When I think about inspiration in my life, there are a few individuals that stand out in my mind.  As a child, it was the faces of baseball players that hung on the posters in my bedroom.  As a young professional athlete, it was the veteran players or All-Stars that I used as motivation to help me get to the next level.  As a husband and father, I look to my wonderful wife who has patiently stayed with me, keeping me on track with my career and the more important things of life.
My greatest inspiration though, at times almost larger than life itself, is my mom.  Always there for me, constant as the North Star, patient, loving and tough.  When I face the challenges of life I just think of mom.  As if raising me was not difficult enough she has battled for 35 years the progressive ravages of Multiple Sclerosis.  Her daily grind and struggles go far beyond any of my individual challenges.  She has taught me perseverance, patience, hard work, dedication, focus, and how to pick yourself up after being knocked down.  These characteristics have helped me handle adversity in my life and have prepared me for what lies ahead.  Thank you Mom for challenging me, teaching me, and inspiring me to be better.

– Drafted by the Cleveland Indians 2nd round 1998, played 9 years professional baseball

Do you ever wonder why our country, with all of it’s vast resources, seems to be in trouble on so many fronts?

Perhaps the ship built and launched by such men as George Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and others has begun to drift without regards to the moral compass.

Case in point: At the special occasion of the signing of the landmark Healthcare Legislation Vice-president Joe Biden after introducing the President, Barack Obama, commented in the Commander-in-Chief’s ear describing the occasion, “This is a big …(f-bomb)…deal” (Youtube link).

Troubling that the second-in-command would casually use that offensive language but even more disturbing was the response of the President of the United States, or rather the lack of response. With a grin, nodding his head he acknowledged the Vice President and went on with the press conference.

…It appears this sort of language is the norm in their conversations.

Getting back to the question: Why is our country with all of its vast resources  in trouble on so many fronts? An insight may be gained from the Father of our country, George Washington in an order given to the Continental Army 3 weeks before the crucial Battle of Long Island.

“The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish, and wicked practice, of profane cursing and swearing (a Vice heretofore little known in an American Army) is growing into fashion; he hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavour to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms, if we insult it by our impiety, and folly; added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense, and character, detests and despises it.”

 The Papers, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 5, June – August 1776, (Charlottesville and London: University Press of Virginia, 1993), 551-52.

With unemployment at 9.2 %, the threat of a double-dip recession and a war abroad if ever we needed the “Blessing of Heaven” we need it now. Maybe it’s time to get back to the basics upon which this country was founded.

Clearly in my top ten list for all time great movies. Winner of 3 Oscars! Watch it by yourself, watch it with your family…either way you will be well rewarded. Unless you speak Italian you will want to be sure and rent the English version.

An amazing true story of the survival of Stephen Nasser, called Pista, a 14 year old Hungarian boy through the Holocaust. Swept away with his older brother Andris to Auschwitz the two inspire and care for each other. Even after death the older brother continues to look after little Pista, his younger brother. Unable to put the book down I found both inspiration and education as well as a profound gratitude for the bonds of family.

As a culture we have come to love heroes.  They inspire us.  They motivate us.  They give us hope.  And there are not enough of them.

Armando Galarraga is an unlikely hero.  He’s 28 years old, just called up from the Triple-A Toledo “Mud Hens” on May 16th to pitch for the Detroit Tigers.  In last night’s game between the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers he was within one pitch of throwing “a perfect game”.  Two outs, ninth-inning, last batter.  Chopping hit between 1st and 2nd base…throw to first in plenty of time and umpire Jim Joyce calls the runner… “safe” thus robbing Armando Galarraga of a perfect game. Later the umpire acknowledged he “blew the call” and apologized to Armando.  Despite repeated video reviews and confirmation that the wrong call was made it would not be changed.  There is no “instant replay” in baseball.

In a magnificent show of graciousness when the umpire, Jim Joyce in tears, offered an apology to Armando for missing the call that cost him the “perfect game”  Armando Galrraga responded, “He feel really bad. He probably feel more bad than me,…Nobody’s perfect, everybody’s human.”

- You’re right Armando, nobody is perfect…but on June 2, 2010 you were pretty darn close to perfect in the way that counts the most.  You are my hero!

The ultimately inspiring story of a Christian family who sheltered Jews during the Nazi occupation in Holland. Because of this, they suffered the worst consequences imaginable ~ incarceration and death in the concentration camps. Corrie ten Boom is my example of extreme courage and extreme forgiveness, because after miraculously surviving, she became even stronger in her faith, faced those who killed her family, and forgave them completely.