3 Lessons on Courage from the Wizard of Oz

3 Lessons on Courage from the Wizard of Oz

“You’re nothing but a great big coward,” Dorothy said sternly to the cowardly lion when she first met him in the woods with the Scarecrow and the Tin Man.

“You’re right. I am a coward. I haven’t any courage at all,” responded the lion with tears running down his cheeks and his voice trembling.

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Greater Love Hath No Man Than This…

Greater Love Hath No Man Than This…

I sat in my living room and watched as they brought the flag draped casket into the church. I’m not sure why I wasn’t in school that day.

Daniel R. Bodin was killed on February 20, 1968 in Binh Thuan Province in Viet Nam. He was 19 years old. He was a member of the church that my dad pastored and dad was leading the funeral. I remember him talking to mom about what a difficult service it would be.

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The Swimmer, the Shark and the Tourists

The Swimmer, the Shark and the Tourists

I’m not sure if he was annoyed with us or not. He was gracious enough to visit with us for a few minutes as he prepared for his swim.

swimmer

My wife, Amy, and I stood on the sandy shores of La Jolla Cove and chatted with the man in the Speedo. He was swimming from the cove to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Pier and back. He said it was a little over a mile each way.

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