My Friend Ray

I don't have many memories of life before meeting Ray Thompson. I do remember that I lived in Harvey, IL for a while, and I also remember a flood that happened in my neighborhood when I was around 4 years old, but not long after that Ray came into the picture. We attended Wolcott School together in Thornton, IL, and he was one of my closest friends. When we were old enough, I would wait every morning for Ray and Adrian Lomeli to walk by my house so I could join them on the way to school. When school ended we made the trip home together as well. When I watch "A Christmas Story" I get all nostalgic watching the adventures of Ralphie, Flick, and Schwartz as they went back and forth to school in the winter. THAT WAS MY LIFE with Ray and Adrian!

I always loved being around Ray. Our group of friends took every opportunity to play sports together. Whether it was playing "fast pitch" baseball (with a tennis ball) against my garage, meeting with a group of guys in the field next to Ray's house to play football, or being together on the Wolcott basketball team (which, by the way, was the greatest team to ever play at Wolcott School), we ALWAYS enjoyed being around each other. You see, the awesome thing about Ray is he always knows how to make you smile, and that makes you want to be around him. I often describe him to people as "the funniest person I have ever known." He just has a way of saying humorous things that make you laugh until you're crying. Some people have told me that they think I am funny, but in the back of my mind I just think, "Well, you haven't met Ray."

We went through high school together, played football and baseball together, and I even had a chance to visit him a few times during our college years, which created some of the funniest stories of all time. He was an usher in my wedding, and I sang three songs at his (I didn't just sing them, he and his wife asked me to). What's my point you ask? Well, I just want you to understand how much I love Ray. It's not just a word I throw out in passing, I genuinely have a "brotherly" love for Ray. If there was an emergency and he needed me to drop what I was doing and help him out, I would do it, and I know he would do the same for me. 

I have a heart for Ray...but now Ray needs a new heart.

Not too long ago Ray was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. I'll spare you all the details, but it basically means that at the tender age of 35, Ray is in need of a heart transplant. This diagnosis has put a tremendous financial strain on Ray, his wife Amanda, and their three children. Medical bills, missed time at work, and plenty of other family needs have created a huge financial vacuum in Ray's world. Simply put, he needs our help, and I am committed to helping him.

My friends and I have been putting together fundraising opportunities so that people from all over can help out the Thompson family. There will be raffle drawings, sports memorabilia auctions, business sponsoring opportunities, culminating in a HUGE fundraising event on Saturday, September 7th at 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park, IL.

I will be traveling up to Chicago with a group of Nashville musicians so that we can crank out some fun cover songs from the 90s, 00s, the hits of today...And it's ALL FOR RAY!

Would you please click on the links below and consider contributing to this wonderful family. Your contribution would mean more than you could ever know!

Thank you so much!

http://www.raisingforray.com

http://www.raisingforray.com/rafflesdonations

http://www.raisingforray.com/event

Back to the Future

"The future....I'm gonna need to check this out Doc," Marty said to Doc Brown in one of my favorite movies trilogies of all time, Back to the Future. The future is scary, especially when we start to see it unfold. I don't know about you, but when God begins to pull back the curtain to show me how His plans for my life will unfold, I get a little nervous. Well, really nervous...FINE, downright SCARED! All types of feelings well up inside of me. Insecurity and unworthiness, sprinkled with a dash of the devil's attacks that are quick to say, "You have sinned WAY too much for God to use you!" Sometimes it makes me wish I could be Marty McFly so I could just jump in my DeLorean time machine to escape.

Isn't that what the devil wants us to do? Run away! Escape! Go back! All of these strategies are used to render God's plans ineffective. Not ineffective because Satan can stop God, but ineffective because we're too scared to let God use us. But God keeps reminding me of something. He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me. He plans to give me hope and a future! Oh yeah, and since I love and trust in God, He is working for my good because I am called according to His purpose.

So, whenever you find yourself feeling like you are not good enough for God to use you. Or, whenever you feel like filling up Mr. Fusion with garbage so that you can reach the necessary 1.21 gigowatts to travel through time, just remember, God put you right where He wants you to be. He blesses your future...so go check it out Marty!

Josh