I love sharing Christmas stories, and today, as is tradition, I share again the story of the Christmas I spent in Iraq. It’s one of my most memorable Christmases. As we remember those serving in harm’s way around the world, and as you remember your own loved ones who are unable to be home for Christmas, it seems fitting I share this story again. It’s a true story of a shepherd who had a flock of sheep. I hope you’ll enjoy….
There’s a story told, a Forgotten Carol if you will, of an angel who wanted to sing with the Heavenly host announcing the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem. But it wasn’t to be. When the angel went to audition before the grand chorusmaster, his voice was found, as some may say, somewhat lacking. Heartbroken, the eager young angel questioned why the chorusmaster and the other angels could not hear the music that sang out loud and clear inside his…
Soldiers hunkered down in trenches did their best to stay warm as a white frost enveloped the ground. Artillery explosions thundered sharply in the distance, rattling everything around them. Amidst the hell of war came the gentle sounds of Silent Night wafting softly from the German trenches across no man’s land. “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” It was Christmas 1914 and things were about to get “All Quiet on the Western Front.” The unofficial Christmas Truce of World War I had begun. Garth…
I started out my Christmas musical journey a couple of weeks ago listening to the music of the “Forgotten Carols.” The story, year after year, captivates my heart, the music and lyrics transporting me closer to the true meaning of Christmas inviting me to “Let Him In.” https://youtu.be/iu3wcBuGNiU The Forgotten Carols is the story of Connie Lou, a nurse whose journey through life had left her bitter and empty. Devoid of any kind of merry feelings at Christmas time, which she felt “lasted…
We want to think the unthinkable will never happen in our community. Especially when it comes to acts of terror. Sometimes talking about or preparing for the unthinkable can result in being ridiculed. Even in a professional community. Such was the concern of Dr. Kevin Menes. Dr. Menes was the attending physician at the emergency department of Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas the night bullets rained down on the Jason Aldean country concert. Fifty-eight people were killed that night, and…
I’m a new grandpa. I feel pretty darn good. I have an awesome family. I live in Cache Valley, my most beautiful place on earth. I have a lot to be thankful for! Life has been incredibly good to me. And to my family. We have a beautiful home nestled on a quiet street in Hyde Park. We love our neighborhood. We are blessed to be surrounded, literally and figuratively, by wonderful people who have chosen to see our potential. Life…
It was once asked of Medal of Honor soldier Alvin York, at the Tomb of the Unknown, if war still exists did those who fought in the “War to End all Wars” fight in vain? His answer, given in 1941, bears consideration today when we find ourselves “fighting eternally” for these intangible principles we call “liberty and freedom and democracy.” “People who ask us that question, ‘What did it get you?’ forget one thing. True, we fought the last war to…
The story we consistently tell ourselves, and the story we consistently listen to, will be the story that will most consistently come true in our life. Our mind has a remarkable and beautiful ability to create that which we consistently feed it. “The brain is the grand conductor of the symphony of our selves,” as neuropsychologist Jennifer Wolkin describes it. “The brain leads mind and body, and the brain heeds mind and body. The brain plays a role in every thought,…
Magical moments happen when we pause and let the beauty of life infuse into our soul. Such a magical moment happened Saturday as I raked the leaves in our front yard into a huge pile underneath our 20 year old silver maple tree. I was absent-mindedly going through the task at hand while listening to a podcast with headphones in. The silver maple continued to gently rain down her bounteous leaves as I raked, starting anew to cover the fading green grass…
The pot of gold lies not at the end of the rainbow, but in the journey of discovering the beauty the storm creates. That’s where we start to Gain the Red Edge. We can put all our efforts into dreaming and fantasizing of the mythical. What will that do for us? Nothing. Or we can create the future. We put every ounce of our effort into creating a vision leading to a change in our thinking. We become inspired to…