Today

I've thought of a few things to blog about this week, but I can't get to those until I write about the one thing I've been avoiding. I've been so sad about John Kilgore's death, and I haven't wanted to put it in words. That makes it a little more real somehow. His funeral yesterday gave me the strength to write about the life and death of a man that God put in so many people's lives to be an encouragement, an inspiration, and a blessing. The service was over two hours and included an exhilarating praise and worship time. My best friend Collyn (since the 2nd grade :-) and her brother Ben can sing better through tears than most people can sing on a good day. God gave them the strength to give a phenomenal performance to honor their dad - Ben's Midnight Cry solo took on a life of its own and has a whole new meaning for all of us now. Except for the sadness and tears, it was a lot like I always imagined Heaven would be - it was truly surreal. Several people yesterday mentioned the John "bear hug," and that is certainly something we will all miss. But more importantly, John was a rock for his wife, his family, and his church. Thankfully, John's rock was God, and he would be the first one to tell us that God's grace is sufficient. We'll miss you, John - thank you for sharing your life and God's love with so many people.