Setting The Ball

Mother’s Day Version 2018 went pretty well at our house. Our children took it upon themselves, together and in small groups, to plan and prepare dinner, procure flowers and chocolate, and invite and coordinate with the grandmothers. I still find it ironic that on Father’s Day dads get to sleep in, play golf, watch TV…

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Experience + Innocence

Wednesday night my wife and I took 4 of our children to Tulsa to see the opening night of U2’s North American leg of the Experience + Innocence Tour. The show was exceptional, they always are. Experiencing it with my kids was special. I’ve been to see U2 many times, but this was the first…

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Not Running, But Remembering

I didn’t run the 18th Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on Sunday, but I did a lot of remembering. I ran the first 17 Memorial Marathons and co-founded the race. Every year as the race approached more and more people would ask me, “are you ready to run?” and every year I would say yes. This…

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A Continuum

“We are a continuum. Just as we reach back to our ancestors for our fundamental values, so we, as guardians of that legacy, must reach ahead to our children and their children. And we do so with a sense of sacredness in that reaching.”  Paul Tsongas We recently held the Annual Kimray Shareholder meeting. Over…

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We Bought A Sofa

When you raise six kids in a house, things get a little worn. So, when my wife finally decided she wanted a new sofa for the family room I said, “Sure!” Several days of shopping and selecting fabrics (spread over a few weeks) later and the new furniture was on order. The new sofa (two…

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Good Neighbors

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of…

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The Invisible Man

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. While not my favorite holiday by holiday standards (that’s Thanksgiving for me), it is my favorite event by life change standards. It is simple. God loved me enough to send His son to die for me. He knew all about me. He knew all the terrible things I…

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What is Your Ikigai?

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” According to Japanese culture, everyone has one, but finding it can take effort. This effort…

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Not Guilty

Imagine for a minute that you are the new chief executive officer of a large corporation. You call in your chief financial officer to give you an overview of the company finances, so you can determine what course to take. The CFO comes in with her charts and graphs and explains in great detail the…

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A Miracle

Wednesday night at 9:37 my granddaughter, Violet Anne, was born. A lovely name for a lovely little girl. Later that evening, as I held her for the first time, she stole my heart. She will have whatever she asks of me or from me, for as long as I live. Holding her and looking at…

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