Meet Patrick Combs

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Do you know who this guy is? If you don't, you will want to by the time you're done with today's article.

About ten years ago during the late 90's, I was just getting started as a motivational speaker and author. Ravenous for advice, I went hunting for inspirational articles that were geared towards beginning speakers/writers.

Good ole Google swamped me with a dizzying array of information on that subject, which could have easily overwhelmed me. But somehow I was divinely led to Patrick Combs' Good Thinking website. From the moment I entered the world of Good Thinking Company, I was hooked. Like a crazed crack addict, I kept going back for more, frequently downloading articles and motivational statements so that I could inject myself with more faith whenever I needed it the most.

A short time after that, I fired off an introductory email to thank Patrick for his wisdom. His humble reply was filled with graditude. Pretty soon we became cyberpals with the intention of meeting in person at the right time.

One day, in the middle of a hot, humid afternoon in New York City, the flashing lamp in my living room alerted me to an incoming telephone call. I walked over to the table where I kept a small TTY device with a screen and keyboard that was plugged into the telephone jack. (For those of you visiting this blog for the first time, I'm deaf and use a special device for telephone communications - Click here for a description if you're curious).

Switching the device on, I typed "Hello."

I was met with a blank screen. Thinking it was the wrong number (as was often the case), I shrugged my shoulders and hung up.

Then it rang again. And again. Each time I entered "Hello" on the keyboard, there was no answer.

When it rang the 5th time, I almost ignored it. But something told me this call was not to be missed. So I turned the TTY back on and typed yet another greeting.

Silence.

Frowning at the lack of response, I murmured to no one in particular, "What is going on?"

Then an idea hit me. Pick it up, pick it up and say something!

Wondering who this persistent caller could be, I voiced into the mouthpiece, "Hello, is Stephen Hopson and it looks like someone is trying to call me but I'm deaf. I'm going to give you the number of a relay service so that you can call me the proper way. You'll need a piece of paper and a pen for instructions."

Silently counting to ten, hoping that was enough time for the caller to get organized, I proceeded, "Okay, the relay number is 1-800-xxx-xxxx. Dial that first. Wait for a live person and then instruct the operator to call 212-xxx-xxxx. That's it. If you've never done a relay call before, don't worry, they'll walk you through it."

After repeating myself just to make sure, I simply hung up and hoped for the best.

Not more than thirty seconds later, the phone rang. "Hello?" I quickly typed.

A message flashed across the screen: "New York Relay Service, with a call for Stephen Hopson from Patrick Combs."

I nearly fell off my chair.

"Patrick, what in the world are you doing in New York!?!??" My fingers were flying furiously on the tiny keyboard.

The operator bounced back with: "I'm here for a speaking engagement with some time to kill. Want to meet for dinner tonight?"

"That sounds great!" I typed back.

And that was how our friendship began nearly ten years ago. Since then, our personal and professional lives have taken us in different directions, but our paths have managed to cross once or twice, with the rest of the time communicating online.

Had Patrick given up at the first, second, third or even fourth try, we might have never met that day!

Over the years I've had the great pleasure of watching his professional career soar to greater and greater heights. If I were to describe him in one sentence, here's what I would say:

Patrick Combs is a man of incredible passion, genuine love and integrity who wants nothing more than to lift other people up and does so with tremendous class.

This guy has an unbelievable treasure trove of gut-wrenching stories to share with you. He writes with raw and unparalleled emotion, passion and stunning clarity. His heartfelt words literally pull you in, causing you to root for him, especially when the going gets tough. You actually feel as if you were right there with him.

Every time I read a story of his, it always lifts and inspires me and I think it will do the same for you. Sometimes I go to bed unable to sleep after reading a Patrick Combs story because of the stunning power of his words.

Finally, Patrick is like the actor who doesn't give a shit about the Oscars. He just wants to hone his craft. And hone it he does!

Are you ready to meet someone who could easily be a professor at Adversity University?

Then like "Larry the Cable Guy" would say, "let's get er done!" Check out these two stories and tell me if I was right to introduce you to this amazing, resilient guy:

1. Watch how he bravely cornered Jack Canfield at the Maui Writers Conference

2. Watch how he endures the ups and downs of a speaking career on the college lecture circuit

Food for thought: Persistence, faith and lots of courage are key ingredients in unlocking the doors to your dreams. If someone like Patrick Combs and I can do it, so can you!

Motivation - Where Does It Come From?

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A subscriber from the Netherlands recently sent me an email asking me where I get my motivation. I thought that was a good question but my first inclination was to say that "I was born with this inner desire to do great things."

But then the more I thought about it, the more I realized it could be traced back to my parents but not in the way you might think.

Before I go any further, I want you to know that my Dad is a faithful reader and subscriber of this blog. He is quite comfortable with the context of the story I am about to share with you because he tells complete strangers about it every chance he gets. Dad knows how he played a powerful hand in shaping me to become the person I am today, even though his methods might have been the opposite of what you would expect, given the success I currently enjoy.

When I became old enough to get a job during the mid-seventies, I wanted to work at the Sipperly Brothers gas station, a stone's throw from my house. One day, I excitedly told Dad of my intentions.

"Steve, they aren't going to hire you. You're deaf, remember?" He was trying to protect me from the rejection that would surely come at the heels of my job application.

Somehow I had the courage and went for it anyway, completely ignoring his advice. To everyone's surprise (including my own), I ended up getting hired on the spot. I couldn't wait to tell Dad the good news. Every night he would ask me how it was going to which I would reply, "GREAT!"

Unfortunately my stint in the world of work was rather short-lived. On more than one occasion, the owner's son and I were caught behind the gas station drinking coke, playing a game of marbles or otherwise bantering around without a care in the world. Thinking I was bad influence around his son, Mr. Sipperly ended up firing me, Donald Trump style.

Embarrassed over what happened, I pretended that I was going to work for one whole week after that. I didn't want to give my father ammunition to say, I told you so!

So how did I pull it off?

Would you believe I hid in the woods until it was time to go home for supper?

Mom and Dad never had a clue but I knew I couldn't keep up this charade much longer. It was only a matter of time before I would get caught. It was time to come clean.

My chance arrived one night at the supper table but it came sooner than I wanted.

"Hey, Steve, how's your job going at Sipperly's?" said Dad. He was smiling.

Caught off guard, I stopped chewing my food and stared at him. A single thread of spaghetti hung rather unattractively over my lower lip.

Snapping back to reality, I quickly slurped the macaroni between my two front teeth, gingerly set the fork down and subconsciously began rubbing my hands across the top of my summer shorts.

"Mom and Dad......"

Taking a deep breath, I continued, "Um, I got fired."

"Why, when, how?!?" They were tripping over each other like those actors on "MAD, MAD TV."

"A-a-a-a couple weeks ago. Uh, Kenny (the boss's son) and I were caught goofing off a couple of times. Yeah."

Bracing myself for the inevitable reprimand, I sat rigidly in my chair and waited for the explosion.

It never came.

Like a cool cat, Dad said, "And where were you all this time when you were supposedly at work?"

"In the woods," I replied sheepishly.

Mom and Dad exchanged amused looks, trying to suppress a laugh. They were thinking, "Aww, how cute!"

My father turned to me and said with a straight face, "Okay, after supper, I want you to go to your room and think about what just happened and don't come out until you've thought about it all the way through."

Hurriedly mopping off the last of remnants of supper with Mom's homemade bread, I made a beeline straight to my bedroom where I stayed the rest of the night.

A couple of weeks later, I decided to give myself another shot at getting a job someplace else. This time it was a busy pizza parlor at the local shopping mall.

Of course, I told Dad of my intentions, hoping to get his approval. Once again, he tried to discourage me but I could tell he seemed a little less resistant than before.

That was all I needed.

Encouraged and defiant, I went to the pizza parlor and got myself hired. It didn't matter that I was there to clean up instead of actually making the pizza. You never saw a more proud pimply teenage boy with shiny braces!

This ended up becoming a pattern throughout the rest of my teenage years. I went on to work at other fast food places, got myself a lawn mowing job at an elderly lady's house and worked for my aunt up at her place of business.

Over time, I gradually chipped away Dad's maternal need to "protect me." He was learning too. He saw that once I set my mind on achieving something, there wasn't much anyone could do about it. I was going for it, come high hell or water. This would later prepare me for years on Wall Street.

His reluctance to encourage me actually ended up being one of his greatest gifts. Think about this for a second. While we all need emotional support for the things we want to achieve in life, from a cosmic point of view, we also need people who try and stop us because they are the ones who help us build our character, give us more courage and strengthen our risk-taking muscles.

Bottom line? Dad's mission was to play the tough guy. By carrying it out flawlessly, he unwittingly helped me become an award-winning Wall Street stockbroker, motivational speaker, author and the first deaf pilot in the world to get an instrument rating. So, hats off to you Dad!

By the way, nowadays when I tell him about my future dreams including but not limited to being the first deaf pilot to fly a small jet, appear as a guest on Oprah, write a best-seller, speak all over the world, he now knows that it is a near certainty, given my track record!

Now, let's talk about my mother for a moment. Her role was similar yet different. I'll never forget how she handled herself one sunny morning during the school week. I was in third grade at the time.

Among the usual cluster of neighborhood kids waiting for the school bus was Patty, a tough little tyke with a rather sordid reputation. Twice my size, she walked around with a "don't mess with me" kind of attitude.

For some reason, I was made a target on that particular morning. She teased me relentlessly and tried to provoke me. Rather than fighting back, I ran back down the steep hill to my house, wailing at the top of my lungs. It was my first brush with a school bully who happened to be a girl.

Good God, what in the world......!

Arriving at the front door, I pounded against it with all my might, calling for my mother.

Seconds later she appeared from behind the screen door, wearing an apron and yellow gloves. She must have been baking a pie or something.

Concern was etched across her pretty movie star face, betraying her normal sense of calm. Perhaps her little boy had just gotten hit by a car or something.

Blubbering incoherently, I cried, "Patty's picking on me."

As soon as those words tumbled out of my mouth, I somehow knew the front door was not opening up anytime soon. Her eyes quickly changed from wide to narrow slits. Slowly folding her arms across her bosom, she said in the sternest voice she could muster, "Stephen, you get your ass back up there and go to school, RIGHT NOW!"

I had expected her to step outside, put her arms around me and sympathetically ask what in the world Patty was doing to her precious little boy.

"NOOOO," I pleaded with her. "Come with me and tell Patty to leave me alone!!"

My mother would have none of it. She stood there defiantly, with an outstretched arm like Hilter, pointing to the school bus stop up the hill.

I later learned that it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. She desperately wanted kneel down and slobber kisses all over her little boy's face and march right up the hill to teach that young lady a lesson or two. But she knew better.

Realizing she meant business, I turned around and marched angrily back to the bus stop, muttering a string of ugly expletives.

Of course, I was too young to understand what she was trying to do. In fact, I thought she was the meanest mother on the planet that day. But you and I know differently - her gift to me was that she planted a powerful seed of independence. You were right on the mark that day, Mom! Hats off to you too!

So, there you have it. My motivation originally came from a wonderful Mom and Dad long before Mrs. Jordan, my fifth grade teacher, made a divine appearance on the stage of my life with three most famous words, "That's right, Stephen!"

Food for thought: Where do you think you get your motivation from? Whether you believe it or not, you have it in there somewhere. Go and tell!

Now, I have a surprise for you - see below:

I found a cute video that never fails to lift me up whenever I'm low on energy. Watch what happens while the mother Panda Bear happily chomps on dinner. You'll love it! Note: You may have to watch it a couple of times because "it happens" so quickly:

Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent

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Yesterday I wrote about how I dealt with a literary agency's rejection over my book proposal for That's Right, Stephen! At the end of that story, I promised to cut and paste an article ("Why Does an Agent Pass?") written by a Rachel Vater from the Lowensten-Yost Literary Agency.

It's about what goes on inside the mind of literary agents like herself who are faced with piles of query letters and book proposals from prospective authors seeking representation every week. It's quite interesting. The source was taken right from her blog. Take a look:

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Every now and then I drop by writer message boards to see what's on writers' minds. A few seem very befuddled that they aren't getting any requests for their book and feel somehow... slighted... by agents. They feel frustrated and even a little indignant. Who are we to reject their masterpiece?? Well... who are we to request everything?

Here's another way to look at it: You have one trip to make to the bookstore. You get to spend a whole day there reading. You can choose a few books to read. Go ahead, pick your very favorites.

What??

You didn't pick a novel by Ann Patchett? Why not?? Hey! You dare to snub Don DeLillo? Why on earth? Don't you think he's a good writer? How could you turn down books by those writers??

The answer is--you had limited time and limited amounts of books you were able to select. You've got nothing against most of those other published authors who have books on the shelves, you just can't read them all. Not all at once. Maybe later a book by those authors will catch your eye, maybe not.

I get hundreds of query letters a week. (Stop here and picture hundreds of books sitting in front of you and you are allowed to pick just a few.) So I read through the queries to see which ones sound like my favorites out of all the rest. No, it's not a contest. I'm not saying those that I choose are definitively better than the others, they're just subject matter that most appeals to me right then that week. Maybe I'm looking for something really funny, maybe I'm looking for something dark and moody. Maybe I'm looking to build my YA list right then or maybe I want more urban fantasy. Sometimes it depends on which editors tell me what they're especially looking for right now.

So is it all just a crap shoot? one writer asked. No, because I still sort my queries down to a very small pile to choose from. That means I turn down a lot simply because they're not ready for representation even if I like the idea, or even if I think the writing is pretty good but the idea's weak. Then I weed out those that just aren't my thing. Out of that much smaller pile I have to select just a handful. And let me tell you, sometimes it's HARD.

But if you are sending out multiple queries and your writing IS ready... you're going to make the short list for a lot of different agents. You might get form rejections from a few. (Don't try to ponder why, just cross their names off the list.) You might get a few little personal notes, but rejections all the same. But you just might get a few requests too.

Don't spend too much time pondering why some agents passed. Imagine your query letter in a stack of many others and someone browsing through them the same way you browse through a bookstore. Realize for every rejection you receive it just wasn't a click that day for that agent. But as you send out your queries, imagine if even just one of them really connects and an agent suddenly sits up straighter and thinks, "Oh! I've GOTTA request this one!" Some readers will never read your favorite author either. But many will.

It's the same for an agent as we submit to editors. How do I deal with rejection? Well, I can guarantee that if I send a book out widely, not every single one of the editors is going to fall in love with it. But I can increase my chances by only representing great books and by spending extra time with the author to polish it. Then I can narrow the submission list down to the most likely editors.

After that... well, here's a likely scenario: Some editors will be so busy they won't read it right away--for some reason they're swamped with edits or other work and just can't get to it as fast as they/I'd like. A few will read it right away, and a couple of them will love it. One or two might reject it after reading one chapter. Another might reject it after reading the whole thing and just not falling in love. And that's okay. I don't need all of them to love it -- at the end of the day, only one editor's offer can be accepted anyway. Same with you as you search for an agent. You only need one yes.

So don't let any rejection daunt you. Query widely and keep writing and polishing.

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Food for thought: Well, what do you think of that? She's right - don't let any rejection daunt you - just keep writing, polishing and looking for a way to get your book published.

Celebrate Your Defeats!

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Wow, what a week.

Isn't it interesting how sometimes everything is flowing easily and effortlessly where you feel nothing could go wrong and then BAM! WHAM! you are hit with a most unexpected jolt, literally turning your world upside down?

Remember the miraculous encounter I had with a local woman (Katina) who was in the audience at one of my speaking engagements earlier this year? She unexpectedly volunteered to help me whip my book proposal in shape for her literary agent's review and consideration. Her thinking throughout my presentation that night was: Hey, Stephen where's your book?

Click here to read more about that fateful evening.

It had to be "divine timing" because it was providing me with an exceptional opportunity to realize the dream of publishing my first book through a well-established literary agent. Over time, Katina held a few phone conversations with him and I was told that he was very excited about the forthcoming book proposal.

Definitely a good sign, I thought. At one point, Katina even suggested that her agent was going to thank her for "discovering me."

Before we go any further, let us step back in time for a moment here.

Seven years ago (Year 2000), after countless rejections, I landed a reputable literary agent named Joe who once represented Mother Teresa. After months of working on the book proposal, he went shopping among the nation's top publishers only to be turned down due to "crowded book market conditions." When Joe and I went our separate ways, I remember thinking it was okay to move on because I knew the universe would provide me with another window of opportunity later.

Everything you experience, pleasant or not, is preparing you for the future. In August 2006, I wrote a three-part series on "Trust that Bigger Things are in Store for You" (Part I, Part II and Part III). Even my unpleasant encounter with the elementary school bully and "Harry the Bank Boss" were divine acts on the stage of life to become the person I am today.

When I met Katina at the speaking engagement, I recognized a new "window of opportunity" had just emerged. I marveled at the timing. After all, she was connected to one of the most powerful literary agencies. Many of their authors have seen their books turned into major motion pictures. What could be better than having someone like Katina from a tiny, sleepy little town of Akron, Ohio help me get my foot in the door?

This was finally going to be my year to publish! With great excitement, she and I revamped the original book proposal and created a short promotional video clip with the help of Ron Hoff (you can see the DVD clip here).

The book proposal/DVD package was finally FEDEX'd to Katina's agent in New York City last week. We tried to carry on with our lives, giving our best shot in "letting go and letting God."

But alas, it was not to be.

An email arrived yesterday from one of the junior agents whose message was courteous yet clearly in the format of a rejection letter: "Unfortunately, the intense competition in the current market forces us to be extremely selective and we believe that you would be better served by another agency. You should not take this as a reflection of your work, etc."

BOOM, BAM, WHAM!

Shaking my head vigorously as if I was imagining things, I had to re-read it just to make sure.

When it became crystal clear what I was looking at, my stomach did a super flip flop and I felt a rare blanket of heaviness descend around me. It did not feel good at all.

Now what's the point of "Adversity University" if I can't be honest and share the good and the bad? Obstacles and other forms of adversity are going to pop up from time to time whether we like it or not. Like my business statement says, "adversity does not discriminate - no one is immune from it." No one.

W. Mitchell, a fellow motivational speaker says, "It's not what happens to you...it's what you do about it."

The junior agent's standard rejection letter wasn't the first time I received one. So what's one more?

How did I handle it? First, I let myself sulk for a few minutes. Okay, it was a few hours!

Then I asked myself several questions:

Did this change anything about what I have now? (No)
Are you still alive and well? (Ahem, yes, I am!)
Do you still have your health? (Yes)
Are you homeless? (No)
Does this mean your writing sucks? (My goodness, it better not!!)
Is it the end of the world for you? (Don't be silly!!)
Do you have food in the refrigerator and a roof over your head? (Yes)
Do you have family and friends who love you for who you are? (Where would I be without them?)
Are you still in demand as a motivational speaker around the country? (Yes)

On a drum roll, I pulled up my gratitude list on the computer and reminded myself why I should be grateful.

Then I found previous blog entries like "Gratitude Reminders" and "The Power of Thanking People with Handwritten Notes," lifting me up even more.

In the end, I simply shrugged my shoulders, sent a very nice thank you email back to the junior agent, packed my gym bag and went for a vigorous workout.

Then I bought myself a cigar to celebrate!

Celebrate what?

Okay, here's the deal. Despite the so-called "bad news," I still believe everything happens for a divine reason.

Of course, I have no idea why everything happened the way it did. On the surface, it makes absolutely no sense that the universe would give me the opportunity to create the foundation for my first book proposal 7 years ago with the help of an agent who, despite his very best efforts, was not able to get me a publishing deal. And then I am presented with a chance encounter with Katina, who we all know by now is represented by one of the most powerful literary agents, only to have her agent say "Not for us, sorry."

Huh? What's the deal?

Isn't this why they say God acts in mysterious ways? Like my friend Joni says, "more will be revealed."

Perhaps a way is being paved to another path that I'm not yet aware of. Maybe an unforeseen opportunity even bigger than Katina's literary agency will come along. Or I'm being given an opportunity to consider other ways of publishing that I hadn't given serious thought before.

Like............self publishing.

Hmm...let me put it this way. All I've ever wanted was to have a traditional publisher do all the publishing-related work, pay me a nice little advance and then presto, I have a "legitimate" book. What perspective author doesn't want that?

On the same day I received the rejection notice, I heard from a good friend that I hadn't heard from in quite some time. She had no idea what just happened and innocently included in her email how she was saving money to self-publish a book so that audiences at her speaking engagements could take a piece of her message home with them after hearing her speak.

Was that supposed to be a "light bulb" message for me?

The bottom line is that I am faced with two choices:

1. Continue to slog my way through names of hundreds of literary agents and publishers in the hope of finding a creditable agent/publisher someday.

OR

2. Take action now, pay out of pocket to self-publish and have faith that it will all work out.

Tomorrow I will post a blog entry from a literary agent's point of view on why agents pass on representing someone - it's quite interesting and I promise for those of you who are aspiring authors, you'll understand the elimination process, just like I did.

By the way, are you wondering what my book is about? The working title is That's Right, Stephen! and it's a collection of stories that you have already read in this blog!

That's right, I'm simply taking the best stories from here and turning it into a book. If you wade through past posts in "Adversity University," you'll get a glimpse of what kind of stories will appear in That's Right, Stephen!

Come to think of it, I'm contemplating the idea of creating a free downloadable e-book and putting it up on my website. Seth Godin, a famous internet marketing guru, did just that and then went on to publish a wildly successful book that was at one time a free downloadable e-book from his website!

It's called viral marketing where people have a chance to see what you have to offer and tell others about it before they decide to pick up a hard copy for themselves. The idea is if people like your book online, they'll want to own a copy that they can touch, feel and even highlight certain sections for future reference. Pretty cool way to get your work out there huh?

Stay tuned.......

Food for thought: We are all on a mysterious journey. Along the way, we are given obstacles for a divine reason. How we choose to respond to those obstacles is entirely up to each of us. The key is to stay faithful to your dreams and eventually you will get there.

Washington DC Speaking Gig

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In order to keep this blog interesting and informative, I have a couple of photos from a recent speaking engagement at George Washington University where I led a workshop entitled "How to Overcome Adversity and Achieve the Impossible." The main theme was the "H.E.A.R. Principle," which you'll recall means:

H: Have a passion
E: Entertain the possibilities
A: Act NOW
R: Remember who helped you along the way

Speaking about the H.E.A.R. Principle

Meeting people from the audience afterwards

Me and Kathryn Troutman, expert on creating resumes for Federal Government Jobs (see her website here).

Actual Flight Footage for "Flight to Hartford"

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You all know I'm involved in the "Flight to Hartford" project through my church here in Akron, OH. You've seen the promotional video, read about it in the papers or perhaps have told others about it. Maybe you donated toward the cause. Whatever it is, you're probably somewhat familiar with it.

Well, we now have an actual footage of a flight that was recently undertaken to not only practice getting Ryan in and out of the airplane (it requires two people as you'll see) but also go for a brief "get acquainted" flight.

Once again, Ron Hoff does an extraordinary job putting together not only a humorous account of what happened but also captures the spirit of "Flight to Hartford" rather well.

Go grab yourself a cup of coffee, tea or whatever you like to drink and settle in for the next few minutes because I think you're going to really get a kick out of this! It is recommended that you watch them in the following order:

Video 1


Video 2


Please forward these videos to your friends, family and everyone who you think would be inspired by what we are trying to do.

Food for thought: If Stephen and Ryan can achieve their dreams, why not you?

Forces Beyond Your Wildest Imagination.....

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You may recall an article I wrote called "When There is a Strong Desire, there is a Way." I've often mentioned a favorite quote out of a book called "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch: "When you "make up your mind" about something, you set the universe into motion. Forces beyond your ability to comprehend--far more subtle and complex than you could imagine -- are engaged in a process, the intricate dynamics of which you are only just now beginning to understand."

Going along with that quote and the above mentioned article, I wish to bring you up to date on what's been happening since that fateful day when I met the woman at that speaking engagement who said she would help me put together a book proposal for her literary agent's review and consideration.

The "forces beyond your ability to comprehend" also brought into existence a young man who happens to be a member of my church , Ron Hoff, who is extraordinarily talented in the area of video production and editing. One day my intuition prompted me (the universe working here!) to ask Ron if he would help us put together a DVD that would go along with the book proposal. He immediately saw the big picture and said, "yes." After several weeks of revisions, we finally came out with a DVD that will be included in the book proposal for "THAT'S RIGHT, STEPHEN!" (remember the impact Mrs. Jordan made on my life? Remember the story of "Three Words"? If you haven't read it, look under the top ten most popular stories on the right hand side of this blog and you'll see it there).

Anyway, I want everyone to know that when there is a strong desire and you make a firm decision that you will achieve a certain vision, powerful universal forces beyond your wildest imagination come together to support you in ways you'd never dreamt possible. Here's the YouTube video showing you the magnificent work Ron Hoff did:



Food for thought: Never discount the power of the universe when you make a firm, clear decision about something. You can be sure you'll eventually achieve your dreams if you just stick with it.

"Flight to Hartford" on YouTube!

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A few months ago I wrote an article called "Paying it Forward - The Flight to Hartford." Well, a promotional video has been put up on YouTube. It's been a most amazing experience, especially when God's fingers are all over the place!



Shortly after the above video was posted on YouTube, a newspaper article about "Flight to Hartford" came out. Click here.