The Ultimate Gift

There is a movie in the theaters that has a great message for men. The Ultimate Gift is based on the book by Jim Stovall, who is an amazing story himself. Jim Stovall is a blind man who has taken his limitations and turned them around as a path to success. He has become a national champion Olympic weightlifter, successful investment broker, entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker.

The Ultimate Gift is a story of Red Stevens (played by James Garner), a self made billionaire who has left a video will to his very greedy family upon his death. His long time friend and lawyer, Ted Hamilton is in charge of distributing his oil estate and other belongings. Steven’s greedy family leave angry, with no sense of grief or loss, because they do not get all that they want from the estate.

The most disrespectful of the lot is Red Steven's out of control grandson, Jason Stevens who does not seem to care whether he gets anything or not. He is content to live his decadent lifestyle and move on. However, Red Stevens leaves him the choice of fulfilling a list of requirements before he can get his gift. The requirements consist of 12 tasks, which his uncle refers to as gifts: the gift of work, of laughter, of family, of learning, of problems, et cetera. If at any time he fails to meet them to Ted Hamilton's expectations, he will not get anything at all.

In the process of completing the requirements, young Jason encounters many people who help him begin to realize what is truly important in life. In the process of helping people in many challenging circumstances, Jason is confronted with his own self-centered life.  Slowly he begins to see human beings as people of worth, not just objects blocking his way. In the end he gains a new perspective on what is really important. The ultimate gift is a valuable life lesson.

Proverbs 13:22 reminds us, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.” What type of inheritance are you planning to give to your children and grandchildren? Hopefully it is more than material wealth. I challenge you to give them the example of a balanced life. A balanced life is one that illustrates for them the importance of balancing material wealth and possessions with the wealth of relationships with family and friends.

Shoulder to Shoulder,

Gregg

A day wasted?

By most measures of success, Charles Francis Adams was one of the most successful men in 19th century America. Born the son of President John Quincy Adams and the grandson of President John Adams, he became an influential lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. Adams was elected to the Massachusetts legislature, the United States House of Representatives and was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as the Ambassador to Great Britain. As Ambassador to Great Britain, he played a major role in keeping the English from siding with the South during the Civil War. He returned to America as a hero.

With all of his outward successes, however, Adams appeared to struggle with his priorities. Like many men, he seemed to loose perspective of the importance of spending time with his children. This is evidenced by a rather obscure entry in his daily diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." The son he referenced was his oldest child, Brook, who also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!"

What a contrast in how father and son viewed the day they spent together. How ironic that what the father viewed as a waste of time, the son saw as an investment of time. Never underestimate the importance of spending time with your children and grandchildren. Your time is one of the most valuable gifts you can give them. Investing time in people you love will result in lifelong dividends of love and affection. Come join us this Sunday as we learn together how to balance these two worlds of work and home.

Shoulder to shoulder,

Gregg