me. For me! He hadn't even met me. I was waaaay in the future, but He knew me and died for me. He is, was and will be the greatest man that ever walked the Earth and right now, I believe He is waiting for me up in Heaven holding my son on His lap. So considering all that, can I not try to repay Him in a small, tiny proportion and celebrate his birth? Can I not just pick a day and celebrate the beginning of the greatest man ever? How about December 25? How about April 25 or July 25? I don't care. I just want to make every effort to honor and celebrate this incredible man who loves me more than I could ever imagine. Some will say that if we pick a day and celebrate, then we won't celebrate the birth all year long. We'll forget about it the other 364 days of the year. I don't think so. I could never forget. But here's the part that really bugs me.....not only was I taught to not celebrate the birth on Dec. 25, I was also told as a Bible class teacher not to even mention it during the month of December. I have a problem with that. I can't even talk about it!?!? I'm sorry, but I can't believe God's happy with being told not to mention a very important part of His son's life.....at any time of the year. I know there were many churches across the country today that were celebrating Christ's birth during their worship this morning. Do you honestly believe God was looking down and shaking his head in disgust? Do you honestly think he was ashamed and thinking 'I wish they wouldn't celebrate the birth and life of my Son."??? I just don't see Him doing that. I think He would much rather we celebrate than avoid it. The bottom line is....since I lost my son, I've grown closer to God and I am trying my hardest and doing everything in my power to acknowledge Him. I'm trying to be a shining light to the world. I'm trying to make every second of my life about Him or at least as much as I possibly can. That's what I believe He expects of me until His return or my eternity begins. So why in the world would I avoid a very prominent part of God's Word....at any time...during December or July or January or whatever?? I wouldn't and I won't. I'm proud to say that my family read Luke 2 last night before bed. We talked about Christ's birth. I told my boys that we don't know when His birthday is but there is nothing wrong with celebrating it. I'm sure we'll read that same story several times during this new year. And one of those times will be next Christmas. Personally, I'm glad the world celebrates. I'm with them. Is that so bad? Personally, I see more good than bad. A lot. Just my thoughts. Don't have to be yours. Regardless.....Merry Christmas to you all. And may the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ be celebrated all year long. He is the reason for the season.....every season....even Christmas.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Christmas Part 1

One hour and 25 minutes until Christmas. The boys are nestled and snug in their beds. They should be up in about 5 hours, give or take. If tradition holds true again this year, our boys will wake up again around 3 or 4AM. They get too excited to sleep. They have explicit instructions to stay quiet until 5AM. And I guarantee that at 5:00:01 (by Max's new Chick-Fil-A watch) they will come running into our room. That means our Christmas will be over by around 6AM and we'll be ready to go to Waffle House for breakfast....one of our Christmas traditions that I love. We'll be home by 7AM and ready to get dressed for early service at church. Needless to say, I may need a nap tomorrow. But I don't mind the busy, early morning. I'm glad my boys look forward to Christmas and enjoy it so much. It reminds me of just a few years ago when I was the same way. I would wake up at 2 or 3 am and just wait. As I got older I would try and sneak a peek in the living room to see what the big guy had left me. I'm proud of my boys. They deserve a happy Christmas...especially after what they did today. I have to share and brag on them just a bit....

Susan and I decided to take the boys to Opryland hotel today to look at the Christmas decorations there. We really enjoy going there from time to time to just walk around. It's a blessing to have such a place here in Nashville. When we told the boys about it this morning, they were very excited. They asked if we could ride the boats. They have a boat ride in the Delta area of the hotel and the boys always enjoy riding it. We've done it several times. We told the boys that we probably weren't going to ride it this time as it's a little pricey and we had just planned to walk around and look at decorations. That's when they decided to give us a gift. They asked if they could pay for the ride. Max said he would pay for he and Susan and Carter said he would pay for himself and me. They have their own money that they get from their grandparents and they wanted to use it on us...all of us...to enjoy the ride together. Susan and I were very impressed with their unselfish idea and told them they could do it if they really wanted to. When I told Carter to go get his money, he came back from his room with an extra $5. He asked if we could look for a homeless person on the way to give the money to. I told him that was nice but $5 was a little much. I told him he could just get $1 instead. He said he'd rather give $5. He said, "It's my money dad and that's what I'd like to give." Who was I to argue? My shallow mind thought $1 was enough but he taught me a lesson. Wasn't it Christ that told us to give all we have....He praised the old woman for doing so. Shouldn't we be willing to do the same? We had a great time at the hotel and really enjoyed the boat ride. On the way home, as we were getting off the interstate, sure enough there was a young girl there with her dog. Her sign read "trying to get home for the holidays....anything will help." Carter opened his door and gave her the $5. She appeared to have tears in her eyes as she said "Merry Christmas." The old me would wonder what she was going to do with that money but I'm trying very hard not to care anymore. It's not what she does with it, it's what my son did that counts. He served. He gave to someone in need. What a lesson he taught me. So again.... I had to brag a little....sorry about that. But I'm a proud father....proud of my boys for demonstrating Christ today.

Speaking of Christ.....tomorrow is Christmas and I want to say something about that. But I'll wait until tomorrow...which is now in 48 minutes. Guess I better try to get a little sleep tonight....very little I'm sure. I'll post part 2 some time tomorrow. Until then.....Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Books for Bonus

Well, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. I have 2 more days of school. 2 MORE! Yahoo. I am really looking forward to the break. Can't wait for another Christmas with the family. The parties have already started and have attended several holiday get-togethers and meals already and there are many more to come. I'm also excited about getting to see my wife's family which we don't get to see very often....once or twice a year at the most.

I bought a sock. Actually my wife bought me a sock. One sock. Not for Christmas. That would be a little strange. She found a sock online that is supposed to help this Plantar Fasciitis I have. It looks like the picture there. I wear it every night and it supposedly keeps my toes pointed up which will help my heel to heal. I've worn it five nights now and it's ok. I sleep ok in it but my toes are always asleep and numb when I wake up. Not sure if that is good or not. I can't tell a difference....yet. It says I should wear it 3-6 weeks. So I'm hoping with time that this will do the trick. It does force my toes up so when I get up in the morning, I'm forced to walk out of bed on my heel which hurts. But I can't take it off in bed because it's vel-cro and I don't want to wake Susan up. So I still hobble. Maybe I should get a roller skate and roll out of the bed room in the mornings. That might be fun.

So my wife is great. Have I said that lately? Well, she is. And no, I'm not trying to be extra nice here around the holidays....I'm being serious. She never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Last week she came running in my classroom while I was teaching. It surprised me a little. She doesn't normally do that. But she came in and headed straight in my office to my computer. I thought it was a little odd but I just kept on teaching. When I finished that class, I went into my office to see what she was doing. She was typing me out some information on the computer. She told me how there had been an article in the newspaper that morning where someone had stolen a trailer. Inside the trailer had been over 2000 books to be donated to the poor. It touched her heart and inspired her. She wanted to help and try and replace some of the missing books. She asked what I thought about asking my students for any used books they might have. I told her I would and that I thought it would be a great idea. So I sent out an email. It went to all my 6th graders and their parents. As an incentive and to spark some interest, I offered a set amount of bonus points on the kids' upcoming Social Studies exams if they brought in books. I even put "bonus points possible" in the subject line of the email. I figured this might get them to actually read it. They did. The response has been amazing. But I got an unexpected response as well.....

Most responses were very positive. Many parents told me what a great cause this was or how bad they felt that someone would steal books from poor kids. Many parents told me they were grateful for the bonus points or what a good idea it was. But I got one negative one. Just one. One parent emailed me and in a nice way told me that he disagreed with giving bonus points for service. He made several points but his main one was that we should give and serve because it's what were told to do, not just for a reward. Now, he made some good points and I did stop and think about it for a while. And I appreciated that he approached it in a kind way, not mean in any way. But after thought and prayer, I have to say that I disagree for a couple of reasons....

1. I have gotten close to (if not over) 1000 books from my students. I would have NEVER gotten that many if I had just simply sent an email with no incentive. To me, that's reason enough. If giving a few bonus points means getting a lot more books for those in need, so be it. I really don't care about giving away a few points.

2. While I agree that we should serve because it's right and not to get a reward, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting a reward. We have to learn and teach that rewards shouldn't be our main motivation and cause, but if one happens to come, then we should enjoy it and consider it a blessing from God Himself.

I looked it up......There are more than 100 verses in the Bible that talk about rewards. Galatians 6:9-10 says..

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

God even tells us that if we do good, we will reap a reward. Does doing good deeds alone save us? No! I don't think so. Our faith, obedience, love, lives, AND deeds save us, but deeds is part of the equation I believe. And I'll be honest....the reason I try to live my life for God everyday is because I want something. I'm motivated by a reward. I do good and try not to sin so I can get Heaven one day. Do you? My guess would be that most Christians are motivated by that reward whether we should be or not. I love this picture. Can you see both words?















Every year, the church youth group that I work part-time for goes on a "reward trip." It's a trip to an amusement park for those who have helped with 7 or more service projects. I think it's a great idea. It gets the kids involved in service. Are they doing it just to get the trip? Maybe some are at first, but I think most see the good and right of serving and don't just do it for a reward. But even if they do, think of all the good that gets done. That's the point. That's the bottom line. The learning to serve because it's right will come with time. So I will continue this week to give bonus for books and I'll leave you with one of my favorite verses talking about a reward or gift God will give us all.....

Romans 6:23 reads.....²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

The NFL - Never Forget Love

I'm not running anymore. Just thought I'd throw that out there because (1) this started as a running blog and (2) people keep asking me how running is going or when my next race is. I haven't run in probably close to 2 months. I just can't shake this foot (heel) pain. I haven't given up completely. I'm hoping the pain will go away one day. But I've resolved to the fact that my running days may be far away or possibly even over. I do miss it. Every once in a while I get a strong urge to run a race. Call me crazy, but I remember what it felt like to get up at 4AM and run 20 miles and I actually miss it. I honestly hope I can do it again but we'll see. Right now, I'm in the habit of getting up early and going to workout. I do 30 min. of elliptical and then 30 min. of lifting. I love it but I still miss the running and the races.

Christmas decorations are up. I actually got the lights on the house about a week ago but everyday something has gone out or not worked right. I think yesterday I finally fixed all the problems. I even had a friend donate one more huge inflatable and it's perfect. Our lawn is the gaudiest it's ever been and I love it. Went to an awesome concert at Lipscomb Univ. the other night to start off the Christmas season. Amy Grant hosted and it included an amazing group of singers, including my son in the 4th grade chorus. I actually thought he was the best one but I guess the others were pretty good too. :) They sang a lot of my favorite songs and it was a lot of fun....especially for a free concert!

So I love the NFL. I like sports in general but I love watching football more than anything. Every Sunday we gather around the TV and watch the Titans game.....just the four of us. I love that time. I enjoy keeping up with the other teams too and watching the playoff race. I also enjoy watching the stats for my fantasy football team. Yes I have one....make that two.....make that four in the family. Carter and Max each have one. I used to think fantasy football was silly. People asked me why I didn't play and I said I didn't care about it. The truth was that I really didn't know what it was so I assumed it was something silly. I was wrong. It's a lot of fun, especially if you're in a league with people you know. However, I have to admit that last year, my first year, I got a little too addicted. How my team did would actually affect my mood. If I lost, it would get me down and I'd dwell on it. I finally had to tell myself to get a grip. It's fantasy!! This year I decided I wouldn't let it affect me. And I've done much better. Sure, I like winning and I try to, but if I don't, it's no big deal. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm trying to instill the same in my sons. It's not easy. They're both very into it. I'm glad they have a passion for something and it's fun to watch them and work on it with them, but I don't want it to become their main focus. But the point was....I love the NFL. I love college ball too, but there's just something about professional football. There are lessons there. I was truly inspired by one this week.

You may have already seen it. The article right there? To you left? Read it if you haven't. In college, Tim Tebow was at the rival school. I've never liked Florida. I'm an Auburn fan. So we don't like Florida. But I couldn't help but admire Tebow. Even in college his spiritually shined. The verses on his eye black.....his post game comments.......it was obvious where his faith was. Then he came and spoke here at Lipscomb. I wish I could've heard him but I didn't get to go. Heard it was great. When he moved to the NFL, I was curious to see how he would do. To be honest, I'm not a huge Broncos fan, but I'm really glad they are doing well since he started 5 games ago. He deserves it. So I already admired him, but after seeing this article......Wow! That's a hero in my book. I'm actually jealous. I wish I had been able to say that to the media. I wish those were my words published nationally. That is exactly how I feel. I don't always show it or live it, but I feel it. And isn't he exactly right. I know what NFL stands for, but maybe in this case it stands for Never Forget Love....as in God's love or Christ's love. Or don't forget to show others that you love Christ like Tebow said. We should all take every opportunity we have to proclaim that we love God for all He's done. We should look for each chance we get to tell of Christ's amazing love and his ultimate sacrifice for us all. I love his analogy to loving your wife as well. Sometimes our love becomes stale and although the love is there, we don't always say it or show it. It shouldn't be that way, especially with God. I'm going to try my best to proclaim my love for God and not be ashamed of it. Like Tebow, I'm going to take advantage of any opportunity I get to give God the honor and glory he deserves. And I won't apologize for it, even if it's criticized. I think that's what expected of me. I know it's what He deserves.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert