Celebrating over 30 years of friendship and unknown amounts of adventures together!
Last week my buddy Bryan was in town and we got together with our other buddy Jano and hung out over the next few days. It was so much fun reliving so many great memories that we all built together during my late teens, 20's & 30's... road trips to Colorado, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and all over Florida... dirt bike riding, snow skiing, waterskiing, inner tubing, bike riding, sprint triathlons, impromptu under-trained for marathons, hundreds of pranks & jokes & laughs, and just about every weekend (and weeknight) doing something fun, cheap, and hilarious!! My memory is so full of phenomenal & unforgettable moments with these guys (and several others) that have forever enriched my life! All of these great memories often make me feel like the richest man on earth. And the best part was that Jesus was at the center of it all (except we went a little too far on a few pranks hahaha!)... we would go to church together, do an accountability group together, share our walk with God together. It continues to be one of the most cherished honors of my life to share a friendship with these guys. God used these friendships & the adventures we shared together to launch GTD. Most of our adventures together eventually became many of the adventures and destinations we go to year after year in GTD. These guys helped me lay the foundation of God-awesome fun that we have gone on to build 24 years of adventure ministry. I'm forever grateful to God for putting together a college age young adult ministry in our local church (with amazing pastors) that served to bring together a group of friends that would form an eternal bond that still bears fruit 30 years later. All I exclaim year after year after year from every fiber of my being is an unending THANK YOU to Jesus for blessing me with such Godly fun friends. In the great words of Lou Gehrig this is how I feel everyday, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." (except, it isn't luck, it's divine blessing).
PS: We were able to visit a few more friends from years ago that I haven't seen in way too long - Thomas & Mary... they now have 9 beautiful kids and a HUGE BUS for amazing family vacations!!
I love these people!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!
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