Word for the Week

  War Stories is a collection of conversations with Servicemembers who share the memories that helped define their service. This collection is designed to preserve the legacy of military service, and honor the memory of those who served.

War Stories is a collection of conversations with Servicemembers who share the memories that helped define their service. This collection is designed to preserve the legacy of military service, and honor the memory of those who served.

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack. I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service. After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.  This particular interview was a surprise. We found out that Earl Chung, the bus driver for The Greatest Generation Foundation Tour, was himself a Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War. He is a Hawaiian native and is one of the most kind people I've ever met. He shares his incredible story of the evacuation of Saigon...and his love for Hawaii. 

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack. I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service. After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack. I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service. After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack. I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service. After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack. I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service. After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Huynh's father fought for the South Vietnamese Army during the Viet Nam War. After the war, he was captured and imprisoned in a communist re-education camp. He was finally released after enduring years of abuse and torture. CSM Huynh's father eventually escaped from Viet Nam, and he took CSM Huynh and several other refugees with him. CSM Huynh shares his incredible story of survival, endurance and pure grit as he made his way to the USA, grew up in a rural Iowa community, and eventually enlisted in the Army.

Cheri Hogrefe is never content with average and loves challenges. She’s a wife, a mother of three, and serves as the children’s curriculum developer at her church. Cheri enjoys drawing from her passion and experience as a college athlete, physical education teacher and coach not only to write curriculum, but to face the challenges of life. I grew up with Cheri and learned first hand how much she loves life and those around her. And if there’s anything I appreciate as much as her infectious laughter, it’s the fact that she’s my cousin. You’re going to enjoy this conversation as she shares three thoughts that have been on her mind during this current global crisis. Finding purpose is essential Liking who you are makes life easier Mental health is as important as physical health

Jason Forte and I deployed to Iraq together from 2009-2010. I quickly learned how passionate he is about serving Soldiers and their families, and we’ve been good friends ever since. Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash I’ve learned a lot from Jason about intentional leadership and  serving others. His example has made a big impact on my life. Recently, I asked Jason to share several of his thoughts regarding the current crisis our nation is facing. One of the big themes he's experiencing has to do with the opportunity he sees to invest in family. Here are those three thoughts. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Devotional time with my own family Reconnecting with extended family Ending the day well with family

There is a fascinating dimension in the mind that has incredible power to determine how we perform—in our professional and in our personal lives. That space is the sweet spot where Dr. Mary Rose Blank loves to operate. Mary Rose (or “M.R.” as her clients affectionately call her) is a mental performance coach specializing in sport and performance psychology. Her passion for excellence fuels her work with professional athletes and warriors to optimize their performance. I always enjoy sharing conversations with her exploring the space where mind, body and soul overlaps. In this conversation, M.R. shares her 3 thoughts on the current crisis challenging us today. You can check her out at: www.tier1mindset.com. Here are her “3 thoughts." Enjoy! Perception of the situation Be mindful of our sphere of influence—Controlling what you can control (what you can control, what you can influence, what is outside your control) Work-life balance—pause to recover You can hear previous conversations with Mary Rose at the following links: #40: Mental Performance: The Negativity Bias-Pt. 1 [Interview with Dr. Mary Rose Blank] #41: Mental Performance: The Negativity Bias-Pt. 2 [Interview with MPO, Dr. Mary Rose Blank] #42: Mental Performance-The Pervasive Magnitude of Gratitude [Interview with MPO, Dr. Mary Rose Blank] #44: Mental Performance-Active Constructive Responding [Interview with MPO Dr. Mary Rose Blank] #48: Practicing Compassionate Awareness [Mental Performance with Dr. M.R. Blank]

James Evans founded the Nashville-based nonprofit, Benchmark Adventure Ministries (www.benchmark.org), because of his passion to use outdoor adventure to foster experiential learning. James designs adventure programs that are specifically tailored for different teams and uses his programs to enhance building teamwork and resilience, and to generate self assessment. I’ve gotten to know James through his work with the military and have enjoyed seeing him in action. You’ll see why in our conversation as he shares his three thoughts on the current crisis. Enjoy! Here are James’s three thoughts: Honestly assess where you’re at and take responsibility for it 15 minutes Blame less, be more content

One of the great privileges of serving in the military is getting to know and work alongside others who see the world from different perspectives than my own, while at the same time partnering with them to serve others. I have come to respect and admire John Christian for his passion to help others through his work as a psychologist, and while there are ways we do see the world differently, we share a mutual appreciation for how our professional disciplines intersect for the good of those around us. I’ve had so many wonderful conversations with John about how faith and psychology intersect for good in people’s lives. I’m glad we finally got to record one of those conversations. I hope you enjoy listening to the three thoughts that have been on his mind during this global crisis.   We need a struggle to engage Action leads to a change in attitude (behavioral activation) Human beings are meant for connection

Whether talking sports, current events, classic literature or theology, conversations with Jay Outen never disappoint. In this conversation Jay shares three thoughts that have been shaping his perspective as he observes our culture in the current Covid crisis: 1) The control we have in our lives is just an illusion 2) What is my comfort? 3) How can I capitalize on this time? We also dive into the classics and a little pop culture and discuss Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the Netflix documentary, "Tiger King," and ESPN's documentary, "The Last Dance." Here’s a song that Jay has been listening to: https://youtu.be/h-xQDm-KZw8 “Three Thoughts” is a series of podcasts I’m producing to offer fresh perspective in this difficult time, and to offer help and hope for the challenges we are facing. I hope these “3 thoughts” episodes with  a range of people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds offers encouragement for you today.  Success by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Chip Satterlee shares three thoughts that have been shaping his perspective over the last few months, and talks about a couple books that have been influencing his mind and heart amidst the Covid-19 crisis. This, too, shall pass—there’ a season for everything Use this as an opportunity to grow God is with us...Matthew 1:24

Nick Stavlund shares two essential insights that have been keeping his heart and mind in the right place during the current global crisis. 1) God is pursuing us, and (2) contentment and happiness doesn’t lie on the other side of achievement. He also shares about why he became a CrossFit coach and eventually started a box, CrossFit Chaparral, before becoming an Active Duty Army Chaplain.  Before becoming an Active Duty Army Chaplain, Nick ran a CrossFit box called CrossFit Chaparral Credits for concluding music: Inspire And Motivate by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Mike Krog is the kind of friend that always builds you up with truth, speaks words of encouragement, and offers timely words of wisdom that are insightful and relevant to whatever situation you’re in. I first got to know Mike when we worked as Army Chaplains together in the mighty 101st ABN Division at Fort Campbell, and since then our paths have crossed on several occasions in school and at work. I asked Mike to share three thoughts that offer the right perspective, and which offer help and hope in the midst of this current global crisis. What he shares is really good, and as always, Mike draws his insights from a broad menu of personal reading, reflection and study. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.  You've got to hear his three thoughts, but I'll list them here for quick reference: Listen to the voices that give you hope and life Find meaning in this time of hardship Go outside Also, Mike shares a song that has made an impact on him during this time: Crowder, Johnnyswim, Tori Kelly - Because He Lives (Easter At Passion City Church) https://youtu.be/La9Zy917JcQ “Three Thoughts” is a series of podcasts I’m producing to offer fresh insight that helps us maintain the right perspective in this difficult time, and to find help and hope for the challenges we are facing. I hope these “3 thoughts” episodes with  a range of people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds offers encouragement for you today. 

Brandon Bayne is a religion professor at the University of North Carolina. We attended seminary together in Boston and have stayed in touch ever since. I have admired his journey through academia and love how passionate he is about pursuing knowledge and understanding the world around him. As the COVID-19 crisis first unfolded, and universities were sending students home and trying to figure out how to restructure the university classroom, Brandon sat down and wrote out five principles that would guide his approach to his syllabus. He published it on Facebook and Twitter, thinking it might offer several meaningful ideas for other educators, but the response was so broad and receptive, that Time heard about it and asked him for an interview. In our conversation, Brandon shares those five principles and how recently losing his mom to cancer shaped some of his thinking. Dr. Bayne's first book, Missions Begin with Blood: Suffering and Salvation in the Spanish Borderlands, is forthcoming with Fordham University Press later in 2020. His other publications include:  "Willy-Nilly Baptisms and Chichimeca Freedoms: Missionary Disputes , Indigenous Desires and the 1695 O'odham Revolt." “Converting the Pacific: Jesuit Networks between Asia and the Americas,” Oxford Handbook of Iberian Borderlands (Forthcoming, Oxford, 2016) “Crossings and Contact Zones: Religion, Borderlands, and Las Fronteras of the Americas,” Religion Compass, (Wiley, November, 2014) Dissertation: “A Passionate Pacification: Salvation and Suffering in the Jesuit Missions of Northern New Spain, 1594 – 1767” (Harvard, May, 2012) “From Saint to Seeker: Teresa Urrea’s Search for a Place of Her Own,” Church History (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

I was classmates with Brock Morgan at Bryan College, and the last time I saw him was 26 years ago when he was moving out of his dorm after graduation. Since then, Brock has written 15 books and works as a speaker and youth pastor. His most recent book, Beautiful Rebellion, was written for teenagers, encouraging them to join a movement that brings lasting change to our personal lives, and to the world. He and his wife currently live in Washington D.C. I recently caught up with Brock and asked him for three thoughts on the current state of affairs in the world. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and that it provides a fresh perspective for you today.   You can reach Brock here: @realbrockmorgan, and learn more about his books and speaking at www.brockmorgan.com.

Chris Auger enlisted in the Navy in 1987, earned his Navy SEAL Trident in 1988, then served in the SEAL teams until his retirement in 2015. In his almost 28 years he deployed six times all over the globe. After 10 years of service, Chris came to realize that the man in the mirror was not who his wife deserved as a husband or the man he would like his daughter to marry someday. His bride of almost 28 years help Chris with this revelation with a note she left him one night he came home after midnight.  The note and realization began a transformational journey that would forever impact his and his family’s lives forever. Chris retired from the Navy and SEAL community in 2015. His final Command where he was the executive officer was responsible for leadership development and education for all Naval Special Warfare. Chris received his Doctorate in Strategic Leadership with a concentration in leadership coaching from Regent University. He has a Masters in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego with his undergrad in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland University College. He is a Board Certified Coach from the Center for Credentialing and Education and is certified to administer the DiSC assessment and EQi 2.0 suite of emotional intelligence assessments. Today, Chris serves with the WinShape Foundation Founded by Truett Cathy of Chick fil A. WinShape named after shaping winners is home to 6 ministries consisting of a College program, Camps for boys and girls, Foster homes program, WinShape Teams, Retreat and Marriage programs. Dr. Chris Auger is a team and leader development consultant with WinShape Teams. They facilitate meaningful and impactful experiences for clients that yield innovative and enduring solutions. In this role, he uses his experience and certifications to specialize in combining emotional intelligence with servant leadership to build leaders, followers and teams that are highly self-aware.

Joey Odell graduated from West Point, and then served 10 years as an Army Kiowa Pilot. After a conversion of faith, he left the Army to become a pastor before God called him back to the military as an Army Chaplain. His first tour as a chaplain was with 1/327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Joey shares some of his experience as a chaplain serving in combat with Screaming Eagles in the Pech River Valley of Afghanistan during OEF 10-11.  Since that deployment, Joey has served several years in Special Operations and then at his alma mater, West Point. Joey is a father of 13, and recently he wrote a book called Faith Is Not Blind, where he challenges sincere Christians to answer four critical questions. We discuss these questions, fatherhood, and his recent theological transition Anglicanism in this interview. You can learn more about Joey’s book at https://www.joeyodell.com. If you’d like to learn more about Joey’s experience at West Point, you can watch an interview at the West Point Center for Oral History website.

I recently met SGM Jesus “Chuy” Almonte at a leadership conference in Fayetteville, NC. He was asked to sit on a panel of military leaders advising chaplains on how to more effectively care for Soldiers and Families. As I listened to Chuy, two things became immediately clear to me. First, this guy is serious about good leadership, and second, this guy loves his family. As a senior Green Beret, I was curious to know how he and his wife have navigated the challenges of raising a family of 5 children, with 1 on the way, while serving under the rigorous demands of leadership inside Special Forces. I asked Chuy if he’d be willing to sit down after the conference and share some of his thoughts about that journey. In this conversation, Chuy shares about how his faith plays a central role in equipping and empowering him and his wife as they raise their kids within the challenging context of military service. He also shares some of the leadership techniques he and his wife have learned along the way that help keep their family strong and close. I asked him to explain how he views success for his children, and how he is teaching his sons to become men. There’s a special bonus included in this conversation: the consummate military professional, Chuy sings a classic old school double time cadence for us. You’re going to love it.

Casey signed up to fight his nation’s wars the year after 9/11. After 17 years of service—12 of them in Special Operations—and after going on 42 different training trips and combat deployments literally all around the globe, he has gained some perspective on being a husband and father. He’s quick to declare up front how failure has played a big role in shaping his understanding of what it means to be a good father, and how much grace his wife and kids have extended to him throughout his frequent absences from home. But it is this grit and determination he and his wife share that has forged the relationships he has with his 4 children today, one of which he and his wife adopted five years ago. In this interview, Casey shares some of the most powerful lessons he has learned, and some of the most valuable insights he has gained, from staying engaged and remaining intentionally invested with his family, despite the challenges of being gone half their lives in service to our nation. 

In the journey toward becoming a man, every boy needs to hear that his father loves and affirms him. But sometimes it's not easy for fathers to know what to do or say to express that love and affirmation, especially if fathers didn't grow up receiving it themselves. John Brantley has a vision to equip fathers to do this effectively. He started BAM (or Becoming A Man) Adventures with the mission to provide a healthy and constructive framework for fathers, stepfathers, guardians, and mentors to confidently interact with their boys and provide the guidance and positive accountability needed to build strong healthy men who become leaders in their family, work, communities, and around the world. Using the "Do & Discuss Method", John and his team create memorable father/son retreats that teach fathers how to communicate four essential affirmations every boy needs to hear: 1) I know who you are, (2) I love who you are, (3) You have what it takes to make it in life, and (4) I'm with you every step of the way. You can learn more about John's vision and methodology at www.bamadventures.net.

Chaplain (COL) Keith Croom was 15 years old when he knew God called him to vocational ministry. While preparing to become an Army Chaplain, he met his future wife, Kelly. Three weeks later he told her he loved her. After twenty five years of marriage, they continue to come alongside, and help serve the spiritual needs of Army Families. Currently, Keith serves as the senior chaplain in the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Recently, my fellow chaplain, Michael Krog, and I sat down with Keith and Kelly to hear about their perspective on the challenges Army Families face, especially within the Special Operations community.

There are lots of misconceptions about how our bodies interact with alcohol. For example, does alcohol help you sleep better? Lauren answers this question and explains how alcohol impacts our sleep, hormones, performance, and how our bodies metabolize it. 

Practicing compassionate awareness is essential for us to have healthy, and meaningful relationships with ourselves and with those around us. Dr. Blank addresses this spiritual process through a mental performance perspective.

As a Performance Dietician Lauren Thomas studies how nutrition impacts performance based metrics and equips tactical-level athletes to understand how to properly fuel their performance. Last week Lauren shared with us 6 ways overeating negatively impacts our bodies. Today, she shares with us how the use of mindfulness combats the tendency to overeat.

Culture and marketing media pressure us to turn Christmas into an object we consume, rather than a sacred season we celebrate; and we often feel the effects of that pressure in our stress levels and in the anxiety we feel during the holiday season. In this episode Dr. Mary Rose Blank shares four essential pillars in self-care as a way to withstand those holiday stressors. I hope you enjoy.

Lauren Thomas is a Performance Dietician, and has three sets of letters behind her name (M.S. in Nutrition Education, R.D. Registered Dietician, CSSD-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics)…in other words, she’s basically an expert! She studies how nutrition impacts performance based metrics and equips tactical-level athletes understand how to properly fuel their performance. Today, Lauren shares with us six ways that overeating negatively impacts our body.

When someone brings you good news, how do you respond? We all have a typical response style we use in our communication with others. Today Mary Rose talks with us about four primary styles: (1) Passive constructive responding, (2) passive destructive, (3) active destructive, and (4) active constructive responding.    Then she leads us through a deeper understanding of how the active constructive response style fosters deeper, more meaningful relationships. Enjoy the conversation!

Al and Jeff are back with their new sports show format. Today they tackle their top five: NFL rundown, college football, the Wilder/Fury fight, Urban Meyer and domestic abuse in the NFL. 

Gratitude is a physiological antidote to stress. It change the chemistry of our brain and rewires our neuropathways. Mary Rose shows us how to incorporate gratitude into a routine that helps us optimize our performance in life.

Dr. Mary Rose Blank continues to explain the Negativity Bias she introduced in episode #40. She explains the neuroscience underneath the Negativity Bias works and introduces ways to overcome it in our lives in order to optimize our performance. 

What does neuroscience teach us about our natural inclination toward negativity? In this episode Mary Rose tells us how the Negativity Bias works and introduces us to ways to overcome it in our lives in order to optimize our performance. 

  John Dickson, in his book, Humilitas, makes the case that practicing humility is just common sense. Regardless of how capable or qualified you might be in one area doesn’t mean you necessarily know a great deal about everything else.

I love sports, but I don’t always have time to follow the headlines. That’s why I love listening to the Sports Guys—Al and Jeff. Each week they decide on 5 of the biggest American Sports headlines and provide a brief summary of what’s going on. You can always listen to them in the second half of the Word for the Week Show, after our interview segment (17:35).    Mary Rose, a professional mental performance coach, has walked us through habit development, goal setting, and motivation. Today she finishes off her current series with stress management (4:45).    But first, here’s what I learned this week from John Dickson’s book, Humilitas, about humility in leadership.

In episode #35 mental performance coach, Mary Rose, taught us about how habits are formed. In our last episode she talked about goal setting. Today, she’s going to teach us about motivation. You’re going to love what Mary Rose has for us in this episode (4:20).   She’s followed by The Sports Guys, Al and Jeff. They give us the latest college and pro football rundown. You don’t want to miss them later in the show (19:45). But first, here’s your word for the week on humility. 

Here's part 1 from our series on humility, followed by mental performance coach, Mary Rose (minute 3:35). Last week she explained how habits are formed. This week she tells us about the science behind motivation. Then Al & Jeff talk about Drew Brees and share their opinions on NFL rookie QBs today. Of course, they line up this weekend's biggest NFL and college games (minute 23:30).

The next series of podcasts… It’s been a while since my last Word for the Week Podcast. I’ve started a new format featuring input from some really neat people I’ve gotten to know. I’ll start each podcast with a devotional “word for the week,” and then follow it up with different segments each week. This week, I introduce the topic of humility—a powerful virtue that is often misunderstood. I’m followed by a Mental Performance Coach, Mary Rose. Then we get to hear from Al and Jeff—two guys who love to talk sports. In the following weeks, I’ll keep my opening devotional a little more compact as I share my thoughts from the book, Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love and Leadership. This is a work in progress, so I’m hoping I can make this something you enjoy and actually benefit from while you’re on your commute, or just out running around. Finally, please send in your comments in questions via the “Send Voicemail” feature at the right of your screen. Click on it, record your comment or question, and it will automatically send it to me. I’d love to include your comment or question in my next show. We want to hear from you!

In our final podcast, Pete and Brian talk about our own challenges with engaging with other religions. How can we remain passionately Christian while still humbly interacting with those of other faiths?  We talk about some of the lessons we learned interacting with other religions and some of the challenges that we still face.

Islam is at the forefront of inter-religious thought in America for the last two decades.  We bring a lot of baggage to this conversation and it makes it very difficult to understand the religion from the point of view of practitioners. This is again a 101 level discussion between Pete and Brian about the basics of Islam.  We once again try to see the problem that Islam is attempting to solve and some of the ways in which they go about it. To get an insider's perspective, read In the Footsteps of the Prophet.  It is written in a devotional style for Muslims.  For a history written closer to the time of Muhammad read Life of Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq.

In the United States we are inundated with subtle references to Buddhism.  Whether it is a bumper sticker that says, “My Karma Ran Over Your Dogma,” or Hollywood stars talking about their Zen practices, we hear bits of Buddhist practice often taken out of context.  This podcast is a conversation about Buddhism in a beginning discussion aimed at understanding the religion of over 500 million adherents. Check out the book Buddha by Deepak Chopra.  It is a work of historical fiction about the life of Siddhartha Gautama or the Buddha.  While not heavy on doctrine, it will help you understand the story.

For Westerners there may be no more confusing religion than Hinduism. With its plethora of gods, lack of orthodoxy, and strange practices, Hinduism is an enigma.   This is another discussion about the basics of this religion claiming over a billion adherents in the world (primarily in India).  Find out what Hindus believe about the problem in the world and how their faith aims to resolve it. To jump right into Hinduism from one of the most popular original sources, try reading the Bhagavad Gita. Here also is an interesting book review of Why I Am a Hindu which highlights some of the challenges of understanding this religion.

Pete and Brian talk on how we understand religion. In this podcast you will hear some definitions of religion and some ways to analyze them. At the center is the framework presented by Stephen Prothero in God Is Not One.  At its core, we start to understand religions by finding out what they see is the fundamental problem with the world and how their religion proposes to solve this problem. From there we must seek to understand the techniques and ways to get to the solution. As we start a dialogue about other religions this podcast may help you in your effort to understand religions very different from your own. Check out Prothero’s book here.

Have you ever wondered what it is that enables some people to endure extreme adversity, and then be able bounce back from it?  World-renowned author, speaker, and professor, Dr. Glenn Schiraldi, calls that special ingredient “resilience.” The recent movie Unbroken about WWII veteran and Japanese prison camp survivor Louis Zamperini gives us a glimpse of what that resilience looks like. Dr. Schiraldi interviewed Mr. Zamperini a few years ago, along with a number of other WWII veterans and holocaust survivors and has written about much of what he has learned in a number of different books. Photo of Louis Zamperini. “When he thought of his history, what resonated with him now was not all that he had suffered but the divine love that he believed had intervened to save him.” ― Laura Hillenbrand In his recent book, The Resilient Warrior, Dr. Schirali writes, "Resilience is those strengths of mind and character—both inborn and developed—that help us to respond well to adversity. The strengths of resilience help us to: • Perform at our very best, even under pressure • Prevent and recover from combat stress-related problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, problem anger, drug/substance abuse, and difficulty connecting with others • Maintain and improve peak mental fitness throughout life."   He is the author of 12 books on stress-related topics that include: The Complete Guide to Resilience; The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook; and World War II Survivors: Lessons in Resilience. Recently I had the privilege to attend several of his lectures on the topic of resilience. He was kind enough to sit down and share his time in the following interview. You can learn more about Dr. Schiraldi's work and books at: www.resiliencefirst.com.

On June 28, 2013, lightning struck the mountains near Yarnell, AZ, a tiny community about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix, igniting a raging wildfire that came to be known as the Yarnell Hill Fire. Ongoing drought conditions and erratic wind patterns caused the wildfire to quickly grow out of control. Andrew Ashcraft was killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013 The Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite group of local, highly trained firefighters specifically trained  to fight wildfires, were deployed to combat the flames. on June 30, however, two days after the wildfire began, 19 of the 20 Granite Mountain Hotshots were overcome and killed by the blaze. This was the largest loss of life for firefighters in a wildfire since 1933, and the greatest loss of firefighters in the United States since 9/11.   Andrew Ashcraft, husband and father of four, was one of the members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who was killed.  Andrew’s brother, TJ, had just returned from a 12 month deployment in Afghanistan as a crew chief on a medevac crew and had just spent Father’s Day with Andrew and their father, just days before Andrew was killed. This past June 30, while deployed to Iraq, TJ and members of his company remembered the 3 year anniversary of Andrew’s death.  TJ Ashcraft remembers while in Iraq I had a chance to hear about the tragedy from TJ’s perspective while with him in Iraq, and learned how TJ’s faith in God sustained him through that time, and continues to encourage him three years later.   

Special Operations pilot, Jason Nazarenko, recently surprised his wife, Kammi, with a trip to the beach to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. While there they sat on the beach and reflected on the highs and lows that make up the story of their love. In my conversation with them they both share some of those highs and lows with me, and some of what they've learned about how to help their marriage flourish. It hasn't always been easy; but it has been an incredible 20 years! They are both thrilled about the next 20 to come.

Colonel Art Finch is about to take over as the senior psychologist in the Army’s Special Operations Command. He has served as a psychologist in Special Operations throughout the Global War on Terror, and ever since. Having spent thousands of hours with our nation’s most elite warriors, he has a unique understanding of their mindset and the challenges they face within marriage. He recently sat down me and Chaplain Jay Outen, a regimental chaplain also serving inside Special Operations to discuss those challenges. 

Part Two: Ever wondered what makes up marital intimacy? Closeness in marriage is what every couple hopes for, but it often eludes many of us.  Rebecca Townsend shares her take on the main ingredients that make up marital intimacy and some of the roadblocks that get in the way.

Part One: Ever wondered what makes up marital intimacy? Closeness in marriage is what every couple hopes for, but it often eludes many of us.  Rebecca Townsend shares her take on the main ingredients that make up marital intimacy and some of the roadblocks that get in the way.