Nolan Chart, which is one of the multitude of things that I learned from watching the Glenn Beck program….. anyway… back to my original point.This evening was the last broadcast of the Glenn Beck program on Fox News Channel. WOW! Twenty-nine months of hard work has come to an end.Now, some of you reading this will think that it’s a good thing that Glenn has signed off the airwaves. You’re saying things like “Good riddance to bad rubbish,” or something of that sort. I challenge those of you who have that line of thought to look beyond your politics and see Glenn for who he is and not what he says.When I first saw the Glenn Beck program on my television screen, I watched in confusion. This guy who had been on CNN was now on FoxNews and was saying some really unbelievable things. I liked some of what he said, and thought some of what he said was absolutely insane, but I respected the fact that he was passionate enough to take a stand for what he believes in.It’s a rare thing to see that kind of passion in the media. A very rare thing.Glenn Beck stood up and started talking about our history and where he sees us headed. He put our history into perspective for his viewers. He became much more than a news commentary guy… he became a teacher. And that’s something that the world can use more of.He taught people to ignore the history books and go to the original sources. He laid out the nine principles and twelve values that are the cornerstone of the 9-12 Project which asks you to take what you have learned in your life and put it into action. He taught us several key phrases that, no matter where you lie in the political spectrum, can be very beneficial to you.The first of the phrases that I’ll point out is actually a three-parter. It’s the one thing that Beck says he hopes he is most remembered for in his lifetime. It’s his creed, if you will.
Question with Boldness
Hold to the Truth
Speak Without Fear
The origin of the first part comes from this quote from Thomas Jefferson: “Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.” The second part comes from a speech given by Ghandi and the third is a lesson that Glenn learned from Dr. Martin Luther King.These three phrases are forever emblazoned in my mind and I will attempt to live my life with them for the rest of my days!Another phrase that Glenn taught us was just as equally influential in my life. The words were words written by an author I had never heard of until Glenn featured his work on the show. I will always remember the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”There were other things that we were taught, but the one thing that I will always take away from the lessons that were taught to me by Glenn Beck aren’t any of the things that he taught us. It’s something that I learned from Glenn’s show back in the summer of last year.I have, sitting by my desk, eight pennies. Those pennies are to remind me that I have not yet given my all in my life and that I must always strive to do so.This, for me, is “The Beck Effect.”Glenn was trying to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and preparing for the “Restoring Honor” event on 8/28 in Washington DC. He had been talking about it on the show for quite a long time and the time for the event was drawing near. The money situation was still in doubt as far as the event was concerned and Glenn was asking people to send in donations.There were checks coming in the mail from all over the world. Glenn was talking about the donations he had received on one of the programs and then paused when he came to one particular envelope. He began to cry – which was a common occurrence. Then he started telling the story of what was in that envelope.To be brief… the envelope contained a letter from a man who just wanted to let Glenn know that he supported the cause, but wasn’t able to give a lot of money. Times were tight for that man and he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to make it to DC for the 8/28 event, but he wanted to give something. He gave the last of the money he had in his pockets – eight pennies.Glenn took those eight pennies and put them in his pocket. He turned over eight pennies of his own to the SOWF, but kept those particular eight pennies to remind himself that he had not yet given his all. It reinvigorated Beck’s drive and determination to ensure that the event went off without a hitch… and it did.I keep those eight pennies on the shelf next to my desk, because this is where it’s hardest for me. Being out and about, I can easily take my mind off my woes by making small talk with people, listening to music, making myself busy with some mundane task, but when I’m sitting here, in front of my computer, I question a lot of things in my life, especially my decision to punch my own time clock and not someone else’sThe task of running Concrete Productions is not very hard. We’ve got a few websites that keep us busy. We’ve got Paul Ott’s television show to produce each week We’ve also got a few commercials to produce here and there. The commercial business has slowed WAY down since the economy went into the tank, but we still produce a few.There are some months when we are looking at each other and asking ourselves what we were thinking when we got into this business, but knowing that this is where God wanted us to be.Adding Vicksburg Daily News to the mix has been a blessing and a curse. It’s given us an alternate revenue stream to make up for some of the video production, but it’s also tied us down a great deal. Before VDN, we were able to go and do as we pleased. When mom had to have surgery, Cristy was able to pack up and head to Colorado for three months to be there for her. Mom’s looking at another surgery in August and I’m not sure if either one of us is gonna be able to leave this time.Then I look at those eight pennies and I know. Through God – all things are possible.I’ve got a lot to be thankful for in my life. One of those things is the fact that Glenn Beck exists and that he is the man that he is. He brought me closer to God and made me more aware than I was about our nation’s history… and for those that know me, that actually means something, because I’m a history nut!I was sad to hear the phrase, “from New York… Good night, America.” for the last time, but am excited for the dawn of a new era. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store, in the way of his new project, GBTV and what the newly announced non-profit wing of his media empire, MercuryOne, will have in store. Head over to GlennBeck.com to learn more.Oh… one other lesson that Glenn taught me… it’s good to be an entrepreneur. I don’t know if VDN would even exist if it weren’t for him teaching me that lesson! Like I said… a blessing and a curse.I think that all of us can learn some really hard lessons about ourselves and our freedoms from looking back at what Glenn taught us and also think that we still have much to learn from him and those he has surrounded himself with. Clear your mind of your ideology and look at the man for what he is… an inspiration to thousands, if not millions… a man who drew hundreds of thousands of people to Washington DC on 8/28 to hear a message of hope and honor… a man who will travel to Israel on 8/24 (2011) and speak right outside the wall of the Al-Aqsa mosque, which sits atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem with the message of “Restoring Courage”… a dedicated husband and father…. a recovering alcoholic who has been to the depths and climbed to the top of the mountain… a son of a baker who wasn’t born into riches… a true American success story.Thank you, Glenn Beck. I’ll be watching!]]]]> ]]>
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