first american title: We Are In This Together
- 10/16/15 12:46 AM
The Kingwood High School girls Cross Country teams have been tearing it up this year. Our varsity girls are ranked #1 in the great state of Texas. Yesterday they proved their dominance taking 7 of the top 10 spots in a regional race.
Two of those girls running are mine; Kendall my 16 year old Junior and Payton, my 14 year old Freshman. As good as Kendall is, Payton is right on her heels. Frankly I’ve been worried all year that Payton could pass Kendall by year end, setting off a nuclear bomb in my home. Yes, my kids are incredibly competitive.
Wednesday night … (0 comments)
first american title: Be an Encourager
- 09/21/15 11:52 PM
Saturday was one of my “less than glorious days” on a bike. While riding out in Dayton on a county road, a pack of dogs came out of a yard after us. The lead dog jumped into my bike, causing me to flip end over end. My bike was totally mangled, and I sustained some pretty good cuts and bruises that will keep me out of training for a week or two. Nothing too serious, and hopefully not too much of a setback for my next Ironman race which is in November. Last night my 8-year old daughter Phoebe asked “daddy are … (17 comments)
Years ago I raced bikes. You know the kind of bikes ridden by the Tour de France guys. I was competitive and did well enough to qualify for the Arizona State Championship race held in downtown Phoenix. On race day the downtown area was completely shut down and packed with spectators as we raced the winding city streets. It was amazing. With one lap to go I was perfectly positioned to win, the result of countless … (39 comments)
first american title: Staying in touch
- 06/24/15 11:12 PM
Just over two years ago I leased my first ever BMW. Call it an early mid-life crisis, or fulfilling a childhood dream. I’ve always loved the idea of driving a BMW and so when the time was right I leased one to give it what I call a “three year test drive”. If I fall in love I’ll pony up and buy one when the lease expires… maybe. Every couple of months I receive a beautiful magazine from BMW. BMW has found a way to market their products in a way that just makes you want to keep driving their cars, no … (5 comments)
first american title: Reflections of the Past
- 03/15/15 11:56 PM
Last week I had the opportunity to take a few days off of work and lead a group of youth on a church sponsored pioneer trek. In short, we divided about 100 teenagers between 8 couples and formed families. The families loaded all of their gear into handcarts and then pulled them through the mud and rain over several days, covering many miles. The couples served as “ma and pa” for their family. One of the purposes of the trek was to help these youth understand the sacrifices made by our pioneer ancestors, connect with them, feel gratitude, and gain … (0 comments)
first american title: If You Wait for Perfect Conditions You'll Never Get Anything Done
- 03/09/15 12:25 AM
When my alarm went off and the rain was still coming down I thought “Is it ever going to warm up?, it sure would be really nice to take a run or ride my bike when it’s not wet out!!” I then thought of this very picture below that I saw on Pinterest: I know rainy days are not necessarily the best days for Real Estate. Generally speaking, buyers don’t want to get wet, sellers don’t want the outdoors brought into their clean homes, and what are families going to do during Spring Break? It’s pouring rain, and you’re telling … (5 comments)
first american title: A Purposeful Approach
- 11/02/14 11:15 PM
I absolutely love this time of year. November brings unbelievable weather and welcomes in our most cherished holidays.
I had several experiences this weekend that caused me to reflect back on training I received from the Disney Leadership Institute a few years ago. The theme of this particular training was “PURPOSE”. Are we PURPOSEFUL in our daily actions.
My youngest son Parker and his football team, the KFL Senior Chargers, won their playoff game this weekend. Next week is the Super bowl, leaving them just one win away from the perfect season. I knew they would be a … (0 comments)
first american title: Asking the Right Questions ... Max your title guy
- 06/23/14 12:15 AM
This morning my wife Cindy left town for a week, volunteering as a leader for a Christian youth girls camp in Dallas. My two teenage daughters leave tomorrow for the camp, leaving me with two boys and our youngest daughter Phoebe.
After sending Cindy off I had breakfast with Phoebe. She said, “Dad, we need to talk”. I couldn’t help but smile and then told her I was all ears. Here’s the conversation:
Phoebe: Dad, I want a white BMW Dad: You better start working right away Phoebe: Kellen got a car Dad: Kellen did not get a car. … (1 comments)
first american title: Never Give Up
- 05/20/14 12:18 AM
As some of you know I ran the Boston Marathon on April 21st, Patriots Day. Part of my preparation included reading 1776 by David McCullough. David McCullough details the events leading to the American Revolution, the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the leadership of so many including General George Washington.
In mid-1776 the “Americans” had a great victory in Boston which pushed the war to New York. From around August of 1776 til’ December 25th, the Americans experienced one humiliating defeat after another to the British. The American military was a poor site to behold. Most often half … (0 comments)
Friday night my daughter Kendall asked me if I was running Saturday morning. I told her I was thinking about it but not entirely sure. She then said “C’mon dad if you can run Boston with those ribs you can do a morning run with me”. I told her I’d love to run with her but that I was still hurting a bit and needed to be careful. What she said next was perfect. “I think you’ve lost your love for running. I know Boston took a lot out of you but you cannot give … (0 comments)
first american title: Running Boston
- 04/23/14 12:26 AM
It started with a challenge in June of 2012 when my brother-in-law Steve told me I should try and qualify to run in the Boston Marathon. 7 months later, January 2013, I qualified for Boston by running a marathon (26.2 miles) in 3 hours and 7 minutes, placing 3rd overall in my first race. 3 weeks later I ran the Huntsville marathon where I placed first. As registration for the Boston Marathon doesn’t open until September I knew I’d have 14 months to further prepare myself to run in the 2014 Boston Marathon.
In April of 2013 we all heard … (1 comments)
first american title: All In
- 09/30/13 01:55 AM
In July we as a family came up with a family theme. We wanted something that would be easy for the kids to remember. Something that would bind us together, something we could state out loud that would serve as a powerful reminder as to how we approach challenges, commitments, and the love we have for each other. The theme is “All In”. Fast forward to this weekend, Saturday morning at 4:30am. Our freshman daughter at KHS, Kendall, would be racing a 2-mile event on the JV Cross Country team. Every week she gets faster and grows in confidence. Saturday … (0 comments)
first american title: Real Estate_ A great service to others
- 07/15/13 12:33 AM
21 years ago, at the age of 19, I left the safety of my home in Kingwood TX to serve a two-year service mission in a very poor part of Mexico. It was the scariest thing I had ever done. I had never been away from home for more than a week, I did not speak Spanish, my self-confidence was low, and I really doubted if I had anything to offer this world and the people in it.
My first home in Mexico was a cardboard house that had been painted with oil to make it waterproof. The roof was … (0 comments)
first american title: Disney_Over Managing
- 04/23/13 01:34 AM
This past week I had the opportunity to spend 3 days in Disneyland at Disney’s Leadership Institute. It truly was an honor to be a part of the program. Here’s just one of my takeaways that helps make Disney so magical:
1) Disney believes in “Over Managing” those things which they believe to be critical to their success. Over managing is not to be confused with “Micro Managing”. They have determined there are 4 keys that will ultimately make it possible for them to create the happiest place on earth. By creating the happiest place on earth they’ve successfully built … (3 comments)
first american title: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
- 01/23/13 11:26 PM
Yesterday I received a phone call from a Realtor that brought a huge smile to my face. As she explained how she had just sold a home I could literally feel her jumping up and down with excitement. Like so many, she struggles a bit with calling prospects. A few months ago her client, a buyer, made an offer on a property and then backed out as they decided the price was just a bit out of their financial safe zone. The client fell off the radar and she’s had no recent contact. We’ve been talking, working on sales skills, and … (4 comments)
first american title: Reflections of a Runner
- 11/26/12 10:55 PM
In final preparations for my Boston Marathon qualifier to be held on January 1 2013 I ran the San Antonio Rock-N-Roll Marathon two weeks ago. It was supposed to be a hard, but not leg-busting event that would prepare my mind for the pain I will certainly endure on January 1st. It was supposed to be a confidence building event.
A week after the event I found it difficult at best to maintain my normal workout pace. Doubt has started to set in about my ability to run a 7:15 average mile over 26.2 miles in order to qualify me … (2 comments)
first american title: The brick walls that block our way are there for a reason
- 08/05/12 11:54 PM
Many years ago as a Police Officer I was chasing a young man who had committed a serious crime. He was tall and fast; it seems almost movie-like thinking back on the chase. I ran after him through an alley, over a dumpster, and through a convenience store. When he went over a 12' cinder block wall I felt I had no choice but to go over it myself. Just as I was clearing the wall he looked back and our eyes made contact. He stopped running, he laid down, threw his arms out in front of him and yelled, "I'm not running any more". Back at the station during the interview I … (84 comments)
first american title: Success is found in DESIRE
- 06/13/12 12:33 AM
At the age of 19 my dad had me read a book by Napoleon Hill, "Think and GROW RICH". It was first published in 1937, the first of its kind. A self-help book for those seeking success in whatever the endeavor may be. The book was revolutionary and to this day remains one of my top 5 business books of all time. It taught me DESIRE and provided me the inspiration and confidence I needed. It helped me realize that I can accomplish anything in life that I DESIRE. It first sold for $2.50 a copy. Today you can get it for an … (5 comments)
first american title: Building Trust
- 05/11/12 12:05 AM
Last weekend while visiting with some friends, swimming in the pool, and having a little brisket I couldn’t help but notice my 16-year old son was having a great time with our friends 15-year old daughter. They were sitting together poolside and “texting” away on their phones with big smiles all the while. Frankly it scared the heck out of me. I couldn’t help but wonder if my son is unable to have a real person-to-person, face-to-face conversation. I took their phones away and was happy to see their conversation continued, only this time they were actually talking. Wow what a … (3 comments)
first american title: The Right Prescription ... It's In the Asking
- 04/16/12 11:14 PM
I went to our new family doctor a few weeks ago with little doubt of getting proper care. Having had some “less than spectacular” experiences with doctors, I assumed the doctor would make a few guesses, prescribe some meds, and send me out the door with some hope that I was properly diagnosed. Upon arrival at my new doctor’s office I was asked for my insurance card and some identification. Nothing more, no ridiculous forms where they ask you the same questions that can be answered on the cards I already gave them. Within a few minutes I was called … (1 comments)
The Kingwood High School girls Cross Country teams have been tearing it up this year. Our varsity girls are ranked #1 in the great state of Texas. Yesterday they proved their dominance taking 7 of the top 10 spots in a regional race.
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