September 13, 2019

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Oh there's always lots of commencement speeches come about May and June. Most of them, pretty predictable. "Live up to your potential." "Follow your dreams." "The sky's the limit." But maybe there's never been a commencement speech like the one at Morehouse College recently. Billionaire businessman Robert Smith set 396 graduates free in one day.

He was reflecting on the long history of an African-American family, and then he announced that "on behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we're going to put a little fuel in your bus." More like rocket fuel! In one breathtaking moment, he suddenly announced that his family was creating a grant that would pay the student loans of every graduate! What a moment! The dreaded debt just beyond the degree - suddenly gone!

September 10, 2019

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We just finished celebrating our grandson's tenth birthday. We didn't forget it. I mean, he wouldn't let us forget it back then! I mean, this boy knew his birthday when he was two years old. So, you know, every year - big deal. Well, I'm never going to forget the day he was born, because my wife and I were there! We waited outside that birthing room, and then we got the word that he was in the process of arriving, and then we got the summons to come in and see him. One of life's ultimate, well they used to call it "Kodak moments." And suddenly a day that had been just another number on the calendar before became one of the most special days in our life from then on!

September 6, 2019

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I was reminiscing with our son about some of the great experiences we had together as a family when he and his siblings were kids. I was thinking especially of the hikes we took up mountains, through forests, and along the seashore. To which my son added, with a little whimsy in his voice, "And sand dunes?" See, that's kind of a sore point in our family memories. It's all about the time I led our family on an exhausting hike up a massive Cape Cod sand dune, promising them, based on what I had been told, a beautiful view of the ocean when we reached the top. Well, there was a view of another sand dune, which we climbed as well. And there it was finally, "There! There it is!" another sand dune! The next dune was like that, too, and the next one. This was not one of my better ideas.

September 2, 2019

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You know the title song of the musical "Oklahoma"? It talks about that being the state "where the wind comes whippin' o'er the plains." Yeah, I guess! How about the tornadoes come whippin' o'er the plains? That's not as poetic, but man, it sure has been true. Especially in recent years. It just seems like Oklahoma gets hammered over and over again with that severe weather. I actually saw an interview with some folks whose homes had been hit by one tornado that moved along the northern edge of Oklahoma City. And, you know, it was amazing to see a lot of people who faced their loss with a determination to rebuild. And actually some even faced it with a sense of humor, believe it or not. I remember one guy who described what had happened pretty creatively. He said, "Well, it was sort of moving day without notice!"

August 29, 2019

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It was chaos in our living room. Most of the family was there, and we're not a quiet bunch. Everybody's a communicator and everyone is communicating. The adults were involved in several conversations at once. And our two young grandsons were playing with, well let's call it enthusiasm - maybe hoping to command a little attention. They surveyed the uproar in our living room, and I suddenly noticed a precious scene in the corner. It was our son with his dark-haired then infant daughter, sprawled peacefully in her Daddy's arms. First they'd been there cheek to cheek, then she just simply fell asleep, oblivious to the storm going on around her and safe in her Daddy's arms.

August 27, 2019

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Our youngest son had waited a long time for this. He had loved this girl for a long time and she had loved him. And now it was time to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him. So, he asked her to go with him on an old horse-drawn carriage ride along some beautiful mountain paths. He was in cahoots with the driver, so he asked if they could stop to take a picture on a nearby footbridge - just out of sight, of course. Well, the driver was loving every minute of this. On that bridge, overlooking a picturesque little stream, our son declared his lifetime love and he asked the woman he loves to become his wife. She was not surprised that he would ask someday, but this day she was overwhelmed. I love this! He awaited her answer and it was more beautiful than our son could have ever scripted. She just said, "It would be my highest honor." P.S. - the wedding was awesome.

August 23, 2019

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Our daughter and son-in-law and grandsons were visiting some out-of-state family members. Our favorite four-year-old at the time had gone outside to play. When he tried to come back in the house, he found the door had locked behind him. He tried other doors, but he was locked out, no matter where he went. So he yelled loudly, but it was a big house and no one was close by. No one heard the little guy. The longer he was locked out without anyone responding to his cries, well you can guess, the more desperate he became. And even though he eventually got in, the awful feelings that went with being locked out left a pretty deep and lasting impression.

August 19, 2019

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"The wall." I don't know what you think of when I say that, it could just be the surface you're looking at across the room, it could be something that has been proposed for some of the immigration issues in our country. It could be the Berlin Wall that used to separate East and West Berlin. Look, forget all that. If you're a marathon runner, I'm pretty sure what you think of when you think about "the wall" is that point in a grueling 26-mile run where you feel like your body is shutting down and you can't go another step. You've used up most of what you body has to give, and everything in you seems to be saying, "Quit now!" But the champions don't.

August 15, 2019

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I was speaking at this beautiful conference center, and I'd actually been expecting to stay at the inn where the conferees would be, because that's where I've stayed on previous occasions. But this time they gave my wife and me the key to what they called one of their "remote cabins." Well, I asked the man in charge if everyone they sent to those cabins came back. He smiled and said, "Yeah, if the bears don't get you." Oh that's nice! Actually, it was a fabulous cabin, nestled in the woods with this spectacular mountain view. But there's limited access to these cabins. They're located on a long mountain lane, the entrance to which is unmarked and guarded by a gate. They gave us a pass that opens that gate. Apparently, they don't want anyone else following you in. I'll tell you, that gate opens for a brief time and then it closes. So get movin', buddy! My guess is that the bears? I don't think they need a pass.

August 13, 2019

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Water! Drinking lots of water is good for your health. So I usually have a big mug or bottle of water in my office, a lot of bottles of water with me when I travel. My wife and I were driving one time to some ministry events, and another couple from our team was traveling with us in the back seat. And they got to be the keeper of the water, and the snacks of course. But let's stick with the healthy stuff. This little drill developed, thanks to the thoughtfulness of my buddy in the back seat. When I finished a bottle of water, I handed the empty bottle back to him so it could be dumped in our garbage bag. But as I handed my empty to him, there he was with a full bottle to place in my other hand.