I cannot believe that it has been exactly a year. It still seems unreal. It is almost impossible to escape the constant repetition of the events that occured that day and the phone call I received while I was helping move my brother in at Lipscomb. My life and my perspective on life was changed forever with that one phone call. Thoughts of doubt and confusion flooded my head then and they return again because of the significance and the tone of today. The somber mood is revived today.

It is the type of situation that you hope you never have to go through but still are thankful because of the perspective that you gained. God uses every situation to magnify his glory and that is true even in this. Looking back, that fact has been evident. Even so, I think the pain and confusion will always remain on some level.

It is one of the most gut-wrenching feelings: to feel imeanse pain but still know that you have to be strong for others. I did not really know how to handle the situation other than to withstand it. It was almost like knowing that you are about to walking through almost blizard-like winds to get to your car across the parking lot... you just hold your breath and face it. As you start to walk, your nose starts to go numb and your lips go dry. You can almost feel the redness of your eyelids getting brighter. The snow is blowing in front of your face and you cannot see but six inches in front of you, but you know that at the end, you will reach shelter from the storm and you just have to keep pressing on.

It was tough to see people that I love go through this. It was tough to see a youth ministry deal with a tragedy of this magnitude for the second time in less than a year. Yes, there was growth in both of those situations, but you never wish for these events to come. However, it is these events that shape and mold us as people. It shapes who we are and what we believe. It prepares us for the hardships of life while still reminding us of life's blissful moments. It is what defines us as humans. It is times like these that we have to take it in and move forward, never forgeting, but also never allowing it to hinder us from what God wants to do with it. It is times like these.

We miss you, Bruce.