Dean Mackintosh - Academy Mortgage

08/30/2018

"Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home... it's your responsibility to love it, or change it." - Chuck Palahniuk

08/30/2018

Louis Zamperini qualified for the United States in the 5,000-meter race for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where he came in eighth place and set a record in the final lap. In 1941 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in the Pacific as a bombardier. On a search-and-rescue mission, his plane crashed in the ocean due to mechanical problems.

Zamperini and two of his comrades fought off constant shark attacks and were nearly capsized by a storm. They were strafed many times by a Japanese bomber, which punctured their raft but didn’t hit them. One of his comrades died at sea, and after drifting in the ocean for 47 days, Zamperini and his surviving comrade landed on the Japanese-occupied Marshall Islands, where they were captured; later they were transferred to Japan and put in separate POW camps. Zamperini was brutally tortured until his release at the end of the war.

After the war, Zamperini had nightmares about his traumatic ordeal and his torturers. He struggled with feelings of deep resentment and revenge. Eventually, his religious conversion and faith helped him forgive his captors, and his nightmares stopped. He spent the rest of his life as an evangelist, teaching of the liberating power of forgiveness.

“I think the hardest thing in life is to forgive,” said Zamperini. “Hate is self-destructive. If you hate somebody, you're not hurting the person you hate, you're hurting yourself. It's a healing, actually, it's a real healing . . . forgiveness.”

At age 80, Zamperini ran a leg in the Olympic Torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, not far from the POW camp where he had been tortured. At age 88, he returned to visit the Berlin Olympic Stadium where he had competed 69 years earlier. Zamperini’s epic story is told in three recent films, including Unbroken (2014) and Unbroken: Path to Redemption (2018).

08/30/2018

Happy Labor Day!

08/27/2018

Some wisdom and courage to get you through the rest of your week.

08/16/2018

Looking for some new ways to spruce up your summer time entertaining?

Check out these quick tips to add a little personality to your back yard summer parties.

It's impossible to have a bad time when there's sangria at the table!

07/27/2018

Life's a gamble, know when to hold them.

07/27/2018

“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
—Motto of Special Olympics

Eunice Kennedy Shriver (pictured above, in pink blouse and pants) believed that if people with intellectual disabilities were given the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else, they could accomplish far more than anyone ever thought possible. Eunice’s energetic commitment was inspired in large part by her sister Rosemary, who suffered from an intellectual disability.

She put that vision into action in 1962 by inviting young people with intellectual disabilities to a summer day camp she hosted in her backyard. She called it "Camp Shriver." The goal was to explore the children's skills in a variety of sports and physical activities. The idea behind that first Camp Shriver began to grow. In July 1968, the first International Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago.

In her remarks at the opening ceremony of the games, Eunice said the Special Olympics prove that children with intellectual disabilities can be exceptional athletes and that "through sports they can realize their potential for growth.” She pledged that this new organization, Special Olympics, would offer people with intellectual disabilities everywhere “the chance to play, the chance to compete, and the chance to grow.”

What began as one woman's vision evolved into Special Olympics International—a global movement that today serves more than 4.7 million people with intellectual disabilities in 170 countries.

Recognized throughout the world for her efforts, Eunice received many honors and awards, including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and honorary degrees from Yale and Princeton.

07/19/2018

A reminder that beauty can be anywhere when you bring it with you.

07/19/2018

Be sure to give it your best, today and everyday!

07/16/2018

Large spaces can be hard to fill at home, but here are some tips to help you tackle a large room:

Rooms can sometimes feel too big rather than too small. You may be wondering how to divide a room. To make a big room feel cozy or to create separate spaces in one large room, consider these 5 tips – from furniture arrangement to divider walls ꟷ from our home improvement pro.

07/12/2018

Do you take pride in being a DIY homeowner? Are you itching to give it a try? Here are some tips from houselogic.com to help you avoid some of the biggest DIY mistakes:

When DIY goes wrong it can cost you a ton of money. Avoid DIY disasters and learn whether you should DIY or hire a pro for your next project at HouseLogic.