An offering of my heart to God out of gratitude for my family: Several years ago, I fell upon the ground and cried… I begged for God for a love that only He could provide… In my weary heart, is where I submitted to His love… Unaware that my life was under His divine guidance from above… We met seemingly by chance with our guarded hearts… A conversation in a coffee shop was our simple start… After that day, we […]
Want to learn more about firefighter behavioral health and what we can do about it? Here’s your opportunity: If you have been following our posts, you all know that our mission is to encourage, inspire, & provide the critically needed resources for the members of the fire service. And as a part of this mission, it requires that we learn about valuable programs available to first responders to assist them. This may not seem like much but anyone who has […]
The shift ends, our bodies are tired but our spirits are at ease. The aches and pains of a tired and worn body is worth the contentment we receive by fulfilling our calling. Thus another day dawns and begins with the rising of the sun, rising of our bodies, but do our spirits rise as high as they once were? To be truthful, our hearts and minds often grow weary from all of the pain and frustration. Our tears often […]
A man sits with his head in his hands weeping. He has just suffered the loss of his wife in a tragic accident. In one moment, they were together and in the next a car struck her, taking her young life. As I checked for a pulse in a lifeless and broken body I knew there was no hope for her. I turned to see his eyes only to hear him say: “Why aren’t you helping her?” I stood with […]
Suffering from Firefighter Burn-Out? Read this: What is work to us as firefighters? Is it burdensome or bothersome? Or is it the place where our passion is pursued and a part of ourselves receives fulfillment? Have the days of feeling satisfaction from a job well done long past? Has the loss of morality and the endorsement of situational ethics caused us to lose hope in our work and our leaders? Has the world of instant answers caused us to quit […]
When God Whispers to Our Heart: There are moments of regret that I experience from time to time… They are inescapable, unforgettable, and their memory forever etched into my mind… These moments are few but so powerful for they have to do with my own ignorance… I pray so often that God will draw near to me… I pray that in some divine way that He will speak to me.. And yet I forget that when He speaks I am […]
When people look upon these eyes, they often say… You look troubled, did you have a bad day?… But to give an honest reply would be more than most would care to know… And if they could see through these eyes, they wouldn’t ask any more… In these eyes, the harshest moments have been witnessed… In these eyes, they have seen broken marriages and shattered commitments… In these eyes, visions of another painful life lesson… In these eyes, […]
We the Post Traumatic Souls: In most cases, the world looks upon its public servants with high regard. There are a few that abuse the position, tarnish its reputation, and damage the public’s trust. As a whole, less than ½ of 1% of public servants abuse their place of public trust. This is percentage better than doctors, lawyers, and even our clergy. Yet, in the midst of such great trust and such great responsibility there is something that the public […]
Minimum Standards Maximum Requirements: As a firefighter who has served many years, many can say that they have seen numerous examples of firefighters and employees. A firefighter can be defined as one who lives out their calling consistently, gives without though of recognition, and is always working to improve their capabilities to serve their fellow man. An employee, may be considered as one who only seeks to meet the minimum standards. In many cases there are those who […]
The Affair You Never Saw Coming: Imagine if you will, a happily married couple whose husband is a firefighter. Their marriage is great and they work together to balance the issues that fire families face but then one day something happens. The husband begins to change. He begins to be drawn into his work more and more. He is consumed by it, constantly studying, training, and attending conferences. He is always gone either on duty at the station or teaching […]