A Rich Legacy

As you may have heard, Leona Helmsley passed away last week at 87. You may remember her as the billionaire hotel baron who was nick-named The Queen of Mean during the 80's.

Leona was pompous in life and she has proved to be pompous in death as well. Her 14 page will was filed yesterday in Surrogate Court and it contained some surprises! It's estimated that the Helmsley estate is worth over $4 billion. And where will the money go?

$12 million is to be put in a trust for the care of her beloved 8-year-old white Maltese dog, Trouble. How much can it possibly cost to take care of a dog! Leona instructed that Trouble's remains be buried next to her remains in the Helmsley mausoleum.

And the mausoleum? Leona ordered that the mausoleum must be "washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year." She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County. The ornate granite mausoleum boasts 1,300 square feet, with a dozen Doric columns and stained glass windows recreating the Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building, once the crown jewel of the Helmsley properties. It's reported that the mausoleum was built for $1.4 million!

The construction of the mausoleum is a story unto itself. Harry Helmsley, Leona's husband came to Sleepy Hollow last year after Leona engaged in an ugly battle with Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, where the real estate magnate was originally buried in 1997. The expansive family mausoleum there was memorably described as a "tomb with a view."

But the vista disappeared when a public mausoleum went up nearby three years ago. An irate Leona called the new construction "a disgrace," and resolved to relocate the remains of her husband. She purchased a piece of land in Sleepy Hollow to construct a new mausoleum and quickly alienated her husband's new, living neighbors. In typical take-no-prisoners style, a wooded section of the cemetery was stripped clean of trees in summer 2005.

The new construction lacked permits, and village officials quickly shut down the project."We tried to be amenable," Mr. Zegarelli said. "There are still procedures to go through, whether you're dead or alive - no offense, but it still has to be done."

The two sides worked out their differences - fines were paid, donations were made by the Helmsley group to repair some of the damage. And then last August, the mausoleum was approved for the reinterment. All this fuss over the remains of the dead.

And the living? The will left millions of dollars to two of her grandchildren. And the remaining two grandchildren received nothing, for "reasons that are known to them," she wrote.

It's been said that your legacy consists of the stories people tell about you once you are gone. Make no mistake about it, Leona Helmsley left a lot of stories and an unforgetable legacy. Unfortunately, the stories people tell will be stories shaped by ambition, ego and power.

It's good to remember that we all leave stories behind. Our legacy is being formed by the choices we make each day. What stories will people recall about my life? It's my desire to leave a legacy that will inspire those around me. I want to leave a legacy that is rich toward God and the people I love. I want to leave a legacy rich in good works.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:17-18

Men's Steak Out

We had a beautiful evening for the Men's Steak Out and Tail Gate Party. The two grills were filled with red meat! And Ken Owens did a great job preparing the side dishes of potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, and grilled onions.

Emergency Landing provided the music. And Matt Thede wrapped up the evening by sharing about the impact Men's Fraternity has had on his life. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

I got to meet several men who came as guests. And four guys from Starting Point attended. It was a great evening of good food and good conversation.

New Beginnings

We moved Josh and Jon into their dorm rooms at the University of Northern Iowa on Friday. The car was pretty full of the important "stuff" they need for college living. Josh is rooming with David Hoobler and Jon with Ben Wohlers. You can click on the picture above to see a short slide show.

Both Josh and Jon are ready for this important step toward independence. It's hard to believe how quickly the past two years have gone by. It seems like only yesterday that I wrote this blog post called Seasons of Life.

And as I wrote two years ago, rather than grieve the loss of what I cannot hold on to forever, I choose to look forward to the future and to enjoy today. Its time. We're ready for this new season of life to begin.

Happiness Is

So you're between the ages of 13-24. What makes you happy? The Associated Press and MTV hired Knowledge Network Inc. to conduct a survey to find out the answer to that question. More than 100 questions were asked of 1,280 people ages 13-24 on the nature of happiness among America's young people. And the results just might surprise you.

The most common response wasn't listening to music, spending time online, or shopping. Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer. And even better for parents, nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.

There were other surprises in the survey.

• Almost no one said "money" when asked what makes them happy.
• Being sexually active leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey.
• Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.
• Finally, when asked to name their heroes, nearly half of respondents mentioned one or both of their parents!

Once again, research confirms the ancient truth of the Scriptures. That true happiness is derived from a relationship with God and family. That the material world can't provide lasting satisfaction. And that parents are the primary shapers of their children's lives.

It may sound old fashioned and out of date, but once again we find that happiness is spending time with family. Dad and mom, have you spent quality time with your children today?

How happy are those who fear the Lord - all who follow his ways! Psalm 128:1

Our Times Are In His Hands

Jason, Josh, Jon and I just got back from a quick two-day trip to Minneapolis. We'd been planning to go to a Twins game this week before the I35W bridge collapsed. We spent Monday afternoon before the game walking along the bank of the Mississippi River.

We walked over the river on the Stone Arch Bridge that was built in 1883 and got a view of what is left of the I35W bridge. You can see part of the bridge jutting up into the air to the left of Josh's shoulder. It was quite an erie feeling looking at the rubble and remains, realizing that just days earlier at that very spot an eight-lane bridge spanned the Mississippi.

We enjoyed exploring downtown Minneapolis and along with coffee at Carabou Coffee. The Twins game was somewhat of a disappointment, getting shut-out by Paul Byrd and the Indians 4-0. We enjoyed talking to our Ramada Inn van driver. He had delivered someone to the northside of Minneapolis last Thursday afternoon. He was on his way back downtown at 5:45 PM on I35W and decided to take another route because the traffic was backed up. His spur-of-the-moment decision may have saved his life!

And of course, no trip would be complete without a game of miniature golf. We found a nice course in Bloomington. You can click on the picture above to see a slide-show of our trip.

I enjoyed getting an update from Sharon on our trip back to Cedar Rapids. She is in good spirits after completing what she says, was "the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life." Way to go Sharon! We are proud of you!

A Grand Hike

Sharon along with five other friends is now in Arizona preparing for their round-trip hike of the Grand Canyon tomorrow! They plan to go down on the South Kaibab Trail and return on the Bright Angel Trail. The inner gorge reaches temperatures over 100 degrees making the hike more difficult.

They plan to get started at 5:00 AM in order to beat the heat and to watch the sun rise over the canyon. They hope to make the 16 mile hike in eight hours.

I'm sure that Sharon and her fellow travelers will return with many photos and stories of adventure. But more importantly, their journey to Arizona has forged new friendships and demonstrated the power of a shared dream. Tomorrow is the day - the day of the Grand Hike!