Friday was a ridiculously up-and-down day. The day began preparing to host a funeral for a 17-year-old Iowa City high school student who tragically took his own life on Monday. The family is emotionally destroyed, and his friends incredibly distraught. A week earlier I teched the funerals of two 89-year-olds who, I believe, died of natural causes...both of whom you kinda have an expectation for their soon passing simply because of their age. But the death of this 17-year-old shocked our community (his dad and stepmom are from our church community). It's difficult to hold on to hope with a suicidal death that no one saw coming. The funeral itself was very hard...some people stayed TWO HOURS after the service's conclusion weeping and mourning next to the casket.

Later that day was completely different--I took part in a friend's proposal to his long-time girlfriend. TOTALLY sweet. He put together a video, which he claimed was for a church service...but it was actually a photo montage for her with Matthew West's "You Are Everything" as a music bed. Following an off-site dinner, they entered the Worship Center, and the video was immediately played with him hugging her from behind. Throughout the video he had video clips of him writing sweet messages on a whiteboard...the last shot showing the message, "Turn Around!" When she turned around, he was on his knee poppin' the question. Meanwhile, another friend was video taping the event from a hidden corner to capture their reactions. She said, "Yes." :)

What a day...from sadness to joyfulness in a matter of hours. Goes to show our circumstances are only temporary. Joy won the day.