A Friend

I want to talk briefly today about a friend (and perhaps embarrass him a little) because he is someone who I admire and from whom I learn much about what it means to be a man - especially a man of faith.

His name is Max Wade and he and his lovely wife Michelle run Galloping Grace Youth Ranch.

This is a picture of Max at a horse event held yesterday in Corrales. You can read more about the event and what Max was doing there in Michelle's blog for Sunday, August 24 - "Horsing Around". The two boys are Max and Michelle's sons - Grant (the smaller one with the balloons) and Garrett. They also have two neat daughters, Claire and Brooke.

This is a picture of Max and me at the event yesterday. (Thanks, Michelle, I stole it from your blog.)

Max is first and foremost a man of faith. His relationship with God comes before everything else and motivates everything he does in his life.

Next, he is a good husband and father. After God, it is clear that his family comes first in his life before all else.

He has a great sense of humor and is a lot of fun to be around. The kids who come to the ranch love him and he makes each one feel special. He has the ability to quickly evaluate each kid and match them with the right horse. He's also not afraid to let them stretch themselves a little and discover that they can do things they didn't think would be possible.

He's also a good horseman. When he rides, it looks as if he put super glue on the seat of his pants before planting himself into the saddle. He and the horse are one. It is my dream to be able to ride like that some day.

But, what intrigues me the most about Max is he's the most honest and humble man I know.

When I say humble I don't mean he thinks of himself as weak or he puts himself down. That's not an accurate understanding of humility.

Max is humble because he sees himself as God sees him - no more and no less.

He recognizes his strengths and realizes that he can take credit for them just about as much as he can take credit for the color of his eyes. He knows his strengths are gifts from God to be used in his service. He also recognizes his weaknesses and finds compensating strengths for those weakness from Michelle and his friends - and from his faith in God.

Betty and I are truly blessed to have Max and Michelle in our lives and, hopefully, we have been able to share a little of our lives with them.

Enough embarrassment for Max for one day.

Today is August 25 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Claudia Schiffer (supermodel), Rachael Ray (TV cooking show host), Billy Ray Cyrus (country singer and Dad to Hannah Montana), Tim Burton (slightly twisted director - "Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands"), Elvis Costello (punk rocker), Gene Simmons (singer - "KISS"), Regis Philbin (TV host - "Live with Regis and... whomever"), Sean Connery (actor - James Bond and Indian Jones father), and Walt Kelly (my favorite cartoonist of all time - "Pogo").

Today in history the National Park Service was established as a part of the Department of Interior in 1916.