Words of Hope: The Lord’s Prayer

Dad loved the Lord’s Prayer, and it was one of his favorite ways to pray. Here is how time with Dad praying the Lord’s Prayer together would go.Our Father (I am not an only child! God, you are Father...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: RPE4FJC

My brother Jay created RPE (one of my dad’s favorite slogans, which stands for Relentless Pursuit of Excellence) and FJC—my dad’s initials Fredric James Crowell. RPE4FJC means that I commit to living intentionally in a spirit of excellence each...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Outside of Time

My Dad left me a lengthy voicemail before he died. I waited to listen to it for a few weeks after he passed, waiting for a time I really needed to hear his voice. One day, I was ready...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Wisdom

My dad had wisdom that resulted in practical ways to live. Before he died, I asked him about a parent who had a young child acting out in preschool— hitting others and disobeying the teacher. The parent felt overwhelmed....

Continue reading →

WOH: The Daily Examen

Our whole family often jumped into learning what Dad was learning. He was so infectious and enthusiastic; he inspired us to understand what he was learning. One of his favorite spiritual teachers was Ignatius of Loyola. Dad loved to...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Mealtime Conversation

Our family created a ritual around mealtime conversation. This ritual refined through the years, but it emerged from my Dad's quote he often used, "Great people talk about ideas, mediocre people talk about things, and small people talk about...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Brave

Dad and I loved to go to movies and see them on the big screen. One of our favorite movies was 1917. We loved the panoramic scope, the intensity of just one day, the visceral experience of World War...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Overflowing with Thankfulness

Dad liked to use a jar illustration to help people diagnose the quality of their thoughts and words. Picture a large glass jar in which you can inspect all the contents. Imagine putting your thoughts and comments in the...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Sing for Joy to the Lord

Dad loved to sing, and for a long time, he was not good—so poor people thought he purposely mocked the song when he sang in church. Yet, Dad still sang— in church and in public. He loved to sing...

Continue reading →

Words of Hope: Full Armor and Prayer

I love history with all my heart, especially World War 2, perhaps because I know Dad loved Winston Churchill, or because I lived in Germany, or maybe because I have always wanted to know why this massive war of...

Continue reading →