My girlfriend laughed when I proposed to her

October 21, 2016 Bryant Rodriguez

Yaniz had finally gotten dressed up. She was beside me in the vehicle, and I could tell she was frustrated but there was nothing to be done about it now. When she had come out of her room in her mismatched outfit and lazy afternoon hair, I thought I would have to break the surprise to get her changed. I knew she would be mad if I had paid a photographer and she didn’t look her best. I had been conflicted, but I had kept my cool, and when her best friend Raquel came by, she convinced her to change.

Perfect.

Now we were on our way downtown in Raquel and Lucas’ Prius

The Romance of Yahweh

July 29, 2016 usethegrace

You are in this story, and it is a story that you’re comfortable in.

And then, a new presence interrupts your life and interrupts the little story you were telling.

At first, it’s all potential. Every exchange is supercharged with excitement and wonder.

Your mind races, your heart thumps with desire, and you cling to every smile, every look, and every word.

Are You Afraid of Success? I am

July 22, 2016 usethegrace

"But will I tear my ACL?" I asked.

"I really don't want to tear my ACL." My girlfriend laughed at me over the phone—assuring me that I wouldn't tear my ACL. This is no laughing matter, I thought, people tear their ACLs doing this all the time. I had never wake boarded before, but here in the waters surrounding Camp Alamisco, I would have a go.

After the camp staff assured me I wouldn't tear my ACL, I prepared to go in. While strapping in, the camp staff realized I had never wake boarded before, and they began to instruct me. Mmhmm, I nodded along; Cody Reich from Mt. Aetna Summer Camp had instructed many campers in my presence last summer. I knew the theory.

Baptism: Richard Heacock

June 30, 2016 usethegrace

Richard Heacock walked in with a large print bible under his hand some twenty minutes before the opening night of Unlocking Bible Prophecy, an evangelistic seminar taking place in the Brandon Seventh-day Adventist church.

Richard had been Facebooking when an ad for an evangelistic series happening in Plant City caught his eye. Clicking on the link led him to discover there were multiple sites for the Unlocking Bible Prophecy seminar across the Tampa metro area. Scrolling the site listings, he noticed there would be one in Brandon too. This was good. Though he worked night-shifts at the Wal-Mart in Plant City, he would rather not have to commute the 25 minutes to Plant City on his off-nights. Richard had not attended this church or any Adventist church in a long time, but he felt ready to return. His mind was made up.