Independence Day

Brilliant colors flash and the crowd will roar and gasp. Picnics will become the feasts of kings. And military marches will be traded for high school marching bands... It is a celebration. We bask in the glory of our liberties. We smile upon a promise, a promise of bigger tomorrows and greater celebrations... Our hearts are full of hope. Deep down we know that our spirit cannot be broken. This land has been tamed, this land has been claimed and upon this rock we have built a people. People who believe that our brother is more important than our collection of things. People who know that Earth's Creator has blessed us due to our freedom to proclaim Him... So, the Frisbee is thrown, the burgers are grilled, the watermelon is sliced, and the fire is lit... Scream into the night sky! Burst into color so bright! Declare to the world, we are free men and we shout to the corners of the Earth... God Bless America!

written by Todd Howard

No Ordinary Man

In a sea of faces He stands out, perhaps only to me. There are no physical features that make Him more desirable than anyone else. There are none that make Him any less. And yet there He is and He stands alone in a multitude... This is No Ordinary Man.

What makes this man so extraordinary? Why does He stand alone in a crowd of men?

He works... He works hard and has worked hard ever since life has required such labor. He works multiple places doing multiple things but all for one purpose. His sole reason for this labor is love... He loves deeply and genuinely. He loves passionately and unconditionally. He loves His family, so He works. He loves His God, so He works.

He does not do these things for love in return. He does not do these things out of obligation or duty. He does not do these things for the accolades of men... There may never be a statue in His honor. His name may never be spoken in the halls of great philosophers. We may never read of Him in our history lessons... So why does He do what He does?.. He just simply loves. I told you This is No Ordinary Man.

His arms are strong and His hands are gentle. His heart is full and His eyes are kind... After long hours of work that at times are neither fulfilling nor fun, hungry and tired, He still has time to laugh, love, and even have a catch.

By now you might be thinking, this is too good to be true, surely He has faults and moments of failure... Yes, He does... but a man's legacy is not written by a moment in time but rather by a lifetime lived true... And as I already told you, This is No Ordinary Man.

Written by Todd Howard

dedicated to my Father who is No Ordinary Man

I hope we celebrate all of the great Fathers who live a Legacy of Faith and Hope