Uh no, this is not what you may think it is, but it is however a profession of LOVE for some of the men in my life. In no particular order and likely not exhaustive, they are:
Steve Hazard
Matt Crawford
Vinnie Salvagni
Garth Tyszka
Angelo Carracci
Ben Clarry
Bruce Aubrey
Scott Adams
Earl Tawney
Dick Blanchard
Stan Rusaw
Don Schultz
Dave McCants
Levi Cichorz
and prolly a few more…..
These are some of the MEN that I love. I love these guys. Flat out, straight up, strictly platonic, MAN LOVE for these men.
In particular Matt, Vinnie and Steve lovingly throw their support at me when something goes wrong. Not flattery because sometimes their support includes rapping me across the head, and beating me about the neck and shoulders. I know that these men love me even when I fail, and support me through tough times. I love you guys, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you. I love these men more than they will ever know.
Bruce Aubrey is someone that I would never have expected to have a real relationship with. He’s a Baptist preacher, and I am a Christian Church guy. In many places, those two people wouldn’t be allowed to have coffee together but in our situation Bruce takes me to play golf, teaches me life lessons, encourages me, mentors me, and even rebukes me when I need it. Bruce is somewhat of a father figure to me. He has raised kids, made mistakes, been a part of a growing church, made mistakes, and still he presses on. I can learn a great deal from that, and from how he has won and lost at the same time. I love this man. I am so glad that our paths have crossed, and my desire is that they will continue to cross all the way up until we are teeing of together at the Crystal Sea Golf Links (heaven’s imaginary golf course). Love ya Brucey.
Finally, I love a dude names Scott Adams. In all likelihood, my best friend. I have several dudes that I could classify that way, but Scott somehow always end up with that title, as lame as it may sound. Once while talking on the way back from Myrtle Beach he described our relationship as “Cathartic”, a word that I acknowledged, but then secretly had to look up. Our relationship is a HEALING relationship. The kind of healing relationship that can only come from someone who intimately knows you and your situation and can speak wisdom into your life. With Scott I have celebrated joy, endured pain, and even confessed sin. No one on this earth knows me like Scott. No one on earth but Scott knows my deepest junk.
Once upon a time, Scott told me one of the most encouraging things I have ever heard. I was contemplating Sr. Ministry and Scott told me “Of course you can do it. You are the reason that I think I can do this Christianity thing.” You will never know what that really meant to me. Thank you so much for being more than just a friend, but for filling the biblical “one another” mandates with me. Our friendship has never been contingent on anything, and never will be, and for that I know that I can rest in our relationship. Unconditional friends, stupidity challengers, sin challengers, truth tellers, and real life living together. I love you Scott. Can’t wait for vacation.
I pray for these men regularly, and I hope that they are doing the same. I am so thankful to Jesus for placing these men in my life. May I never take them for granted, and may God bless us in our relationships.
Men, I love ya.
