At a recent technology gathering in Idaho, master investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett, overseer of Berkshire Hathaway, shared the best advice he had ever been given. What did the “Oracle of Omaha” (and purportedly the world’s third richest man) have to say?
He said that the best advice given to him was “the power of unconditional love.” Unconditional love. Loving someone else no matter what.
He made it very clear in his statement that unconditional love is not the same as uncritical love, that being in his words, “a different animal.”
To truly love someone doesn’t mean we always agree with him or her, or simply let them always have their way, and certainly not to enable bad behavior. It does mean that our constant and observant care does not depend on anything that other person can do.
Parents, unconditional love will provide the foundation your children will need in the difficult teen years and the challenges of adulthood. Not permissiveness, but unconditional love.
Unconditional love. That’s love that the kids don’t need to earn, that they can’t earn, because it comes from the heart of the loving parent.
This reminds me of a prodigal son who was loved by his father, ran away and lived a tumultuous life, and then returned to the father willing to be a servant, but was met by the father with hugs, a robe, a ring, shoes, and a feast. Why? Because he had blown his father’s inheritance? No. Because he came home. And he knew he could come home.
All of us, parents or not, can practice unconditional love. It makes the world a different place.
Take it from Warren.... Read more here

I recently met Marshele Waddell, wife of Navy SEAL Mark Waddell, who was an enlisted sailor for eight years before commissioning and retiring as a Navy Commander. She speaks openly and honestly about the challenges to marriage from PTSD and TBI, both of which have affected her husband from his multiple deployments to combat zones. She also speaks openly of her hope for lives affected by PTSD. You may want to check out her Web site at: www.hopeforthehomefront.com and see for yourself.... Read more here

The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate our freedom in the USA. What freedom do you appreciate the most?... Read more here

Amidst the hectic pace of our lives we must find ways to “recharge” for further service, similar to the way my electric razor needs recharging periodically (normally just as I am using it!). As nature around us needs time to recharge, or reconstruct, so we need this in our personal and family lives.
Just recently my wife and I took a few days away to conduct some military business, take care of some personal business, and take in a short conference. An added bonus was an unforeseen reunion with our youngest daughter who had just returned from a mission trip to Romania. What was planned as a four-day business trip ended up a recharge for us. The business was conducted swiftly and well. The conference went very well. The “down time” went very well (read: shopping for the women and book shops for me!).
Built into this time came an unexpected “Dad and Daughter Day” where we had so much fun taking care of her car, going to see “Toy Story 3” at a special theater that serves meals along with the movies, and ending up with an evening visit to one of our favorite places, Austin, Texas. A wonderful lakeside meal full of Texas hospitality was followed by a great coffee shop with incredible desserts that begged for our indulgence (we did … in moderation, of course!).
Even the hot Texas air didn’t bother me too much as we enjoyed our fresh-roasted coffee and desserts on a deck looking over the water with a soft jazz band playing nearby. Gentle conversation, an offer to snap a photo for a visiting Saudi Arabian family that led to a heart-warming conversation, and simply the time together left us incredibly refreshed, feeling we were away a week rather than just a few days.
And that’s why I bother to tell you about our little trip last week. We must take care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. How long has it been since you have taken a vacation? A mini-vacation? A day away? A few hours in the park?
The Bible has much to say about the value of a Sabbath rest … a concept lost to many of us in our modern world. While my purpose in this article is not to wax theological, it is to urge all of us to find the rest we need … and summer is a great time to do that for many of us.
Fall will be here soon along with the beginning of the school year, a refocus on business, and the rush of the holidays. Are you taking time to rest and restore?
If you don’t, you may respond somewhat like my electric razor when the demand exceeds the charge … it shuts down!
Make time to rest and restore! For everyone’s sake do it.... Read more here

I was able to be with one of our kids last week for a few days … a rare opportunity anymore! On Father’s Day all four of our kids spoke with me on the phone, and I heard the “Da Da” and “Ma Ma” from our infant grandson. What a privilege to be a father, to provide spiritual, emotional, and physical support to others. While none of us fulfills this role perfectly, what a privilege to be a Dad!... Read more here