Saint Ralph

I watched a movie a little while back that really captured my thoughts after I had seen it. It wasn't a flashy film or one that even grabbed any awards at the Oscar's for great performances. It was more of a sleeper pick that caught my eye at the store and ended up being one of my favorite inspirational movies that I have seen. The movie was called Saint Ralph and the premise of the story surrounds a young boy (Ralph Walker) who lives alone at home because his mother is in a coma. He attends a very strict Catholic school and is at a loss for meaning in his life. He very much wants his mom to somehow come out of the coma because he has no other family that he can turn to. Anyways, he comes up with an idea that if somehow he can pray hard enough and successfully perform a miracle that God will grant him his wish of his mom waking up. So he becomes obsessed with an idea that if he can train , run in , and win the Boston Marathon (which would be the miracle) that God would grant him his wish. Of course, as soon as the kids at school and the priests find out about his endeavor they all mock him and tell him that he is crazy. The thing about Ralph that separates him from everyone else is that he believes in himself no matter what everyone else is telling him. In then end, he receives help from a priest that is inspired by Ralph's tenacity and he ends up qualifying for the Boston marathon.
Now watch this clip from the movie as it shows Ralph running in the race against the top competition in the world. Remember, he is only 14 and is running against the greatest racers of his time !!



Now you know how the race ends up but what you don't see is at the very end of the movie he thinks that he has failed in his mission to get his miracle. He starts to question if he has prayed hard enough, if he had enough faith, and if his motives were pure enough for God to grant him his wish. He visits his mom in the hospital and she has not woken up yet so he goes on thinking that he has failed . But what he doesn't see when he leaves after his visit with his mom is that she opens her eyes and smiles with him on her mind. Success!!

So many lessons in this movie can be translated into our daily lives that I thought I would share a few that came to mind as I watched this movie.

1) Step into the Arena !! How many of us win, lose, or draw are willing to put it all on the line for something that we believe in. To stick our necks out there and give 100% of everything we have knowing that all the odds are stacked against us in doing so. So many of us, including myself, avoid those challenges in our lives that seem overly difficult or impossible to overcome for fear of failure, ridicule, and even because of pride. I have promised myself in my life that I will never turn and run from my fears and that what defines me is not the outcome of my efforts but the heart I show in trying. I hope everyday that we all will choose one great mountain to set our sites on and say to ourselves, "I'm going there today ! "

2) "One man with courage makes a majority !!" It is a quote that I heard a while back that really seems to fit the theme of this movie perfectly. It applies to the type of situation that Ralph himself was in when trying to perform his miracle. When no one else believed in him and what he was doing he still did not waiver for one minute. It is more of a way of life that calls on a person to walk a different path from the crowd due to their deep seated beliefs. Not meant as an opportunity for a person to boast, to try to stand out, or to prove a point but rather inspire others because their passion causes them to move. When something so deeply stirs the waters of your soul that whether others believe similarly or not holds no weight in your decision to act. And really isn't that what ends up inspiring the people around us the most. When others see us hold fast to our beliefs and are willing to fight with everything we have inside for them they will be moved themselves into action.

3) Faith like a child !! As we grow past childhood and into our adult years we tend to become calloused towards the world and the things in it- even our faith. If you were to ask a child if they truly believed that their prayers to God would be answered as they prayed I bet you would have almost 100% of them answer you "Yes !" But as we go through life and experience disappointments, failures, and mistakes we tend to translate that over to our into our faith. Somehow we lose that sense of belief that God is greater than all of those experiences and that He Never fails us. No wonder God doesn't just jump up to answer our prayers because we tend to pray with the presumptuous thoughts that He may not answer me so I need to guard my heart. My prayer is that we can all be a little more like Ralph Walker in that we expect to be answered by our Savior because our intentions are pure enough and we are worth enough to Him.


So in the end Ralph Walker thinks that he has failed right after he loses the race by a split second. What he fails to initially see is the way that he inspired all those around him to believe in something bigger than themselves again. The kids at his school, the nurses at the hospital , and most importantly the priests that were over him were changed because of one act of courage. In the end the priest that was working with him the closest, who had lost his inspiration in life and most of his faith, was moved to believe again. Ralph Walker proved that what we do in this world does matter and that we can have a huge impact on those around us everyday. It is about the choice that we make every morning that we wake up to either live for ourselves or something greater. Because when we live for a greater cause those who see us moving will undoubtedly , at the very least, be moved in their hearts. The exact place where God wants us to move !!

Empty Me Jesus !!

Holy Fire Burn Away

My Desire For Anything

That is Not of YOU and is of Me

I Want More of YOU and Less of Me

Jeremy Camp- Empty Me

Who fills me on the inside more- HIM or me ?

Click on the title of this post to watch the video of 'Empty Me'

Remember !! A Memorial Day Tribute !!

Memorial Day

Did you know that the first memorial day ceremony was observed on May 30, 1868 in commemoration of the soldiers that were killed in the civil war. It was originally called Decoration Day and is to be celebrated the last Monday of every May to honor those soldiers who have lost their lives in the service of their country.

General Joshua L. Chamberlain (pictured left) was an unassuming college professor prior to entering into service as a Union army lieutenant colonel during the Civil War. Chamberlain served in over 20 different engagements and was wounded 6 different times in doing so. He finished his career as a Major General and ended up speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony for fallen soldiers in 1884. Here is an excerpt from his address that was given that day.

"It is not that these men are dead, but that they have so died...that they offered themselves willingly to death in a cause vital and dear to humanity; and what is more, a cause they comprehended as such, and looking at it, in all its bearings and its consequences, solemnly pledged to it all that they had and were.... This comprehension of the cause—this intelligent devotion—this deliberate dedication of themselves to duty—these deaths suffered in testimony of their loyalty, faith and love, make these men worthy of honor today, and these deaths equal to the lauded deaths of martyrs. Not merely that the cause was worthy but that they were worthy.... God grant to us that lesson of devotion and loyalty be not lost...."

"They gave their best for something held dearer than joy—something of good beyond their personal experience; the giving of which, in this world's estimation, is of such cost that it cannot be justified by your understanding but only in your overpassing faith."

"We do not live for self.... We are a part of a larger life, reaching before and after, judged not by deeds done in the body but deeds done in the soul. We wish to be remembered. Willing to die, we are not willing to be forgotten."

I hope we can all take time out this weekend to think about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us all in this country and the selfless actions they performed in protecting our freedoms.

Honor

hon·or - a) one whose worth brings respect - b) a keen sense of ethical conduct


A True WWII Story :

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After flying over an enemy airfield, a pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to and slightly over the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe.
When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion in 1990, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day. When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, "I didn't have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute."

Honor !!

Can !! The Story of Dick and Ricky Hoyt !

We all tend to maximize the problems in our lives at times. We tend to think that we are the only ones struggling or going through the things that we are facing. "Why does this have to happen to me," is what we ask? These trials tend to wear us down at times and get the best of us. Next time anyone wakes up and thinks to themselves, "I can't get up today" or "I hurt too much," I want you to think that there is someone out there who faces a bigger uphill battle than you do. Believe that you are not the only one in this world who faces trials and challenges. I want you to think of it as an opportunity to overcome rather than having to endure it. The things in this world that define us are not the ailments that we have or the hardships that we face but rather the heart that we show when presented with these opportunities. So next time you wake up and want to feel helpless and overwhelmed I want you to think of this man and this son (Team Hoyt) who instead of letting the thorn define them they simply picture it as part of the rose !! Watch this video and see what they do with the life that they have been blessed with.
You will never see this world the same way again !! Then the next time you feel like you can't do something I want you to think to yourself these three things:

1) I Can !!

2) The only limits that are placed on me are the ones that I put on myself !!

3) Love Overcomes All !!

Mother and Son

I am a paramedic and I have been riding my bike on and off to work for several years now. Recently, I have passed a mother and son several times at a bus stop as I m riding my bike by on the road. I see them together on an old wooden bench on the side of the road waiting for a bus. As I rode by the first time and saw them I didn't take much note of it but I saw and 6 to 7 year old boy resting with his head on his mom's legs. She was sitting upright on the bench and he was laying across the bench with his head using her legs as a pillow. She sat there looking straight ahead at nothing in particular but was using her hands to rub her sons back as he rested. I didn't even give it much thought the first time other than the fact that maybe the boy was simply tired and wanted to rest for a minute before they got on the bus. The next time I road my bike by the same place at about the same time I saw the two of them again on the same bench in the same exact positions doing the same thing as before. I stared at them as I rode by not because I thought they were abnormal or anything but because of what the mother meant to her son. It dawned on me at that moment that the first time I had seen them on the bench was probably not the first time that they had been there but possibly the hundredth or so. Maybe even more than that. Now the second time that I passed them she was still rubbing her sons back and he was still lying on her lap just taking it all in. He was as happy as could be lying right there with his mom while she soothingly rubbed back and forth with her fingers . This gesture by mom made me take account of what it really means to be a parent and the simplistic needs of a childs heart. The mother didn't have a lot of worldly possessions from what I could pick up , and she probably didn't even have a car to travel in. Hence the reason for them waiting for the bus. What she did have is something that neither money nor power nor fame can ever buy. Unconditional love for her son. This sort of scene reminds me to count my blessing everyday for my kids and also that it doesn't take the things of this world to make them happy. The bond between a parent and a child is not forged by TV, or computers, or gifts, or things but rather by time and effort. I remind myself every time that I think my kids or myself need more THINGS that no gift that I could ever give can be bigger or more important than my time and heart !

A Baseball Story !!

So Payton has been playing baseball this year and this is his first time ever playing. He is playing in a bigger kids league as well where they do kids pitch. He is the youngest on the team and he is....let's just say..vertically challenged to begin with. So it is 3/4 of the way through the season and he has struggled hitting so far. There are kids that tower over him and some of them are heading on 11 yrs old. So he has been struggling to get his confidence. He has hit 3 or 4 balls so far this year to the infield but had yet to hit a big one as of yesterday. He has been swinging a lot but he has not been hitting the ball much so he has gotten down a little on himself. I just kept telling him to keep swinging and it would come !! So here we are in the 4th inning last night and he is up to bat.. I am coaching 3rd base... praying for God to give him one good smack of the ball at some point so he will start to believe in himself and get confidence. He has wanted to hit the ball so bad and he tells us every game that he just can't seem to quite get to it. Ohh... it will come son !! So back to the 4th inning- P-dog up to bat - ball 1 ... ball 2.... ball 3.... and no strikes !! So at this point I flash back to the movie ' The Natural ' and I am thinking of Roy Hobbs bat 'Wonderboy'. I think about how it seemed to bring him luck all of the time when he was up to bat. If only Payton could have that bat with him right now and if God could just give him the strength of Sampson just this one time I would promise that I would always use a tissue to pick my nose from now on ! So anyways... 3 balls and no strikes and I am praying for a miracle to happen. The pitcher winds up (and by the way he is a big kid who looks more like Goliath out there) and throws the ball and Payton winds up the bat and swings. Now, if I could ever tell you to paint the sweetest moment in your mind on paper it would be one like this. He not only hits the ball but he hits it over the outfielder's head and it just keeps rolling and rolling to the deep part of the park. At this point I have left the earth for lunar orbit because I am jumping up and down so high and I hear every parent in the crowd screaming for joy for him. He takes off for first and as he is heading there his coach says, "don't stop Payton!!!!!". Well, no more sooner did the words come out of his mouth than Payton took off full speed for second base and boy was he picking up steam. I have never seen a kid run so fast in my life and I am not exaggerating !!! They were yelling ' "DASH" from the stands as he rounded the bases. So he gets to second and I see him coming for third base full speed. I also see the outfielder finally getting to the ball and him trying to throw it in to his cutoff man. As he is coming towards me I am going to tell him to stop at third base because the ball is coming in now to the infield. STOP !! STOP!!! STOP!!! But this kid was determined to score. I don't think he ever looked up from the ground to even see me telling him. He just focused on the ground and ran right by me full speed. Remember Forrest Gump in the football game in college when he ran back a kickoff for a touchdown and just kept running through the endzone into the tunnel. This kid was some sort of Dash and Forrest combo turned freight train in the Running of the Bulls in Spain !! So as he passed me I couldn't even get the stop out before it turned into "RUN.. RUN....RUN..!" And he did and he beat the throw to home and scored a home run !! I was so happy that I ran over to him at home plate and hugged him so big that I thought his helmet was going to pop off like a cork !! He just smiled at me with a look of satisfaction and complete and utter happiness. It was one of the best sports moments that I have experienced as a father. As I was walking back to third base to coach again I turned to the other team's coach and said , "That was my son ..he's never hit it out of the infield..and he just hit a home run !!" I am sure he thought that I was a little slow on the uptake at that point because he was standing right behind me when Payton hit the ball. I didn't really care though because I was so proud that I needed to share it with someone. Even a stranger !! About 30 seconds after the play was over I started to laugh hysterically at third base because of the look of determination on Payton's face as he ran right by me. I was laughing so hard that I walked over to the sideline and stood there a minute to catch my breath. Then my laughter turned to welled up tears in my eyes because I was so proud of the person that Payton is and the will that he shows in this life. I was so worried for such a long time for him this season because he didn't get to shine a whole lot at the plate. I was afraid it would leave him down on himself but it was like all of my worries for Payton were lifted off of my shoulders at that moment when he hit that ball. I thought that the baseball season was too much for him and that maybe we chose the wrong league with too big of kids. All of it was gone in one moment with one swing of the bat. It was like Payton was saying okay so I haven't hit the ball much and so what if you are Goliath- I am Payton Billings and this is my time !! He did just that and with one swing of the bat he rode high on the wings of eagles as he ran the bases !! It was his shining moment and no one deserved it more !! I was just happy that I got to share it with him !!