A story written by my father, Dan McLeod Sr.

We moved up the west slope of the white river Valley; It was early morning of a grey November day in the early twenties. We passed the valley rim and the vast rolling waste of the Bayfield Barrens opened up before us. The wind quickened noticeably! Down it came off the big lake; swirling snow flakes came slanting in with the wind and added a cutting edge to the chill.

The desolate Barrens stretched away endlessly, bleak, grey and scarred by countless fires. Only a bit of growth in the draws and scattered green swamps spoke of nature’s effort to clothe this land again. Then, as the day wore on, I noted what appeared to be a dark pencil line across the waste to our left; gradually it deepened and became what looked like a dark low-lying cloud on the horizon.

“Oh that,” my companion shouted over his shoulder, “that’s Drummond Timber- or what’s left of it. Great stuff that; and when it’s gone, there’s no more like it anywhere up here. We’ll have time for a good look at it before dark; hunting camp is right on the edge of it. Yep, just a winter’s cutting left there–maybe two”.

Gradually some of the old sentry pines took shape, a scattered few that stood out in the Barrens a bit away from the main grove. Tall, straight and massive trunks stood like pillars. With only a tiny crown of green at the very top; time, storms and fires must have claimed all the lower branches years ago, at the trees bases only a soft carpet of needles remained.

In the gathering dusk we turned to the main grove. Yes, a winter’s work and it would be all gone. Timber like that was destined for the saw; as it was the way of those days that man came, saw and took what he deemed his heritage; not realizing perhaps that others who came later would be grateful if some of that grandeur was left for them to see.

Then we entered a shadowy world, the great ones stood all about us. An eerie silence replaced the boisterous wind of the Barrens, just a faint whisper came down from high in the crowns. I felt as a stranger must feel upon entering for the first time, one of those ancient cathedrals, in the old lands across the seas.

Today, nature has forested much of the Barrens again; deciduous growth, pale-green, tangled and vigorous, in sharp contrast to the more somber hue and stateliness of the pines. Now, as I remember back to that November evening so long ago, I realize that we were indeed the privileged ones to have stood there in the presence of majesty, for awhile.

High up in the mountains of Europe grows the most delicate and beautiful rose in all the world. It’s petals are collected in the middle of the night and pressed down to make one of the most sought after and expensive perfumes in all the world. It sells for over fifty dollars an ounce.

What makes this rose so special? Because it grows in such harsh conditions at high altitude, it takes longer to grow and develop. The cold air and icy winds are the very things that cause the rose to develop its brilliant color and pungent, pure fragrance. As the rose starts to grow in the spring it pushes up through the remaining spring snow and is sheltered in a small bubble of air within an icy cone. Roses that grow to fast bust out of their protective bubble and freeze. This same variety of rose grow at the lower levels of the mountain ranges but the more mild conditions produce just an average rose in color and fragrance. It’s perfume is sold for five dollars an ounce.

How like the rose is a young persons life. The world says grow up fast and do what ever feels good like so many adults are doing these days. Try all of life’s so called pleasures right away. Your peers say you don’t have to wait. What a lie! The world’s way is second best and never satisfy. Give in early with someone that really doesn’t care about you as a person with a living soul, and you become just another notch on their belt. Someone to brag about as a conquest to friends in the locker rooms of life.

Don’t ever give into someone who just wants to use or abuse you for their own satisfaction. You will never regret it. Wait and become like the Alpine Rose and your beauty will be so evident that truly caring individuals will stand back and notice you because your beauty and character will stand out so plainly. For the true winners in life don’t want a pawed over rose with damaged petals that can be found all over town. They prefer an Alpine Rose, because of it’s special beauty and fragrance of purity.

One more thing I have noticed. If an Alpine Rose starts to come out to early and makes some mistakes; it can recover and still gain most of the purity of an unblemished Rose.

But the ones that don’t recognize their mistakes grow old before their time and carry the weight of their mistakes the rest of their lives. They wake up one morning and say; how could I have been so deceived. But now it is to late and all they can do is to warn others about the lie. So empty and cold, a mechanical act with no true feeling of trust and love that can make it so special and bonding.

Believe and respect yourself and don’t give in to peer pressure and the lie. I promise you will you will never regret it. You can, and will become like the Alpine Rose. You will be that someone special that mature and caring individuals will seek after. Each one of you are special and unique. Your own special person. My wish for each of you is that you will strive to be like the Alpine Rose. May your beauty and pure fragrance be noticed where ever you go on your path of life.

    My older brother loved to raise chickens, rabbits, turkeys, geese and ducks. He and his family moved many times and he held various jobs for the state. He usually had a hobby farm of some sort, where ever they lived. The main constant of all the places they lived was chickens. He always bought chicks that were mixed, male and female. He liked to hear roosters crow in the morning. As the chickens grew up he would butcher roosters and collect eggs from the hens. He often had two chicken coops. One for the older hens and two or three older roosters and  one for the new, young chickens. They each had their territory in the yard. The hens could cross over but the roosters that tried, were met with resistance, to say the least.

His oldest daughter had read something about Bantam chickens and wanted her dad to try them. So one day a box arrived with the holes in the side and chirping go on at a high rate of speed. In side, were six Bantam hens and one Bantam rooster. They had their own little chicken coop and fenced in yard for a few months. Then when they were fully grown he took the fence down so they could explore the full yard.

He named the Bantam rooster Tommy, and he enjoyed watching the way he would strut around the yard. Tommy was fearless, and he was the prince charming to the six hens. One day they crossed over into the territory of the older chickens and Tommy was confronted by one of the large, older roosters. Tommy was not one to back down and soon there was a fight and a large commotion. Tommy was much smaller but very quick and tough. Before he knew what hit him the older rooster had enough and ran back to his coop. Later that day the other, older rooster took on Tommy and lasted a little longer, but suffered the same fate as his brother.

Later in the week Tommy and the hens got over into the upper area of the yard where the younger chickens roamed. The younger roosters were in fine form and more lean than the older roosters. In fact two of them jumped Tommy and worked him over convincingly. Tommy was not one to give up, but he was also smart enough to realize he was over matched. So now Tommy watched the younger roosters, and looked for an opportunity to surprise one of the younger roosters. Later that day he saw his opportunity. One of the younger roosters was by himself, near Tommy’s little coop. Tommy snuck up on him and hit him hard, before the younger rooster even knew what hit him. The battle was a good one but Tommy prevailed. This continued until Tommy had defeated all 13 of the younger roosters. Now Tommy and his hens, went where ever they wanted in the yard, and none of the other roosters challenged Tommy.

Tommy taught my niece and my brother some valuable lessons of life.

1.Tommy always walked around with a strut, head up and chest out. He demanded respect.

In life it is important to be confidant, but not arrogant. In any situation, you should walk with confidence. Keep your head up, your body erect, shoulders back, and look people in the eye.

2. Size is not the big advantage you might think it is. Quickness and toughness, will often over come it.

3.Be smart and know when to attack something. When you decide to attack, do it quick, with all you have, and with no hesitation.

4. Like Tommy, know when you are in above your head and get out. Watch for a weakness and plan your attack for just the right moment.

5. Once Tommy had claimed all the territory in the yard; he did not fight anymore. Only if some new rooster had to be shown his place. Actually, Tommy lived with confident peace, and all the other roosters respected him.

This is a great story I heard many years ago.

Out on the west coast of America, many people love to take walks along the beach. One man walked everyday, early in the morning. On this particular morning the sun was just burning through a morning mist. There had been a strong thunderstorm during the night and the waves had been very high. As the man walked along he noticed hundreds of star fish had been swept way up on the beach by the huge waves. Now as the hot morning sun was burning through the mist, many were drying out. They were unable to make it back to the water. Sea Gauls were circling over head and swooping down and grabbing some. So the man would notice when one of the star fish showed strong signs of life and he would pick it up and throw it back into the ocean. He continued on down the beach in this manner. He came to a early morning fisherman who was casting out from the shore. The fisherman watched as the man reached down and picked up a struggling star fish, and flung it back into the ocean. “Just a waste of time,” the fisherman said. ‘They are all going to die anyway. You aren’t making a bit of difference as far as the big picture is concerned”. The man thought for awhile and then stepped over to another struggling star fish and flung it into the ocean. Then he said to the fisherman, “I don’t know about the big picture effect, but I know this, I made a very big difference in the life of that star fish”.

How like life today. Our young people are crying out for role models with character and a willingness to help out. To do what they can to make a positive difference in the lives of the young people that live in their neighborhoods. They coach at all levels, participate in boys and girls clubs, teach Sunday School classes, and help out in many other ways. No, they cannot reach them all. But like that man on the beach, they can make a huge difference in at least a few individual lives. Then they in turn will grow up and do the same and the world will be a little better place. Because someone did care enough to make the effort to be a positive mentor and role model to some young individuals in their small area of the country. Young people are looking for guidance, discipline, and encouragement in a very desperate way. In these times now it seems so many are getting a message of, anything goes, as long as it feels good and no one gets badly hurt.

So I would like to challenge every adult to look around and see who you can be a mentor to. It may be grandchildren, the neighbors children or just volunteering at the local recreation center or teaching a safety class of some sort. Just going to a event and watching means something to a young person you know. Don’t let a day go by with out touching someone’s life with encouragement. You will make a big difference in that life, that day.

1.Losing is always a hard thing to deal with. If you don’t think through a plan for how to handle them; they can destroy the coach and his team. Most people can deal with a few losses, but if they pile up, all sort of bad things can start to happen. Coaches need to be prepared to handle them.

2.There are two basic types of losses. The first is the kind that happens when you play a much superior opponent, and even the average fan can recognize it. They still hurt, but you can accept them as long as your players played hard and didn’t give up. The second is a loss to an equal or inferior opponent. These are much harder to take and the ones that every coach needs to know how to handle.

3.If you are even a little bit competitive, a loss should hurt and bother you for awhile. If it doesn’t, I doubt your heart was ever really in the game. I don’t mean you lose your cool and swear and throw things, but down inside you need a slow burn to get better next time and to correct your mistakes. As a coach I didn’t want my teams laughing and telling jokes after a loss. I wanted them to think about it for awhile and to contemplate things they could do to improve themselves and the team. To dedicate themselves to working harder in practice the next week.

4.Players should not beat themselves up after a game, or blame themselves for the loss. The team wins or loses as a unit and everyone plays a part. Each player must accept their own part of the loss and not blame a teammate or coaches for the loss. Coaches must watch this very carefully. In their own post game comments and with their players comment as well.

5. Now days the press is right in your face after a game. Try to get a few moments alone to get your thoughts together before you address your team and the press. In general keep your comment brief and share the win or the loss as a team. It is much better to say a few words and not have to apologize the next day for something that went all over the community that morning in the paper. Make sure you go over the game film before generalizing about errors you thought players made in the game. You may be mistaken about what really happened when you see the film.

6. Every player is different. Some will take a loss very hard and others will forget it in a few minutes. A coach needs to watch for the player that is really down after a loss. Often they are blaming themselves. A good coach will go over and talk to the player and let him know that even if they did make a mistake, there are plenty of other mistakes that were made. Each one helped lead up to the situation where theirs was made . A slap on the back and a word of encouragement will do wonders.

7.Do not let one player go around blaming their teammates. Make sure it is a team win or loss. Tell the team to learn from the loss and to concentrate on what they can do better next time.

8, Don’t let a loss shake your fundamental beliefs about why you are coaching. Number one is to make a positive difference in the lives of the players you are coaching. Teaching them the skills of the game and the fundamentals of discipline and hard work. There are no shortcuts to victory. If you suffer several losses in a row you may have to meet with your coaches and evaluate changes in offense or defense to fit the talent you have that season.

9.As you go over the game film and write down mistakes, and things to be corrected. Make sure to note positive things that happened in each area of the game. As long as your players gave great effort there are always a lot of good things to praise them about. If the effort was not there, it must be addressed right away. The will to win and play hard is the key to any successful program.

10. Once the film has been gone over, and the team addressed about it.  You need to forget it and move on to the next contest. Don’t let a loss keep eating on you all the next week. You can not do anything more about it now. Just continue to work hard strive to get better. Work hard to cut out mistakes that were made in the game or in your preparation.

11. After a win everyone is your friend and wishes you well. After a tough loss not near as many will come up and shake your hand. Strive for a balance, don’t let the wins go to your head and don’t dwell on the losses to long. Learn who your true friends are and mature people you trust to confide in after a tough loss. Sometimes it may be just your dog. They always understand.

12.Remember it takes 7 to 8 positive comments to make up for 1 negative comment in a persons life. Always find some positive things to say after a loss. Regroup, strive to get better, and remember there are millions of people in the world that don’t even know you played a game.

13. Good luck coach, hang in there, and always remember you are the molder of dreams and often the most important influence in the lives of your players these days.

I have coached in the state of Wisconsin for 35 years. I have coached wrestling, boys track, and football. I was a head football coach for 28 years and a head boys track coach for 14 years.

Over the years I observed many coaching styles and heard many coaches speak at clinics I attended. I also read many books on coaching by successful coaches at all levels.

Things I have learned about successful coaching in our modern era.

1. In the old days you could treat almost all of the players the same and just tell them to do something and they did it with out question. In general you had the parents backing as to playing time and starting position.

2. Now days you must treat every player as an individual. Even in Lombardi’s day , he recognized which players he could climb all over and which ones he had better not yell at to much. One tight end asked Coach Lombardi why he was always chewing him out and not the other tight end. Lombardi, said ” I know you can take it and make yourself better. The other end can’t.”

3. Even pro coaches bring a player into their office if they feel they have to address a personal problem about attitude or work ethic.. Strong coaching on the field is still acceptable. Personal comments on a individual player should be done in private, or in the Coach’s office.

4. Now days players like to know why they are doing a drill or running a particular offense or defense. When you can explain and show how each drill will make them a better player; they will buy into it. When they can see how a particular offense or defense fits in with the type of players on the team, they will accept it much better.

5.I now feel you need to show agape love. This is the type of love that shows respect to each individual player and lets them know you care about them as a player and a person.

6. Team Chemistry is essential at any level of play. Players must practice agape love as well. They must care about each other and treat each other with respect. When the team gets the credit, instead of an individual player; everyone benefits.

7.You must have a passion for your sport and be enthusiastic. If you aren’t excited about your sport and are not just alive with energy to get started, your players will show it.

8.You must be as positive as possible. Constant negative coaching will tear your players down and will result in a self full filling prophecy. If you constantly tell a player he sucks, is lousy, and he stinks. Eventually it will set in his mind like cement and he will play that way. I have found I can take an average player and get him to play above his ability level with honest, positive, comments.

9. Players love to play for a coach that they know cares about them, knows their names and checks up on them. You can be very tough on your teams when they understand why you are doing something and that you really do have their best interest at heart.

10. Parents are harder to deal with now then ever before. Their son or daughter is the most important person in their lives. It seems that now a days, all parents think their child should start and be the star of the team. Communication is key. Right at the start of the season the coach must be very clear and up front about what is expected of each player and the parents involvement. Make the parents feel a part of the team and get them to help by doing the right things for the team. Let them know that every position on the team is important and that every reserve player is a part of the team and needs to do their part with encouragement and being ready to go in the game at a moments notice.

11. I have found that by going to other events in your school and community helps a lot. You get to know parents and people in your community away from the sport you coach. They begin to realize that you do care about all the students, sports, and the community as well. They are far more forgiving during your sport when they know you are a real part of the community.

12..To days youth are crying out for role models. Nobody is perfect, but player look up to coaches. You have the opportunity to make a real difference for good in the lives of every player you coach. Wins are great, and you must strive for that at all times. But helping a young athlete graduate, and develop as a mature and responsible adult is just as a important.

13. When players come back to you years later, and thank you for the positive way you coached and how you taught them the right way to live, and work, it will be worth it all. You will know then that you have developed a First Class program, with discipline, and respect for all.

Coaching is a tough, but very rewarding career. You become a molder of dreams and you can touch a whole school and community with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Just by the way you choose to coach!

I was driving towards Ashland in northwestern Wisconsin on highway 112.  Just over the white river dam I was surprised to see a large black bear cross the road, followed by two large cubs. Then out of the brush, about 20 seconds behind came a third cub, about half the size of the first two, but running as hard as it could to catch up with the rest.

I was a teacher at Ashland High School and one of my fellow teachers had a bear club. He taught science and would take students in his Bear club out to monitor bear dens in the late winter. They would take out the mother bear and cubs and weigh them. Then they would collect other data on them. I asked about bears and three cubs. He said it wasn’t to rare for a bear to have three cubs, but that seldom did all three survive. The common number was two; or one cub to make it to yearling status. I told him about the three I has seen and where. He said he remember checking a den near there and that there were three cubs. Two had been right by the mother nursing, and the third; kind of pushed off in the corner. But when they went to weigh it, it showed a lot of life and toughness. It was a female and he had named her after his daughter; Emily. When they finished tagging and weighing the bears, they put them back in the den. The teacher watched for awhile to make sure all the bears came to alright. As they did come to, they adjusted rapidly and the last he saw; Emily was pushing her way right in there between her two brothers to nurse.

Well the members of the club and the teacher kept an ear open for any reports on a mother bear and three cubs around the white river. In late June a trout fisherman told of watching a mother bear and three cubs crossing the river. There had been a lot of rain and the river was flowing fast. The mother swam right across and the two larger cubs jumped right in and made it across with only slight problems with the current. The runt dove in and was swept down stream. He watched it bounce off rocks and even go under for a short bit of time. Finally, with great effort, it made it across the river. Then shaking it self off; come running back up stream along the bank. The mother and bigger cubs were eating on a road killed dear. Emily arrived and muscled her way right in there to get her share of food.

That fall some bear hunter reported an encounter with a large mother bear and three cubs. The bear hounds had pursued then out of the woods and across a large field. Once across the mother sent the cubs up a tree. The larger cubs went right up but as usual Emily was behind. The hounds were right on her trail so as she came up to her mother the big bear took one swat with her paw and rolled Emily right over to the nearest tree. Emil regained her senses and scrambled up the tree. Them mother took care of the dogs until the hunters came and collected the dogs. They didn’t want to mess with a mother bear and three cubs.

In late fall a hiker reported seeing a mother bear and three cubs. The cubs were all playing in a small meadow. The bigger two were rough on the runt, but Emily had learned to use her quickness and was holding her own in the scuffles of life. That winter the bigger two cubs had to den on their own; but Emily stayed one more winter with her mother. No reports came in the next summer and it was one year later and the club was checking dens again in the White River area. They came on a den with one mother bear and one small cub. The mother had the cub right up next to her with one leg around the cub. Upon further examination they found her old tag and it was Emily. She was making sure her cub got all the attention that she had missed when she was born.

With bear cubs and in life, many things are not fair or just. The ones that make it are not always the bigger, stronger,or faster ones. Sometimes the ones with the most determination and heart; like Emily, are the one that go on and do well. For you see Emily never gave up or felt sorry for herself. She just kept giving it all she had and faced life with determination and the will power to never accept defeat. A lesson from a little runt bear cub that should give hope and inspiration to all of us.

The Giants and the Cubs were locked up in a tight ball game to decide the winner of the cities Little League Championship. It was 6 to 3 in favor of the cubs and they were going into the last inning. The league rule stated every player on the team must play at least one inning. So the coach yelled for Bobby to go into right field. Not much chance of anybody hitting a fly ball out there with the way his son was pitching. Bobby loved baseball so much and he always tried his best. His Dad had left his mom when he was only four and his mom worked two jobs to support them. It was all she could do to buy even a cheap glove for Bobby to play with. With out a dad to play catch with Bobby would throw the ball up against the wall of an old factory building and catch it off the bounce. He tried to find other kids to play with but most of the time they teased him and just kept him around to fetch balls that went over the fence.

Now he was going into the big game ands he was so pumped up. The first batter struck out and the second one got a walk. The third hitter got on with a single through the infield. With the tying run at the plate Bobby was hoping he could catch a fly ball and make the last out. Well the next batter got a hit and one run scored and now with two on, the winning run was at the plate. The batter hit a high foul ball and the first baseman caught it for the second out. Now the clean up hitter was up and the coach yelled for Bobby to back up. On the first pitch Bobby heard the bat crack and saw the ball coming out to right field . It was a towering high fly ball and Bobby was running back to get under it. The runners were off with the crack of the bat and everyone was cheering. Bobby pounded his glove with his fist and waited for the ball to drop. Just then a breeze came up and the ball hit the end of his glove and bounced away. Bobby circled and circled but could not see the ball. Finally he spotted the ball and grabbed it, and threw into the cut off man. It was to late, all three runs had scored and the Giants had won the game.

The coach got everybody together after the game and was kind of grumpy. First he said they had played well enough to win and that his son had pitched great. Then he turned to Bobby and yelled, “you cost us the game, you couldn’t even catch a fly ball.” Bobby was stunned and started to cry , but no one said anything in his defense so he grab his glove and ran into the woods behind left field. His coach said “let him go, he is just a loser anyway.” The rest of the players got up and headed to the parking lot and their parent cars. Johnny got to his car and his mom was sitting there, “where is Dad ” Johnny asked, “oh he had to go get something by the field” his mom said , ” he will be back in a few minutes”. They waited for about ten minutes and then Johnny saw his Dad. He was walking out of the woods behind left field and he had someone with him. ” Who is that” he asked his mom? Then he saw it was Bobby. His Dad had his arm around him and they were walking slow. Bobby’s head was hanging down and you could tell he had been crying when they came to get into the car. Johnny’s Dad opened the side door and asked Johnny if he would mind if Bobby came to McDonald’s with them.” No “Johnny said, He had always kind of liked Bobby and felt bad he had not stood up for him when the coach had blamed the loss on him. After some burgers and fries they headed home and Johnny’s Dad asked Bobby if he could ride his bike over some afternoon and play catch with him and Johnny. Bobby’s eyes lit up and he said, ” I sure could. Are you sure it would be alright”. “Sure,” Johnny said, “I like to play catch and my Dad takes me over to the park and hits me fly balls. Would you want to do that.” “Oh yes” Bobby said, ” no one ever asked me to join them before.” Bobby worked hard and Johnny’s Dad took some time with him and gave him some pointers. The next year he was on a different Little League team, The one that Johnny’s Dad coached. Everyone did play and they didn’t win the championship. But every player learned the game, had fun, and no one player got blamed for any loss.

Two poems I found about life that really touched my heart.  Authors Unkown.

It’ wond’rous what a hug can do.  A hug can cheer you when you’re blue.  A hug can say, “I love you so”  or,  “Gee I hate to see you go”.  A hug is”Welcome back again!” and  “Great to see you!” or “Where’ve you been?”

A hug can soothe a small child’s pain and bring a rainbow after rain.  The hug! There’s just no doubt about it, we scarcely could survie without it.

No longer do you have to worry, for a hug is the way to say “I’m sorry.”  A hug delights and warms and charms, it must be why we all have arms.

Hugs are great for Fathers and Mothers, sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.  Chances are some favorite Aunts love them more than potted plants.

Kittens crave them. Puppies love them. Heads of state are not above them.  A hug can break the language barrier and make the dullest day seem merrier.

No need to fret about the store of;em. The more you give the more there are of ‘em.  So stretch those arms without delay, and GIVE SOMEONE A HUG TODAY!

How to Live Your Dash

I read of a man who stood up to speak, at the funeral of a friend.  He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth, and spoke the following  date with tears. But said what mattered most of all, was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time, that she had spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved her, know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash. What matters most, is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash.

So think about it long and hard; are there things you’d like to change. For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough, to consider what is true and real. And try to understand, the way other people feel.

Be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more. And love the people in our lives, like we’ve never loved them before.

Treat each other with respect, and more often wear a smile.                          Remembering this special dash ,might only last a while.

So when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash. Would you be proud of the things, they say about how you spent your dash?

The president of a very large company offered a $50,000 prize to the artist that could paint a picture that best exemplified peace and tranquility.

The fourth place picture was a beautiful valley between two majestic mountain peaks. A clear fast moving stream ran down through the valley and up on a little rise near by was a log cabin with a deck over looking the valley and the stream. On the deck a man sat in a rocking chair with his fly fishing rod in his hand.

The third place picture was a sea side cottage near an ocean with large waves rolling in. Sea Gulls were circling over head and a young mother and child were walking along the vast beach picking up sea shells. Their faithful dog ran ahead and then back again to check on the lady and child.

The second place picture was a peaceful farm scene with contented cows grazing in a lush green pasture. The young calves were running circles around their mothers. In a nearby field corn was growing and several crows were flying by. A lean farmer stood at a split rail fence with a pipe in his mouth and his cow dog by his side. The strong looking red barn stood in the background and the white house with green shutters was right nearby.

As the people walked by looking at the award winning paintings, they could hardly wait to see what the first place painting looked like. Then around a corner, there it was , in a special place where the light was just right. It was a picture of a high, raging waterfall. The water plunging over the ragged cliff to a rocky river below. Small bushes clung to the steep sides of the cliff and a mist hovered over the turbulent water below. A large oak tree grew on the banks of the river near the waterfall and the mist from the falls drifted through its leaves. There, out on a large limb stretching out over the raging water was a bird’s nest. A mother Robin was sitting on it as it swayed gently back and forth. That picture won first place in the contest representing perfect trust and peace.

For you see the Robin didn’t focus on the raging water or the rocks and rugged cliffs. It focused on the strength of the limb of the old oak tree. She knew that as long as she stayed in the nest up in the tree, nothing below could touch her, or her eggs. In fact it kept helped keep predators away.

How like God, If we stay close to Him in the safety of His arms, the trials and troubles around us will not harm us. His hands will uphold and protect us through the storms of life.