Yesterday the National Football League (NFL) held their annual all-star game known as the Pro Bowl.  Players are voted into the Pro Bowl by the coaches, the fellow players, and the fans through an online ballot. 1

The Pro Bowl has different rules from other NFL games to make the game safer. 2

No motion or shifting by the offense
Offense must have a tight end in all formations
Offense can’t have 3 receivers on a side
Intentional grounding is legal
Defense must run a 4-3 at all times
No press coverage except inside the 5 yard line
No blitz
Not allowed to rush a Punt, PAT or FG attempt
No calls can be challenged

High school Dropout Becomes A Millionaire

He was born to a young unmarried woman he never knew.
He was given up for adoption.
He was without parents until he was adopted when he was six weeks old.
He was without a mom – at five years old his adopted mom died.
He was without a dad – when he dad traveled around looking for work.

He did have a grandmother who modeled and taught him important life lessons.

No one would have predicted that a teen, who grew up poor with a troubled childhood and a limited education, would build a worldwide corporation and become incredibly wealthy.

Broomball has always been an equalizer sport. Unless you play on a club level or a national level like my friend Paul Thyren, most of us play broomball for fun.

Fun racing around on slippery hockey rink with street shoes or boots wielding awkward brooms; then in a moment of hope you swing the broom hoping to connect with the ball and send it into the opposition’s goal.

Broomball Buddies

Broomball is a great sport to enjoy wintery fun with friends. Here from the winter of 1996 is my dear friend the late Adam Bieringer. Adam passed away in April of 2010 much too young.

This Christmas week was very different. For the first time since we got married we did not travel.  We had a great time the 23rd — our Christmas — but the 24th & 25th felt a little empty and lonely.

Don’t get me wrong, we had a peaceful and blessed Christmas week, it was just different than in the past.

Perilous Presents

If our family and friends depended on me knowing their interests and needs they would never get anything.  Whether I’m being frugal or I’m ignorant, I simply don’t know what people like.

Synched together with rope I approached the rock.

I called out “On Belay?” I received the reply “Belay On”. I responded “Climbing”. Followed by “Climb On.”

My friend David Villringer learned to rock climb.  David’s courage and determination were both admirable and seemingly unreachable.  Graciously and patiently Dave taught me to climb.

David climbed the Tetons.  I struggled at Devil’s Rock.

I lacked both David’s strength and his will.

I wanted to climb, and I wanted to succeed, but I wanted NOT to get hurt far more.

Discomfort & Disappointment

Headlines announce the news of the day.

You a Jersey Shore fan?  Did you know that  ‘Jersey Shore’ star Snooki was hit with $7 Million lawsuit?

Maybe you love Jersey but don’t care about Jersey Shore. Did you know that, All 5 aboard a plane died when it crashed ON an interstate highway in New Jersey?  Or, maybe you heard that Jersey-born Jon Bon Jovi was dead?

We want to know accurate information.  We want to know the truth.

The Truth

No, Jon Bon Jovi is not dead.

Tazzy, known as Taz, was part of our family for almost fourteen years. A miniature schnauzer, Taz was a big dog in a little dog body. Energetic, animated and friendly Taz enjoyed playing and enjoyed people.

Taz is the one with the big smile on the far right in the photo.

Some dogs are inside dogs, other dogs are outside dogs, Taz lived in our house. When he was a puppy he slept in his dog crate; a large metal cage with one-inch square mesh. Comfortably cushioned Taz’s crate was safe place for him to sleep, to find security and to stay out of trouble.

My Top 5 values are Family, Friendship, Love, and Religious Beliefs, with Security edging out Peace and Self-Respect for the fifth spot, but sometimes I screw that up.

Several people I’ve talked to this week told me about their attitude toward parents, relatives, siblings and fellow customers in stores.

Did you want to be loving and blow it?

Did you want to be caring and seemed crabby?

Did you plan to not be a Black Friday freak, but you freaked out anyway?

There’s hope!

I’m behind a day because I’m thinking through the topic of “Bold Love”. The notion of “caring enough to confront” is not a new one, I just want to handle it wisely.

Healthy role models break the cycle of shame. 

They emotionally and spiritually empower healthy communities.

How can you recognize a safe, healthy church, synagogue, workplace or family?

Here are ten attributes of healthy communities:

Feel empathy
Exude warmth
Demonstrate genuineness
Are emotionally stable
Are caring & supportive
Promote and practice honesty
Have appropriate expectations
Maintain respectful boundaries
Persevere through inevitable relationship challenges
And, love one another