After a tough and emotional year, Phil Mickelson celebrates his Masters win at Augusta today with his wife, Amy and his three kids. About a year ago, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. If that wasn’t hard enough, his mom, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer during the week of his wife’s first surgery. Mickelson throughout this time understandably struggled to find his game. However, he came into Augusta confident that he had a chance to win his third green jacket. He was solid the first three days and flawless on the last day which led him to a victory that he and everyone will never forget.

He said, at the end, with his voice breaking…“We’ve been through a lot this year and it means a lot to share some joy together. She’s an incredible wife, an incredible mother, and she’s been an inspiration to me, going through what’s she’s been through”.

Phil, this win makes you an inspiration to many. Not just because of your phenomenal playing this weekend, but because of the perseverance you had this entire year. Congratulations on your victory! You deserve it.

This weekend I got a chance to go to Fresh 2009!  It was awesome seeing people coming to know God during this event.  The music was awesome!  The whole was about “crazy love” a message Francis Chan speaks about a crazy love we should have for God.  An introduction to his book is below.

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of The Tenderness Tour and is currently taking place now until October 17.

Richard Propes will travel, most likely for the last time, by wheelchair across the state of Indiana to raise support to end child abuse.

I don’t know a lot about the issue of child abuse, but I know it is something that plagues are society today.  What Richard is doing is amazing because he is doing what he can to solve this problem.  I really wish I was in the area to witness and hear what this guy has to say.

I wish Richard the best of luck and his tour! God Bless

If you really know a lot about this issue and feel moved by what Richard is doing, you can help the cause by donating at his website: Tendernesstour

About two months ago I found out Charity Water and wrote this post “Any September Birthday’s out there?”

Charity Water is about a man named Scott Harrison who wanted to do more for his 32 birthday than just recieve gifts. So instead, he asked everyone instead for $32 to help bring fresh water to Kenya. One year later, Charity Water is encouraging all September born people to instead of recieving gifts for themselves, to encourage their friends to give $33 to support this cause. As soon as I heard this, I was convicted and stressed. I’ve always recieved gifts for my birthday and it was hard for me to imagine not getting anything.

Tomorrow I will be turning 21, and I’m asking anyone who wants to give me a gift to instead give $21 to Charity Water. My goal is $210, so only 10 people.

DONATE HERE

$20 means one person can get clean water for 20 years.

$250 means two families of six can get clean water.

$5,000 means clean water for a community of 250.

After five months from open heart surgery, Aaron Boone of the Houston Astros is back on the field playing baseball.

Open heart surgery isn’t a typical surgery and certainly isn’t one that most people recover from quickly. However, Aaron finished all his rehabiliation and is now back on the field helping his team. When I heard this story, what amazed me the most was how he dealt with the situation; he didn’t complain. He underwent surgery not knowing whether he would be able to play again, but that didn’t matter. His purpose, goal, focus was to be in the best shape possible should he have the opportunity to play again and “if it didn’t allow me to get back, that would have been OK…from a time standpoint, it happened to work out, and here I am.” I’m glad that he’s back and I wish him the best of luck for the remainder of the season.

I’m also happy to note that Aaron is an alumnus of USC. It makes me proud to hear of a fellow alumnus who exemplifies what it means to be a Trojan.

Fight On Aaron

Arms get healed, back gets straigned, legs grow out!

This video comes in 4 parts, but I love the 2nd part the best.

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4

“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’  LUKE 10:9

I had another blog before with a bunch of friends, but the blog kind of died. While I was reading it over again, I found some interesting posts that I posted. Some of them I don’t even remember posting, especially this one, the one that stook out to me the most. This is a story I heard in church more than a year ago:

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.
“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?
“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.
“If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.”
“Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?”

The father was furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money.

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep son?” he asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that $10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.
“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.
“Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

—–

Earlier this year I read a book called Purpose Driven Life that also had some great wise quotes about time and love.

“Relationships, not achievements or acquisitions of things are what matters most in life.”

“When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift anyone can give someone is your time.”

“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.”

It was great!! We spread the word about The Legacy Movement, listened to some good music, cruised with friends, and helped the Hawaii Food Bank! Thanks to everyone that came out and helped/ volunteered!

Also, huge props to Dylan, James, Landon, Monica, & Aaron for putting this on! You guys did fantastic. Just goes to show that anyone can do anything. A legacy isn’t a matter of birth nor unmerited luck, just effort. If you’re interested in doing a collaborative event like Go Green Generation did contact us! We’re always open to new ideas!

And here are some pics from the event :]

My thoughts:

I came across this book the other day, and it is one my top books to read. I believe that in whatever you do, whether it’s business or just leading a group, it is imperative to leave a Legacy. I think Rick Warren says it the best, “Relationships, not achievements or the acquisitions of things are what matters most in life.” Love, and the relationships you have with other people, leave a Legacy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Part of the Ken Blanchard series of business books, which aims to show how “Simple Truths Uplift the Value of People in Organizations,” this sentimental volume ascribes to the Nice Guy theory of management: i.e., treat people well and business will take care of itself. Brooks, Stark and Caverhill pass along their ideas in story form. An arrogant, young CEO named Doug is placed on a six-month apprenticeship program to determine whether he can develop the qualities necessary to lead the Mooseland Stoneware company. Doug begins the story as a no-nonsense, bottom-line type of manager, uninterested in the touchy-feely aspects of nurturing workers. However, mentored by a plant-shop owner named Adoi, Doug learns timeless truths of business leadership: “Dare to be person, not a position”; “Dare to connect with people”; and “Dare to drive the dream.” At the end of his training, not only has Doug won the CEO’s job at Mooseland, he has also learned to care for a small fern. It’s a comforting tale, but the authors’ warm and fuzzy management ethos seems quite opposed to that of successful real-life CEOs like Jack Welch, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. None of these would appear to follow the leadership maxims in this book: “Keep your ego in check”; “Respond to the perspectives of others with empathy”; “Genuinely have fun.” Certainly the authors’ advice could still apply usefully to small businesses, where executives and employees have more day to day contact. But, for better or worse, the principles they describe here are not the ones that guide the leaders of most large companies.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anyone who inspires change in the lives of others is engaged in an act of leadership. “Leadership legacy” is the sum total of the difference one makes in those lives, directly or indirectly, formally or informally. The newest title in the Ken Blanchard Series: Simple Truths Uplifting the Value of People in Organizations, this book shows how to ensure that the legacy is positive and transforming.As the book explains, a positive legacy doesn’t just happen. The authors lay out a blueprint for success in this often daunting area in seven chapters: The Reading of the Will, Every Journey Begins with One Step, The Fern Is as Good as Dead, The CEO, Back to School, Eagle Junction, and Mooseland Stoneware. The book uses a gardening metaphor, with master gardeners mentoring the reader until they gain the courage it takes to forge a meaningful legacy. The basic principles, supported by years of study and research, include living by certain values and living authentically, which are more inspirational than one’s strength of position; fostering emotional connections and trust with the people one works with; and turning a company’s dreams and goals into a future that people will want to live in.

Dick and Rick Hoyt

Dick and Rick Hoyt are Father and son runners for many triathlons, running a combination of of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America. Remarkably, Rick, Dick’s son is in a vegetable state–he can’t walk or talk.  In fact, he uses a computer to communicate to his father.  Yet despite this, for more than 25 years, both Rick and his father have participated in many marathons and triathlons.  When his father runs, Rick is being pushed by a wheelchair.  When Dick is cycling, Rick is in a seat-pod, which is attached to the bike.  And when Dick is swimming, Rick is being pulled in boat.  Dick never thought it would be possible to run, bike, or swim with his son, until one day Rick typed to his father, ”Dad, I want To do that.” Although Dick thought it was impossible, he still did it.  That day changed Rick’s life when he typed, ”Dad, when we were running, It felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

One of my favorite authors and speakers, Kris Vallaton, says that, “Love germinates in the soil of sacrifice, sprouts in the garden of surrender, and matures in the matrimony of servant hood. Love isn’t love unless it cost you something to give it away.”  What really stood out to my about this story was the amount of sacrifice Rick’s father had to go through to do this for his son.  After running with his son for the first time, Dick was sore for about 2 weeks! “Anyone can give something expensive, but only those who understand sacrifice can give something valuable.”

Dick Hoyt is an inspiration to me, and I hope one day, when I have a son, that I can share the same pure unconditional love to him.