Even Better Than Before: A New Excerpt

This is the story of Brent & Keri- old friends and soul mates

Earlier this year I wrote an as yet unpublished manuscript which is titled Even Better Than Before. The book is about a group of old friends having a fun and a fantastic reunion at a beach house. It is also about songwriting, romance, grace and redemption. But mostly it is a love story about two old friends who come to realize they are the very best part of each other's lives- even if they cannot be together. People have asked me where the title comes from. It comes from this scene which takes place about midway through the story. Enjoy- and let me know if you are intrigued and would like to read more...     

     It was just after 1:30 am when Billy slipped into the room he was sharing with Brent. He and Cassie had stayed out on the beach for a couple of hours, talking, laughing and making love. Brent was still wide awake, contemplating the events of the day and night. “Everything good, bro?” he said to his late arriving roommate. “I think so, “Billy responded. “I’m afraid Cassie and I are getting in pretty deep this weekend. And this time it’s not just sex.” Brent couldn’t help but chuckle, but he knew his old friend was being sincere. “She’s a great girl. A free spirit for sure, but with a heart of gold.” Billy sat up in the bed. “I know there’s a little history between you two, but I’ve never really known what. Care to share?” Brent sat up as well. “Yeah, it’s a pretty short story. There was a period of time, before she met Justin, when I used to ask her out on occasion. She always said no, that she didn’t want to do anything that might mess up our friendship. Story of my life, right? I accepted that; I just thought she and I could have a lot of fun as a couple. Then one Sunday afternoon after one of our epic football games over at the middle school she went back to the apartment with us and hung out a while- as she often did. I did notice that she seemed particularly flirty that day, but I didn’t really think anything of it. It was Cassie. This was during the period of time when I was off and on with that girl Amanda…remember her?” Billy shook his head. “Oh yeah…I remember Amanda. Hot as a firecracker and dumb as a stump!” They both laughed. “Yes,” Brent continued, “that was her. Anyway, we had been out the night before and decided to give our relationship a real shot and see if there was anything there worth holding on to. Cassie got home that Sunday night and called me. After a bunch of small talk she got around to the point. She had been thinking about it. Maybe we should try dating after all. We just seemed so comfortable together. I explained that while I still liked the idea, the timing was terrible. I had just committed to Amanda. She was dating Justin already. I told her we should wait and see what might happen. And you know the rest.” Billy studied the face of his friend. “So you guys never hooked up at all?” Brent smiled. “Nope, bro. Not even a drunken one-nighter.” 

     

Billy cringed at those words. Only months after Brent left for Nashville, with the pain of being left behind still a fresh wound in his soul, Billy and Keri had gone out on the town with a few other friends. There had been a lot of drinking and a lot of crying on each other’s shoulders about how much they missed Brent and how complicated his leaving had been. They wound up back at Billy’s apartment, and Keri spent the night. The next morning they immediately regretted what they had done and agreed that Brent should never find out. But, as almost always happens when secrets are kept among friends, he did. He was crushed by what felt like a massive betrayal. Billy knew that he had asked Keri to come live with him in Nashville. Billy also knew that his feelings for her ran very deep. Was it just payback for not taking Billy to Nashville with him? At the time Brent had seriously wondered about that very point. Both Billy and Keri passed it off as “just a drunken one-nighter.” Brent had never been certain. And now he had just pushed Billy’s buttons on the subject yet again. “Dude,” Billy began, “you have no idea how sorry I was- how sorry we both were- that us sleeping together ever happened. She was not one of my typical conquests. It was just a case of two very good friends who were hurting and had too much to drink. It messed me up for a while. And I’m afraid her guilt and pain over that night was what drove her to get serious with Mark. It was a bad night. Just a really bad night.” Brent could feel the remorse in Billy’s body language and hear it in his voice. “No worries, Bro. Shit happens. We both know that. Like you said before about the Nashville thing, it’s water under the bridge. We move on.” Billy stood and began to pace around the bedroom. “Thanks Brent. That means a lot. This whole thing with Cassandra has me thinking a lot about moving on. There is a huge part of me that thinks I may be ready to settle down, to actually grow up. I want to be with her all the time. And that scares me.” Brent smiled at his friend. “Yeah, it makes me a little nervous as well to hear you talking like that. But I know what you mean. I want to move on too, to actually start life over again, and to start my life with Keri. I just don’t know if it’s in the cards.” Billy stopped pacing and glared at Brent. “It has to be in the cards, dude. You two actually are soul mates. And I am starting to believe me and Cass are too.  It’s not just a song anymore. We’ve all shared so many great times and so many incredible moments. Our history is full of great stories. But what if all that stuff was only a prelude? What if the next chapter is not about re-living a past we loved, it’s about living a life that is even better than before?” Brent pondered those words for a moment and then responded. “Yeah. What if?” There was a moment of silence, and suddenly Brent sprang to his feet, a wild look of inspiration in his eyes. “Billy- what was the last thing you said?” Billy thought for a second and then replied, “What if all of this is about living a life that is even better than before? Is that the one you mean?” Brent grabbed his buddy and hugged him. “Yes! That’s the one. Even better than before. Bro, that’s a song just waiting to be written! Grab your guitar. We’ve got work to do.”  ~ Carl Jones

Flashback Friday: The Sawshack Redemption

Today's Flashback Friday tale is a rarely told story from my 18 months spent as the Director of Student Ministries at the Union Church of Hinsdale, Illinois.  

Greg and Chris were members of the Work Tour 2000 team, but they were not your typical Union Church of Hinsdale youth. They did not come from great wealth like many of the students did.  Both of them actually seemed more at home in Dungannon, VA than they did in Hinsdale. They both had a bit of redneck in them. They were also two of the students who had surprised me so much with the smoking and the swearing on the trip east (see You Have Got To Be Kidding Me). So it came as no surprise to me when they volunteered to work on in the falling down utility shack that was out behind the mobile home we were working on. They would be doing two major tasks out there- sawing lumber for other projects and cleaning out the shed itself. The building itself quickly became known as The Sawshack (Pictured: not the actual Sawshack, but a smaller version that looks quite a bit like it!). It would be the site of a lot of hard work- and more than a few adventures.

In the early part of the week much of the team became very frustrated with the Sawshack crew. It seemed you could never find them when you needed them, and it was taking way too long to get sawing jobs done. They seemed to be playing with the junk in the shack more than they were cleaning things out. David (the primary adult leader on this trip- I had only been in town for one month) had words with the two boys but nothing seemed to motivate them. Then one afternoon (I think Tuesday) while we were working on the "great wall" (see I Got It...I Don't Got It...Bzzzzzz) in the trailer, I heard a loud crashing noise, some screaming and some hysterical laughter. I went running into the living room to find one of the windows smashed to pieces. No one was hurt (praise God!) but there was glass everywhere. I looked through the broken window into the back yard, and there stood the boys. None of us could believe what we were seeing. They had found an old skeet launcher (as used in skeet shooting) in the shack. And some skeet. Curious to see if it still worked, they had dragged it out in the yard, loaded a skeet, and pulled. It worked- and now a window was missing. And they thought it was hilarious.

I was livid. A family of 5 was living in that trailer, which now had air conditioning that it did not need. While others started cleaning up the mess and preparing to go shopping for a window, I took the boys out to the shack where we had a "come to Jesus" meeting. It was explained to them that the money for the window would come out of their pockets. I impressed upon them the fact that everyone else was trying so hard to be of service to this family, while they seemed intent on making things worse. They were told that from that point on I wanted them anchored to the saw; there would be no more smoking breaks (I was certain they had been sneaking off to light up- and I was right) and no more goofing off. It was time for them to step up and be part of this team. Most students who have ever been a part of any of my groups will tell you that I don't get angry often, but when I do, it is ugly. This was one of those times. They met Hulk Jones very early into our time together...and they didn't like me when I was angry!

For the rest of that trip, Chris & Greg were hard workers, great team members and model citizens. The Sawshack became a place where work was done quickly and accurately. Their work ethic and and attitudes changed so much that it became known as The Sawshack Redemption. The grace that was shown them by the family and the rest of our team made a huge difference, not only on that trip but in their participation in youth activities after we returned to Hinsdale. Over time, the indoor skeet shooting became legendary and something we could laugh about. Grace does that- it turns our worst actions into things we can live with, because we understand God loves us anyway.

Tomorrow I'm going to share another except from Even Better Than Before. I hope you all have a blessed and grace-filled weekend!

Because of Jesus,

Throwback Thursday: Floridays 1990

Today's Throwback Thursday takes us all the way back to our 2nd trip from Springfield Friends Meeting to Walt Disney World- Floridays 1990! I wish there were more pictures to share, but we took slides for our post-trip slide show, and those slides were lost in one of my moves. Still, here are 7 things that stick out in my mind from that adventure:

1)  We had many great "performances" while at Disney. We saw Heather Beggs and Mike Mercadante dancing in front of the "Chinese Theater" that houses The Great Movie Ride. There was J.J. Carter delivering his line to David Letterman- "Hey Dave, why don't you ever do anything educational?"- at Superstar TV. But the performance of the week had to belong to Kelly Allen (pictured, on left) and her ongoing portrayal of Lucretia Soul Disney Murphy Johnson, who could never figure out "who da hat be wif" and who was constantly on the lookout for Tyrone Mouse- "cause he's a liar!" Best supporting actor awards go to Wendy Mattocks and Jennifer Woods, also pictured.

2)  Russell Farlow ran out of money on about the second day and was constantly trying to borrow from his friends. At the awards ceremony following the trip he was awarded the Brother, Can You Spare A Dime Award.

3)  Jon Moran (pictured, along with Bryan Dowling) celebrated a birthday while we were in Orlando, and we did a birthday meal at the Olive Garden. I remember it was fun and that we had a great time, but I it seems like we were there forever. There were 60 of us, and they just couldn't seem to get our food out, our drinks filled or our checks out so we could leave. Jon may have aged a year while we partied...

4)  One night, after a very long day at the parks, we arrived back at the Gold Key Inn only to find that we had lost Dana Oxendine. We were searching and getting a bit frantic when someone discovered her asleep in the back of the Suburban that Butch Moran was driving. Given that Butch had been accused of falling asleep at the wheel on occasion, it was a miracle she could sleep that soundly!

Stinky also reads the blog!

5)  I have been on a lot of youth trips in my life, and on most of them there is one room that develops a smell that is, as my friend Alan Brown used to say, "taint"-  as in, "that jus' taint natural!" The award for worst smelling room ever (mostly from very natural causes!) goes to Jamie Robinson, Danny McCorquodale, Ken Hill, Jeremy Godwin and (part-time) Todd Farlow. They blamed it all on Jeremy's stuffed animal Stinky (who still takes trips with Jeremy on occasion!). Danny took most of the credit for himself...

6)  On the afternoon we spent by the motel pool, Tim Harding (our trip pastor), Robin Thomas and I wandered across the street (Well, sprinted!  You don't wander across the Orange Blossom Trail and live to talk about it!) to an A&W Root Beer store. Those were without question the best root beer floats in history! They made them with Breyers vanilla ice cream and put them in frosted beer mugs. We had more than one that week I can promise you!

7)  The New Mickey Mouse Club was popular in 1990, and the show had produced a spin-off band called The Party. One of the guys was named Chase Hampton. He was spotted at the Magic Kingdom one day by some of our girls- Jennifer Simmons, Emily Beggs, Elizabeth Tillman and others- and was then pursued until they caught him and got his autograph on their hats. The restraining order took effect the next day...  

So there you have it- a few classic memories from Floridays 1990! There are more stories on this blog from that trip, and you can find them by searching the label below this post. Have a great Thursday and thanks for sharing in this trip down memory lane!

Because of Jesus,

"I'm Gonna Be..."

You know that thing where you would do anything to show another person how important they are to you? Yeah...this is about that. I woke up singing this song today. Now it will be stuck in your heads too! :)

Now that's commitment! Have a Happy Hump Day, my friends!

The 'Stache is Talking Trash

'Stache Stunt Double

As many of you are aware, today is Carl's birthday. He deserves a day off from writing, so I -his Moustache- have taken over the blog for this Tuesday. You may be surprised that a moustache can have a life of its own and can write, or you may be among those who have suspected all along that I have special powers. In any case, today is my day to shine! You may also recall that this is the final day of the ridiculous contest in which Carl has allowed you to have control of my destiny in order to raise money for our beloved Lisa Jewett. I say "our beloved" because she (just like Marilyn, who has kept me safe for many years!) was steadfastly opposed to anything that might cause me to disappear from Carl's face- so of course I love her too! Despite my trepidation, I have been proud to risk my life so that we could raise money for her battle with ovarian cancer- because #CancerSucks. Carl's readers have been very generous, and we thank you. But here, on the final day of voting to Save It or Shave It (and with me being the IT in question!), there are a few things that need to be said. This 'stache is about to talk some trash!

It is clear from the voting so far that the ladies love me, and who can blame them? My powers are mystical, but very real. The money raised to save me has turned the voting into a landslide (although some as yet unclaimed votes from a very generous anonymous voter- and the Gastler family- could change all that) without a single female voting for my demise. Apparently, you gotta' love the 'stache! Most of you have no idea what Carl would look like without me, and that scares you. I get that. As Carl Semmler wrote, who would pay to see MORE of this guy's face?  Todd Willis voted to shave me out of sheer curiosity, and I get that as well. But those of you who want me gone are failing. At midnight tonight, unless you have a comeback of epic proportions, my future will be secure. So I taunt you! This is your once chance to kiss me goodbye, and you are blowing it. Can you imagine your joy at watching a video of a professional putting Carl in a chair and sending me to oblivion? It's all slipping away, isn't it? You under-estimated the power of the 'stache- and now it's desperation time for all the haters!

Want to shut me up? Then click the link provided and go visit Lisa's Go Fund Me page, donate and vote! Every $5 you donate earns one vote, and $100 doubles your total and gives you 40 votes to use against me. So far readers of this blog have given over $900 to the cause; that's awesome, but we are greedy. We want more! I mentioned that it is Carl's birthday, and he has repeatedly said that what he wants most as a gift to him is for people to give to Lisa. That's sweet and all, but I have another challenge for you. Give today, on this final day of the contest, and vote to shut me up! I dare ya. It'll take several hundred dollars of giving for the Shave It! votes to catch up, but if you do it you can watch me go bye-bye. You can do something wonderful and disappoint the women in my life all at the same time. But I don't think it will happen, because the 'stache lovers out there can give as well. I'd love to see a bidding war, a fight to the finish- because we'd love to see those donation totals soar today.

So donate, vote and wish Carl a Happy Birthday! Then tune in tomorrow for the big announcement. I'm not worried about my future. In fact, I'm planning my next move. Just like Pinky & the Brain, Carl and I are planning to take over the world! You should Fear the 'Stache!!!

Moose

One Last Goodbye

Yesterday Marilyn, Lisa and I took a drive down south to Palmetto, Florida. Our destination was the Companion Memorial Gardens, the final resting place of the ashes of our beloved Conner Dog. We had received notice that his remains had been scattered in a butterfly garden there and we just wanted to see the place and say one last goodbye. It was a happy but emotional visit, and we were all very happy to know that Conner's final resting place is a large shady area with beautiful flowers and butterflies, far out in the country and away from the cars that so often made him a little crazy. There are a few pictures below. A day does not go by that I don't miss him. But I do feel a little more at peace today. Best wishes for a wonderful week for each and every one of you!

The Loneliest Book in the Bible

I've been thinking so much lately about how for those of us who follow Jesus, love is a verb. It's an action word, and we are called to be doers of that word. Jesus did not come that we might think about and analyze what it means to love each other; he came so that we might LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Today's encouragement comes from my favorite little devotioal book, God Is No Fool by Lois Cheney (Abingdon Press, 1969).  Let these words wash over you. Then DO something about them.

A woman came from seeing a religious movie. She was moved by it. She thought of the technicolor wonders of God, She choked up at the vista-vision close-ups of the men of God. She mused on the stereophonic destruction of evil. All the way home she thought and thought. When she had gotten dinner she bathed the children, played bridge and then went to bed. Before she feel asleep she told her husband about the movie and said, "It really made you think."

A young man went into a church after a long, too long, absence. The minister spoke of the Love of God, of the Hope of God, of Life in God. The young man was troubled and he was stirred. That afternoon he went for a walk with his girlfriend, and they talked and they had a hamburger. Before he kissed her goodnight, he told her about the sermon, and he said, "It really made you think."

A grown man concerned for life and love read many books of religious depth. They spoke of the Need for God, the Hope for God and the Promises of God. He couldn't put them down. He would read late into the night. At breakfast he would tell his wife why he stayed up so late. He would tell her about a special book and would say, "It really made you think."

Could it be that the loneliest book in the Bible is the book of ACTS?