Sean Strickland

I've starred at this blank screen now for the last 30 minutes not knowing what to write. Then I closed out the screen and came back to this still blank screen off and on for the last 3 days. But today I realized I need to get this post written. The world is too fast for me. I've been reflecting on a Jars of Clay song that says "To love you - take my world apart, To need you - I am on my knees, To love you - take my world apart, To need you - broken on my knees". That's how I feel right now. I just want God to take my world apart. Make it stop so I can catch up. I lost a very good friend and professional mentor to a car crash last week on Wednesday. I still find I am in shock. I've been through the visitation, funeral, and worked but yet i'm still stuck not accepting whats happened. I took this picture after Sean left North Point as a tribute to him. He was the best manager I had ever had. So he was the best boss (as the coffee cup says)....



I learned a ton from Sean. The biggest thing he taught me was that we may have personality flaws but they are not flaws. They are opportunities to grow. I am not a highly relational person (just like Sean). So he taught me how to be intentional about it. He taught me practical ways to apply this to my professional and personal life. The next biggest thing he taught me was to always put your family first. He modeled this to me which made it easy to follow. Sean loved his wife, Jana and daughter, Gabi with his whole heart. And last but not least, he always made me push for more. He would never let me settle for anything. And I know that shaped the employee, wife, mom to be, and manager I am today.

I was looking through some old emails and ichats the other day and came across a few that were pretty funny and some that were really sweet. It was bittersweet for me. I will miss him immensely, but I'm so happy to know he is chilling with Jesus right now. I really wanted him to meet my child. I pictured him and Jana coming to the hospital to visit me. I had already decided my child will call him Uncle Sean. But now, I know that I can talk to my child about his/her guardian angel Uncle Sean.

Anyway, thanks to listening to me this long post. My heart is heavy and I have a lot of healing to do. I also ask that you pray for his family. The last thing I will leave you with is a newspaper article about him. Go here and read this: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/obits/stories//2009/06/07/sean_strickland_obit.html

Have a blessed day and make sure you tell the people around you that you love them. I've lived 9,901 days today. I want my days to count, because I know that God has an ordained amount of days for me. Who knows when mine or your time is up. So make your time here on earth count!

Much love, Etc (that's what Sean called me)


(Our IT team last year at our retreat)