KOBE
It was a typical Sunday morning at our house. I had gone to early church service, picked up the standard Dunkin Donuts half dozen, and Kate, the kiddos, and I had a home church session about the prodigal son. After the fullness of the morning, I found myself relaxing in my reading chair relaxing and waiting to watch the NFL Pro Bowl game. I had my phone on vibrate in case any of my adult children were to call to wish me happy Sunday. Just then, my phone buzzed and I glanced down to see a pop-up message that read Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash. Then the message disappeared.
Glory Days
Wiffle Ball
Heartshapers
Peach Fuzz
That is what my kiddos call the baby hair growing back on my head. It has been almost two weeks of growth now and my scalp is no longer ghost pale as if I were wearing a tight, white speedo swim cap. When I ask the doctors if it will all grow back, they answer, “Probably, but maybe not. We will see.” That is a pretty common answer from my doctors. Apparently, we are in somewhat uncharted waters.
Exploring More
BLT and OPMD
"Whoa Whoa Whoa"
Two Honks
Two weeks ago, I stood in my driveway as my oldest son, Shawn, gave me a hug, climbed into his SUV, and drove away down the street. He waved to me, and as I waved back I whispered, “God, please bless your son as he rides into this next chapter of his life in pursuit of his dream to play quarterback in college.”
Do You like Horses?
Last week was my 56thbirthday and the outpouring of best wishes from family and friends near and far was humbling to my heart. Unbeknownst to most, my wife and I were called to Duke Hospital for unscheduled blood tests and a visit with my oncologist earlier in the week, July 3rd. The timing was eerily similar to five years ago, almost to the day, when I received a phone call from Duke telling me I had leukemia…
Empowerment
It is February of 2018 already. Time flies, and I say that with all respect in the world for time, given that four-and-a-half years ago I sat in a room at Duke University Oncology with an IV in my arm delivering toxic chemicals into my system in hopes of beating down the leukemia cells that had taken over 95% of my blood.
A Complete Response
It has been a full nine months since I started my fourth type of chemotherapy drug. My last bone marrow biopsy was in December of last year and revealed nearly 50% of the marrow was leukemia ridden, which is not a good long-term prognosis, thus leading my team of oncologists wanted to see how much leukemia was remaining in my blood and bone marrow with this recently approved new treatment
Sleepover
My wife is 41 years young, and she keeps our house running smoothly, especially in conjunction with our three kiddos: 7-year-old twinlets Leo and Ella, and 6-year-old Jordan. Recently, I had the responsibility of the kid’s dinner, bath-and-bedtime routine all to myself because my wife was having a sleepover. That’s right, an adult sleepover.
July 17th
A Special Grip
Last September, Kate and I pulled off a bucket list item for our family. We spent a long weekend in the wine country of Napa Valley with my oldest daughters Sarah and Shelby and their husbands doing wine tastings and pretending to be rich and famous. Kate and I arrived early and had dinner with our San Fran friends down at the pier.
The Heart of a Warrior Encounter
Last week I had the privilege of being one of the speakers on the Guide Team at The Heart of a Warrior Encounter in the mountains near Lexington, Virginia. This men’s retreat weekend is the flagship event of Zoweh Ministries, the ministry initiative to men and for men, started by author and close friend Michael Thompson.
The Lost Art of Skipping
I was standing on the second-floor porch at the beach house recently, looking out over the ocean on a beautiful spring-like day. I could see for miles and the sun was almost straight overhead as it was just about noon this day. My wife was sitting on the beach just below me in a beach chair wearing a sun hat and sunglasses so she could read her magazine in the bright sunshine.
Have A Plan
Every year I write a forward-looking “life plan” for the coming calendar year in which I try to narrate and document specific actionable items to do, accomplish or emphasize throughout the year. The idea actually began as an offshoot of an annual business plan, a template for income and commission sales I expected in that year.
Write the Fairy Tale First
Recently I was having breakfast with a friend at my favorite diner. We had a wonderful conversation about our families and how much we enjoy being dads. My friend was sharing how much he appreciated my book, THE QB MENTOR, and he commented on some of the amazing things that my son, Shawn, one of the two main characters in the book, had accomplished on the football field in high school.