This website was started from an idea. The idea was to not only reach out to all our fellow
christian brothers in the field and let them know there are a lot of us but also to be able to show you are a believer without saying a word.
We want to share with everyone our testimony, to hear everyones and to help each other with personal and work issues. My name is Mark O'Pry and I have numerous plans for this site with a heavy focus on our Lord and then hopefully a page showing jobs that are open. Pages for each craft with some troubleshooting things. Videos on some work things but not too deep.
I have been in the industry since 1993 and I started off as a new construction green helper and I learned a lot from the guys I worked with and a bunch of it was not good. A lot of the crafts were road guys and traveled. I can remember getting off work and paid on Thursday, going to G's Ice House and cashing our checks and then drinking and drinking and drinking. If we got to work and it was raining, we would wait and then they would call it, RAIN OUT!! We would be drinking at 07:30.
I cant remember one single conversation about God and how much he loves us and only wants to see us live amazing lives. I'm sure there were christian men out there and at all of the many facilities I have been to, but for some reason people do not speak up about God. Peer pressure and thinking that nobody wants to hear it. In todays world, companies would prefer you not talk about religion, so here is the plan.
Wear the sticker and when you see someone else with one, give a nod. When anyone and I mean anyone asks you, how are you today? BLESSED.......Absolute perfect answer.
Personally I will not try to push anything on someone that doesn't want to hear it. You are creating a bad situation and pushing them away from you and anyone else like you. They are battling something and thats their battle. But if they have questions,
Be there for them to ask on their own,
Only when they are ready.
You never know what people are going through and it could be the roughest season of their life.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
None of us are perfect and I'm running into more and more guys that have a sketchy past but have now asked God for forgiveness and are trying to walk that narrow path and have that beautiful relationship with the Lord. When some people see my name they automatically think of the Mark I once was and I was not living right. I paid a heavy price for it as well. Family busted up and me watching my babies walk out the door with my baby girl dragging a tiny suitcase behind her. Later on down the road I never could heal and go straight and lost out on keeping a wonderful woman, April.
Now at 50 years old and seeing a crazy, funny, beautiful baby girl my daughter has blessded us with and an awesome little man that's growing fast and will be an athlete like his father, my son, who's my baby boy. It will absolutely kick you in the stomach and you want to be a better person and be an example for good. You want to be deep in their lives. My relationship with my ex wife is great now days. We can talk and laugh and hang out these days and never bring up any of the past. My relationship with the kids is ten thousand times better than ever and growing. God is doing some amazing things in my life and I just never say, "NO" to whatever he is asking me to do. April and I are friends and I still feel like her kids are mine as well and will continue to help them all I can in life.
Sidebar - While living in Surfside I had a guy accuse me of moving in down there and helping people to get in tight as an undercover nark. Because nobody is as generous aas me, nobody. There had to be something up with me. If I knew someone was hurting financially I would tip them well. It's what I was moved to do. And you know what, the money just keeps coming in.
Never let other people's opinion of you drag you down or make you have doubt about who you are. The Lord knows, and you know. The rest of the world will see it in you if they truly look. Most people will just want to keep you labeled and drag you down, smile and walk away.
Brazoria County IE&A after me doing an Introduction to G.C.'s
Myself and the GOAT Les Howe
Matthew 21:12-13
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers
