7 years ago today.

Whew. Still breaks my heart - the memories in this house. The love that was shared. It is where Barb and I got married (in the back yard).

It is where I went from being a boy to being a man.

Then it was all gone.

We bent, but we didn’t break. And as it turns out, God repurposed that fire to refine us.

I look back at the past 7 years…

Major knee surgery. Barb losing both her parents and both her grandmothers. Me losing my mom…

All of it incredibly heavy and mentally taxing.

Yet ..

All I can do is praise the Father. In all of those situations, there were many a blessing.

Did He make the storms stop? No. Instead He showed us what faith is really meant to be.

“But Abs, how can you praise Him after such devastating circumstances?”

It’s actually pretty easy.

Let me explain:

He made sure all of us and all of our cats lived.

He made sure to tell me it would all be okay as I was broken on the floor of the hotel room sobbing in a fetal position.

He made sure to use all of the above to restore me and Barb’s marriage.

He made sure we all had the chance to say goodbye to my Mom and tell her we loved her.

He made sure Barb got to say goodbye to her mom and tell her she loved her.

He made sure that Barb’s dad came to Jesus before departing, and He made sure to repair the relationship between Barb and her dad.

Through all of this, He also made sure we had a roof over our head, clothes on our back, and food on the table.

He has used all of it to soften my heart and open my eyes.

He literally allowed me/us to walk through the fire while remaining relatively unscathed. Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Through ALL of it, He had our backs. He stayed true to His word. As He always does.

Today, I could be sad.

But I’m not.

I’m grateful. I’m blessed. I’m at peace with all of it.

And that is because of His grace. His mercy. His forgiveness. His unconditional love.

And here’s the kicker - When the fire happened, we were pretty disobedient Christians.

AND HE STILL SAVED US.

And you know what? Without that fire, I’m not here with all of you.

See, it was being bored in that hotel room that made me begin making videos.

And I firmly believe that without that, I don’t make my name in this movement because my videos are what got me noticed.

That in turn eventually led to podcasting.

And that has led to me glorifying Him every chance I get while exalting the Gospel.

It has also allowed me to meet and interact with countless people who have had a vast impact on my life.

It has allowed me to get to know a lot of you, and all of it is a priceless gift sent by the Father.

So - Thank you all so much for your support and love. Not just currently - but always.

I mean seriously - How can I do anything except sit back in wonderment and awe at the way He works and His perfect plans?

Today? Today is a good day. And it is good because He made it so.

God is good. All praise and glory to Him.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your infinite love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Thank you for saving a sinner like me.

Thank you for using me as your tool.

Thank you for the lessons and wisdom.

Thank you for letting us slide but not fall.

Thank you for letting us bend but not break.

Let’s see what the next 7 years has in store.

God bless and Godspeed, frens. May the Father be with all eyes that see this.