You do You. Be You. Stand tall.

Size doesn’t matter.

There are no short cuts in life.

If you retain any lessons of a lifelong learner. This is one of the most important. It is vital and important if you care or want to measure up to being a man. Counterintuitive. Perhaps. A man measures small, measures often.

To ensure you are not on the path to leading a “less than” life. This concept is both important on the table or off the table, or no table. Most importantly,

Under the table.

Note: The table. This is where the wheeling and dealing occurs. Wish I knew. Am God-gratefully glad I did not know. Otherwise it puts me in the category of the no man. As in “no man’s land”. And the land of which we put our feet is precious and hard fought land that our fore fathers fought with their blood. They did not pretend.

Pretend pay for play.

Pretend play for pay.

The measure of a man.

Is so much more than what he may bring to the table.

And if you are blessed to cross paths with a person such as he.

You will be introduced to Him.

Consider yourself blessed beyond your human measure.

Beyond your human measure.

Beyond your human measure.

Sometimes we are so far into the mess of life’s message that we forget to stop and think.

Better yet.

We forget to stop and love.

Stop and just be a person to another person.

Judge slow. Love first (jw).

By God’s grace and a journey of a story yet to be told, we met such a man. Who was,

A man.

In every sense of the word.

A family man.

A son man.

A friend man.

A boss man.

A coach man.

A father man.

A brother man.

A sister man.

A community man.

A teacher man.

A chips are down man.

When the chips are down.

One who loves first, thinks second but intuitively knows first and dials back the connection to your soul and resets your momentary misery. He calls to talk you out of your head and sets you straight. He does not have to do any of this. But he does all this and more.

Blessed are you in the moment. Yet, a man such as he is such that he allows you the space and time to figure it out for yourself. And thinks and prays for your awakening each minute of every day.

This man is a man beyond busy. The busy-ness we all use often and portray to the outside world to portray ourselves as so important. You see, this man has figured it out. He is not pompous, bragodocious, or rude.

In fact, he is steadfast, strong and unassuming. A one for all and all for one kind of man.

An unafraid man.

When he argues a bad call, a questionable play or a dreadful moment, he is unafraid to do so. Un compromising.

All with the instant replay of a strong heart.

Not of a strong digital contraption camera.

And some may think or wonder or ponder why. Because this man has figured out the importance of what is important. And he does not hedge.

May you be so lucky in life to make the mistakes that bring you close to the wisdom of the man who knows how to reset your path and guide you in the right, best direction, for the right and best reasons.

Life is complicated enough without someone who chooses not to genuinely have your back. With out any ulterior motive, thought or agenda.

Cynics of course think unhealthily of this man. Believers do not. They think the healthy path to a life well lived is to judge as this man does—which is to love first judge last.

This man stands tall.

In his words.

In his deeds.

In his actions.

Exhaustingly.

This man, however, does not get exhausted.

Because this man knows Gods love is inexhaustible.

He is unafraid to share his uncompromising beliefs in the interest of wealth, popularity or status. He feels as one with the beggar on the street as the rich man in the tower. And knows all too well about the forgotten persons wallowing in the dreadful middle hoping upon hope they will matter enough some day to matter.

This man will not settle for dreadful. For your dread. He has a wisdom beyond measure. He measures small. Measures often. (ask) You see, because he knows a thing or two about opportunists using opportunity as a means to an end. Of who. You wonder.

Of an over served person.

An over served person?

Life is complicated. This may not seem, what you think you may know is what it seems. Or is.

The rich get rich.

The poorer get poorer.

And somewhere in that equation is a dis honest playbook of non-caring individuals.

Life is complicated.

Some persons do not want to be where they are.

And.

They will use you to get to where they think they want to or need to be.

Lessons from a lifelong learner.

Do not be left in the dust of someone else’s ignorance.

Size does not matter.

The size of a persons heart does matter.

Do not hedge your fortune for the fortune of another who does not want to be where they are. Chances are they have not taken the precious time to know where they want to be in life. Because they were too busy not liking themselves, where they were and thought it best to bowl you over to get what you had even if they had no clue that or if they wanted it.

Life is complicated.

Is generally never cut and dry.

As some folks think it is.

Think it will result in the outcome that they want.

Forgiveness does not work that way.

If you are kind. If you are nice.

Makes no difference.

Unless you pray to learn what true kindness may look like.

Or cut the crap of your own dishonesty.

Then compromise becomes impossible.

Because you chose the wrong path.

And the man knew it.

The man knows it.

And the man protects that which he feels deserves the chance to live and serve our God who will earn the love of a true and steadfast servant.

Life is not complicated to a real man.

Life is not complicated to the God he serves.