No, this isn't a review for a dirty 80's "guy" movie about the antics of three lifelong friends picking up enough baggage to ruin four or five lifetimes by engaging in one last weekend of debauchery, only to find that everything they ever wanted was right in front of them the whole time.  No, this is the true tale of a handful of men from various parts of the eastern hemisphere of Texas, converging on a secluded deer ranch to celebrate the upcoming marriage of one of their own. I had worked that day, so it was dark when I arrived.  We drove up the drive until the trees parted and we could see the light from inside the cabin glowing through the windows.  My wife and kids were dropping me off, but they came inside with me to stretch their legs before they hit the road again.  We were greeted by the sight of my brother, the groom, five of our best friends (two hadn't arrived yet) and Daddy at the grill cooking hamburgers.  It was one of those times when there's not a whole lot more you could ask for.  We stayed up late doing nothing less than having a blast doing nothing more than "setting" around talking and laughing as loud as we wanted to.  (In East Texas "set" serves for every tense of the verb "sit".  I think we might be on to something.)  One by one we shuffled off to bed until there were only two of us left.  I stayed up talking with one of my best friends whom I don't get to see much any more.  We talked about some matters that weighed heavy on our minds, but even that was encouraging to me.  I went to bed that night with a renewed assurance that my friends, scattered in many different places, are still faithfully trusting the Lord and seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.

The next day we went fishing to our hearts' content, before one by one hugging, saying something to the effect of "see you at the wedding" and driving away refreshed and ready to get back to our families.  There were no unbelievable plot twists, love triangles (for that, I'm grateful) or car chases.  There were brothers, brothers with a history of praying for each other, helping each other out and working together to drive the Lord's fence posts a little deeper into the ground together.  I pray that each of you reading this knows exactly what I'm talking about.