Christmas Blessing

On Christmas Eve, I received a very special gift - I made it home alive. I've made this trip countless times in the past, yet this time has given me a memory that I can't seem to shake or stop replaying through my mind. Every time I play it, I see His miracle. Here's an excerpt from my journal that night:

God's angels are real! After pulling over to try to help a guy with a flat tire, I got to the long bridge in AL before Mobile. It had started to rain and now was pouring down. I turned off cruise control and slowed down - my truck felt like I slightly skid - I slowed down from 70 to 60 and got in the right lane. A van came down the left lane approaching me fast. [He came so close to my truck], I got scared he may lose control and hit me. I hit the brake and tried to get over more - then I hydroplaned. I held on straight - scared to correct to the left into another car and scared to hit the right side of the bridge. I slid right, then caught traction and punched the bridge - I spun in a 360° - truck died - still in the right lane, some on the shoulder. I prayed then called State Farm. As the windows fogged up, I got scared another car would hit me. Most got to the left lane, some stopped behind me. - No time for accident report - Every car could have hit me. I got out to survey damage - Wow, everything was fine except my bumper pushed in! Praise God! wow, I had to move! A girl narrowly stopped between my truck and [side of the] bridge - she *almost* hit me - Truck wouldn't start - then it did! Praise God! Drove away to the shoulder as God diverted traffic around me in pouring rain and wet pavement!

I stopped at the next gas station to check everything out and still amazed as I hit the side of the bridge going around 50mph. I took this picture... Wow!

Merry Mi Casa Christmas

" Jesus said, 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry...' " - Matt 6:25

This past Monday, our small group had a Christmas party for the Mi Casa house. This home provides a safe haven and wonderful opportunity for mothers to choose freedom from past addictions which will inevitably lead to a better life for their children.

The Christmas party went better than we could have ever imagined! When we first heard about the need, we wanted to help but didn't think that it was possible for our small group to meet such a large need. Well, as Jesus answered His disciple Peter, "What is impossible for man is possible for God." And that certainly became true over the past month as gifts showed up for all of children's needs to be met.

At one point I received a call from Erich that someone had donated so many gifts that his car was unsafe to drive! Immediately after he received this blessing, we found out that 4 more kids were added to the list and everyone was unsure as to where we could get last minute gifts for these kids. Yet, God knew and the need had already been met! Wow!

TJ's Birthday Party

We had a fun time with our friend TJay celebrating his 24th birthday!

Snow Day on the Bayou

Check out the email I got from my dad today (in Louisiana)!!!!

Logan Woke to a heavy snowfall - over 4 inches accumulated. Rather coolish - BR shut down - also all interstates and bridges. love dad

Happy Hotdog Halloween

View Pics

"This is the best house so far"

"WOW... This place is awesome"

"More hot chocolate pleeeaaase"

These were just a handful of comments kids and adults shared last night as they stumbled upon my driveway during their halloween candy trek.  My friends and I were trying out a concept that my college professor said he started in his neighborhood. Each year, he pulls his BBQ pit into the driveway to grill out for the trick or treater's and their parents. 

As most parents rush home to dress up their kids before hurrying out the door, they end up eating dinner from a candy bag. So this year, we provided hotdogs and chips, as well as hot chocolate, instead of the usual candy. We also gave away Hot Wheels and Chick comic books which were a big hit. Several times my driveway filled with kids and parents who took a break to eat while the kids excitedly read between bites. 

Check out the pictures I posted of my friends who helped out. These were taken as the night wrapped up and we got into the costume cheer. 

Life Group at the Fish Camp

From 2008_10_26-LG@Russ'Camp

This past weekend we met at Russ' Camp in Unidilla for our LG. His parents had a great fish fry waiting for us and we had an awesome time fellowshipping. The night wrapped up with a Bible study around the fire and some fun discussion. Wish ya were there!

(Is that Milli Vanilli?!)

Who says LSU fans aren't the most creative?

My Dad sent this to me in an email. It sold for $3,000 in a charity auction. GEAUX Tigers!

Trip to Nevada

2008_10_21-Fallon

Here's some pictures from my trip out to Nevada earlier this week. We had a fun time checking out the landscape and the "nothingness." Also got some pictures of the restaurant we ate Western Burgers at and Sand Mountain. 

Yep those are Dirt Bikes and 4-wheelers even though they look like ants!

Fireproof the Movie

Friday night we saw Fireproof at the theaters. Awesome movie! I highly recommend to everyone, married, single, divorced, especially separated, and firefighters. 

It was great to finally see a movie with real life relationships and situations. I'll warn you that this movie may be a little too real in some cases. It will hit home. Check it out and I'm sure you'll be recommending it to others. 

Rafting the Ocoee 2008

Click for Slideshow

I finally got some pictures up from our trip to the Ocoee River in Tennesse at the end of last month. We stayed at Eagle Ranch on Ice Mountain. Awesome place to enjoy God's creation. Check out the salmanders and crawfish we found there. Enjoy!

Click here for slideshow of pictures. 

(If you want to see ALL the pictures and movies we took, click here.)

I'm officially 28 years old now

Slideshow

Yesterday, Friday, I was taken out for the last time (that I know about) for my birthday which was a week ago. What a blessing! The week before to my birthday, my Life Group surprised me with dinner gathering at Sonny's BBQ after church. They knew I'd be visiting family the week of my birthday in Baton Rouge.

My 'unofficial' birthday rule has been to take off the day of my birthday. But this year I decided to visit my whole family and take off the entire week. It was an awesome trip thanks to many wonderful people in my family! My Gramma took me in for several days in Houma which was a blessing in itself. And thanks to the McGuires, Flynns, and Richards I was fed well and reminded of the fresh smell of Lake Mechant saltwater fishing.

My time in Baton Rouge just as eventful investing time with the Canciennes. Paul took me on a mountain bike excursion on the Hooper Road bike trails. I had an unofficial reunion at the Great Wall with old classmates and friends. And, of course, my parents joined in on my birthday holiday by taking the day off to go canoing on Lake Waniteri. I even got to share a birthday party with Stacy's son, Grant, at Chuck-E-Cheese!

Thanks and love all of ya!

Costa Rica Slideshow Posted!

Finally, got it up for everyone. Enjoy!

(Click on the link in Costa Rica.)
Mission Website and Photo Album Link

Here's a map of where we traveled in Costa Rica:

View Larger Map:
http://snipurl.com/costa_rica_2008_map

Happy Feet Ministry 2008

Bon día! Yesterday I returned from an amazing trip across Costa Rica. We met up with Aby Prado's missionary family to show compassion and love to several communities. We left behind symbols of this love through shoes, candy, toys, and clothes as well as smilies and silly magic shows to demonstrate how much God loves us.

In a single week, we traveled through all seven providences. The main emphasis on our trip was to humbly share the love of Jesus Christ through the Happy Feet Ministry. In doing so, we physically demonstrate what Jesus did for His disciples during their last meal together. (See John 13)

Our trip began with visiting the people of Guacimo, Limon. Among our many activities, we visited with a group of orphans and built relationships at a senior citizen home. Then we traveled to San Jose and visited the ministries of Ray and Kristi Rhoton. They recently adopted their daughter, Lily, from an a Kuna Yala indian village off the coast of Panama. (Amazing story!)

From San Jose, we traveled to the Guanacaste. This was a very special trip for me to revisit the children I met in 2005. Many had grown so much! We spent an entire day with the children and adults of San Lazaro. Before leaving, we played a fútbol (soccer) game with the village. And we won 8-4! (Thankfully some locals helped us out on our team. :)

This blog post doesn't even really begin to relate how amazing and life-changing this trip has been for me. I met many wonderful people and made a number of great new friends from Costa Rica and Georgia. Thank you all for praying for me and supporting me. I can assure you it made a difference!

I'll post the picture slide show very soon! Please keep checking my blog or subscribe to get notified by email or rss.

Costa Rica 2008! (July 12-19)

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Hola! As some of you know, I traveled to Costa Rica in 2005 to participate in a humanitarian missions trip. We were able to reach the villages of San Lazaro and Guaytil with Christian love by giving new shoes to the children and cooking meals for each village. We also shared testimonies of how our lives changed forever by the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ.

This trip certainly made a lasting impression in my life and I often dream about returning. I've asked myself, how are the people of Costa Rica doing today? Did our first trip really leave a lasting impact with the children? What is God's plan for Costa Rica's future?

I may never fully know the answers to these questions, but my prayers have been answered... This year I've been given the unique opportunity to return!

Please remember me in your prayers. I'll post up the pictures when I get back!

Please type your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the right to be notified as soon as I put them up.

Thank you in advance for your love, prayers, and support!

Transformed In Christ,
Logan

Memorial Day Weekend

2008_05_25-Gulf_Shores

My parents rented a condo for the weekend down in Gulf Shores with a couple of their friends. We had a great time hanging out on the beach and even catching some sand crabs. Brought back old memories of when we used to take our Cancienne family vacations to Pensacola beach every year!

Post-Tornado Pictures

2008_05_17-Macon_Destruction

This morning I met with my friend Greg to visit Lake Tobosofkee. Last Saturday night, strong winds moved through middle GA and tornadoes brought down trees as well as homes. Thankfully I was fine and Greg only ended up with a baseball-sized hole in his roof.

We took a trip up to the Lake this morning to check out the fishing and I caught some pictures on the destruction. Many homes were spared by trees falling away from the house, but some homes didn't do so well. Thankfully, many organizations have stepped up to help rebuild and most of the damage has been cleared away.

In Memoriam - 60 Years Later.. may we never forget nor repeat

I got this cartoon and quote in my email and thought it was important to share. I don't want to be on the next tirade list of "silenced" minority.

It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russia peoples looking the other way!

Now, more than ever, with Iran , among others, claiming the Holocaust to be "a myth," it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because the Islamo-Facists want to do it again.

This message is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide! Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world.

Crawfish Festival in Warner Robins, GA

Yesterday, we headed out to the first Crawfish Festival of Warner Robins, GA. (At least that I know of.) It was put on to raise money for a local Methodist Children's Home. The crawfish came in live from MS and there was a bonafide chef from N.O. doing the cooking. They did a great job on the crawfish as well as some gumbo, but unfortunately a rainstorm came in a washed out the crowd. Hopefully they do it again next year. It was good! Aieee!

Crawfish_Festival

Troop 27 made the Newspaper

The Eagle campout I went on in March was featured in a local newspaper article written by an Eagle scout. - Link

I got Expelled

On the 18th, I got Expelled with some friends from my small group and work... and, yes, I know I'm late on my bloggin'. :-)

About a week before the movie hit the theaters, a friend sent over a reminder email. Aside from her email, most people I've talked to hadn't even heard of this movie due to the silent-ear from most media outlets. Well, despite this fact, Mr Ben Stein's 2 years of research and the post-release outcry of controversy from our nation's self-proclaimed elite has finally helped Expelled get some of the credit it's due.

Ben's team did pain-staking interviewing and research to present the subject in a straight-forward manner. Their research gave proponents from both sides of the Evolution vs Intelligent Design debate ample air time to voice their views and opinions. The facts and foundations of these views are shaken by Mr Stein as he examines to see who can actually face the critic's fire without the shield of, "well everybody agrees on this opinion, so it must be true." I believe most people are quite tired of that argument after scientists rebuked themselves years ago because the world wasn't flat nor was the Earth the center of the universe despite the majority's belief that was true. I may be more scientifically intrigued than most folks, but regardless of my interests, the movie also captivated the rest of my friends with Ben's bland humor-style and the witty quips that got our gray matter going.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone that feels like such a controversial topic has become single-slanted and wants to form their own opinion. An exit poll even stated that, "97 percent of the people say they liked it ... that's a staggeringly large number. And 96 percent said that they would recommend it to a friend." ... consider yourself recommended!

The author went on to say, "[the movie] was very objective. It's not saying teaching evolution is wrong, it's just saying there should be freedom to discuss it in academic circles."^[1]

The Janitor

A couple of weekends ago, I met up with our senior adult pastor and his wife as well as their friends. We had a great time fellowshipping over a long game of dominoes ...Mexican Train style! Before I left, he shared with me a brief handful of amazing, yet simple, stories that he has experienced as a faithful servant of GOD during his 'dash.' By his dash, I'm not referring to the busy-i-ness that we often find ourselves in today. But instead, as a friend defined for me one day, " the important part printed on our gravestones, not the dates, but what really matters lies between in the 'dash.' "

I truly thank GOD for the blessing of Bro Cliff French's friendship. Not only is he a great man, but he also can back it up as an LSU fan! Years before I moved to GA, he pastored a church right down the road from where I grew up in Central, LA. Talk about a small world!

So what does all that have to do with the Janitor? Well, that's the title of the book Bro Cliff gave me as I headed out the door Friday night. I'd personally define myself as a slow reader, yet I do enjoy short novels that relay life lessons. And, as I finished up this book in a little over a day, it certainly fit those criteria.

I've found out that it's already become an international best-seller and it's no wonder why. As I cleared the tears from my eyes on the last pages, I had to admit that I am truly inspired and encouraged by Janitor Bob Tidwell. Each day is an ample opportunity to the practice his simple life changing directives.

Synopsis: The Janitor was inspired by Todd Hopkins’s personal experiences of interviewing overqualified retired businessmen for evening shift janitorial positions. Todd’s applicants consistently would say they simply needed something to do. In this fable, janitor Bob Tidwell helps Roger to reevaluate how he is leading his business and his life. Bob’s counsel is based upon six principles that Todd and coauthor Ray Hilbert discovered have the most impact on succeeding in business while holding together a personal life. Their insightful advice is delivered in a real-to-life story that inspires you to find greater fulfillment in your life and in your career. [and family!]

Add LightBox to Blogger

Here's my tutorial to contribute to the Blogger community. ;)

Tutorial Description: Having one of the LightBox variants for your users to view the pictures on your blog is very nice addition. Blogger is made to be very simple for most web users and that has added a few quirks that makes the installation of a typical LightBox script a bit buggy.

Solution: I like the Christophe Beyls' SlimBox because of it's nice look, simple function, and extremely small size (7kb). So I've updated his script to work around the Blogger quirks. I also set a 640px cap on the image width to keep the image comfortably within the user's screen.

Installation:
1. First off you'll need the scripts and a place to host them. For me, I'm using my Google Page as the host.

SlimBox Parts (w/ MooTools 1.11)

2. After you've unzipped the files and uploaded them to your host, update your blog to use them by following the screens below.





3. Now that you've made it this far, add this code below your <head> tag (update with your actual hostname):

<link href="http://www.YOURHOST.com/slimbox.css" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<script src="http://www.YOURHOST.com/mootools-release-1.11.js" type="text/javascript" />
<script src="http://www.YOURHOST.com/slimbox_4Blogger.js" type="text/javascript" />



4. Done. Now just follow regular LightBox html syntax for it to work. For more details, see the SlimBox website.

2008 Eagle Scout Reunion

"[The Lord] makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights." - Psalm 18:33

In late February of 1996, my good friend (Richy) and I stood before a gathered crowd of family, friends, community leaders, and peers. Despite our young ages, I distinctly remember nods and smiles throughout the crowd that quietly communicated to us a new respect and validated a young man's maturity. The history of the award set before us almost seemed mythical at times with an achievement rate of only 5% of all Boy Scouts. As well as the fact that men like Gerald Ford, Neil Armstrong, Hank Aaron, Sam Walton, and even Steven Spielberg^[a] had reached this accomplishment as an early milestone into their famous landmark careers.

Most young men get involved in a number of things in their adolescent years that prevent them from focusing completely on the goal that sets such a high mark in scouting. Yet we had the upper hand due to our early roots in BSA Troop 27. By GOD's grace, we joined into a group of men that had birthed a strong lineage of past Eagle Scouts. Young men dedicated to learning and teaching survival skills, knot-tying knowhow, fire building speed, foundational values, and above all, campfire culinary proficiency.

As I look back today, I am certainly glad I listened to the teachings and encouragement of scoutmasters as well as fellow scouts years ago. There's not a day that goes by that I don't get an opportunity to use the communication, leadership, practical thinking, or even first aid skills I learned in scouting. Each rank in the BSA has certainly helped form me to who I am today and prepared me to be prepared for life tomorrow.

And over the past 10 years, I more than often find myself reminiscing about the camping and outdoor adventure that was so regular in my youth. Thankfully, I'm not the only one! So, this past weekend I returned to Camp Avondale in Clinton, LA with a group of vaguely familiar faces.

After dedicated planning, generations of our troop's Eagles gathered together once again with our scoutmasters. Sunny, cool weather set the perfect stage for GOD's grace to reunite us after all these years. And it didn't take long for us to catch up on lost time by sharing old camp stories over jambalaya and fishing in Tigator Lake. As the night came in, we dined on apple/pineapple and peach cobblers just like old times.

Link to Photo SlideShow

Names from group picture (left to right): Jason Preuett, Justin Cox, Matthew Nalls, Brian Kidwell, Richy Krimmel, Jason Cox, Bobby Eller, Glenn Frazier, (2nd row) Jeff Flynn, Logan Flynn, Jason Winters, Tommy Frazier, Jesse Frazier, Brandon Mason
(not pictured, but present: Mike Cox, Dave Vallet, Larry Nalls)

Please leave a comment using the link below.

Financial Series

"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."
- Proverbs 22:7

I'm glad to see the excitement in our small group as everyone looks forward to freeing themselves from personal debt in accordance with foundational teachings from GOD's Word. Remember the steps we covered:

1. Build "oh no" fund of $1000-$2000 in case of unpredictable expenses.
2. Complete your debt snowball. (see below)
3. Build reserve fund of 3 months salary.

Simple enough plan. If you missed last week, here's a link to the message. And I've posted the Debt Snowball Plan worksheet on our host home website under 'Documents.'

It's snowing in GA? in March?

The forecast for this morning called for rain, but we never expected a light snow flurry!

The sun did come out later on and it's kite-flying weather outside!

Mike's Good Run

I really like Mike... and so does Chuck Norris as well as millions of other fans of his positive attitude and Christian integrity. I certainly consider myself a fan of LSU football, but not in any form an avid fan of the 'political ring.' Although there is nothing wrong with that at all and I'm glad that a number of people find it exciting and engaging.

Yet, after watching an email clip of Gov Huckabee last year, I've been intrigued to say the least. His stance on about any issue seems to be just that... a true, solid, stance. That means alot to me, especially after all the political 'back-stabbing' that is cast out in routine conversation. I find it sad that the people of the most prosperous nation in the world can't find many good things to say about our government or law enforcement. After 3 wonderful trips to South America, I certainly couldn't come back to the states with an attitude that these entities here aren't doing anything right... Actually I felt quite the opposite.

So I'm really sorry to see someone like Mike Huckabee have to step down, yet my prayer is that it is only temporary. Because I personally believed that his character, wisdom, and integrity would have really mended the ridiculous 50/50, Republican vs Democrat mentality that plagues a nation founded on being "UNITED."

We'll Miss ya Mike

Even Uncle Sam!

History of the Cancienne Canal and Hard Times Plantation

The following article was found at my PawPaw's house and details a brief history of the Cancienne Canal and Hard Times Plantation in south Louisiana.

Leo Seprien Cancienne started working on a plantation for laborer's wage, inherited some money, and later when the plantation was offered for sale, he bought it. It is said that when his oldest son, John, asked him what he would name his new plantation, he is said to have answered, "I've seen so much hard times working here that I should call it 'Hardtimes'."

To this day it is still called "Hardtimes Plantation," however according to maps and papers of the Southern Pacific Railroad which crosses the plantation it is called "Cancienne Plantation."

Cancienne Plantation had its own sugar mill. In 1900 sugar farmers were badly in need of some means of drainage in order to be successful with sugarcane harvest. Leo Seprien, as President of the Assumption Parish Drainage District #1, undertook to solve the drainage problem. His eldest son John supervised the work. A year in the making, the project employed 280 men using shovels, wheelbarrows, and other hand tools. They dug a canal six miles long and 50 feet wide from Bayou Lafourche to Lake Verret. It was completed in 1909 and the Government, in recognition of Leo Seprien's work, named it "Cancienne Canal." It was used by pleasure boats between Bayou Lafourche and Lake Verret.

On Cancienne Plantation, Leo Seprien built a one-room school house and asked the school board to supply the teacher to accommodate the students who were the children of "Hardtimes Plantation" and surrounding areas. This request was granted and one teacher taught five grades having a total of about 25 pupils in the one-room schoolhouse.

Map of the Cancienne Canal using Google Maps as guide:

View Larger Map

Get Perpendicular

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!"
- 1 Samuel 12:16

Hard drive size is constantly on the move... up! And that's exactly what's going on with PMR technology. (Perpendicular Magnetic Recording) I thought this was a creative and innovative approach by Hitachi to educate consumers on this fairly new technology that explains why hard drives have dramatically increased in capacity.

Enjoy!

Cancienne Heritage

The following is a brief history of my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather which we found at my grandfather's house.

< Alias: Giorgio Quinciay Cansiani >
George was born in Venetia (Venice) when it was an independent nation. Napoleon Bonaparte acquired Venetia and put it under the French rule. It wasn't until 1866 that Napoleon Bonaparte transferred Venice to the jurisdiction of Italy. George's son, Pierre was born in 1752 in Venetia.

George's son, Pierre, came to Louisiana along with the immigration of the Canary Islanders. He married Margarite Landry of Cherbourg France on Feb. 15, 1786 in Donaldsonville, LA. Pierre settled in an area of Ascension Parish which was at the time was called Valenzuela. This area is now known as the Bunn-Hood Subdivision on Bayou Lafourche just south of Donaldsonville.


View Larger Map:
http://snipurl.com/cansiani

Thanks for Everything Y'all

"He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor."
- Proverbs 21:21

Well, I've been home for a few days now and I wanted to post an update to my blog...

First off, thank you for all the cards and emails expressing sympathy and prayers for my family in this time of loss. Your commitments have made a difference in our lives by bringing the Lord's peace and comfort at much needed times during these weeks. I truly appreciate everything and thank GOD for the wonderful people he has put in my family's lives. Praise GOD!

Also, I would like to post the link to a genealogy chart that was put together by my mom for the Cancienne family tree. Hopefully I will be able to post some further information tomorrow on the Cancienne / Louisiana history and heritage.

Cancienne Family Tree - 8 x 10 [PDF]

Clear, sunny day

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you."
- Psalm 86:5

During the past two trips back to Baton Rouge, I have been listening to Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength. Tony Dungy is the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, last season's Super Bowl champion. Prior to his team's victory, he had recently experienced the loss of three very important people in his life. His mother, a public school and Sunday school teacher, passed away after a long debilitating battle with diabetes. She inspired him as well as her students to reach their GOD-given potential by motivating them with her selfless and loving attitude. As a young man, Tony even recalled the first time he ever beat his athletic mother in a race around the yard as an example of her encouragement for him to become involved in athletics.

Following the death of his mother, Tony's father passed away only a couple of years later from leukemia. He recalls how his dad taught him to be a man of integrity and strong Christian character throughout his lifetime. His dad, a science professor¹ and former WWII Tuskegee airman², spent quality and quantity time with his kids which Tony stated has shaped him a coach and a father.

As I've listened to the attributes of Tony's parents and how they've shaped his life, I'm reminded of the attributes of my own parents and grandparents. As a kid, I spent many summer vacations over at my grandparents' house and enjoyed catching lizards and bugs. Some of my fondest memories of my MawMaw are when she would take us to the dollar theater in town and spend time with us during vacation Bible school at Goodwood Baptist Church. By collecting coke cans and visiting the food bank, she taught us how anyone could give to those in need as long as they had the desire and heart.

My PawPaw enjoyed tinkering with various mechanical and electronic parts to build his inventions; which were usually geared toward keeping squirrels out of this bird feeders and fruit trees. He was a man that stood firm on his statements, yet also only made them when he was fairly certain he was correct. He spent time in the Navy during WWII, yet it wasn't until the past few years that he began to recall to us the events that happened during his time in the service.

As his grandson, I knew he loved me as well as my uncles, aunts, and cousins. Most of the time when I stopped by his house, he would tell me to wait a minute as he retrieved an interesting gadget or LSU memorabilia gift that had made him think of me while looking through a garage sale, one of his favorite hobbies. During the week, my uncles and aunts would often stop by his house for lunch to spend time with him and talk about LSU sports or old times. Even in his last months, he enjoyed having the family sit in his room to talk about their childhoods looking to affirm their memories by a nod from PawPaw.

When family wasn't around, he spent most of his time gardening. His fruit trees and flowers where always so unique and colorful that most people would ask what his secret was. His usual response was that he did nothing extraordinary, but just the ordinary things well.

In saying that, we thought it was fitting that yesterday was such a beautiful day for his funeral service. Tuesday night, during his wake, it rained but still many people came out to visit the family and catch up on the relationships that were only made possible through my PawPaw. Even as I write this today, it's dark and pouring down rain outside. Yet following yesterday's chapel service, the Lord showed us favor by providing a clear, sunny day for our family and friends to give final respects in memory of my PawPaw, Emile Adolf "Slim" Cancienne.



Service Bible Readings:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
1 John 4:7-15

Footnotes:
¹ - JCC, Dungy Endowed Chair Dinner & Auction 2006
² - Dungy's upbringing was super solid

Passing of a Legacy

"My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit"
- Psalm 34:2,18

As some of you may have heard, my PawPaw passed away early yesterday morning. I know many of you have been praying from him and I have to believe this was in the Lord's timing. My Uncle Bill had just flown in from California, so all of his children where the previous night.

Please accept a heartful 'Thank You' from all of us... especially me. I know that your prayers where heard and it made a difference. The Friday before Christmas I met my PawPaw in the hospital as I've told most of you. He didn't think he would make it to his next birthday (January 15) or even Christmas day. He had told most of us this and normally when my PawPaw said something would happen, you could guarantee he would be right on the mark. But this time, our prayers were heard and he not only made it through Christmas but even into his 88th birthday!

Since he came home from the hospital he was mostly bedridden, but as you can see in the picture to the right... he was able to sit in 'his chair' on Christmas day to read the newspaper just like old times. This really meant alot to me and the family. Praise GOD!

Also, I wanted to include a link his obituary. My PawPaw has had a diverse life and touched numerous people's lives in various ways as we have seen by all the people that have visited his home in the past weeks. He was an accomplished horticulturist as well as an entomologist and has written a number of articles and co-authored books. You can just do a google search on E.A. Cancienne which reveals a number of links to his works that have been imported into the internet including his book Beginning with Bees. He was humble on most of his work in these areas although if anyone ever had a question on growing anything, PawPaw would give you the best advice (it always worked) and even the scientific names of the insects you may have been fighting. He will be missed. (Link to Obituary and funeral times)

I also would like to thank everyone for the support you've shown me since yesterday. My trip home was a bit eventful, but I was sure the Lord was with me. About halfway into my drive, a deer ran into my truck around dusk. (see pictures below) All I remember seeing was a deer head show up in front of my headlight before I hit it. I didn't even see it run across the road or have a chance to brake. But thankfully, I was able to make some slight modifications to my bumper and drive the rest of the way home with no mechanical problems. Praise GOD!

Please continue to pray for my family through this time.