Tag Archives: life

PF

Posted on by
Reply

One of the most influential mentors in my life is Pastor Ellsworth Freyer. “PF” to those close to him.  “Coach” to me.  I was blessed to be  one of many he coached throughout his life as a man of the cloth.  He coached me to coach.  To mentor. Serve others.  And write. 

When I would run into writer’s block penning some words of encouragement to those I served, he would reach out and share some of his words of wisdom.  The most inspiring were found in his motivational pieces, he called “Power Thoughts”.  Aptly named.  I happened upon this one tonight (in 2017):   

“One of the most sobering thoughts I have ever been confronted with  is this: ‘What you are someday going to be, you are now becoming.’ 

Right at this very moment in time, you are exactly what you have been in the process of becoming – all your life. 

So?  Are you the person you dreamed of becoming? 

How close are you to becoming the type of person you want to be? 

Even right now, you are in the process of becoming the person you will be in an hour.  In a day. Next month.  The coming year. In two, five or in a decade.  

And the habits?  Those  you have now – and will begin to acquire and accumulate – determine the person you will eventually, someday, become. 

If you are not now doing the things that you need to do, to become what you want to be, what makes you believe that you ever will? 

What is preventing you from becoming that person? The one you want to become? 

It is incumbent upon you to choose to begin now. 

Situations or circumstances should never determine the when, if or how you begin. 

So? 

Just begin.  And begin right now. 

For what you are now becoming, is what you will someday be.”

Saints

Posted on by
Reply

“Something I shared with all back in 2017. Came across it tonight and thought it good to share again. This made me misty eyed, but he still makes me smile. “

To set the tone for this day and his homily this evening, Father Matthew sought to describe the essence of a saint. Part of which resonated with this author.

“Someone that does what they do, the way that they do it”.

Rick Hader left this world today.

All too soon. And the hurt is palpable. But it is All-Saints Day. He has a chance to play to a much larger crowd, in a storied venue. Doing what he does. The way he does it.

I had the honor of blocking for him in college as a Siwash. He was All-Conference as a running back, and All-American as a role model, man and friend if you ask me. (Rick is #44)

He was just as gifted running between the tackles and catching the ball coming out of the backfield as he was cracking us up. The voices, faces, mannerisms and making his teeth squeaky clean with only an index finger were recurring bits in the dorm, on campus and in the huddle.

He found great joy in making us smile, laugh and forget about things for only a little while.

Now, 37 years later and aided by some hindsight, I now realize he was building his schtick there at Knox College. And creating his persona.

For Myron Noodleman was right there with us all along. But it was just Rick.  Doing what he did. The way he did it.

I would encourage you to take a few moments and read about this national nerd.

It details a wonderful life’s journey from Park Ridge to Broken Arrow. Starting as a janitor, to being a beloved high school math teacher and becoming a diamond doofus.

An All-American role model, man and friend to many that found great joy in making thousands upon thousands of people smile, laugh and forget about things for a while.

Go deeper, between the lines and you will come to know them  both as I. A match now made for heaven. A pair with the guts to listen, heed their calling and fearlessly follow it. And from what I understand, all the way to the end.

Your departure has left a big hole in the lives of many. But there are warm and lasting memories enough to fill it back in, bring a smile to the face, some laughter for the heart and offer many a respite from things for a while.

Just Rick and Myron doing what they did. The way they did it.

Saints if you ask me.

Tradewind

Posted on by
Reply

“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

― Thomas S. Monson

A simple yet poignant bit of wisdom on how to navigate the currents and wind that take you through life.

During a discussion earlier this week, aspects centered on responses made when an event blows in and makes its presence known in your life. Whether it was an externally generated circumstance making itself known over time or suddently – or – one generated from within. No matter the origin, how we choose to respond makes all the difference in the world.

You see, regardless of its conception and incumbent inception into your existence, what will ultimately follow hinges on how you choose to respond.

Should it happen to be a positive occurrence, perhaps the response is to make your self “as one” with it to then follow a path of fulfillment, affirmation and growth. In situations such as those, perhaps Mr.Monson’s offering, “”For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.” applies.

But what if the event that presents itself, externally or internally, appears as a gust. Carrying with it utter calamity, the potenial for loss, harm and destruction? Perhaps not where you think you chose to be. Or worse yet, the application of poor choices, self-centered behavior and a penchant for dishonesty brought with it an ill wind.

Some time ago, a mentor fervently espoused that “adversity is never an if proposition, but always a when event.” And despite the readily negative connotations, adversity also always carrys with it the grace of opportunity. Though it may not be readily apparent, if we open ourselves and “…may we choose a positive attitude”, it will become visible.

As we moved along towards closure of the discussion, the analogy of the wind and sails was offered and with it, produced a profound and lasting resonance.

You may encounter a trade wind of sorts, beckonging you to employ a varied deployment and orientation of sails so that you may capture all of the good it brings so that you may end up where you chose to be.

Or, perhaps the contrary occurs and you find yourself colliding with a potentially self generated gale or worse. There is nothing you can do to counter that wind and force of nature other than choose to adjust and change course.

It may come to represent a pattern of gales of adversity you have had to endure, or have created, through out your life.

And therein lay the opportunity.

So choose to adjust.

Seek the tradewind.

And embrace where it takes you.

The Pail.

Posted on by
Reply

“Towards the end of my tenure in youth football, I bought a pail, gathered some dirt and shared with the kids the idea of “rubbing some dirt on it”. A way to get past the aches and pains in all forms that accompany football and life.

The pail was set on the practice field and by the bench at each game for whomever needed or wanted some.

Seems like we can all use some dirt at some time in our life.

Below is my post to them: “

You might have noticed a pail sitting by my bags and equipment boxes today.

In that pail, lay some of the most fertile soil around. Dark, rich, 100% Lemke Park dirt. At one time, it could have been home to corn, wheat  or soybeans.  Perhaps even hay. 

But now, it grows the best piece of grass in all of Mequon-Thiensville. Even to this day, a farm of sorts if you will. Where some of the best young men and football players in the state  are grown. So it stands to reason, that because both – grass and football players – grow so well out there, there must be something about that dirt. 

Not just organic. 

But truly medicinal in nature. 

Sure we have ice packs, tape, pro-wrap, pads and band-aids. 

But we also got that dirt. 

In that pail.

So the next time things don’t go your way, there are moments of anxiety, disappointment and just plain fear, take some. 

If you find yourself making more than your fair share of mistakes and feeling sorry for yourself, help yourself to a pinch. 

Have bruises on top of bruises?   Aches ?  Pains ? Scrapes? Boo boos? Or just plain worn out ? 

Grab a handful and apply some to where it hurts. 

Just think of what that grass goes through; getting walked on, run across, torn up, scuffed, staked, driven over, flooded and frozen each winter. And yet, it still just wants to keep coming back. 

Sort of what young men and football players are meant to do too. 

So when those times come – and they will – you need some. I will make sure the pail will be there. Filled with that  dark, rich, 100% Lemke Park dirt. 

Soil that is home to the best piece of grass in town. 

And all of you.  

The finest young men and football players around.

Location

Posted on by
Reply

In a conversation at work some time ago, the phrase “location, location, location” came into play.  

Nothing to do with its inherent real estate connotation. But more so how one maintains a sense of presence in the real estate they happen to occupy in this moment. Not just where they find themselves.  But more to the point, how they find themselves where they are now. Not in a week, month or year.   

Now.  

‘Cause when it comes down to it, if you aren’t here, then you cannot access what is to be gained from the moment.  Not that each moment is going to be an epiphany.  That is never the case.  It is just that each moment has within it the capacity to become an epiphany.  

A surprise.  Never expected.  Life changin’.  

An epiphany.  

It seems to me that there is a human tendency to believe that moments that seem  a mistake, reflect a poor decision or turn out to be a failure are lost causes.  A chance lost.  Something not meant to be. Better left behind than kept, discerned and understood. 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Everything we encounter in our lives has meaning.  A purpose.   A reason to be.  And yet because things are not precisely what we imagined, we think all is lost.  Wasted effort, commitment and direction.  

We choose to  leave the moment and  place ourselves where we wish to be.  A place begotten without the sacrifice, effort, discipline and effort. Then when we awake, and find ourselves at what seems to be the ultimate conclusion, we deflect, ignore, blame and avoid the outcome. 

“Location, location location” has nothing to do with where you are.  It has everything  to do with being fully present where you are right here, right now.  So that you can someday, become all that you were meant to be. 

If you have the presence of mind and soul to capture and keep those multiple instances of missteps, defeat and failure, then you can access the wherewithal to maintain a presence in those moments yet to come. 

And better yet? 

Those made just for you.