Suburban Weekend

I have had the opportunity to know a few great men. Some of them have been called to be with God, but some still remain to continue to influence my life. This past weekend, we were able to celebrate 66 years of the first great man who touched my life.

My Daddy turned 66 this past Friday.

In addition, we had the joy of celebrating the smartest 10-year-old nephew anyone could have.  Austin turned 10 last Tuesday.

So, there we are hanging out in their Little Rock suburb partyin' with Austin's friends with presents and movies and apple pie with ice cream...while just a couple of blocks away is the freeway with cars whizzing by on to their respective destinations.  We had a blast!

Now, one thing we cannot do without when we visit is a trip to Gander Mountian, especially this time since Mountain Man had a gift card burning a hole in his pocket since Thanksgiving (when we celebrated Christmas with my family). Well, right next to Gander Mountain is Mardel...one of my most favorite places to shop! As we walked in, my sister-in-law commented on the book displayed on one of the tables right at the front door. The title is Heaven Is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. Now, I've read 90 minutes in Heaven by Don Piper and 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese and both of them were very intriguing, but Heaven Is for Real is about a child. Children hold a very special place in my heart and are what I have based my whole career on. What drew me, even more, to this book was the name of the author. Todd Burpo. I went to school with a guy named Todd Burpo. His aunt was my accounting teacher. Well, I just kind of passed it off as a coincidence and started looking at items on another table. Then, my sister-in-law called my attention to pictures in the book...it was him, the guy I went to school with. So, then, well, I HAD to buy the book. I'm a reader, but since our daughter was born, it usually takes me at least 6 months to finish a book, at least!!!  Let me tell you, I finished that book in less than 24 hours. What a story! An amazing account of Colton Burpo's time spent on Jesus' lap while undergoing emergency surgery. If you have the opportunity, read it!