finished the race...

2 Timothy 4:6-8
"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."



That's one of the main Scriptures that was focused on at Bryan's funeral and burial today. Not only did the pastor share about Bryan's life and how he did fight the good fight to his very last breath, but he also emphasized the message that Bryan tried to pass along to everyone he met: are you ready to go at any moment?

People always say that they have time to get their lives in order, that after they've done such & such or experience this & that, then they'll work on things. We often forget that we have no guarantee that we'll live until we're 90, when in reality we could die tomorrow. And then we'll have eternity to deal with the decisions we did or did not make, and all that those entail...

Bryan's life was a testimony to his Savior. The amount of people he reached is a testimony to him. His crown of righteousness is well deserved.

author unknown

This is in honor of Bryan, who fought every day. It reminds me of his approach to life, that it's too short to not make the most of the time we have...

I'd rather be the ship that sails

and rides the billows wild and free;

than to be the ship that always fails

to leave its port and go to sea.

I'd rather feel the sting of strife,

where gales are born and tempests roar;

than to settle down to useless life

and rot in dry dock on the shore.

I'd rather fight some mighty wave

with honor in supreme command;

and fill at last a well-earned grave,

than die in ease upon the sand.

I'd rather drive where sea storms blow

and be the ship that always failed

to make the ports where it would go

than be the ship that never sailed.

just some thoughts for today...

I've learned - that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I've learned - that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
I've learned - that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I've learned - that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
I've learned - that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.
I've learned - that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.
I've learned - that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it. But do the best you can do.
I've learned - that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I've learned - that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
I've learned - that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I've learned - that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.
I've learned - that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I've learned - that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I've learned - that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I've learned - that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I've learned - that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I've learned - that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned - that learning to forgive takes practice.
I've learned - that there are people who love you dearly, but just don'tknow how to show it.
I've learned - that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I've learned - that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I've learned - that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I've learned - that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned - that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I've learned - that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I've learned - that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I've learned - that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I've learned - that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.
I've learned - that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned - that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned - that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I've learned - that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned - that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.
I've learned - that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I've learned - that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.
I've learned - that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I've learned - that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I've learned - that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I've learned - that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.
I've learned - that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.
I've learned - that no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.
I've learned - that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I've learned - that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I've learned - that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.
I've learned - that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.
I've learned - that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I've learned - that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
I've learned - that although the word "love" can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used.
I've learned - that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.


Sometimes...many times...life will throw something at us that we don't understand. Maybe we never will.
But I just reminded myself that God's there. And that's enough.