Happy Birthday To The Love of My Life

It's not very often in a person's life do they get the opportunity to meet someone who has such a big impact on just about every aspect of their lives.

Each and every day is filled with a new challenge. Some good and some not so good. But deep down it is a great feeling in knowing that no matter how good or bad things can be, there is a smiling face always looking back at you.

This is where I can say that I am the luckiest guy in the world! No matter how I feel or what obstacle I stand against, there is ALWAYS a gentle touch, a soft smile and a soothing voice ready to let me know everything will be okay.

To Carole Ann,

Today I celebrate the wonderful women who understands me better than anyone else,accepts me just the way I am, encourages me when I need it and forgives when I fall short.

Today I celebrate the woman who has made my life warmer, brighter, richer, sweeter, better in a thousand different ways.

With this special day I would like you to know that I promise to give you all my love each and every day. It has always been said that you get what you give. And it is obvious the amount of love in your heart overflows to everyone who comes close to you. You truly get back what you offer to those around you. It is apparent in every aspect of your life.

To you and your gift of nurturing motherly love, I stand in awe as I watch you with the kids. Even with the kidz program you have a commanding presence where they are hanging on your every word.

Most will never really know how much you care for everyone you meet. How you have developed into the person you are and the love you have for helping people change their lives. These days are only the beginning. And with every passing moment I can rest with a big smile on my face knowing I will have you by my side for eternity.


To My Friend.....My Lover....My Partner.....I Love You.

Happy Birthday!

Opportunity Of a Lifetime

These last couple of weeks have really caused me to think about a lot of things going on in my life. Both Carole and I were a part of Grace Community Church's High 5 Sports Camps where we both acted as coaches for basketball and cheer leading. During those 5 days I had the chance to teach 9-11 year old girls and boys a little about basketball; more importantly about their faith.

In reflecting over those 5 days, both Carole and I agreed we may have gotten more out of those days at camp than the kids did....at least from a inner growth standpoint.

For a very long time I've had a desire to tie fitness and exercise in to a fitness mission. Now I am not saying I wanted to be or plan on being one of those off the deep end religious types - turning people off with my "Believe me or burn in hell!" theories - but always believed our bodies are "temples". Temples where we are responsible for being good stewards by taking care of them. It only makes sense to take care of what we have been given, not because we have only one body, but if we do not then we cannot use the gifts God has given us.

When you think of your health and well being as a gift instead of something to abuse, (and there are many forms of abuse) then protecting your "temple" to utilize your God given gifts only makes sense. If your own gifts can not be used to their fullest potential, think about all the people who will suffer because you can not do what you were set out to do.

That is a very powerful thought when you stop to think about it!

What happens when you, or I, take the focus off of ourselves and place it on someone in need of our gift(s)?

It's simple.....you can change their lives in a way nothing else can.

WOW!!!!

The reason for this post actually came to me this last Sunday after church. It just so happened that the kids had ole dad running late for church, again, so this day I had to change my routine. In doing so it turned out to be one of the best things to happen to me that day.

In the changing of my routine, I had to sit in a different area than normal. Just after the service started a friend walked over to me and had a seat next to where I was sitting. After the service he asked if I would be willing to speak to a group of fellow Christian business owners in August about how our bodies tie into being Christ's temple. To give biblical and real life examples of how and why we should take care of what we have been given. As soon as he asked me a thousand ideas ran through me head.

And this takes me back to the headline of this post. I am in no way looking at this as a business opportunity, though Scott said to market myself during the presentation. This is an opportunity to take what I do and have always wanted to do to the next level. To be able to use my God given gifts in a way to glorify Him and everything he has blessed me with. And the two pictures above are two of the best blessings a father could ever ask for.