Today, a great American was put to rest at the DFW National Cemetery. Henry Kratz, a man I was honored to know for many years and call friend left this life for a new life with His Savior Jesus Christ--oh how I envy Henry! I can say that, because I know first hand the life in Christ Henry lived.
Along with a long and faithful service to the United Postal Service, Henry Kratz also served his nation honorably in the United States Army. While I was not able to be at the service where military honors would have been bestowed, let me share a few thoughts I have about such honors.
When taps were played, it is right that they should do so. However, that solemn sound simply cannot fully memorialize a life lived honorably and faithfully beyond Henry's military service. The sound of taps cannot fully honor a man who loved his wife dearly and was a dutiful husband every day of their marraige!
When the 21 gun salute was drawn, it is right that they should do so. However, that moment of tribute to a fallen soldier, cannot fully honor a man who loved his children deeply everyday and did not retire from his fatherly duties simply because his children grew up. Henry Kratz' tour of duty as a father was happily volunteered and extended up until his last breath. And beyond his last breath on this earth, his legacy of compassion, kindness, firmness, his moral example, and his simply always being there for his children will live on for generations.
When the flag was passed on to Henry's family for his service with distinction, it is right that they should do so. However, as powerful as a symbol as that flag is, it pales in comparison to the service with honor and distinction that has left a blessed legacy that his grandchildren and great grandchildren will be left with and have always.
Lastly, many of us who knew Henry, were not able to know him when he served in the Army. What we saw was honor, integrity, generosity, real agape love, a strong faith in the Lord, and truly--the ability to simply be a good and kind friend! Abraham Lincoln said of a man who has friends: "The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." Whatever honorable traits Henry lived out in his military service--clearly grew and expanded in the following many years of his life. Especially the quality of friendship. All of us who counted him as friend, have lost greatly this week. And yet, we have gained so much from the years we were blessed to know such a good man.
In a time of our country, when good men are hard to find when it comes to leading their families and working hard to do what is right day in and day out--we surely lost a good one this week in Henry Kratz.
So how do we honor such a man? No eloquent words we can say today can do justice to such a good man. Indeed, the way we can honor a man like Henry Kratz--is to simply live life how he lived. We can honor such a man by being better spouses. We can honor such a man by being better parents. We can honor such a man by being good friends and neighbors to all who know us. We can honor such a man by living daily to be more like Christ. As we reflect and appreciate the kind of man Henry was, let us heed these words from President John F. Kennedy:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
In conclusion, let me say that to my knowledge, Henry Kratz was not a businessman per say. I never knew him to be of a strong entrepreneural spirit or a big investor etc. He worked most of his life for the public and the latter part of his life almost entirely for his family. But one thing is for certain--Henry was a great investor in people. That is where he put value.
"Goodness is the only investment that never fails" (Henry David Thoreau). There is no doubt, Henry's investment in goodness and in people--has reaped great wealth for generations to come!
Thank you Henry for all the years. Thank You Lord for men like Henry Kratz! We will not forget.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Throw Off The Shackles America and Mesquite!!!
I do not consider myself an optimist. As a Christian and a missionary preacher the past several years, I know first hand that there is indeed real suffering that takes place in serving God. Its not all Cumbaya and church socials! Not if you care about the lost and taking care of God's people.
Admiral James Stockdale, in an interview with Jim Collins (author of Good To Great), when discussing who struggled the most as POWs in Hanoi, Vietnam--Stockdale resoundingly said "The Optimists." Stockdale explained that the optimists would believe they'd go home by Christmas, then Easter, then Summer and eventually they just gave up hope and died. Whereas, Stockdale and others believed that ultimately they'd get through their dilemma--but that there would be difficult times they'd have to work through. Thus, if we are willing to work through difficult times and embrace the brutal facts in front of us--and keep our faith--we will prevail! Collins calls this concept, "The Stockdale Paradox."
Sadly though, prevail is not a word or phrase that is in most of our vocabularies these days! Nor is "Succeed," or "Be The Best," or "Win." Too often today, especially with generations under 35-40 years old--its "Get By" or "Making It" or "Surviving." It makes me absolutely sick when I ask my kids if they could have done better on a test at school and their response is "Hey, I'm Passing!" IS THAT ALL OUR KIDS WANT? TO JUST PASS? TO JUST GET BY? ITS NOT JUST OUR KIDS!
In my ministry, I've been working for years with people who simply are ok to just get by and exist. When offered opportunities to do better, to get more education, to work harder for a promotion or to just seek a better life--so often the years of lack of self worth and poor discipline is such a difficult obstacle to overcome! Some have said finally "Enough Is Enough" and they decided to pull out of their lot in life and with God's help--moved forward and began to live the American Dream. But I see too many who will just not try to do better--they are simply defeated. And unfortunately, that mentality--that disease--is spreading like wildfire all through our community and our nation!
Yes, we are in some tough times. Yes, we face major challenges right here in Mesquite and around the nation. BUT WE ARE NOT DEFEATED!!! We need to stop acting like we are!
Just like the Israelites who forgot that God had delivered them from the hand of the Egyptian Army by parting the Red Sea, who was content to go back to slavery and bondage as opposed to deal with some tough times and keep their faith in God--we as Americans and Mesquiteites--we forget all the greatness we've experienced as Americans. We forget that we are a nation who overcame a terrible civil war. We forget that we are a nation who overcame two awful world wars and a depression. We forget that we once put a man on the moon. WE ARE STILL A GREAT NATION AND A GREAT CITY! But we act like we are beat and that we can't do much better. It seems as if we are resolved to just accept that other nations are beating us in the classroom, in the market place, and in many other facets where we once led! But we've gotten behind before--AND THEN CAME BACK AND WON AGAIN! WE PREVAILED OVER AND OVER THROUGHOUT HISTORY! And regardless of how bad our economics are or other struggles we face--WE IN AMERICA AND IN MESQUITE CAN PREVAIL AGAIN!!!!
I often don't agree with President Obama on a wide array of his policies. But I so appreciated it when he acted like an inspriational leader at his last State of the Union address when he reminded us that "This Is Our Sputnik Moment" (in reference to once fierce competition between the U.S. and the Soviets to put a man on the moon). Why not let this, a difficult time like many others in our history that we've overcame--be a moment where we say "We are going to do what it takes to win and prevail!" Why not? The President in his speech also said "We Do Big Things!" Lets run with that thought! Lets get back to being a nation and community that produces risk takers and entrepreneurs like the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison. LETS GO DO BIG THINGS!
Maybe you've always wanted to go back to college and get an education--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to go out on your own and start your own business--you just know you'd be good at whatever it is--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to lose weight and get in shape--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to go run for public office because you know what needs to be done but didn't have the courage to get into the arena--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to go help the homeless and or start a ministry to help those in need--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you messed up a lot when you were younger, but are ready to start living a different life and pursue your dreams and not be held back any longer--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've been unemployed for a while and just can't seem to find a job where your comfortable and you may have to do something different--GO DO IT!!! We're Americans--WE DO BIG THINGS!!! America can again, be a "Shining City On A Hill" as Ronald Reagan once described us.
Franklin Roosevelt, in his 1933 inaugural address, as the nation faced a terrible financial depression, spoke these simple words of hope that we'd be wise to embrace today: "There Is Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself." So often we live mediocre and unfulfilled lives simply out of fear! And yet, scripture tells us not to live a life of timidity, but of courage and love. We were made in God's image. We were not created to be wimpy, whiny people. We were made to do great things! Let us live within the boundaries of the Stockdale Paradox. Let us recognize and embrace that things are tough and won't be easy--the brutal facts if you will--and work through those facts. But then let us live out an indomitable faith that says in the end--WE WILL PREVAIL! And let us not waiver from that belief! As Robert Kennedy told us, "The future is not a gift. It is an achievement."
Does that mean that prevail is only defined in that you get just what you wanted? NO! It does mean that the ride on the way to the goal and mission--was well worth the effort! A life well lived. THERE ARE SIMPLY WORSE THINGS THAN FAILING AT ONE'S ATTEMPTS TO SUCCEED. THAT IS TO NOT TRY AT ALL! My hero, President Theodore Roosevelt explain's this concept much more eloquently than I can in his speech titled "Citizenship In A Republic" or more commonly known as "In The Arena"--which this blog is consequently named:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat" (TR in Paris, France April 23, 1910).
Lets get up my fellow citizens, my neighbors, my friends, my brothers and sisters--and lets get out of comfort zones that are killing our spirit--and lets go win. Lets go succeed. Lets go prevail! Lets go really live life! Lets go make a difference. If the naysayers and the negative nillies say it can't be done--THEN GET THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE! Lets throw off the shackles that are keeping us down and rise up and be all we can and more! With the Lord's help--we will!
Lets get up off the ground, brush
Admiral James Stockdale, in an interview with Jim Collins (author of Good To Great), when discussing who struggled the most as POWs in Hanoi, Vietnam--Stockdale resoundingly said "The Optimists." Stockdale explained that the optimists would believe they'd go home by Christmas, then Easter, then Summer and eventually they just gave up hope and died. Whereas, Stockdale and others believed that ultimately they'd get through their dilemma--but that there would be difficult times they'd have to work through. Thus, if we are willing to work through difficult times and embrace the brutal facts in front of us--and keep our faith--we will prevail! Collins calls this concept, "The Stockdale Paradox."
Sadly though, prevail is not a word or phrase that is in most of our vocabularies these days! Nor is "Succeed," or "Be The Best," or "Win." Too often today, especially with generations under 35-40 years old--its "Get By" or "Making It" or "Surviving." It makes me absolutely sick when I ask my kids if they could have done better on a test at school and their response is "Hey, I'm Passing!" IS THAT ALL OUR KIDS WANT? TO JUST PASS? TO JUST GET BY? ITS NOT JUST OUR KIDS!
In my ministry, I've been working for years with people who simply are ok to just get by and exist. When offered opportunities to do better, to get more education, to work harder for a promotion or to just seek a better life--so often the years of lack of self worth and poor discipline is such a difficult obstacle to overcome! Some have said finally "Enough Is Enough" and they decided to pull out of their lot in life and with God's help--moved forward and began to live the American Dream. But I see too many who will just not try to do better--they are simply defeated. And unfortunately, that mentality--that disease--is spreading like wildfire all through our community and our nation!
Yes, we are in some tough times. Yes, we face major challenges right here in Mesquite and around the nation. BUT WE ARE NOT DEFEATED!!! We need to stop acting like we are!
Just like the Israelites who forgot that God had delivered them from the hand of the Egyptian Army by parting the Red Sea, who was content to go back to slavery and bondage as opposed to deal with some tough times and keep their faith in God--we as Americans and Mesquiteites--we forget all the greatness we've experienced as Americans. We forget that we are a nation who overcame a terrible civil war. We forget that we are a nation who overcame two awful world wars and a depression. We forget that we once put a man on the moon. WE ARE STILL A GREAT NATION AND A GREAT CITY! But we act like we are beat and that we can't do much better. It seems as if we are resolved to just accept that other nations are beating us in the classroom, in the market place, and in many other facets where we once led! But we've gotten behind before--AND THEN CAME BACK AND WON AGAIN! WE PREVAILED OVER AND OVER THROUGHOUT HISTORY! And regardless of how bad our economics are or other struggles we face--WE IN AMERICA AND IN MESQUITE CAN PREVAIL AGAIN!!!!
I often don't agree with President Obama on a wide array of his policies. But I so appreciated it when he acted like an inspriational leader at his last State of the Union address when he reminded us that "This Is Our Sputnik Moment" (in reference to once fierce competition between the U.S. and the Soviets to put a man on the moon). Why not let this, a difficult time like many others in our history that we've overcame--be a moment where we say "We are going to do what it takes to win and prevail!" Why not? The President in his speech also said "We Do Big Things!" Lets run with that thought! Lets get back to being a nation and community that produces risk takers and entrepreneurs like the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison. LETS GO DO BIG THINGS!
Maybe you've always wanted to go back to college and get an education--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to go out on your own and start your own business--you just know you'd be good at whatever it is--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to lose weight and get in shape--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to go run for public office because you know what needs to be done but didn't have the courage to get into the arena--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've always wanted to go help the homeless and or start a ministry to help those in need--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you messed up a lot when you were younger, but are ready to start living a different life and pursue your dreams and not be held back any longer--GO DO IT!!! Maybe you've been unemployed for a while and just can't seem to find a job where your comfortable and you may have to do something different--GO DO IT!!! We're Americans--WE DO BIG THINGS!!! America can again, be a "Shining City On A Hill" as Ronald Reagan once described us.
Franklin Roosevelt, in his 1933 inaugural address, as the nation faced a terrible financial depression, spoke these simple words of hope that we'd be wise to embrace today: "There Is Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself." So often we live mediocre and unfulfilled lives simply out of fear! And yet, scripture tells us not to live a life of timidity, but of courage and love. We were made in God's image. We were not created to be wimpy, whiny people. We were made to do great things! Let us live within the boundaries of the Stockdale Paradox. Let us recognize and embrace that things are tough and won't be easy--the brutal facts if you will--and work through those facts. But then let us live out an indomitable faith that says in the end--WE WILL PREVAIL! And let us not waiver from that belief! As Robert Kennedy told us, "The future is not a gift. It is an achievement."
Does that mean that prevail is only defined in that you get just what you wanted? NO! It does mean that the ride on the way to the goal and mission--was well worth the effort! A life well lived. THERE ARE SIMPLY WORSE THINGS THAN FAILING AT ONE'S ATTEMPTS TO SUCCEED. THAT IS TO NOT TRY AT ALL! My hero, President Theodore Roosevelt explain's this concept much more eloquently than I can in his speech titled "Citizenship In A Republic" or more commonly known as "In The Arena"--which this blog is consequently named:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat" (TR in Paris, France April 23, 1910).
Lets get up my fellow citizens, my neighbors, my friends, my brothers and sisters--and lets get out of comfort zones that are killing our spirit--and lets go win. Lets go succeed. Lets go prevail! Lets go really live life! Lets go make a difference. If the naysayers and the negative nillies say it can't be done--THEN GET THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE! Lets throw off the shackles that are keeping us down and rise up and be all we can and more! With the Lord's help--we will!
Lets get up off the ground, brush
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