Several months ago, I thought about my public speaker friend by the name of Dr. Charles Jarvis from San Marcos, Texas. It has been some time since I have had any contact with him, so I am not sure if he is still living. One of his stories that I truly love is about this old boy who took his dog to the dog show. After he was assigned a number and got settled in, he went up to the chief judge and said, “This dog that I have brought…

When you were in school and growing up, did your teachers ever give you “challenge” work? This is work that was one or two grades higher than where you were at the time. Of course, the purpose of this was to stretch your ability and skills to cause you to grow and reach higher. This has happened to me, but it was self-imposed. When I married my wife Janis, she had a pretty good library, and I have benefited from this. One of the books she had was titled, “A…

If you have ever watched the Olympics on television or attended one in person, you know that a highlight of this prestigious event is the Opening Ceremony. This is a time when all the participating world-class athletes assemble by nation and walk into a large arena behind their nation’s flag. My heart always swells with pride when I see “Old Glory,” the flag of the United States of America. One or more of the Olympic athletes is honored to carry our flag. They represent all the people of our nation,…