FROM TRAINING WHEELS TO… I’m not sure how old I was when I first hopped on a bicycle. Pretty young, I’m sure. I remember a tricycle. I remember a metal tractor that had pedals. And I remember my first bicycle. It had training wheels. Up and down the sidewalk in front of our house I
GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE My son, Joshua, told me the story of his first climb up the nose of El Capitan in Yosemite out in California. El Cap is a sheer rock face reaching into the sky 3600 feet from its base. Josh was in the climber’s camp searching for a partner to do
WHO IS YOUR ELIZABETH? Mary set out from her home to go see her relative Elizabeth. I remember something like that. I was at Fort Bragg in basic training and was considering asking Barbara to marry me. I needed someone to help me with this decision, to be a thinking partner with me. My uncle
THE WIND WASN’T AGAINST US John and I enjoyed a delightful bicycle ride on New Smyrna Beach yesterday afternoon. Oftentimes when we ride, the wind will be against us one way or the other. We have learned to start off in the direction that is facing into the wind, so the leg out is the
DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE IN A MASTERMIND IN 2024? Do you know what a mastermind is? I have been in masterminds, several different ones, for most of my adult life. One was a group of 4 young pastors, fresh out of seminary, that met at the YMCA every week to play racquetball and talk.
FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES It sounded delicious. My two friends spoke about it with such passion, real joy, big smiles. This Christmas Eve tradition is one they have celebrated since they were little children, growing up in Italian-American households in a small town filled with family and friends who shared the same heritage. It
A PAINED, PUZZLED LOOK ON HIS FACE Jonathan arrived a little late at the gathering. About a dozen of us were enjoying the “meeting after the meeting” last night in a restaurant/bar in Orlando. We are all real estate investors who get together regularly to learn and to build relationships. In this late evening gathering,
HIS FAVORITE THING IS WRAPPING PRESENTS I am blessed with knowing a 7-year-old friend, Kyler. His favorite thing to do at Christmastime is to wrap presents. This is so different than most children his age. If asked, most kids would answer their favorite thing is just the opposite. Unwrap presents. Kyler always has a smile
PARADES Tis the Season for parades. It kicked off with the Macy’s parade in New York City and will end with the Rose Bowl Parade out in California in January. Those are a couple of big ones. The DeLand Christmas Parade, this past Saturday, is a big one for our small town. Thousands and thousands
STEADFAST JOY, DISCOVER IT In the search for a happy life, you and I often mix up “happiness” and “joy.” Happiness is a temporary feeling, coming from outside things like success or relationships. On the flip side, joy comes from inside and isn’t tied to what’s happening around us. It’s a deep feeling of happiness