On our recent vacation to Ireland, Sarah and I were relaxing.  I was out on the balcony doing my thing….drinking a whiskey, smoking a cigar, and reading a book entitled Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself by Zachary Anderegg.   This particular book is about a dog that had been cruelly abandoned and about a young man who was working to rescue to dog….and putting his own life at risk.   Right when I got to the part in the book about the rescue attempt, I looked down from our 3rd floor balcony and saw a young dog looking up at me.   The dog apparently was either a stray or had ran away from his owners…but he was surely all alone.  It sure seemed like much more than a coincidence!  We ensure that the dog was taken care of.  In fact, one of the employees at the hotel actually adopted the dog and took

During our recent trip to Ireland, Sarah and I both worked to find out more about our ancestors.  With names like Lynch and Cockerham (Sarah’s maiden name) we were sure there had to be some connection back to Ireland.  We were not disappointed.   I believe it is important to do that kind of research.  We are all a product of times past.  Each person in our ancestral line had some impact on our lives today.  Merle Haggard’s song said it best with the line “The roots of your raising run deep”.   Why are you the way you are?  Why do you have such fair skin?  Why are your eyes that color?  Why do you have the temperament you do?  The answer lies is some connection to the past.   In today’s internet environment, it is relatively easy to search out your roots.  With a minimal investment in time, there will be a

As we pause to celebrate Independence Day this month, let’s ensure we focus on the right things.  Over time, 4th of July celebrations have become all about BBQ and festivities, without really thinking about what it means to be free.   Freedom isn’t free, and someone is always paying the price.  Let’s remember that this Independence Day.   Sarah and I have had the experience of being with folks who weren’t always free.  We were there in the Fulda Gap in Germany when the Warsaw Pact crumbled in 1989 and the East Germans experienced freedom for the first time.  I was there in Kuwait during Desert Shield and Desert Storm when we liberated the Kuwait’s from the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein, and then in Iraq when we attempting to provide the Iraq people the opportunity to be free.   In each and every case, they cherished freedom because they knew what it was

I recently was the guest speaker at a high school graduation.  In the 15 mins I had allocated, I wanted to give the graduates some insights as to how they could be successful in life.  I left them with three ideas:   Live a life that God will reward. Be nice to folks.  Follow the golden rule.  Always demonstrate honesty and integrity in everything you do. Do every job superbly. Always exceed expectations.  Be the very best in everything you do.  Grow everyday.  Read, study, learn.  Seek out opportunities to better yourself. Be visible and widely known. Ensure your hard work is evident to those around you.  Don’t brag, just let people know what you are doing.  Be connected in life.  Do not withdraw into a social media vacuum.  Talk to people.  Enjoy each other’s company.   Obviously there is more to being successful than just these three things, but I didn’t want to overwhelm

  I continue to find myself worried about the future of our Nation.  The current situation in Ferguson, Missouri and other parts of our country is of great concern. Unfortunately, there are elements in our society who want to emphasize divisiveness over diversity.  They want to drive a wedge between us.  I saw this in Iraq during my service there.  Folks there committed specific acts of terror to inflame tension between the Iraqi Shias and Sunnis.   We can’t allow that to happen here the United States of America   I argue continuously that families, communities and organizations should celebrate diversity.  They must move beyond simple tolerance and truly embrace and celebrate diversity.  If they do that, everyone will flourish.  All indicators of success will dramatically improve.   We will be exponentially more effective.  The US Military is a case in point.   In 1948  President Truman issued an executive order that it was his policy

Sarah and I were with Gary Sinise last week as we presented a mortgage free home to GySgt (R) Guillermo Tejada (double amputee) as part of Gary Sinise Foundation / HEB activities.  Such an inspiration to be around such a selfless servant as Gary, and a true American hero as