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My Little Boy, The Man
I was 18 on that hot August day when I walked out of the doctor’s office. My husband was sitting in the waiting room with questioning eyes. I didn’t want to tell him in front of so many listening ears. We opened the door out into the street of our small town. "Well?" He asked the question with one word, as he took me squarely by the shoulders and looked into my face.
"We’re going to have a baby," I said quietly with beaming eyes. He threw up his arms in a yell, "I’m going to be a daddy." We couldn’t stop laughing. We had not expected this event so soon after only 3 months of marriage. Nevertheless, we were elated!
I look back now, as my son approaches another birthday and I’m amazed at how quickly life has passed. The sweet smell of baby powder lasted only a week, it seems.
 Then came first grade, baseball and baseball cards. The years passed so quickly. School records told us that Russ was above average in his scholastic abilities. He attended schools in several different states in his early years but this did not deter him from excelling in his work. He was an avid reader. He was also a prankster, making life fun,sometimes not so fun, for his two younger brothers.
Then life became serious. First love came along and I took a back seat as the lady in his life. That was good and as it should be. Wedding bells tolled and my little boy, the man, was supposed to live happily ever after.
Ah, if only life were so simple. Good choices, bad choices. We all make our share of both. Broken fragments of our lives lie along our path in broken promises and broken dreams. God waits and watches until we ourselves are broken to His will.
This child I brought into the world has tasted life with its happiness and its hurts. No longer can I add a bandage and make the hurt go away. My soothing now is sent upward in the form of prayer. I send prayers of thanksgiving too, to our Creator for remembering we are but dust. (Psalm 103:14) He watches our progress on this road of life and yearns to hear us ask for guidance.
Russ is now a dad and a successful attorney, making his mark on the lives of people around him. Just as I’ve continued on my journey, with broken pieces along the way, my little boy, the man, continues.
He realizes God did not cause his broken pieces, but they are being used by God to grow him.
Not so long from now, Russ will look at his son and daughter and shake his head, wondering where the years went. When they ask "Why", to the pains of life, Russ can tell them from experience, "God allows the fire to test and purify us." He will tell them with assurance, "God can’t use us until we are broken." 
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you, For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
Isaiah 43: 2-3
"Christ is building His kingdom with earth's broken things."
J. R. Miller
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It is with deep sorrow and pain that can not be expressed that I tell the rest of the story
of the life of my little boy, the man.
Russ Brooks, Principal Attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, died of a heart attack in his sleep February 25, 2007, at age 41. Russ was known by many as a tireless, unrelenting advocate for citizens who were oppressed by arbitrary government regulations. Those closest
to him knew his other side. Russ loved red wine, entertaining friends, classic cars, 80s music, and singing to his family and coworkers. Most of all, he loved his wife, Rhonda and his two children, Austin, 5, and Savannah, 2.
Russ was also a devoted man of God. He doted on his family and friends and had a personality that would fill a room. Russ always had a big smile and a hearty laugh that punctuated his rich southern accent -- an unmistakable combination of Mississippi drawl and Texas twang. He is truly irreplaceable and will be remembered with deep fondness. Russ is also survived by his mother, Antje Hill and his brothers, Jason and Erick Sullivan.
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"When you were born, you cried and the world
rejoiced! Live your life in such a manner
that when you die, the world cries
and you rejoice."
Old Indian Saying
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