Sterling Griggs

My wife and I have been married for almost 14 wonderful years, but preparing for the wedding day was anything but flowers and butterflies. Because weddings are primarily for the women - men, your job is to show up and get your vows straight - the months and weeks leading up to the big day were particularly stressful for my wife. Will everything be ready on time? How will my dress and hair look? Am I going to trip over my dress? Have we forgotten anything? In order to alleviate these nerve-wracking moments, we were diligent to hire those whom we believed would be the best people to make our day as special as we hoped it could be. Photographer? Check. Wedding director? Check. Pastor and musicians for the ceremony? Check. Caterer? Well, kind of. My wife had a friend from work that had opened her own catering company and was looking to build her book of business. We decided to give her a chance to present what she was capable of providing and, based upon the pictures and prices she sh...

It wasn't all that long ago that I was a pretty healthy and durable young buck. Okay, it was actually more than just a little while ago, but there was a time when I thought I could take on - and defeat - anything the world threw my way. Since I was little on the shorter side (the masculine word for petite) I tried very hard to compensate for my lack of size. I did not possess an inferiority complex, I just wanted to make sure that no one underestimated me. Whenever I think about times in the past when I "proved" to others just how capable I was, one incident always stands out in my mind. My freshmen your in high school I had the dubious distinction of being the youngest of three boys at the same school. As a result, I was always the little brother, my identity suddenly expunged from being an original. To top it off, I was born with a heart defect that caused an across the board reaction in my doctors when it came to sports - "No way!" they said. So, not only ...

By the time the hour and a half was up, I was feeling a little beat up to say the least. My wife and I had just completed our first session of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and I can honestly say that I was humbled to the core. Realizing how under-prepared we were for the future felt like a punch to the solar plexus, but at the same time the feeling of resolve we left with over how our future could be was exhilarating. I have spent a good portion of my life trying to be in control of my circumstances and future. Sure, there were times when I found myself in a bind or two, but for the most part I figured I had things covered. I still trusted God to provide, but of course if I'm honest those times were situational at best. When I couldn't get it done, off to my prayer closet I would go. Boy, have I had things backwards! One of the great lies that this world will throw at you is that you can provide everything for yourself. With a little grit, spit, and stick-...