A little gem on this day of honor for the good fathers in our life. May we live up to what they hope we can be… THEY ARE MY WHY BY Les Patterson They are my WHY On Fathers Day And every other day They are my REASON For getting up And getting going They are my JOY As children And as adults They are my LOVE No matter what No matter why They are my LIFE It’s pretty simple…
Birthdays are so awesome! You see, every birthday we become more better, more cooler, more awesome, more good looking, more purity, or, in my case, a more handsome! Or maybe we just become more weird. I tend to get all the cool stuff mixed up with all the weird stuff. Or maybe, as I get older, I better realize I am not an afterthought! I like what the great actor Anthony Hopkins thinks… “None of us are getting out of…
The names of the 11 men were unknown to me. But the asterisk next to their names told me all I needed to know. *Killed In Action Elisa and I were spending the remainder of the weekend in Lava Hot Springs in Idaho after speaking Saturday morning at a singles retreat* at Steadman’s Ranch just a hop, skip and jump down the highway (find the asterisk further on for more details). We enjoyed spending time together Saturday night recuperating in…
Memorial Day is the day we remember those we love and honor those who, in the sacred words of Abraham Lincoln, have “laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.” Two of those who have paid that costly price are Marine Lance Corporal Michael Allred and Army Sergeant First Class Ronald Wood. Both sacrifice their life while serving our country in Iraq, serving the cause of freedom, standing for the Red, White and Blue. Michael grew up just…
Sometimes pictures are just pictures. Then sometimes, pictures piece together a story of family, generations, special occasions, and love. Such was the story Saturday when our family gathered to celebrate a baby to come for Rebecca and Taylor. Baby Boy Call, due to arrive July 16th, will be the first grandchild for Taylor’s parents Todd and Anita Call and the second grandchild for Elisa and me. Sometimes pictures capture important moments, like when soon-to-be new mother Rebecca opened a gift…
Nature is full of miraculous examples of mother animals caring for their young. Orangutan mothers, for example, watch over their young for six to seven years, creating one of the strongest motherly bonds found in nature. Polar bear mothers also generally spend two years with their offspring, even digging dens into deep snow drifts to keep their cubs protected from the harsh winters. African baby elephants are raised in a matriarchal society where other females help a calf get up…
Melissa Stockwell’s journey to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2016 Olympics in Rio began in Baghdad on April 13, 2004. A first lieutenant in the US Army, Stockwell was just three weeks into her deployment when a roadside bomb blew up her Humvee while she was leading a convoy in Baghdad. The explosion caused her to lose her left leg which gave her the infamous honor of being the first female soldier to lose a limb in the…
Though our journey through life feels much like an uncharted course on a storm-tossed sea, I strive to tap into several aspects of the beautiful, multi-dimensional concept called faith. I have faith in a God who I connect to as a loving Father who’s guidance and strength I rely on. I have faith in a religion which helps me draw closer to a God I see as my Heavenly Father. I have faith in the goodness of people, those in…
I gently held her hand which was no longer warm. I kissed her forehead now rigid to the touch. My tears softly dripped onto her cold cheeks. Heaven received its newest angelThe day we lost our loveI guess they must have needed herTo watch us from above My heart broke as I said goodbye to my cousin Kenzie, the young girl I wrote about last week who died after giving birth to her baby boy. This beautiful girl, who I…
A beautiful mother brought a beautiful baby into this beautiful world. Then not long thereafter, that beautiful mother departed this beautiful world. Kenzie Schear is my cousin. Technically, she’s my first cousin once removed. Her dad Gordy Patterson and I were best cousins and best friends growing up. When Kenzie came into this world it was my honor to hold her in my arms and give her a name and blessing, a tradition in my faith similar to a christening….