Just One More Throw Dad...

 

As fall approaches, me and my boys are outside more and more throwing the ball around the yard. Today I realized that I'm much slower, jump a lot lower, and limp a bunch more between throws. As your sons get older, they watch you go from the guy who can literally do anything, to the old man that fumbles through everything! Today after I pretended  that I was in my NFL prime, my sons uttered the words that no father can resist..."Just One More Throw Dad!"

 

There will come a day when this seemingly frivolous activity will be so desired by all of us, and yet it will be incomprehensibly elusive. My sons are running faster than I, playing the drums better than I, throwing farther than I, and much more...

 

Don't miss these moments dad! There is coming a day when your child will ask to throw that ball with you for the last time...don't be too busy for one last throw! CL~

What's in YOUR "Ice Bucket?" A thought on the Ice Bucket Challenge

Before everyone says "Oh Lord CL King is getting ready to rant about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" let me assure you... I AM- but not in the way that you think. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disease that adversely impacts the brain and spinal cord. This condition is also referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." I've seen people all across the country from former Presidents on down issuing the challenge, and there are millions of folks joining in because they dhave been challenged, but they don't have a clue of what ALS is.

I am in no way unsympathetic to the thousands of sufferers with ALS that are urgently looking for a cure, and need funding to do so... I'm making this post to tell you to get a bucket for something YOU are passionate about and make a change in someone's life around you. Don't just do something because everyone else around you is doing it, and it's the viral event of the moment...do it because you want to leave your fingerprints on something you deeply care about.

 Last year, I lost my foster mom, and the year before that I lost my mother-in-law. Both of these ladies challenged me to look to do good in the world, country, state, city, road, and house I live in...and each day I leave my house with that in mind. In my city there are hundreds of kids who don't have fathers, they come to our ministry hungry and disheveled...our ice bucket challenge is to feed them, and instill the hope and love of God in their lives.

 So in conclusion, don't start throwing your buckets at me-I'm not bashing the spirit behind the challenge:-) I am asking however, what will you do in the next 30 days to help someone in need that you may see everyday...find that person, and instead of ice in your bucket, pour out some love and compassion for someone that needs it. CL~

What is Christmas "really" about???

I have been challenged in recent weeks with the thought of what the Christmas season is “really” about. Many times I hear (and have stated myself) that this season is not about the gifts, or the lights, or the trees, or the festivities, or the food, or the cataclysmic amount of spending that must take place... (Deep breath) So then I find myself asking... "Why in the world do we do all this stuff anyway? Especially if none of it pertains to the real meaning of Christmas?" Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind...and I am not on a quest to erase all of the aforementioned activities :-) During this time of year I do notice more folks holding the doors for others, people greeting you with a smile, families coming together, and good will being spread throughout the community. So what if we could tap into this behavior all year long? When you walk into a leading department store on December 26^th...there is not even the hint of Christmas(aside from the mile-long line of people returning the gifts that don't fit.) So then at least in some small measure perhaps all of the lights, bulbs, gifts, and merriment do serve a purpose. We know the season is not "really" about those things, and yet having them does engender a more unselfish response in society. What if we all tried to simply continue selfless and random acts of kindness all year long? In my opinion living an unselfish life in service to others really does capture what it’s all about. So keep the lights, don’t put Frosty under a heat lamp, please continue to bake the pumpkin pies… but when it’s all over on the 26^th… continue to Give… That season should never end!

 

CL~

Pamlico 8th Grade Commencement!

I was honored to deliver the commencement speech for the 8th grade class at Pamlico Middle School. I titled my speech "Grow like a weed". I want these young people to grow over the next 720 days with the same tenacity, relentlessness, and persistence as the stubborn weeds in our gardens. See, weeds don't require optimum lighting, pampering, or food...all they need is a cultivated piece of ground! Check out these amazing students getting ready for 9th grade.

To the 2013 Graduates!

This moment will never happen again...Exactly 20 years ago I was in the same position you are presently in. I have attached a picture of me with Broadway Musical Star Carl Anderson. He played Judas Iscariot in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Rock Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1993 I was honored to see this performance live, go back stage to meet the cast, and spend some extended time with Carl. The thing he told me as I was planning on going to Broadway myself was... "Whatever you do, sell out to it!" This applies to the next phases of life you all will encounter- College, employment, marriage, children, faith, ANYTHING! Carl performed for tens of millions of fans all across the globe, and his formula for success as a film and theater actor was... Sell out to all that you do, and do nothing half way... This is my message for the graduating class of 2013. And though I chose a different path than Broadway, I still apply Carl's message to my life 20 Years later... it works! God Bless. CL~

Changing lives... No Matter the Time or Place!

One of the unique things about what we do in the CL King Group Inc. can be summed up in a two letter word... GO! This approach is a tremendous asset to our mission because this is a HUGE state:-) When we started serving the children and families of North Carolina we said our "niche" would be people... Many professional speakers speak on one or two topics, blow into town, dazzle the audience, get paid, and leave.

This is why we have chosen to only focus on the youth of North Carolina! The needs of our youth are complex, varied, and evolving...so we have learned to address them all:-) I want to summarize the 1st 5 months of this year for us with some really cool pictures... Impacting one life, one day at a time is not a fad or the flavor of the month.... it is our way of life!

As of this post, we have spoken to 42 different audiences throughout Carolina, and we are just getting warmed up!

If you think we are in some small way making a difference, please share our information with others in this great state. CL~

Pamlico County Schools are AWESOME!

After 33 inspiring presentations over 5 days to thousands of students, teachers, and parents it is easy to see why Pamlico County Schools Rock!