Category / thinking

College Teams to Honor Vets With Camo Uniforms

Sometimes stories just make me smile. This morning I read that the college football teams of Maryland and South Carolina will don camouflage uniforms when they play on Saturday, November 14. The idea is to honor vets and raise awareness of the Wounded Warrior Project, which acts as an advocate for injured service men and women in Washington and provides services and programs for them. I’m all for it. And, apparently, so are the players.

“Ooooh,” South Carolina defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye said Tuesday after seeing the camouflage cleats the Gamecocks will wear. “I could wear these the whole season.”

The black with tan camouflage uniforms, designed by Under Armour, will have a Wounded Warrior logo on them. Instead of players’ names, the backs of the jerseys will have words such as courage, loyalty, integrity and service.

The effort should pay off. The 23rd-ranked Gamecocks play No. 2 Florida that day, and Maryland faces No. 15 Virginia Tech, so viewership should be pretty high.

[Read more about the Wounded Warrior Project]
[Shop for Under Armour/Wounded Warrior Gear]
[Read more about the uniforms]

God Bless Mr. Stroup

Some time ago, I lamented that too many blogs were full of stories and comments that focused a laser beam on all the things wrong with this world. I, too, fell into the trap; using these pages as an opportunity to vent some frustration about something I had seen, or read, or encountered.

I remember deciding one day to make an effort to include more positive words than negative, to shed light on people that are doing the right thing, even when no one else is looking. The story I share with you today is that kind of story:

Mr. Stroup, the 8th grade Bible study teacher at Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis, began a tradition thirty years ago that continues even today. Watch this short video, hear his story, and be inspired. And then ask yourself, “Is there something I can do that could have this kind of impact on the lives of others?”

God bless you, Mr. Stroup. Keep it up.

"Happiness is not a function of what we have…"

While reading an article in the Saturday Evening Post written by Russell Wild, I came across the following:

“Happiness is not a function of what we have, but rather a function of what we appreciate. Studies show that people who regularly express and experience genuine gratitude for what they have – family, a meal, work, health – are happier, healthier, and more successful in the long run,” says Dr. Ben-Shahar. He suggests that you might want to keep a journal in which you take daily written notes of all that you are most grateful for.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m likely related to the author somewhere on my Mom’s side of the family, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s right on target including this quote from Ben-Shahar.

Have you taken time today to express your own genuine gratitude for the blessings in your life?

"Living in Heaven will be fun…"

dsc_2044The kids took the news of Granddad’s death pretty well. We had prepared them, somewhat, for what was to come and, truthfully, their ability to cope with news and events of this sort dwarfs mine.

So it was really no surprise, though interesting, when Grace became the self-appointed escort at the visitation. Several times, she’d take someone’s hand and lead them up the center aisle to visit with Granddad. “You can touch him,” I overheard her telling someone.

A couple days later, Char is talking with Jack and he asked, “Mom, will you be in Heaven with me?” Playing on his devilish behavior, she answered, “Oh, Jack, I hope you make it to Heaven with me!” We all laughed, and then Grace and Abby began having a side conversation and Abby said, “Grace, living in Heaven will be fun: Granddaddy and Grandpa will be there. Jesus will be there… And you get to live in a box!”