This past weekend I attended the wedding of one of my college roommates, Randy. It was a blessed occasion, filled with laughter and reverence. His wife, Sarah, was a beautiful bride.
It was a mini-reunion of some of the best friends I have ever made in life. These men should given a huge portion of credit for who I am, in life and faith. Our friendships were formed with the gospel as their foundation, and though years have passed, we manage to always pick up where we had left off. Every year, we have a reunion where we remember the past, share our new present, and pray for our futures. It is easily my favorite time of year.
As drove home from Randy’s wedding, I thought about how each one of them has touched my life in some way, and couldn’t help but to feel incredibly blessed.
Romans 12:10 says, “love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
With the warm, early-summer air on my face as I drove, I thought of how I could honor the men who helped sharpen me like iron. My conclusion was to begin sharing how they each have touched my life.
We all lived together in a house called the dude ranch in our last years of college. When we left, we commemorated our time together with shirts that read “the dude ranch is dead.”
The dude ranch is most certainly alive and thriving, it has just gotten bigger. Both in geography, influence, and families, it has swelled to bring a heart-beat that now affects the wider world. These men that have molded my adult life are now shaping others, and though I miss being under on roof with all of them, I celebrate the influence they now bring to their respective communities.
The posts that will come in the next months will center on them and the impact they have had on me.
The series will be entitled “.the.dude.ranch.is.alive.” and the first post will be to honor my sophomore roommate and now husband to Sarah, Randy.
