I had the delightful opportunity to hear James Brown speak this week - best known for the NFL pre-game show with Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw. Did you know he never played football? He was recruited to play basketball for Harvard...more about that in a minute.
He spoke of a loving family with strong morals and values. He lovingly refers to his mom as the sergeant - a woman who said what she meant and meant what she said. Academic excellence was highly valued in the Brown home, along with respect and a sense of pride and tradition. He was recruited by Harvard and shook hands on his commitment to play for them. Two weeks later he received a letter from UCLA, the basketball powerhouse of the time. He was ecstatic as he told his parents the news and wanted to make plans to see the school and meet the coach. The sergeant reminded him of his commitment to Harvard. "But mom, this is UCLA!" It didn't take much convincing for the young Brown to do the right thing and honor his verbal commitment. Decades later he knows he made the right decision and praises his parents for their strong convictions. Amen
He was taught that a righteous and fulfilling life has four immutable pillars. Prioritize these and all will be well. I agree Mr. Brown. They are, in descending order:
God
Family
Church/Ministry/Volunteerism
Career (work, school,basketball, etc)
We all have kids in our lives. Let's examine our own priorities and adjust where needed, so we can model them for those precious young people.
Blessings,
Beth
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