Look Inside: Your Forever Friend
In Memory: A Tribute to Preston Hipp
Compiled and edited by Pringle Franklin
Journal entries by Preston in his final year:
April 6, 2016
It is hard not to hyper-focus on the problems in your life. It is like a white garment with a large, dark stain. The world (and ourselves) gives us a constant supply of large, dark stains. Jesus challenges us to rise above the stains by focusing on Him. Giving thanks to God shifts our focus away from the stain. Giving thanks to God transforms us into a better person. Getting close to Jesus’ presence consumes the large, dark stain from our minds. All the more reason to give Him thanks and praise. Amen.
April 7, 2016
The modern Western mind grossly underestimates God’s desire abilities to guide every aspect of our day. We mistakenly trust in ourselves and our inventions more than God… As a parent corrects a wayward child, God tries to draw us close to Him. He starts with a gentle love call. If we ignore Him, He increases the intensity of His call until He gets our attention.
Who was Preston Hipp to those who loved him best?
“Anyone who ever knew my dad knew he was somehow both the dynamic life of every party and a stoic man of few words; an endless fount of wisdom and the goofiest guy on the dance floor; a type-A businessman and an imaginative inventor; a simple man and a deep thinker; a cool guy with a cocky attitude and the most humble servant whose love language was quiet acts of service; an introverted man who loved to commune with God in the peace and quiet of nature and an exuberant lover of people’s souls.” - Olivia Hipp, Preston and Laura’s firstborn
From lifelong best buddy Barre Butler: “We fought bullies together, we watched cartoons together, we built tree forts together, we drove to school together, we went to summer camp together, we played football and ran track together, we sailed Sunfish sailboats together. We laughed, we cried, and then eventually, we prayed together…
“When we were in junior high school, Preston’s mom got a Jaguar. His parents were going on a trip and told Preston and me at their front door as they were leaving, “Don’t drive the Jag.” Two minutes later, we were in the Jag on the way to Ye Olde Fashioned for ice cream. Seven minutes later, we were fine, but the Jag was totaled.”
Decades later, the house where Barre lived with his wife and children was struck by lightning and destroyed. He recalled: “We lost 90% of the things we had. That afternoon, after the firemen left, many of our friends and family had an impromptu celebration in our front yard-celebrating that all were alive and that there were no injuries.
“The next day, Sunday, I was there at the scorched and stinking rubble of what used to be our home - I was alone. I was in despair. And all of the sudden, Preston was there. He held me; he prayed for me, like no one else could do. Preston didn’t just touch my life. It’s hard to describe, but he just grabbed it… He helped me to be a better man.”
Hilarious stories and touching tributes from friends fill the book, along with Preston's personal reflections.
Includes memoirs written by Preston during his cancer journey.
Meet Preston Hipp
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- Preston before the cancer
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- Preston smiling through his pain in the hospital.
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- Preston Hipp with Chester in 2014, five years into his cancer experience
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- Preston put up three crosses in Charleston Harbor. Friends remember him by this now.
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- At times Preston could pass as an angel, but he knew how to have devilish fun.
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- Preston Hipp Painting
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- Preston wearing his wife’s hat after church.
Book Reviews
Your Forever Friend
In Memory: A Tribute to Preston Hipp
by Pringle Franklin | 412 pages | $14.50
When Preston Hipp died at age 57, more than 1,000 people turned out for his funeral in Charleston, S.C. A surprising number of men confessed that Preston had been their very best friend, someone who had truly known them, accepted them, and loved them. During his 8-year battle with prostate cancer, Preston endured a progressive series of tortures. Despite this, he leaned into his faith in Jesus Christ to overcome the sickness and the fear, listening to and encouraging others even as he himself was growing increasingly ill. This collection of writings by Preston and about Preston offers a template of how to carry out a rich and meaningful life, even in the face of disabling - and ultimately deadly - adversity.
