Freedom is Very Costly

(Piedmont OK) The mayor of this quaint town on the outskirts of Oklahoma City said it well tonight when he told me, “this is a proud day for Piedmont.”

It was also a proud day for me.

We were both proud because the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall arrived here today. To witness the thousand or so Vietnam Veterans arriving on their motorcycles into this flag-decorated town with cheering crowds lining both sides of the road is an experience one won’t easily forget. They were escorting the truck carrying the three-quarter-replica of the Washington DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial that will be on display here throughout the July 4th weekend.


The mayor is proud because 50,000 or so people could visit the wall at the high school football field in his town this weekend and see Piedmont in its best light honoring the heroes of the Vietnam War. I am proud because I am employed by Dignity Memorial who owns the wall and makes it all possible.

The wall which is dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War and honors all U.S. servicemen and women has been displayed in over 200 cities. In the last almost 20 years millions of people have experienced the healing power of the memorial.

I spent some time talking to a Viet Nam veteran and his wife who were part of the group who escorted the wall into town tonight.


Gordon Kiselburgh spent three years from 1968 to 1970 in Viet Nam with the 1st Group 5th Special Forces of the US Army. He was a gunner …or maybe better described as a sniper. Thirteen of his comrades’ names are on that wall. He was one of only three people in his group who made it back alive.

Gordon told me he has been to the wall two times. As he begin to weep, he said his legs turned to jelly during both visits. He watched nine of his friends die in Vietnam – some of whom he couldn’t even stop to pick up. He escorted two of his fallen friends back to the United States.

He says he is here for one reason and that is to honor and give proper respect to the people who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Regretfully, proper respect has been a long time coming for our Vietnam Veterans.

Gordon told me when he was returning from Viet Nam in 1970 and when he walked in LAX airport a protester who happened to be a Hare Krishna spit on him as he walked by. Gordon didn’t appreciate the gesture and took one strong swing at him and broke the man’s jaw.

Welcome home.

As I was talking to Gordon another Vietnam veteran by the name of Larry Inman joined in the conversation. Larry explained to me he was at Kent State during the riots in the late sixties. A protesting punk college student urinated on his leg during the riot because he protested the war. Larry did not retaliate because he was under orders from his commanding officer not to budge.


The fact is there are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Wall representing 58,000 mother’s children who were either killed or are still missing in Vietnam.

They are true American heroes.

And they sacrificed their lives so that you and I can celebrate our freedom this weekend.

I was reminded tonight that freedom is very costly.

Have a safe 4th of July weekend.

My Goodness He Lied to Her

When Randy and Jane Toms were expecting their second child, they were quite sure it would be another boy. Of course, they would have been fine with that. But Randy now admits deep in his heart he longed for a little girl.

On March 29, 1987 his dream came true. And from the moment she was born she had his heart.

He says as she was growing up he always told her she was an ugly child. His reasoning was simple. He didn’t want her to believe some snotty nosed boy when he told her she was pretty.

I think you can see from the pictures posted here, Randy lied to his daughter.

When we moved to Warner Robins a little over six years ago, Randy became our Sunday school teacher. A lieutenant with the Warner Robins Fire Department and an ordained minister, Randy was not your typical Sunday school teacher. As you can surmise from the “ugly” story, Randy has a great sense of humor.

Right up my alley.


Randy also has a drop dead gorgeous wife. I happened to notice that during my first visit to his class. I think it’s wrong for an ordained Sunday school teacher to have a wife that looks that good but this one does.

And drop dead gorgeous mothers tend to produce drop dead gorgeous daughters.

I can tell you this daughter never looked more gorgeous than she did today.

Randy not only gave his daughter away today but he also performed the wedding ceremony. I seriously did not think he would make it through it. In front of God and a throng of witnesses, he had to confess to his daughter he had lied to her all those years about her being ugly. You can watch that confession by clicking here.

And on the video below, you can watch Justin and Callie Beatty’s first dance as a married couple. They will make you smile. And you will also see a proud daddy dancing with his beautiful just married daughter.

My goodness he lied to her.

First Dance - Justin and Callie from Bruce Goddard on Vimeo.

No Dancing on the Golf Course

I have written about the Chicken George Golf Tournament before here. But the video below is too good NOT to share with all my friends in blog land.

The Annual Chicken George Golf Tournament was started by my brother, Chicken George Goddard. His excuse for starting the tournament in the late seventies was to bring our University of Georgia fraternity brothers together once a year. George and I were in the same fraternity so I also was friends with all the Lambda Chi’s who gathered in Reynolds one weekend a year.

Each year the tournament grew and others not related to the fraternity joined the fun.

People from many different states came to Reynolds to play the little 9-hole golf course. The two day tournament would have three shotgun starts each day at its height and there would be two sixsomes on each tee when each round was played.

That equates to 108 golfers on the nine hole course each round.

I don’t think there has ever been in the history of golf that many golfers on a 9 hole golf course. It was incredible and we were fortunate nobody got killed by a stray golf ball.

Interestingly, some of the golfers were serious and accomplished golfers. Others just came to play for the fun.

I’ve played in many golf tournaments in my life and there has never been one any more fun than the Chicken George Golf tournament.

For you folks with Reynolds Ga connections, you will see Buster Byrd and Tommy Neely in the video below at their best. And if you keep watching you will be able to study the golf swing of the one and only Dealer Downs Scott.

The video below was filmed in 1985. I was the camera man and the commentator. The golfers in the dancing scene are made up of friends from college and a couple of famous local guys mentioned above. The dancing took place right in the middle of the tournament while golfers in the fairway behind them were waiting to hit.

This was golf in its purest form.

And there was only one rule.

No dancing on the golf course.

The Message of Easter - We Win!

This Sunday morning churches all over will be packed. The old saying, “You don’t build a church for Easter Sunday” is really true. This is the day you get out the folding chairs and people park on the grass.

Little girls will be wearing their Easter dresses and little boys will be wearing their brand spanking new shoes. Where they still dress up to go to church, this is the day they wear their best suit. For those who normally dress more casual on Sundays, they will wear the nicer shirt….or blouse.

Easter is a special day.

If you are in the Christian church business, business doesn’t get any better than Easter Sunday.

This is the day we as Christians celebrate the basis of our faith – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe just as He was raised from the dead, we will one day be raised with him and live eternally with him.

I think my understanding of the Easter story was taken to a new level in the 1990’s when I was a part of a passion play put on every Easter by the First Baptist Church of Butler, Ga. Our church was small by most standards but this was a large production. The last days of Jesus were depicted in colorful drama, as was His excruciating death and His exhilarating resurrection.

Most everybody in the church had a part in the play in one way or another that was held each year in the high school auditorium. I played the role as John and narrated the play. It was my job to introduce each scene from the perspective of Jesus’ best friend. I memorized a ton of lines but in the process I began to see the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in a different light.

It was life changing for me.

Our production, by the way, did not end with the resurrection as many Passion play’s do. Our play ended with Jesus on His throne in heaven. And each and every production, the play ended with everyone in the audience on their feet.

As the last scene (shown below) of that Easter play depicts, the message of Easter for Christians is simple.

No matter what we are going through or what we are facing or what keeps us up at night - we know the end of the story. We've read the end of the Book.

In fact, I’ve memorized the end of the book.

We win!

Happy Easter.

Scenes from Augusta

I spent the day Wednesday with some old friends at an old golf course. I’m not sure if there is a better place on earth to spend a day with old friends than at Augusta National Golf Club. (L-R me, Jimmy Childre, Jr, Lisa Parker, Howard Catron)



I have had the privilege to attend a lot of Masters over the past 40 something years and I have a ton of mental images of my visits. But I have never recorded any of those images because I have never roamed those hallowed grounds with a camera.

Until yesterday.

In case you don’t know, a camera is not allowed on the course during the actual golf tournament. But since I was attending on a practice day, I took a few pictures. To be exact, I took 157 pictures.

I will share only a few of them with you.

This is the famous scoreboard down the hill from #1 tee. I cannot even remember how many times I’ve walked on this course with others and said, “Meet me at the big scoreboard at 6PM.”



I don’t know who these two guys are but it is easy to see they are very serious about being dressed for the occasion.



This is Jim Furyk’s wife, Tabitha, with their two children. I don’t know which is more fun – watching the golfers or watching the golfer’s wives. These guys have great looking ladies. But more importantly, it was obvious these two kids are just as famous to their dad and he is to the rest of us.



These three guys were playing together during the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday. They are not getting any younger and I don’t know if I will ever have the opportunity to see Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player playing golf together again. I’m having some of these pictures framed. By the way, these three guys, known as golf’s Big Three, have won 159 PGA tour victories and 34 Majors between them. Not too shabby.





On second thought and if you are interested, you can view all 159 of my scenes from Augusta by clicking here. Hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I did taking them.

Their Own Little World

This Saturday night is a huge night on the Luke and Drew Calendar. In fact, it is the night in which a lot of us have all been waiting for quite some time.

It’s not the biggest night mind you. The biggest night will take place in a few months on September 19, when these two love birds become man and wife. That will be really big.

But this Saturday is huge nonetheless.

Saturday night will be the coming out party for Luke and Drew, the musical duo. They will be releasing their sensational all original CD entitled, “Our Own Little World.”

I don’t know exactly what will take place Saturday night but I can pretty much promise you it will be an entertaining evening. Luke and Drew spent last weekend in Greenwood SC with their record label getting ready for the release party.

Luke and Drew will be performing several songs off their CD. A few of Luke’s characters many of you have come to know and appreciate will also make appearances. I can tell you Tyler Perry hasn’t got one thing on Luke.

Record label, Homemade Genius, will be on hand to introduce Luke and Drew and their marketing plans. Also, a well known band, Standing Small, will be on hand and will perform a full acoustic set from their upcoming album.


In addition to “Our Own Little World,” Luke and Drew will also be offering limited edition “Luke and Drew Owl and Tree Limb” tee shirts for sale as well as Luke and Drew button-pin sets.

If you are within driving distance of Warner Robins GA, it will be worth your effort to show up for this one. You will enjoy great music and more than a few laughs.

And you will not only have the opportunity to be a part of Luke and Drew's own little world, but you may just have the opportunity to be an eye witness to the beginning of something that could be really big.

Saturday March 14
7PM
Christian Hope Church
(former Flint Energies building)
1600 Elberta Rd.
Warner Robins, GA

Be sure to check them out at lukeanddrew.com

They Chose Him

(Warner Robins, GA) This in an incredible video taken from a security camera inside a local Waffle House I have eaten in numerous times. It's taken at about 2AM a few nights ago.

You hear the waitress desperately calling for help as the fight breaks out.

In the unruly crowd you will see a large man wearing dark clothes with a black stocking cap. He is 6”2” and weighs about 350. His blood alcohol was .48 which happens to be six times the legal driving limit.

By the way, they checked his blood alcohol during the autopsy a few hours after the fight. You will hear the gunshots in the background.

The shots came from two policemen who had arrived on the scene in the parking lot. They were forced to make a quick judgment.

Them or him.

They chose him.

Can't say that I blame them either.

Watch video.

When All We Needed Was Love

I gave my wife a pre-birthday gift this week. Her birthday is this Tuesday, January 27 in case you want to send her a card. If you want to send cash, you can send to me and I will try to get it to her.

Anyway.

The gift was four tickets to the Thursday night performance of Rain – A Tribute to the Beatles that was in town for two nights this week at the Grand Opera House.

I called my lifelong friend and Beatles fan Jimmy Childre, Jr and invited him and Lisa to join us. I really didn’t have to talk him into it either.

We had a blast.

This group sounded and looked exactly like the Beatles. They took us through all the stages of Beatles music, beginning at the Ed Sullivan show to Sgt. Peppers to Magical Mystery Tour to Abbey Road to the White Album and all the places in between. They changed costumes several times. The event was sold out and the crowd was rocking.

I’ll have to admit I spent as much time watching the “old” folks (of which I am a member) dance and sway to the music, with hands waving in the air as I did watching the Beatles tribute. One of the highlights was when Rain started playing Twist and Shout.

I can tell you everybody in the place was twisting and shouting and shakin’ it up baby.

Not bad entertainment for a group of people in attendance whose financial portfolio is probably worth about half of what it was 6 months ago and who are most likely worried about their future.

Beatles music definitely has a way of making 50 something and older folks go back in time when all we needed was love.

I just hope these folks were able to get out of the bed the next day so they could get back to worrying about the economy.

From Our House to Yours

From our house to your house, here's hoping you have a wonderful Christmas. I hope you are fortunate enough to be surrounded by your family where the room is filled with laughter and good cheer.

Remember those who are not so fortunate. Some have lost a loved one or lost their job or are separated by miles from those they love the most. This time of year can be more painful than any other time of the year.

I also hope you remember the reason for the season, which is the hope of life.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Incredible News

As the right reverend Jerry Walls said this morning, there is more bad news every time you turn on the television or pick up a newspaper these days. The housing market is slumping, consumer confidence is probably lower than it has been since the great depression, people are losing their jobs, investing in the stock market is comparable to being at the roulette table in Vegas and the big three automakers are on the verge of going under. And I could go on and on.

I have to say it was very refreshing for me to hear some good news this morning. Actually this was The Good News and it was delivered as beautifully and as electrifying as it can be delivered in the form of a Christmas musical at Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robins GA.


The choir and orchestra, lead by an incredibly gifted couple - Mark and Amber Balltzglier, looked to me to be about 100 strong. Mark and his now very pregnant Amber took over the reins of leading worship at Southside earlier in the year and you will have a difficult time finding anybody, anywhere doing what they do better. I have been to four Broadway plays this year and this production would not have to take a back seat to any of them. And the story line was far and away better. I guess you would have had to be there to understand. Some of you reading this were there I suppose. There were three performances and I would guess several thousand were in attendance.

More importantly, we all were reminded that there really is a reason for the season. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end….” (Isaiah 9).

No matter how bad the other news gets, this is really good news. Actually it is incredible news. And this news gives us reason to celebrate right in the face of the bad news we hear every day and the difficulties we may face.

Thanks to Mark and Amber and their incredible choir and orchestra, I have officially begun to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

Here’s hoping you all join me.

He Missed It All

It was party time at our house on Saturday with two wedding parties for two separate brides. I think my wife may have lost her mind.

The first party began at 11AM and included a house full of ladies. I was conspicuously absent. I got out of Dodge before the crowd gathered. My son and daughter in law joined me for a late leisurely breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel while the wild women were partying. The party was given in honor of our friend Jordie who will be getting married next June to her man Logan. Jordie’s mom and my wife teach together and several of the ladies from school hosted the party. My wife gladly provided the house.


I actually got back as the crowd was getting ready to leave and I got to help load some of the gifts in their car. More importantly, I got to hug the soon to be bride. Jordie is a gorgeous sweetheart and I have a strong feeling Logan may as well have won the lottery when he won this gal’s heart.

Interestingly, almost before Jordie and her entourage got out of the front door, the next hosts were coming in the back door with more food, table cloths and decorations for the next party. This affair would be a couple’s shower for my son and his bride to be. It was hosted by a couple of our nieces and our daughters in law. Family and friends from both sides of the families came from far and wide to attend this affair. Incredibly I would miss this party too.


Unbeknownst to my wife, I had a speaking engagement at the Officer’s Club at Robins AFB on Saturday night and it had been on my calendar for several months. It was impossible for me even to think about getting out of that engagement. I did get to greet about half the 40 or so people as they came in and I was hoping I would get back before the crowd left.

I didn’t.


Luke and Drew are planning on getting married on September 19th next year. There will be no speaking engagements that day for me. I promise to make that party.

And I will be at Jordie’s wedding on June 13 as well.

As always, my gentle bride took it all in stride and she had a wonderful day with a house full of friends and family.

But her husband missed it all.

Goddard Brothers Coming to a Town Near You

He was on the stage a long time before me. I remember my brother George, who is two years older than me, having a lead part in a high school musical. He was also a member of the school quartet and I think he may have been the soloist as well one year.

During the garage band days of the sixties when most of us could play only a few chords, he became a much more accomplished guitar player. And 40 something years later, he still plays the guitar.

During his college years in the early 70’s, he and his friend Big Denny entertained drunken crowds many a night at the Lambda Chi House after a fraternity band party. Big Denny and Chicken George picked and sang crazy songs such as “Contraceptive Blues” and “Running Bare.” The crowds laughed at their jokes and knew all the words to their crazy songs. And they sang along with them.

After college Big Denny and Chicken George both got married. Neither stayed married very long the first time around. After their divorces they moved in together for a while and wrote some crazy songs about their failed marriages. They even produced a somewhat famous (or infamous) album called, “Big Denny and Chicken George Live in Woodstock with Moo Love.” New songs such as “Slow Drip Coffeemaker” and “Four Lane Road” made their debut on this album. The message of “Slow Drip Coffeemaker” is about a man who just got divorced and his ex wife took almost everything. The lyrics speak of nothing left but “me and my house and my slow drip coffeemaker.”

I have that CD on my Ipod even today. And I still listen to it and smile every time I hear it.

I stopped by my brother’s house one night a few weeks ago when I was driving through Atlanta. He showed me his new guitar and he picked it up and starting playing and singing a song I haven’t heard called, “Puttin’ on the Dog.” I laughed out loud as I heard the lyrics about a man whose wife wanted a fur coat but he couldn’t afford to buy her one. He accidentally ran over a large dog one night. He took it home, skinned it and made a coat out of it. Now his wife goes out at night “putting on the dog” wearing her new coat.

And then he told a few one liners and moved right into a new rendition of “Slow Drip Coffeemaker.”

The short of the story, after a short discussion between two brothers, Chicken George is about to go on the road – for pay. He has entertained folks for years, including events for the employees of the pharmaceutical company where he is employed – so he needs no practice. Recently he entered a talent show just for the heck of it in a town in north Georgia. Not surprising to me, he tied for first place.

Because of my day job, there are many events for which I get asked to speak that I have to turn down. Why not send my brother??!! In fact, we already have him booked in a south Georgia town in a few days at the same time I will be entertaining in another town.

I wouldn’t be surprised if one day soon we will do a show together. I could see how I could use a few funny songs to go along with my funny stories.

There were the Ringling Brothers, the Righteous Brothers, the Smothers Brothers and now there is a group called the Jonas Brothers.

Maybe you should be looking for the Goddard Brothers coming soon to a town near yo

Preview

These pictures, taken Saturday afternoon, are too good not to share with you folks in blog land. I know I’m biased but this is one very cute little girl.

The grandmother ain’t too shabby either.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I’m beginning to think of some of the things for which I’m truly thankful. I'm sure I will post a list here soon. In the meantime, here is a preview of a couple of people who will be at the top of my list.

UGA VI

Since I bleed Red & Black, I just could not let this week go by without paying respect to UGA VI. If you are a college football fan you have to stop and honor this dawg. If you are a card carrying citizen of the Bulldog Nation, you have a lump in your throat.

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ATHENS — The following is a statement issued by the University of Georgia on the death of its mascot, Uga VI:
Uga VI, the winningest mascot in the University of Georgia's history, died on Friday evening(June 27) from congestive heart failure in his hometown of Savannah, Ga., owner Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler announced.

"He was a good one," Seiler said. "What can I say? He had a marvelous record. He was a very strong and healthy dog. He was the biggest of all the dogs, and he had the biggest heart. It just played out."

Seiler noticed Uga VI was breathing heavily shortly after arriving home from work on Friday evening. He was taken to Dr. Stanley Lester, the family's veterinarian, who consulted with Dr. Bruce Hollett at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine before Uga VI passed away.

"I noticed he had a little congestion in his throat, which usually is not cause for alarm," Seiler said. "I gave him a bath, which he always loved, to cool him off. After that, I called Dr. Lester, whose office is about a four-minute drive from our house. His heart just played out. He suffered no pain and died peacefully."

A successor to Uga VI will be announced by the Seilers and the Athletic Association at a later date; however, the Seilers stated that the lineage is secure.
Uga VI, who would have turned 10 on July 22, will be buried in a marble vault in the Southwest corner of Sanford Stadium with his predecessors. The private ceremonies are expected to be held early next week.

"This is a very sad day for the entire Bulldog Nation," Director of Athletics Damon Evans said. "Uga has always been such a strong figure associated the University of Georgia nationwide. Uga VI was a damn good mascot and a damn good dog. He was an outstanding representative of our fine institution. While this is a sad day for all Bulldog fans, our condolences especially go out to the Seiler family."

"UGA VI served with extraordinary courage and heart as a beloved University of Georgia mascot," University of Georgia President Dr. Michael F. Adams said. "He was a true symbol of the toughness and competitiveness of our athletic teams, and was a rallying figure for the entire Bulldog Nation. We extend sympathy to the Seilers for the loss of a dear family pet and a great campus mascot who will be missed and remembered by UGA alumni and friends everywhere."

The Georgia football teams compiled an 87-27 record during Uga VI's tenure, which officially began in 1999 with pre-game ceremonies prior to the South Carolina game in Athens. The Bulldogs captured both the 2002 and 2005 SEC Championships and won six of eight bowl games over that span. Uga VI's record surpassed the mark of 77-24-4 of Uga IV.

All of Georgia's athletic teams enjoyed remarkable success during Uga VI?s reign. All told, 19 of Georgia's 35 national championships have been secured under Uga VI. Bulldog athletic teams also have won 35 SEC Championships. In addition, Georgia has recorded six top-10 finishes in the Director?s Cup, the annual all-sports competition ranking the nations top athletic programs.

Uga VI also was featured in countless national publications and television shows. Most recently, a documentary on the Uga lineage was produced for CSS TV by Jeff Eldridge.

Uga VI, who was only one year old at the time of his coronation, was the biggest of all the mascots weighing in at 65 pounds – more than 20 pounds heavier than his father – and like his forefathers was a solid white English bulldog. His registered name was "Uga V's Whatchagot Loran?" – a reference to the famous question of Georgia radio play-by-play announcer Larry Munson when communicating with sideline reporter Loran Smith.

Among Friends

I was among friends last night. I knew several of the folks in the audience personally but most are my friends because we are all in the same profession. I was the banquet speaker at the Mississippi Funeral Directors Association annual convention in Tunica MS.

And when an undertaker gets to stand at the podium to entertain a bunch of undertakers, you have the makings of a good time.

You certainly don’t have to be an undertaker to get the drift of my view from a hearse, but these guys really do view life from a hearse every day of their lives. And they have stories of their own. And it’s a little more than a little neat to see a room full of people who deal with grief and heartache on a daily basis get together and laugh. And laugh they did.

As I was sitting at the head table during the festivities of the banquet, the incoming President of their association and I struck up a conversation. I quickly found out that we have something else in common.

Not only are we both undertakers but I was shocked to learn that we both sleep with the same dog.

In case you are getting the wrong impression, the dogs we sleep with are miniature Schnauzers. I’m not sure if any of you out there sleep with a dog but I confess that my wife and I have been doing it for about 3 years. And it was a little comforting to know that the President and the very lovely first lady of the Mississippi Funeral Directors Association sleep with their Schnauzer.

Like I said, I was among friends last night. And it sure was comforting.

You Are Excused

The Gross National Product dropped today. I am quite confident that production in the business world bottomed out on this Monday afternoon. As I wrote yesterday many people called in sick today. And a lot of the folks who made it to the office didn’t do a whole lot – at least in the afternoon (AP Photograph).

But I think the game of golf moved up a notch or two.

One of the greatest sports events ever was playing out on national television. Quite conveniently through the power of the internet, it was also playing out on desktop computers throughout the United States. I’m sure a few folks got busted by their non sports minded bosses. Some were able to get their work done with a minimized view of the golf game in the top right hand corner of their computers. Some felt guilty for drawing a paycheck while watching every swing and every stroke for 19 holes of golf.

One unnamed person who works for another company called me and said he felt guilty about doing little or no work until he called his boss in another state. He was watching too.

For those of you not in the know, the United States Open Golf Championship was winding up today between the number one golfer in the world and a 45 year old player ranked 158. That would be Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. Tiger would be number 1 with about twice as many points as the number 2 ranked player .

At the beginning of the week, Rocco sat snuggly between number 157 Brett Quigley and 159 Vaughn Taylor.

It was a golf event for the ages. Tiger figured out a way to win after the 18 hole playoff went into sudden death. But he had the fight of his life. It was war. And Rocco did himself proud.

For those of you who feel guilty about your lack of production at work today, you shouldn’t. For those of you who woke up sick this morning you shouldn’t feel guilty either. Sometimes there are things that are more important than work. This golf event falls in that category.

You are excused. Just make it up tomorrow.

I Believe

Tiger Woods' dad once said there has never been anybody with the mental toughness of his son.

I think I believe.

If you are a golf fan, you watched one of the most incredible performances in the history of sports this weekend.

And it continues tomorrow.

Something tells me there will be more than a few people calling in sick tomorrow.

I ain't feeling too good myself.

Hope You Were Watching

I felt my mom smiling Tuesday night. The folks in the audience in Montgomery were laughing but Naia Goddard was smiling from heaven. No doubt about it.

To give you a little background, my mama was a diehard Methodist. She was a Sunday school teacher, youth fellowship leader and youth choir leader. She sang in the choir and was never afraid to even get behind the pulpit to make some comments if called upon.

Anybody and everybody that grew up in the Methodist Church in Reynolds from the fifties until the mid nineties will tell you they crossed paths with my mom. She had a passion to do what she believed God created her to do. And most of that passion revolved around the happenings at the Reynolds United Methodist Church.

One large event that happened once a year was the South Georgia Annual Conference. This was the meeting where the pastor and a couple of delegates from every church in the South Georgia conference gathered to do the business of the church and the Bishop would announce the appointments for the following year. In other words this was the meeting when every four years (sometimes 2 years if we had a bad one) we would find out who our new preacher would be. I never could figure out what everyone wanted. Some years members wanted a young preacher who would stir up the crowd. Other years they were hoping for an older mature preacher who could relate to the older folks. The behind the scenes politics of getting a preacher in the Methodist Church was an art and Mama was an artist. But I never fully understood the process.

But I did understand that on those years when we were due for a new preacher, the annual conference was a huge event for all the Methodists in Reynolds.


I showed up Tuesday night at Frazier United Methodist Church in Montgomery to speak to what I thought was a laity banquet. I was correct in that but what I did not understand was the banquet was part of the South Alabama – West Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. (that is the annual conference where the people of South Alabama and West Florida find out who their preachers will be).

Knowing there were so many Methodist preachers in the audience and so many key leaders of their churches, I have to admit I had some thoughts as I was sitting on the stage at the head table. Thoughts like should I really tell this joke or that funny story or should I do more serious stuff? My goodness the Bishop was sitting just 4 seats down from me! I certainly didn’t want to embarrass Mama who I just knew had moved up to the edge of the window of heaven to watch.

So when I got to the podium, I did what I have learned to do after a lot of speaking engagements. I baited the crowd. I told a certain story in my repertoire to see what reaction I would get. I have learned if the crowd gives a lukewarm reaction to a story like that, I move quickly in another direction. If they react well, I move into my happy place.

This crowd rocked and I knew I was about to have way too much fun. I was off to the races. I connected with the 600 or so pastors and delegates of this Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and just knew that I would have them in the palm of my hand before I finished. At the end of my speech the crowd gave me a standing ovation, which is the best pay a speaker can ever get.

As I stood at the podium watching the folks standing on their feet and clapping, I had chill bumps running up and down my spine. And I could think of only one person.

And that would be my Mama.

Mama, that one was for you. I sure hope you were watching.

May We Never Ever Forget

(Wichita, KS) I attended Memorial Day services today at a setting that caused chill bumps as soon as I drove in the park. Cemetery roads lined with large American flags blowing in the wind will tend to do that to you. Seeing a flag on every veteran’s grave in this large cemetery caused me to move from chill bumps to throat lumps.

One of the distinguished speakers today said that our nation gets it right on Memorial Day. I certainly hope that is true. I am very certain that Wichita gets it right.

They came by the hundreds if not thousands to the sacred burial ground known as Resthaven Mortuary and Cemetery. My friends Mark Hansen and Leroy Stein and their team put on quite a show. It was the kind of show that made you quickly forgot whether you are a Democrat or a Republican.


The speakers included such folks as a Wichita City Councilman, a United States Marine Corps Captain, an Air Force Colonel, the Kansas Secretary of State, a Brigadier General and a United States Senator. There were Bagpipers, Chorus Groups, soloists, a trio, a couple of Boy Scout troops and a high school band and much more.

Today every single person gathered at this over the top event celebrated the fact that we are Americans. When you ponder the thought of the sacrifices people before us have made to give us the freedoms we enjoy, you can’t help to be extremely proud…. and humbled.


I helped an elderly lady find a couple of large flags that were among the hundreds of flags that had been place there in memory of loved ones. In her case the two flags were in memory of two very special people in her life – her husband and her son. Her eyes fill with tears as she touched each flag pole. My eyes filled with tears as I watched her.


While I was attending this memorial service, a friend who happens to be stationed in Germany emailed me a photo taken this morning at a cemetery in France. Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial is the largest American World War II Cemetery in Europe. In case you cannot read the inscription:

To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live.

May we never ever forget.

I Would Be Honored

I jumped off another bridge last weekend. Something else to do. Like I really need something else to do.

I joined the Facebook social network.

When I was a kid the only social network we had was what we called “Slam Books.” My friends and classmates would have these small notebooks and write names on each page. Then they would pass the little book around and people would write things about the person at the top of each page. You could find out if a girl liked you or didn’t like you by reading what she wrote in the slam book.

I found out what others thought about me. I vividly remember somebody thought I was cute (probably some guy), some thought I was funny and somebody thought I was stuck up. Very enlightening information for a 13 year old boy.

The slam book has now given way to the Facebook. And I have to say that Facebook is much more sophisticated.

Actually I created a page on Facebook a couple of months ago for our home group from our church. We figured everyone could post things about where we would be meeting and what food we were supposed to bring. And possibly keep everybody posted on matters of concern or prayer.

But after looking at what is available on this social network and seeing how it works, I begin playing with it and finding folks already there and connecting electronically with them. And it is about the neatest thing I ever saw.

You can get all kinds of information about your friends and even let people know the books you are reading, what music you listen to, what you are doing now and what kind of mood you are in. And the list goes on. You can post pictures, videos and all kinds of stuff. You can have virtual conversations with many folks at one time and you can get caught up whenever you desire.

Moving from the Slam Book to Facebook is quite a large technological step. If you are not part of this social scene, I cordially invite you to join me by clicking here and inviting me to be your friend.

I would be honored.