When I graduated high school, I was working at a very large animal hospital. There were 10 doctors and probably 40-plus other employees to support the doctor staff. My Mom was super thrilled for me that I was going to graduate. I had some struggles with my grades in my early high school days. It was a big deal to graduate. It was a big deal to me, and it was a big deal to my Mom.

My Mom offered me options to celebrate. She offered a trip of my choice within reason or a party. Being the keen person that I am, I chose a party. Why? Well, when you have a party for a celebration, people often bring gifts. Often the gifts are money. Here were my thoughts: Enjoy a party with all your friends and relatives, and the money you most likely will receive will provide for you a trip. That’s the salesman in me, I guess. Hey, it worked.

The party is truly one of my fondest memories as a teenager. There had to be 150 people who showed up at the party. Family and friends from all areas of my life. I was glad to have everyone there.

When the veterinary practice owner and his sons showed up at my party, I was not expecting that. That really made me feel good that they supported me. One of my favorite doctors from the practice also showed up. His doctor number that we used to identify him over the intercom and in the computer, etc., was 01 (pronounced Oh One). O1 was a really good guy who helped me a lot while I worked at the practice. He was old enough to be my father, and he was a man that I considered a mentor. We talked a lot, and we ate lunch together often. He invited me to his house, and I even got to know his father. We shot guns, worked on projects, and 01 and his father even painted my car. I looked up to him for what he stood for.

As a gift for my high school graduation, 01 did not give me money. He gave me a Webster’s Dictionary. It is 3 and 3/4 inches thick. I still have it today. The money I received was great. However, my all-time favorite gift was the Webster’s dictionary I received from 01. It wasn’t just a ‘here-you-go, here is a gift.’ It came with his wisdom. He told me how and why he came to the decision to give me this dictionary. His intentions behind the gift were to pass on wisdom through the knowledge of words. In that wisdom was hope for my future as a high school graduate.

While I have to admit it’s been a bunch of years since I actually used it, I still go to it when I need a really good definition. The internet can certainly provide, but there is nothing like a good ole fashioned paper-bound book! Obviously, today I could cut and paste off the internet, and who really needs a bound dictionary that just takes up space and is now completely outdated?

Without looking, I am positive that words like blog, Google, emoji, voicemail, smartphone, GoPro, photobomb, and here is one – Friend used as a verb, are not in my Webster’s dictionary. The list of new words we have is quite extensive. One word that hasn’t changed is the word HOPE. Here is the definition of Hope as it is found in my Webster’s Dictionary from 1990.

My hope for you from Give Your Story is that you take away something positive and useful that you can use to assist you in making a change. While I would love to hear a story from someone on how Give Your Story changed their life for the better, we are in our infancy here, and that would be a long-term hope. However, if you just get something positive from Give Your Story that provides you with the ability to do something simple, like helping someone do something that is outside the scope of what you would normally do, that is also within the goal of my hopes. I would love to hear from you.

In my 12-step program, I participate in helping men recover from sex addiction through what we call sponsorship. You can think of the term sponsor as being a mentor. The goal is to help men make changes that not only stop destructive behavior(s) but also make changes that are much bigger than just stopping the destructive behavior. The bigger goal of a 12-step program is to facilitate character changes that have a large impact on each individual’s relationships for the better. I can tell you firsthand that it is quite rewarding when you get an unprompted phone call from a man you helped, either recently or even years later, to thank you for helping them. It is so awesome to be part of the change in another person and watch them grow and succeed. If you have experienced this with your own children, it is an identical feeling. To me, that feeling is the ultimate generator of hope.

I would be flat out lying to you if I didn’t admit that receiving that reward of thank you is part of my own selfishness in the creation of Give Your Story.

I came to Jesus a little over 8 years ago. That was a wonderful experience. What came from finding Jesus is the desire to want to help others find Him too. It has taken me the better part of those 8 years to figure out exactly what that path looks like.

I am grateful to be able to give this to you through Give Your Story. I hope for you. I hope for you to find change for the better. I hope for you to find Him.

What does hope look like to you? I hope to learn your story.