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Showing posts from August, 2013

Suckered

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My gut told me that the gentleman who interrupted my walk to the car was going to be trouble. It's hard to tell how old he was. He looked worn from what I presumed to be a difficult life. A couple of teeth were MIA from his mouth. He wore baggy black sweat pants with the legs raggedly cut off about six inches above his holey tennis shoes. A much-too-big Liberty University red t-shirt topped the pants while one of those flimsy sackpacks draped across his back. It was hardly the image of a successful entrepreneur. "Hey," he called to me. "Can I talk to ya for a minute? I gotta ax you sumpin." Oh, boy. I started getting very uncomfortable but turned to watch him weave through the cars to come closer. "My car be stuck in dat park'n lot down der. Can you gimme a couple dollas so I can take da bus back home. Ya, know, off Timberlake Road." "Your car is stuck?" "Yeh. Down der. Da alternator, it be bad." "How much do yo

The Robertsons: Anything but quacks

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I don't have cable TV. We live out in the country where there is no service. I don't have satellite either. Too expensive. Too slow. But I surely do not live in a social vacuum. I know the Robertson family is the cast of A&E's smash hit, Duck Dynasty . I also know they are an international sensation. http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/kygl.com/files/2013/03/robertson-family-630x409.jpg The family's business of making duck hunting calls reaches back to the early 1970's. But from carving those calls out of Louisiana cedar, the company has come a long way. Now, they own the market with not only their calls but their brand. So, what's their brand? Well, it has something to do with faith, family , and down-home, honest living. There are no pretenses. What you see is what you get. Long beards, unfamiliar names like Si, Jase, and Jep, loyal wives, lots of fun, and plenty of country cooking. It's nice to think that the bazillions of Duck followers

Identify the caterpillars

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Isn't it funny, perhaps even odd, where we find inspiration? I found it earlier tonight on Twitter, which in turn caused the gears in my head to spin at mach one speeds. Hence, I sit at my desk as others in my house peacefully (I presume) slumber, desperately trying to control the thoughts wildly whizzing through the axons and dendrites in my brain. It all began while I was doing my due diligence in connecting with coaches who might be interested in my latest book ( "Best Season Yet: 12 Weeks to Train" ). I read through endless bylines of fellow Twitterers and Twitterettes. And then I saw it. The words stopped me dead in my tracks. I'm not talking still sauntering, floundering, or even wiggling on the ground. I mean motionless. Dead. Done for. Slapped-up-side-of-the-head stunned. A football coach from Mesquite, TX, Daniel Penrod, had tweeted these words. "Identify the caterpillars. Most have no idea they'll one day fly. Tell them, help them, guide them.&

LCA XC goes into the wild

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What was I thinking? It began as a simple idea: take a bunch of teenagers camping and running in the mountains. But most things that seem simple are about as easy as getting a put-it-together-yourself floor lamp back into the complex maze of cardboard and Styrofoam. Something normally gets broken or left out, neither of which would be a good thing as far as this little adventure goes. It would be extremely bad form to lose, break, or render useless any member of the team. But the kids (defined heretofore as the Liberty Christian Academy cross country team) showed enough interest that left me with no recourse but to plan, prepare, and pray for the best. So it was set. August 5 and 6. When it was all said and done, nineteen kids signed on the dotted line. A few of my  runners didn't take the bait; didn't drink the Kool-Aid of how fun it would be to run about seventeen miles and summit three mountain tops all in a matter of one afternoon, evening, and then next morning. Thei

Summer book sale

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What a great time to grab a few more books to round out your summer reading. There are price reductions, bundles, and plenty to keep flipping those pages. And, as always, free shipping! Please visit the STORE tab to order directly from the author. Your book will be autographed and include a custom bookmark.