Stories & Heroes
Articles mainly about inspiring true stories, biographies, history and heroes of faith.
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Never Forgotten
We recently visited a church on Stanford University’s campus. It is magnificent and breathtaking.
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Setback to Comeback
I love the phrase, “A setback is a setup for a comeback.” I have been chanting this in my mind for the last few days. All the remarkable stories have this trajectory.
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An Inspiring Example of Listening to God’s Will
Dad loved biographies more than any other type of book. He read to me children’s stories of inspiring people. One person he loved was Florence Nightengale.
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Life Changers
My dad loved people, and he built beautiful friendships. One person he loved is a man named Rachi Wortham. We just did a short video story about his life.
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Presidents Day
My dad LOVED reading biographies and one of his favorites was John Adams by David McCollough.
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Sincere Devotion
It is Valentine’s Day, a day most people focus on romantic love. However, the namesake for this day was deeply devoted to so much more than romantic love.
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At All Times
I have been meditating on the first part of Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” I consider the words, “at all times.” This is a topic Dad and I discussed often.
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Honoring MLK
Shann was an A student but not a real reader when I met him and now he teaches in the PhD department of Gonzaga’s Leadership program reading 250+ paged dissertations.
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Together
A passage of scripture blew my mind this week. The writer of Hebrews is describing so many beautiful men and women of the faith; some who changed the trajectory of nations, some who won miraculous victories, some who…
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Dad’s Great Gift
Of all the things my dad taught, one of my favorite and the most powerful has been forgiveness. Because of Dad’s influence, Shann became a researcher on forgiveness.
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Memorial Day
In the book of John, we have this definition of love, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lays his life down for his friends.” In this brief definition, we have the image of love involving…
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Father Kolbe
Dad and I loved to read stories of inspiring people. One day, I felt sorry for myself and justified my frustration and irritation with life.
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Armed and Resolute Wickedness
Dad and I loved March Madness—mainly because it was fun to coach and critique the teams. We were often negative spectators, so Shann had to put us in our place when we became too harsh or pessimistic.
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Shooting Star
When Dad lay dying, I told him he would soon get to spend time with Sojourner Truth one of our favorite people. We never met Sojourner Truth, but we knew her story, and it changed us.
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MLK
A woman named Luska is one of NBC’s bright stars. She is brilliant and has an incredibly powerful mind.
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People of the Way
Dad hated God when he was young. He vowed he would never pray or cry again after his Mom died. He was filled with anger and turned away from God.
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Veterans Day
My dad loved veterans and felt deeply grateful for his friends and family who served. One man that he came to know and love fought in the Vietnam war. They were around the same age.
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America the Beautiful
It was a fateful Christmas Eve in 1776. General George Washington , also Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, led his men across the Delaware, marching 13 hours to route the cruelest British army.
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Land That I Love
“This land is your land, this land is my land. From California to New York Island, from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf stream waters.
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The Pure Authentic Steadfast Light
I like to begin Words of Hope with a story that inspires me. A long time ago, there was a man who said he was not the Light, but he came to show people the way to the…
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Tough Minds Soft Hearts
A tribute to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. How many coloreds are you going to play at a time in the game tomorrow night?
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Hinds Feet
Difficulties and troubles in this world often cause us to cry out unthinkingly for help to be strong, brave, and invincible.
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Wanna Be Brave
Aristotle said, “We become brave by doing brave acts.” The clear logical definition of brave: Courageous, dauntless, perhaps a little bit daring, a brave person, faces dangerous or difficult situations with courage.
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Never Ever Quit
Never ever be discouraged Never quit Never ever let cancer win Never stop loving people Never cease to love God & His Son One of the greatest men in the 20th century was Pope John Paul, the first…
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Hopeless to Hopeful
Imagine the hopelessness one would experience under the following conditions: Stay of execution although standing before a firing squad Ten years in prison Death of wife Death of a favorite brother A debt of approximately $850,000 Obligation to…
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It Is Well with My Soul
One of my most favorite songs is “It Is Well with My Soul.” The lyrics are what I need, sometimes several times a day.
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God Sent a Man
Who was this man? What was His meaning and purpose in life? Two profound questions for the ages. The questions were relevant when John wrote them around 90 AD.
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Operate in Peace
Who God Says I am, is far more important than who you, or who I, say I am. In the early 1980’s I was invited to speak at Cordova schools.
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World of People and Things
“If you love things more than people you will use people to get things, i f you love people more than things you will use things to help people.” One of my favorite men gave up his high…
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Thankful for America
Twenty-five feet above a huge carved rock in the Crowell front yard waves the U.S. flag .
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Contemplative Action
A young Spanish soldier was leading a fierce battle against the superior French army. He took a cannonball between his legs in 1521. Because of his valor, he was not executed.
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All Things Principle
When I study the lives of Joseph, Esther, David, Job, Daniel, Jonah, Mary the mother of Jesus, John the Baptist, Andrew, Peter, Paul, and other Biblical characters, I see an “ All Things Principle .” When I study…
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The Golden Mouth One
A monk living the aesthetic life for 12 years in the deserts of Syria was assigned to be the Bishop of Constantinople , the leading city of the world earlier in the 14th century BC.
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The Silent Yet Deadly Unseen War, Part 2
Each morning in Africa, the lion and tiger wake up hungry. They spend their day hunting for a good meal.
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Paradox: Loss or Gain
If you happen to miss an athletic game, I imagine you would want two questions answered: “Who won?” “What was the score?” The scoreboard would tell us which team won, which team lost.
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Mother’s Day – Honor Women
No other person deserves honor, appreciation and high esteem as does a mother . She continually gives, cares, sacrifices with little thought of anything in return. Why? Because she loves her children and many others!
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Not Ashamed
Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. In recent years race relations have become a daily news event. Some believe the USA is at an all-time low in race relations. For some, this is a true statement.
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Thank God for George Washington
“Soldiers keep by your officers, for God’s sake keep by your officers!” spoke Washington in a deep and soulful voice. It was 21 degrees on December 24-25, 1775. Washington’s army was in shambles, experiencing defeat after defeat.
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Pearl Harbor Lessons
History is a valuable teacher when and if we choose to learn from it. Twenty two days old Susie King’s father, Walter Willis King, went to war. Four years later Walt returned home alive but very ill.
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Decision Time – Three Choices
YES, NO, OR THINK ABOUT IT! Thomas Kelly, while a student at Haverford and Harvard in the early 1900s, made a yes decision.
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Game Changer –
One who turns the course of a life, event, or history. In sports, Curry, Brady, Felix, Bird, Mantle, MJ, Ruth and Magic qualify as game changers. In history, Churchill looms large as a game changer.
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Superheroes – Every Day Heroes
If you don’t take time to watch/listen to Charlie’s story this is a missed opportunity! Everybody needs an everyday hero . No one needs a superstar hero.
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Every Day Heroes
“Superstar heroes don’t love you enough to be with you in tough times.” Today I lift up one of my most loved everyday heroes.
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Brave New World
There is a new world out there for you. It is a world of possibilities. Joy beyond belief and opportunity with no ceiling waits for all. Wallace Ungwiluk has come to brave a new world.
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You, Too, Must Keep Watch
I love the movie, PATTON. Facing the remarkable German tank commander, Rommel in Africa, General George S Patton exclaimed after crushing the Nazi’s, “I read your book, Rommel”. Patton was a fabulous leader.
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The Bad Ol’ Days
Newsflash, history repeats itself. In my lifetime I’ve never seen the world in such terrible shape as it is today. I fear for our future.
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Brand Spanking New
Never used before, smells new, clean as a whistle, fresh, one of a kind, made just for you… no wonder people like brand spanking new .
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Meet Lazaros
There was Aristotle, Socrates, and then there is Lazaros; all famous in their own right in the nation of Greece.
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Anthropoid
A rich lesson in courage and commitment. ANTHROPOID is a WWII historical movie about Czech resistant fighters. Courage and commitment make this a spellbinding movie.
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Dream Come True
Key statement: The martyred missionary, Jim Elliot, has often been quoted with this amazing statement. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” True story: Fairbanks Alaska 1966.
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Look at Me, Boys!
Key Statement: You listen with your eyes. What you don’t see is often more important than what you can see. True Story: 10:30 PM, dark, bitter cold, winter night. Anacortes, Washington.
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Motivation Is an Engine
Fuel is the energy source of every motivation. Metaphorically motivation is an engine. No fuel no motivation.
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Guardian Angel-saints Doing His Bidding
Angel of God my guardian dear to whom God’s love commits me here To light to guard To rule, to guide Every person, every home, and every community needs guardian angels and saints doing his bidding.
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Meet a Modern Day Angel
You His mighty angels doing His bidding. – Psalm 103 Today Jan Foland emailed her drawing of her vision of a sacred place.
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See, I Told You I Loved You
37 years ago I discovered for the first time God loved Fred Crowell. February 3 1979, was a great day for Susie and Fred Crowell. The Bulldogs of Samford University got a win on the basketball court.
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Fire in the Belly
Never quit. Never, never quit! A sellout crowd came to Indy to watch Kobe Bryant play his last game against the Pacers in the city famous for the Indy 500. Kobe was having a terrible night.
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The Honor Principle
To experience the privilege of being honored it is best to first honor others. Today it is a privilege to honor Walter Willis King. Walt is Susie’s dad.
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Love People More Than Things
If we love people more than things we will use things to help people If we love things more than people we will use people to get things. Today I shift the focus from Matthew to Paul.
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Stories – Three Principles
The Pain Principle. The David Principle. The Mephibosheth Principle. The Biblical story of two men, David and Mephibosheth, which depicts the pain principle so well; can be found in both Hollywood and life stories.
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The Charlene Lopez Story
How one woman changes lives through hard work and loving people! Char is a legend in Dillingham, a beautiful, one hour Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage. The 2,500 population swells to 10,000 during the summer fishing season.
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Freedom Is Priceless
Today on the Freedom Trail a guide told the history of stories of New Englanders who gave ALL their financial resources to win FREEDOM from the English King.
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Words You Don’t Want to Hear; You’re Fired!
March Madness is not only about the NCAA Basketball Tournament. It is also about the madness in firing of coaches!
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Red Skies in the Morning
“The art of changing foul days to blue sky days” MATTHEW 17 500 years ago a young Spanish soldier led his troops to battle against France. A cannon ball ripped between his legs, one being severely injured.
