One of my favorite quotes is: “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” What a true statement! Being in education for 20+ years, I’ve certainly seen this phrase played out. For years I’ve watched in amazement when…
Logan, now a high school athlete, first experienced the transformative power of sports at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield. He vividly recalls stepping onto the basketball court at six or seven years old. What began as a simple…
Mike is happy his friend Daniel made it safely back to the States after spending years on the battlefield. Daniel was involved in many dangerous military missions, and Mike and his friends were never sure if he would make it…
I get it – you want friends. But as a grown man and a father, that can be a weird thing to admit out loud. But the truth is, you don’t just want friends, you need friends. And you can’t…
The police academy, fire academy and military boot camps are filled with 18 to 20-somethings pushing harder mentally and physically than they have ever pushed themselves before. These platforms are mostly for young adults and are even more highlighted than…
“No thank you. I’ve had an excellent sufficiency. Anymore would be a superfluous animosity. However, your cuisine would please the most fastidious gourmet.” These are the words my father taught us to say when we had had enough to eat.…
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a father who was responsible, worked hard, had integrity, and made time for his family. At the time I did not comprehend the intentionality he had to take care of himself so…
“Three out of four,” she said. “It needs to meet three out of my four requirements in order for me to commit.” My friend was talking about the pre-requisites she considered essential before committing herself and her family to a…
Nearly every day I meet with someone who is disappointed that some realistic life expectation failed to be fulfilled as imagined. They thought they would be married by now, but they’re not. They hoped to conceive a child, but they…
In 2011, I was tasked with a deployment to Afghanistan. Thankfully, I had a few months’ notice, but my report date hit right before the Christmas holiday. My wife and I tried to soak in as much family time together…
