Friends are priceless

Received this Facebook private message from a true friend tonight:

Character and faith prevail. Sometimes it is hard to stomach until you look in the eyes of those that love and care about you. Knowing you haven't let them down morally will allow you true perspective. You are a great man and they can't take what you have worked you ass off to build.....a GREAT REPUTATION!

Doing wrong!

Today from FaceBook friend John Hyden Sr

If you do wrong because others are doing wrong you're always going to be doing wrong because there is always someone doing wrong. 
A saying by my father(E. Lee Hyden) given to him by his mother(Doshie Freeman Hyden).

I am that I am

This past week I attended the monthly meeting of our local Vistage group.   Our leader, Bruce, told us about an exercise that he had been through at some seminar called "I am".   The idea is to write down who you are using the phrase "I am.....".   To be honest, I thought it was pretty hokey.   Bruce told us about it and then read us his.   He then asked us to write ours.   So over the next 15 minutes I wrote down who I am.   I hesitate to say that the experience was life changing but it might be close.  It was emotional.  I couldn't  read it without tearing up.  A couple of days later I tried to read it to my son, Sam and teared up all over again.   I am not sure where the emotion comes from but "I am" probably an emotional person because both of my parents are always up for a good cry.   I love them for that.   So, since I can't seem to read this out loud, I thought I would share it here on my blog.

I am who I am because I was born on a Rock.

I am from Reed Mack and Opal Anita
and James and Erin
and Velma
but I am mostly who I am because of the 16 years I got to spend with Ray.

Ray, and Reed, and Greeley and the rest are the reason that I am a Cardinals fan.

I am an accountant today because David Wilson taught me to love math.

I am a razorback because I didn't want to be an Indian like my sister Brenda.
Oh yeah.  I am a younger brother and I am a better person because of that.

and now

I am a husband of 35 years to my sweetheart Sandye who likes me most of the time and loves me all of the time.

I am a dad because father sounds too formal.
I am also a better person because of Sara & Sam who have given me more than I could ever give them.

Sara now has Justin and they have Molly and Nate.
I am a granddad and I hope that I am the granddad that Ray was for me.
I am a boss and Justin happens to be one of the best employees I have ever had and I am better for that also.

I am a mentor and I am being mentored.

I am a Cumberland Presbyterian because all that came before me were CPs back beyond Steven Perryman from whom I get my name.

I am a Christian who believes that it is simply about the saving grace of Jesus Christ and nothing else.

I am pissed because all there is is Trump and Clinton and some dude name Johnson.
I am a proud American living at the greatest time in the history of our great country.

I am a contradiction.

and here is the rest of the list....

I am a son-in-law,
I am a brother-in-law.
I am a uncle.
I am a trustee of Bethel University.
I am a partner.
I am a dreamer.
I am a student.
I am a teacher.
I am a innkeeper.
I am a entrepreneur.
I am a pilot.

and when I get lost I head back to the Rock.

Tomato

Things Mike Tyson said.................

I thought today would be a good day to catalog a few Mike Tyson quotes.   All of these from BrainyQuote.com:


Mike is a complex guy.   He once said "I'm going to gut you like a fish."  But he also said, "My biggest weakness is my sensitivity.   I am too sensitive a person."

Here are a few more.......

• God let's everything happen for a reason.   It's all a learning process, and you have to go from one level to another.
• Some people try to get you out of slavery for you to be their slave.
• When I was in prison, I was wrapped up in all those deep books.  That Tolstoy crap-people shouldn't read that stuff.
• I'm not Mother Teresa, but I'm not Charles Manson, either.
• Real freedom is having nothing.   I was freer when I didn't have a cent.
• I feel like sometimes that I was not meant for this society.

And then there is my favorite, and maybe the most repeated quote of Mike's.   There are a couple of versions of this.  Here are both.

• Everybody's got a plans.....until they get hit.
• and
• Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.

Write or do - what is it going to be? - words from Ben Franklin

Got a new leadership maxim to add to my list

Do not use the stairwell to smoke, drink, eat or have sex.