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Category: Monday Morning Boost

Monday Morning Boost: Memorial Connections

Monday Morning Boost: Memorial Connections

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Memorial Day is full of stories. Stories about ancestors, heroes, and family connections. A walk through the cemeteries on Saturday was a journey full of stories. One of those stories is about Elliot Larson of Monroe, Utah. NAVY MUSICIAN 1ST CLASS ELLIOT LARSEN Elliott Larsen was a Navy musician 1st class on the USS Oklahoma. He was 25 and just days from returning home when he was killed when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. His body was never recovered…

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Monday Morning Boost: “13 Reasons Why” we should talk about suicide

Monday Morning Boost: “13 Reasons Why” we should talk about suicide

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There are many reasons why we should talk about suicide. 13 Reasons Why is now one of them. The raw and very graphic original series from NetFlix attempts to address the tough subject through the suicide of high schooler Hannah Baker. The girl records a collection of 13 cassette tapes explaining why she blames specific people for her suicide. Her intention is for each person to understand the impact they had on her life that resulted in her choosing suicide. The story is…

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Monday Morning Boost: “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”

Monday Morning Boost: “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”

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Songs have long been penned and sung about mothers. One of my most favorites is “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” sung by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. I would practice my best southern drawl and belt out my best imitation when the only one listening was our old milk cow, Bessie. Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys Don’t let ’em pick guitars and drive them old trucks Make ’em be doctors…

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Monday Morning Boost: Rescuing a drowning child

Monday Morning Boost: Rescuing a drowning child

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Our son Clint doesn’t often need any help. He turned 26 last week. He’s a responsible young man, quite the gentlemen, and extremely confident. He can drive cross country without hardly taking a break, a feat he executed quite seamlessly for Rebecca and Taylor’s wedding. He’s been married to a beautiful young lady Daniella for two years. He’s a staff sergeant in the Marine Corps. And he’s a strapping 6’4″ tall. So sometimes I forget he was once a little kid. This past…

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Monday Morning Boost: “She brings out the best in you”

Monday Morning Boost: “She brings out the best in you”

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Our daughter Rebecca was four years old when we moved to Hyde Park on May 20, 2000. As we got to know the neighbors over the next couple of weeks, we were surprised to find many of them already knew who we were. “You must be Rebecca’s parents!” It seemed our little miss Becca had already made her way around the neighborhood, knocking on everyone’s door, asking the same question. “Do you have a four year old I can play…

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Monday Morning Boost: The power of extraordinary words

Monday Morning Boost: The power of extraordinary words

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Have you ever considered the power of extraordinary words? Great leaders of all ages and all walks of life have been immortalized by their words, both spoken and written. Such words have moved people to take action that changed the course of history. Give consideration to the unforgettable words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to…

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Monday Morning Boost: Remembering the Gift of Easter

Monday Morning Boost: Remembering the Gift of Easter

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One of the most touching stories in all scripture is when Jesus raises his very good friend Lazarus from the dead. It is from this story my daughter Leslie shares one of her favorite scriptures, John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” It’s not hard to comprehend the sadness and emptiness people felt when Lazarus died, especially his sisters Mary and Martha. Some may wonder why Jesus wept when He knew Lazarus would soon rise from the dead, and that he and all…

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Monday Morning Boost: Life after suicide

Monday Morning Boost: Life after suicide

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Saturday my brother Shane would have turned 40 years old. I’ve been thinking about the challenging journey of his life and the impact it had on our family and those who knew him. Last year for Shane’s birthday our brother Marc and I spent the day with him. We both chose to give him the gift of simply just listening to him. Shane was passionate about many things. Sometimes his passion and ideas seemed unpractical and difficult to follow. But…

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Monday Morning Boost: The New Language of Democracy

Monday Morning Boost: The New Language of Democracy

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Lawrence Horman is homeless. He lives in a shipping trailer on a commercial lot and gets his electricity from a nearby power pole. At a recent town hall meeting for a proposed homeless resource center in Draper, Utah, Horman had something he wanted to share with the hundreds of residents in attendance. “We’ll help ourselves if you give us a place to start from.” That was the message he hoped to share. But Horman, according to an article in the…

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Monday Morning Boost: Today’s Gift of Spring

Monday Morning Boost: Today’s Gift of Spring

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Today is a new day. Today is the beginning of a new week. Today is another beautiful day of spring. Spring is a time of birth, hope, and renewal. Flowers burst forth from their winter hibernation. Baby Holstein calves dot the pastures around Cache Valley. I love the smell of spring in the air, watching robins flying around, and the rumble of my neighbors on their Harleys. Like the beginning of a new year, spring gives us the opportunity for…

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