Living with an attitude of gratitude

Nick Vujicic

Gratitude is a very humbling and empowering emotion and state of mind.

Two recent events have given me plenty of opportunity to express gratitude in the extreme. The first involves the sudden and untimely death of my car’s battery. A jump start got me across the street to NAPA Auto Parts (thanks, Ken!) Although they had just sold out of the size battery I need hours earlier, the guys there were very friendly and helpful. Even though the store was closed, they took the time to give me another jump start before they left (thanks, guys!)

I let my 2012 Ford Focus idle a bit to build a charge. When I went to put the car in reverse, nothing happened. Apparently, my car has a safety feature that prevents it from going into gear when the battery is too low. (Not really thankful for that.) I had to leave it parked there overnight and get a ride home (thanks again, Ken!).

The next morning, I met Johnny from Fat Boy Towing out of Kerrville (my AAA suggestion) and he very promptly and courteously got my car to the repair shop (thank you, Johnny!). I am very grateful they had the battery in the size I needed and had people to do the installation. My car runs again and I am thankful and happy.

Prior to that, on the weekend of July 16-17, I attended the Promise Keepers conference at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. For those who don’t know, Promise Keepers is an international men’s ministry co-founded in the 1990s by former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney. In its heyday, the organization held stadium events across the country, culminating with a national gathering in Washington, D.C., in 1997. The Dallas event marked something of a revival for PK, being the first stadium-sized gathering in more than two decades.

At first, I planned to crash for the night at a friend’s house about an hour away from the stadium (thank you, Paces, for making your home available), but then the children’s minister from my home church contacted me and said he had a spare bed in his hotel room near the stadium (thank you, Joel Smith!).

Since I was covering the conference as a member of the Fourth Estate, I was given seating on the field close to the stage and allowed to take photographs to my heart’s content (joyfully thankful). Opening night on Friday featured Nick Vujicic (“voo-yi-chich”), the Australian-born motivational speaker, author and evangelist who was born without arms or legs. I am forever grateful to have seen him in person and to hear his message, as he has been on my bucket list of people to see for many years. He has an impactful story about trusting God and the power of prayer.

The next day brought with it much more gratitude. The conference continued with numerous, powerful speakers, all imploring us as followers of Christ to be better husbands and fathers and leaders in our communities and churches. Also, the first of what is expected to be an annual award for courage was presented to retired Gen. Jerry Boykins.

Boykins is noted for his service in the Army during the attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran in 1980, the invasion of Granada in 1983, the 1989 mission to capture Manuel Noriega in Panama, the hunt for drug lord Pablo Escobar in Colombia in 1992-93, and the Black Hawk Down incident in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993. He spoke about how God used warriors throughout the Bible and implored the men to be warriors for their faith. I am grateful to have seen him and hear what he has to say.

Of course, being in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, PK held a panel discussion with Cowboys hall-of-famers Michael Irvin and Charles Haley, and Tim Brown of the Raiders. Chad Hennings hosted. As a Denver Broncos fan and long-time loather of the Cowboys and Raiders, I had to take this one with a grain of salt. I’m grateful I did. I got to see these guys in a different light and grew to respect them for their commitment to God and family.

Lunchtime brought with it a complete surprise. Unable to find anything I could afford that fit into my keto diet, I came across two guys walking away from a concession stand with the biggest plate-sized hamburgers I have ever seen. I asked them how much they cost and they said they paid $75 for the two of them (plus fries and drink). Then, one of the guys insisted on giving me his burger because it was too big and one burger was enough for both of them. I don’t know who the guy was, but I am extremely and humbly grateful for his generosity.

There are so many other things that happened that warrant my gratitude, but I’m out of space to list them. I’m reminded of the late Zig Ziglar who profoundly exhorted people to adopt an “attitude of gratitude.”

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions,” he said. “The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

He also said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

I’m grateful to those of you who read this to the end and wish you all the best as you contemplate the things in life you are grateful for.

joe@fredericksburgstandard.com

Heroes or cowards?

The departure of Democratic representatives from the state in order to prevent a quorum in the special legislative session currently under way in Austin can be viewed as either a heroic act by those defending their beliefs and convictions or an act of cowardice and dereliction of duty. Here in heavily Republican Gillespie County, the prevailing perspective is likely the latter.

At issue is a voting bill that Republicans call election security and Democrats decry as voter suppression. The bill would restrict many of the voting initiatives done during the pandemic in 2020 to make voting more accessible. Republicans feel those measures went too far and want to curtail them to prevent voter fraud.

Imagine that the shoe is on the other foot. What if Republicans were the minority party and our representative, Kyle Biedermann, fled with other Republicans to Washington, D.C., (or any venue outside Texas) to prevent the Democrats from voting on a bill that would greatly expand election laws and loosen voting requirements? Would we cheer him as a hero or scorn him as a coward? That is the standard by which we should measure the tactics of the dissident Democrats.

That being said, we would probably chastise his cowardice, just as we do the Democrats. We respect and appreciate anyone taking such an effort to stand up for what they believe. But as elected officials, they are to do the work of the people who elected them and not serve themselves. That means staying in Austin and striving to make compromises and changes that are satisfactory to the majority, not running away to seek help from Uncle Sam.

It’s a foregone conclusion the Republican majority will get its way. New laws will be passed and inevitably be appealed. Those appeals, however, would carry more weight if Democrats were there to oppose the bills, offering alternatives and making an effort to fight what they consider an injustice. It’s hard to argue with integrity that a bill is wrong if you did not actively work against it.

Besides, when has running away solved anything? They’ve heaped on shame and further entrenched the opposition. In the meantime, the state’s business is not getting done and that impacts everyone, not just their local constituencies.

What we need is for Democrats to return and for Republicans to be willing to work with them to streamline and focus the legislation. Democrats won’t get their way, but at least they will have tried.

Then when they seek re-election, they can honestly say they fought legislation rather than run from it. It’s much easier to cheer for the 90-pound weakling with the bloody nose and bruised body than it is the sniveling twerp hiding behind his daddy’s legs and mother’s skirt. – J.S.

(Editorial from the July 21, 2021, edition of the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post.)

Calling all nerds and men of faith

Nerd alert!

There is an event coming up in San Antonio at the end of the month that “Star Wars” fans and other pop culture geeks will not want to miss.

(OK, I know San Antonio is a little out of our coverage area, but it is one of the closest metropolitan areas where we can go to enjoy major events.)

Celebrity Fan Fest is returning to Six Flags Fiesta Texas on July 31 through Aug. 8 and the guest list is incredible. For die hard Star Warriors, it's an opportunity to see and meet Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), and several voice actors from the various animated series’ (do they still call them cartoons?).

Aside from “Star Wars,” the show features Owen Wilson (“Loki,” “Night at the Museum”), Ray Fisher (Cyborg from “Justice League”), Charlie Cox (“Daredevil”), Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch (“Superman and Lois”), and numerous other celebrities with more to be announced.

To buy tickets or to learn more about the event, visit celebrityfanfest.com or follow them on Facebook and other social media.

 

Man up

This Friday and Saturday (July 16-17) at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Promise Keepers is holding its first stadium event since the late 1990s. I won’t call it a comeback because Promise Keepers never left. It’s more of a revival. The event was supposed to take place last year, but the pandemic put the kibosh on that.

I’m planning to attend this event. Promise Keepers radically transformed my life back in its heyday. It was co-founded in 1990 by former University of Colorado head football coach Bill McCartney. Throughout the 1990s it grew from a gathering at Folsom Field to Mile High Stadium and then stadiums across the country. The only stadium event I attended was at Mile High in 1996. I had just returned home to Colorado after the breakup of my first marriage. The next year I was at Stand in the Gap: A Sacred Assembly of Men, held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This was the climax event for the organization, drawing an estimated one million men.

From there PK moved to arena events and later to church gatherings and other small venues. I got to know Coach McCartney back then and I reported on many PK events for my hometown paper. He even read one of my columns about marriage on his radio program called “Fourth and Goal.” I always admired his passion and enthusiasm for reaching men for Christ. He was driven to make men better husbands and fathers. He created a great awakening in the church, getting men to become more involved and to support their pastors. He always taught men to be servant leaders full of humility and compassion. He was also on the forefront of getting men to reach across racial lines.

If you’ve never been to a Promise Keepers event, or if it’s been a while, you might want to consider going. This is the only one that will be held in the nation this year. Among the speakers are Nick Vujicic, Tauren Wells, Jonathan Evans, Les Parrott, Cody Carnes, and several Dallas Cowboy legends.

For you younger men, this is a great opportunity to become inspired and get fired up about serving God, church, and family. You can register or learn more at www.promisekeepers.org.

 

Eclectic events

I admit that this mix of sacred and secular events is a little strange, but that’s who I am. This column is called Faith, Family & Fun and these two events are a part of that. I’m also a sports fan and from time to time I talk about football and baseball. If you ever get the chance to visit me in my office, you’ll see a lot of sports memorabilia where the books should be in my bookcase. It’s not that I’m weird or conflicted, I’m just passionate. And in the span of three weeks, I hope to build my faith and to have a little fun. If you’re so inclined, I hope you’ll join me.

 

joe@fredericksburgstandard.com

Affordable housing remains in focus

If you’re like the rest of us in the newsroom at the Standard-Radio Post, you’re probably tired of hearing about affordable housing and short-term rentals.

This week we conclude our series on affordable housing but not our coverage. The special series was designed to give a more in-depth look at how these issues impact the community. The subject is a hot topic right now because of the impact it has. As long as it continues to impact the local economy and remains in discussion by elected officials, we will continue to keep our readers abreast of the subject.

With the average home in Fredericksburg now costing north of a half-million dollars, the ability of local businesses to attract and keep lower-wage workers is increasingly difficult, if not impossible. To raise wages to match the affordability of a house hear would result in the unrealistic inflation of prices for products and services. ($50 hamburgers anyone?)

We have established that there is clearly a tie to short-term rentals (STRs), or bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), to the rapidly rising house prices. Far too many homes are being snatched up at inflated prices and converted to STRs. The demand for housing here has far outstripped the supply. The ones who can afford to buy a home here generally come from places such as California where the inflation is far worse.

In this week’s story to conclude the affordable housing series, we take a look at people who cannot afford to live here. Too often children leave the nest, go off to college, but find they can’t come home again unless they move back in with their parents. Based on a question we asked a few weeks ago on Facebook, most people here could not afford to buy the home they live in if they had to buy it today.

This is a very precarious position to be in. Without workers, business suffers. When customers receive poor service or long waits because businesses lack staff, they leave bad reviews and they don’t come back. While that is bad for individual businesses, collectively it gives the city a bad reputation and ultimately costs us significant tourism dollars.

If tourists stop coming here, the need for STRs dries up, which would result in a glut of homes on the market with few buyers. The bigger picture would include large numbers of foreclosures and bankruptcies and a ruined economy. Nobody wants that. It’s for that reason that we must find ways of making homes in Fredericksburg affordable again. We need long-term residents and not short-term renters filling our neighborhoods.

In addition to having homes for service industry workers, we need places where new families can get their start. We need places that new teachers and law enforcement officers can afford. We need our children to be able to branch out and live here. Fredericksburg should be a good place to be, and not just a good place to be from.

We applaud the city in its efforts to hire a housing coordinator to confront this problem. The problem is serious enough to warrant the focused attention. Let’s hope this person is successful in his or her mission.

In the meantime, no matter how tiresome the topic becomes, we know it’s important and we will stay on top of it to keep our readers informed. – J.S.

(Editorial in the July 14, 2021, edition of the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post)

Affordable housing gone from Fredericksburg

It was just a simple question meant to help out one of our reporters.

On Thursday, I posted a question on the Standard’s Facebook page asking, “If you had to buy the Fredericksburg house you live in now at today’s prices, could you afford it?” I did it because one of our reporters was having difficulty getting people to interview for a story about people from here who can’t afford to come back home.

Asking that question certainly struck a very raw, exposed nerve. The comment section lit up fast. There was a resounding “no.” And then the anecdotal comments just started breaking my heart. Clearly people love Fredericksburg, but they hate what is happening to their beloved community. Here are a few examples:

Leah Pendley: “We left 10 years ago because of the cost of living then. We couldn’t afford to start a family and buy or build a house. We absolutely loved living in Fredericksburg, but it just wasn’t the best choice for us for long term.”

Kyle Marcus: “I closed 10 months ago and couldn’t afford it today.”

Kelsey Lansford: “I couldn’t even afford to move back after college (born and raised here). Luckily I have a great boss who allows me to rent one of his places or there would’ve been absolutely no way.”

Mercedes Mear Stenberg; “STRs are driving prices through the roof and destroying the fabric of our community. Employers can help by paying a living wage so people can *possibly* afford to live where they work.”

Valerie Cameron Klaerner: “Too much growth, too fast. And no increased work force, so... I work in a service industry and we can’t keep up with all the new folks moving in. I live in Kerrville and commute because I can’t afford it here.”

Annalyn Brook Stableford: “Nope. We never bought a house in Fredericksburg because everything is too high priced. That’s why we live in Mason and drive 45 minutes to work every day.”

Logan Moore: “I would have to win the mega millions to live back there. I miss it but I can’t afford it.”

Melody Pollard Houston: “Someone literally had to die for me to afford it the first time. Absolutely no way I could buy it again. I’m struggling just to stay in it!”

I’ve been working at the Standard-Radio Post for five months now. I’ve been living in a temporary situation just outside of town by the grace of God and the generosity of a retired couple who have been exceedingly kind to me. But my family remains in the Houston area while my wife tries to get employment here.

Anticipating a possible offer, we have been house hunting. So far, we have looked in Harper, Ingram and Kerrville. Fredericksburg isn’t even close to being an option, which is disappointing because as a journalist, I prefer to live where I work.

As we have been working on our series of affordable housing stories, the clear message is that Fredericksburg does not have any affordable housing and hasn’t for some time. The city isn’t likely to ever see affordable housing again unless some drastic measures are taken. The first would be a disastrous crash in the housing market, which would be worse than the current inflation. We don’t want that.

The second would be construction of homes and apartments that would have to be built specifically as affordable homes and strictly regulated to stay that way. It’s difficult to get builders and landowners onboard with that concept, but not impossible.

One thing that needs to be done immediately is to stabilize the rapid rise of home prices in the city. That is best done by limiting and ultimately reducing the number of short-term rentals (STR). So many homes have been bought up in the last two or three years and converted to STRs that the inventory of homes on the market has shrunk while demand has skyrocketed. We need the housing inventory to match or exceed the demand.

I went through a very similar situation 16 years ago in Colorado, which is largely what drove me to Texas. The house I had built in an affordable housing program in 2003 — and was foreclosed on two years later — is now worth more than three times what I bought it for. And if you think things are bad here, I read just the other day that the median home price in Boulder, Colorado, near where I grew up, is now $1.5 million. Here in Fredericksburg, we just crossed the $500,000 mark.

I want to thank the hundreds of people who responded to our Facebook question. It shows you really care about the community and what is happening to it.

We do too, which is why we’re doing this series of stories.

joe@fredericksburgstandard.com