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Ever Onward Podcast
The Ever Onward Podcast is your go-to business podcast, offering engaging discussions and diverse guests covering everything from business strategies to community issues. Join us at the executive table as we bring together industry leaders, experts, and visionaries for insightful conversations that go beyond the boardroom. Whether you're an entrepreneur or simply curious about business, our podcast provides a well-rounded experience, exploring a variety of topics that shape the business landscape and impact communities. Brought to you by Ahlquist.
Ever Onward Podcast
2024 Christmas Episode with Tonn Petersen | Ever Onward - Ep. 54
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
As the holiday season unfolds, this episode discusses the themes of faith, sacrifice, and the power of giving. Through personal anecdotes, we reflect on the quiet acts of devotion that inspire us and celebrate the spirit of interfaith collaboration. We also highlight the impact of small acts of kindness, like those made possible by “giving machines,” in making a positive difference in our communities.
Our guest for this episode is Tonn Petersen, Chief Development Officer at Ahlquist, who shares his inspiring journey from the high-pressure world of trial law to a key role in development projects over the past six years. Tonn’s transition from the adrenaline-fueled courtroom to the creative realm of development services is a testament to his dedication and vision.
We also discuss Tonn’s new call to serve as a Mission President in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through personal stories from mission trips to Brazil and the Dominican Republic, we gain insight into the crucial role Mission Presidents and their spouses play in guiding young missionaries through cultural challenges and homesickness. Stories of resilience, such as overcoming a life-threatening motorcycle accident, reveal the profound, life-changing bonds formed on these missions and their lasting impact.
This episode closes with heartfelt reflections on gratitude, brotherhood, and the profound impact of service and faith in our lives. We hope this episode inspire and uplifts you and that you choose to go out and serve others in your community. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Merry Christmas. Today on the Ever Onward podcast, we have Ton Peterson, who's our VP of Development here at Allquist. He is a great human being and a great friend. We wanted to have him on for several reasons, but I think you'll very much enjoy this episode with Ton Peterson this Christmas week. And again, just Merry Christmas, everybody tawn. We're doing a full episode today full episode.
Speaker 2:I'm excited.
Speaker 1:Thanks for having me back well, we've done our little updates, but we were looking at our guest list. We're like we gotta have tawn on this is yeah it should be good man kind of sentimental. We'll get into that here in a minute. Yeah okay, all right, but I remember I don't know. So you talk a little bit about your background and then I'll talk about the first time you came in my office and then it's been an awesome run here together.
Speaker 2:But tell us a little bit about your background. Yeah, it's been an awesome run here together. But tell us a little bit about your background. Yeah, it's been quite the ride, tommy. So just background wise. So I graduated from law school and just had my heart and soul set on being a trial attorney. It's what I wanted to do and that's what I did. What did you love about it? I just love the adrenaline. I love the I'll be honest with you I love the arena feel of it. You know where you've got. You've got advocacy on both sides and and it's it's part of our it terrifies most people.
Speaker 2:I think so, I think so.
Speaker 1:Like it terrifies. I was a I we've never even talked about this, but I there was several years where I was helping the 80 counter prosecutors as a, as a uh expert witness in strangulation cases. So I would get trained up and I and I was, you know, I wasn't going in cold and I was knowing what I was going and I it was terrifying to me of all the things I've done in my life. Like I just sitting up there and you're getting grilled by both sides and just the theater of it, all the formality of it all. It was terrifying.
Speaker 2:I can't imagine like and for whatever reason I gravitate to that. You loved it. But somehow the core of our free society is this opportunity for people to come and have that engagement and interaction right.
Speaker 1:Well, and it's critical to America, Like that is what it's all about, and not just here. You know, you'll see depictions of trials in other countries and how they handle it and how we're different and how the law works and that part of it and my gosh, there's like there's Netflix series and movies and everything about it. I mean this is the reason why there is is people love the drama associated with this.
Speaker 2:That's right, and they may or may not be realistic, but there's drama associated, right. That's what drew it to me. So I started, I was a trial attorney and I was with this firm in New Mexico where they put their new attorneys, they put them in the courtroom and so I was. I mean I was doing trials. One or two years out of law school, came here to Idaho with a big law firm. You know was just kind of thriving as a as a trial attorney, but I got burnt out. I mean it was just it's big, it's what you just described over years Like it you identified as being normal, but it's probably not a normal way to live, living that intensely all the time.
Speaker 1:It's high stakes all the time, right Every day, and then and talk about before we get off of it, because I've never asked you these questions Every day, and then and talk about before we get off of it, because I've never asked you these questions. High stakes we've talked about pressure high too, but a lot of prep, a lot of work, a lot of hours, a lot of grinding, even before the day of theater and the trial.
Speaker 2:I mean there's just, it's just a lot of work, Maybe, and not exaggerating at all maybe hundreds of hours of preparation for five hours in a courtroom, yeah Right, so that it's a lot over time. And after you know, doing that for more than 15 years, just thought man, I, I'm, I'm kind of need a break, and so then you're wanting to get off this stuff.
Speaker 1:I'm digging deeper and you're like I'm going to get to that. No, so then I'll never forget. I knew you a little bit. But you came into our office and you're like, and you sat down and you're like, hey, the first meeting we like start just like high level kind of shooting the breeze back and forth, and you're like I think you need to hire me. I think that's exactly what you said, right.
Speaker 2:That's exactly what I said.
Speaker 1:And I said Tom, like we try to avoid litigation, like why? Said Tom, like we try to avoid litigation, like why on God's green earth would we want you? And you're like I think I'd be really good and, um, it was awesome. I don't know, I don't know what happened that day, but like it didn't take me long and I'm like, yeah, we're gonna hire this guy. Um well, when you're a smart guy into, uh, you know, understanding what you did and how, how you could be used in development, so that's been how many years ago now.
Speaker 2:Six. It was six years ago, I think this weekend that I came home and told my wife hey, I just met with Tommy Locklist. I don't know how he's going to take that, because it was pretty bold, I was like I think you should hire me.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's been great, buddy. It's been great. So you've been running our development services one of our partners here and it's been great. We've done a lot of projects A lot.
Speaker 2:We're sitting in a building, we're sitting here. I mean you look out the window and you see what we built.
Speaker 1:You talk about baptism by fire, though. Remember, so you've only been like because before, when you started, we hadn't done Eagle View Landing right. Eagle View Landing was just a field, yeah. And Before, when you started, we hadn't done Eagle View Landing right. Eagle View Landing was just a field, yeah. And there was the old farmstead here, the old maze. Everyone was mad at us oh yeah, Mad. By the way, the Lowell family are amazing people and their new place is so much better.
Speaker 1:I always remind people like everyone thought that was going to be the end of the world, and look at their new place Better, yeah. But the funny story is, I said to you. I said, hey, you know, in order to get Topgolf through, we're going to have to go buy the subdivision next to it. So the back story there's always a back story was we wanted Topgolf so bad and it was going to be hard, and they insisted on being right there on the freeway, faced the way they could. Well, there's, you know, there's the sun, and the people had to be there, and the only problem with it is in that the nets would go right up to residences.
Speaker 2:I mean right on the back fence line.
Speaker 1:So I'll never forget. I remember talking to him like hey, I'm going to ask you to go take the lead on something and listen, I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't do it myself. So when I did portico so where buffalo wild wings is that's where I went knocking doors and I could write a book because it was. It was brutal the whole, like it took.
Speaker 1:Like you talk about high stakes poker yeah I mean, I literally could write a book trying to get all those houses under contract and then, once you get them under contract, you're not done.
Speaker 1:Then you got to figure out a way to close, and and and then the price is ratcheting up because all the neighbors are talking and then they're conspiring against you and then, um, ultimately there's this pathway you get to where you're closing and then they don't move out. Right, that's the next thing, that's, you don't anticipate that like doing it the first time. You're like going into and you're like, okay, if I can figure out a way to buy them all and I can figure out a way to get them all under contract, then they'll move, they'll get their money and and they'll move because they think, I mean, it's america, they don't have to sell. Right, right, they don't have to sell. But at some point the price gets high enough. They say, okay, I'll sell. And then you think, okay, they're gonna move, they going to move, they don't move. So it was a little bit of a setup because, having lived through that myself, you knew exactly what you're up.
Speaker 2:Well, and the story is even better than that, if you remember it. Uh, I remember vividly. I mean I just think it was like two weeks on the job and we met the top golf executives out there on site.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And they said, hey, the only problem is, like this neighborhood, what's going to happen there. And I remember just total straight face. You said, oh yeah, we're going to go buy those houses, that's not going to be a problem at all. So then they get on the plane and they go home and you turn to me like Tony, you got to go buy those houses. We just committed to Topgolf to make it happen, so it worked out good.
Speaker 1:Wouldn't be the first time to somebody. Hey, you know, no problem, we'll figure this out, and you do every so then. So then we start buying up the houses.
Speaker 2:Um, we only got the police called on us once. Well, it was twice. You only got them called on you once, but it was twice. Yeah, but no arrests and and I mean all's well that ends well. But you know those, those neighbors that were out there at the end of the day, I mean they were. It was hard and then once the first domino falls, they all start to fall. I saw one of them recently and like they're happy you know what I mean?
Speaker 1:No, I've. I've run into a few of them and, like they get paid. They get paid way above market for their houses. A lot of them have lived there a long time and it's always. You know, listen, change is hard and turning your residence you've been in for 20 plus years into you know it's, it's a hard process to go through.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it never, it never gets easier, but, um, but yeah, that's, that's the joy of this, of this partnership and the you know, my, my, small role in this is taking something like a dirt field and make it because it's Christmas. Let's tell the Turkey story. Okay, yeah, fair enough.
Speaker 1:I don't know if Poncho Romero sometimes listens. So one of our really good friends, really good friends, poncho Romero, owns Advanced Heating and Cooling, probably one of the nicest human beings on the planet Ever. Every year his Christmas gift to us is he has this lobster feast where he brings lobster and crab into the and he buys lunch for the whole office the full spread, full spread. So he picked a day that he was going to do that on and it was the first year he did it. So we didn't know he was bringing in. We didn't know. He just kept saying I'm going to bring in something really nice for lunch today and I said great, I'll tell everyone to be ready.
Speaker 1:So it's like the week before Christmas and at time you have there's like some demo going on over here, right. And the problem with the demo was you had a lady that was a little bit out there demoing the houses and there was constant conflict because she was only supposed to demo the houses, that she was supposed to demo, right, but she was demoing everything, right. So then the other thing that happened was, ultimately, you had to kind of there had to be some things done. So she stopped like taking stuff she couldn't take, and so she wanted to tell you, thank you. So on the same day that we're all waiting for poncho to show up with lunch, a delivery comes to the front desk and it is a.
Speaker 1:It's a turkey, and we're thinking it's ponchos full spread, by the way ponchos full spread yeah and it's noon and everyone's like standing around waiting, and so this turkey shows up and we're like it's a turkey and wasn't like deviled eggs.
Speaker 2:It was deviled eggs, who I mean? Bless her heart, but they must have been sitting out for like five or six days and this turkey was like cold to the core, the difference between my relationships and yours, actually so I call paul and sean.
Speaker 1:I'm like, hey, buddy, like we got the whole office, is this like, like I'm sorry, but is this, was this? But he, he's like what are you talking about? Deviled eggs? I'm like I don't want to, I don't want to act. Grateful, we appreciate it and you know they'll be okay.
Speaker 2:We'll throw this thing in the microwave, if we have to, to warm the turkey up.
Speaker 1:Anyway, it's one of the great holidays. Love it, absolutely love it. We always bring it up to Poncho every year. All right, so we've done some great things together. It's been great. We've done some great things together. It's been great and I really, really appreciate you.
Speaker 1:I had a hearing this week on downtown yeah, you just taken that, we're going to, so things are going well. I do want to like I know it's public out there but one of the things I want to talk about is so in the LDS church there's lay ministry, so people get called to do different callings, sometimes a bishop for five years, sometimes a state president for nine years. You've done both of those things. And then a few weeks ago you walked by my office and you looked nervous. I'm like I wonder what's going on. I was on a call or something and I saw you walk away. And then the next day you just like fling the door open and you're like I can't stand it anymore. You came and sat down and you're like they called me to be a mission president. So this is a big deal. Right, it's a big deal. So talk a little bit about what that means for people that may not understand.
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, yeah, I mean in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have, as you know, we have missionaries all around the world I mean in most countries now and there's up to almost 80,000 missionaries. So they come from all different backgrounds, all different walks of life. You have the opportunity to go and serve when you're a young man at the age of 18 and a young woman at your age of 19. And you know it means taking time off of school and work, kind of right at the time where most people are trying to gear up for life. You take a time away from all that to go and serve Jesus Christ and serve the people of the world. I know you served a mission when you were young. You served in Brazil.
Speaker 1:I went to.
Speaker 1:Brazil, southern Brazil, Curitiba and it was like it's just the greatest experience of my life. I mean, just flat down, you go from being 19. At the time I was playing college basketball. I had a mullet, had an old Camaro Wish I could see a mullet. I had an old Camaro, Wish I could see the mullet. Life, oh yeah, Life was good. And then you go to Brazil and spend two years. It changes you. It can't help but change you and it's service-oriented. It's just an amazing experience for me. Where did you go?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I served in the Dominican Republic Same thing, you know, and I was living in a third world. You know conditions and yeah, so that's what these 19 year old they do they go out and serve for two years, so they get assigned to a mission anywhere around the world and then each of those missions, um, you know, has a has a couple who are the mission leaders, who just oversee them and help them and just try to teach them and encourage them probably a lot of homesickness and things like that that can occur. And so my wife, jamie, and I were asked to be mission leaders to help oversee one of those missions. And it's super humbling and it's unexpected and it's all about those young people and what they're giving up at a time in their life that's hard.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know you can ask most people who serve that mission president and their you know wives or spouses that go. They become like family and mentors and lifelong mentors, and the bond that develops because you are, I mean I remember. Like I don't want to, I mean I, I remember I remember laying on my first place, I was laying like mattresses on floors, right Dirt floors, and um, it was, it just was different, right, because we're so blessed here. I mean you grew up in this country and no matter where you come from, you're compared to a third world country where a lot of these missionaries go. It's an eye-opening thing of just, oh, my goodness, this is different and you're homesick, you're spoiled, it's new and that president and for me it was President Swenson and Sister Swenson they become like they're the rock. That's who you go to, that's who you, that's who has that connection with you. And and um, I actually get pretty emotional when I think about how how close I became to my president and what he still means in my life. Um, big deal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel the same way about my mission president. He so his name was David R Stone. He's passed away but he became, you know, not just a mentor during those two years but for my whole life. I mean, he got to know my kids. I will forever remember a day.
Speaker 2:So I was in the Dominican Republic and my companion and I actually we got arrested and we didn't do anything wrong, but we were driving in this truck in this just little tiny village, right, I mean, there's no traffic laws, it's just, it's kind of fend for yourself, every man for himself. We were making a right-hand turn and this gentleman on a motorcycle it was like a delivery guy or something he came on the right-hand side just flying. So as we took the right-hand turn, he tried to pass us on the right. We didn't hit him, he hit us. He hit the side of our of the side of our truck and went flying over. You know road rash everywhere. I mean we're looking at this guy. You know we're not. We need an ER, er doctor, but there's not one in the town and we're looking at this guy and he's totally torn up. So we did the good Christian thing to do we pick him up, we put him in the back of the truck and we take him to the hospital, carry this guy in. We've literally got his blood all over us. And we come out kind of thinking, hey, we did a good deed today, this was awesome. And the cops are waiting there and they take us away right to kind of shake us down.
Speaker 2:So we're sitting in jail all day long. And my companion's new and he's like what are we going to do? And I just told him our mission president's going to come for us eventually. You know, because there are some other missionaries there and they saw what happened and they went and called him and we were probably in there for five, six, seven hours. I can't remember, but I will forever remember when I heard out in that front entrance the booming voice of my mission president who had come to get me. And I just you know he came to help me in so many ways. Just not that way that day. But yeah, I'm the same way. I almost get emotional, I think, about the impact that that dear, dear man had in my life.
Speaker 1:Makes me think of one other story. So my and I've talked about him on this podcast before. But my grandpa was the guy for me, the guy I grew up right next to him, and he was the guy, um he, I grew up right next to him and, uh, he, he was the guy, um he, uh, everyone, not just for me like he was one of those guys that when he talked to you, you didn't hear words, you felt words. I don't know, I I still don't know, like there's. So he's just legendary for being the guy that just everyone loved and he made a difference in everyone's life. He was just an incredible human. I'm just so blessed that he was my grandpa.
Speaker 1:And then there was one other bond my uncle. His youngest son was a year younger than me, so I grew up right next to him, so he almost was like my second father too, because my uncle. So we're best friends and there's my grandpa. And then another layer to it is when we were kids, we, uh, we had this crazy idea we wanted to get every single merit badge. I heard about that, actually. So we went and told my grandpa I'll never forget. We went and told him together and he's, he like, looks right at us and he's like, let's do this, go get the book, let's do this.
Speaker 1:And we sit down and for the next three years, the three of us my grandpa and my uncle, josh and I I mean we do everything. We raise bees, we go to the railroads, we learn how to sell I mean it's a lot right we learn how to trumpet you know the bugling merit badge, but anyway, we were very, very close, very close. Um, my hero, my everything, man, just everything. So I'm down in Brazil and you don't remember, but you, you didn't talk to you know there's no phone calls, there's letters and letters would take weeks.
Speaker 1:So you would sometimes get them and sometimes not. You would send a letter but you don't. You just don't know when you're going to get letters. And I remember when my mission president on a Saturday morning, president Swenson, knock on the door really early about six o'clock and I answer the door and he says hey, come with me, I got to talk to you, walk out and that drive. I've told him this in letter before, but but how he handled that.
Speaker 1:My grandpa passed away, went in for surgery. I didn't make it and my my mission president came, told me and I, that bond, that moment and that experience was just probably one of the most spiritual experience of my life. It was devastating for me because I just it was not anywhere on my radar and the way that works is you just you don't go home, you don't, that's it, it was, it was a, it was a. Hey, this happened and and uh boy, I, I anyway, I love my mission president for so many reasons, but that's the one thing that the comfort I got from that guy was unbelievable and he just said everything right. The stuff he said I wrote down. I still go back and read it sometimes. I wrote in my journal that night the things he told me. And anyway, you're going to be a mission president.
Speaker 2:Here we are telling stories about these men who impacted our lives, you know, 30 plus years ago. It's super humbling to think that you know we've been asked to do that. But it's all about those young men, those young women. They are in today's world, when there's so much that they could be doing, to give up that time. They're courageous and it's just so noble.
Speaker 1:Hey, let's like I've never been through this so personally with somebody, but you know, it's just so noble. Hey, let's like I've never been through this so personally with somebody. But you know, it's been a couple of weeks now and you're like, hey, I'm out of here. So what happens is you take your kids. You still have three kids at home, right, you have adult kids, you have grandbaby. But then you'll find out in a few weeks where you go, right, and it could be. I've told you.
Speaker 2:If it's somewhere cool, I'm coming to visit you and I've told you, if it's somewhere not cool, you've got to come visit me.
Speaker 1:Shannon and I last night were talking about. We're like gosh, where do you think it's going to be? We might visit you more than once. If it's somewhere cool, you'll know. You speak Spanish because of the Dominican Republic, you speak fluent Spanish, so maybe somewhere that. Anyway, we're excited, but then you sell your house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll sell our house and put our things in storage and and just uh, and for the grace of God and the goodness of Tommy Alquist, I'll come back here and but we just walk away.
Speaker 1:Well, that was never a question um, that you'll come back here. Uh, if, if you still want to do that when you're done, but's just, I know you don't want to dwell on this because you're that kind of guy, but what a you're 48.
Speaker 2:Yeah 48 years old.
Speaker 1:You could argue, prime of your professional life. Grandkid kid's still at home and you're going to just drop it all and go somewhere for three years, you and Jamie. I saw her last night at our Christmas party for the first time and what a trooper she's just like yeah, oh yeah, I'll follow her anywhere.
Speaker 2:By the way, that's the real story is that I'll follow her. But yeah, I mean we literally will just sell our house and put things in storage and our kids are excited, but they're leaving friends and that'll be an adjustment for them and we go.
Speaker 1:Man, pretty humbling man. Well, two things that have dominated my thoughts since you've told me One is I wasn't going to get emotional. I remember when my son went on his mission and for me when I went, I didn't. You know you're going and, hey, you know you love your mission president. But when you send your kid out my son went to Finland I just prayed so hard I thought, oh, please, let him get a great mission president that's going to take care of him and love him and connect with him. Todd, you're going to be so great For those parents out there around the world that are sending their kids somewhere for you and Jamie to be the ones receiving them on the other end. You're going to be awesome. I'm so happy for you. It's going to be such a great experience for them. That's one thought. And then the second thought is um, how deep your conviction and your faith is to be able to just say, yeah, I'm going like cause it's an interview, you didn't get time to think about this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, that's true, but you, you do think about it your whole life, right? I mean, you, you have commitment or conviction, or you don't. And so, in those moments when they actually do come, the answer is pretty easy right? Whatever you're asked to do and we're asked to do different things at different times, whether it's support a spouse who's going through cancer or, you know, I mean whatever it might be you know you, you put your money where your mouth is when it comes to your faith in those moments, and your whole life is being built up to those moments.
Speaker 2:And you do know me, I mean, it's uncomfortable to talk about it in terms of me, but I do think that all of us have that opportunity to prepare ourselves for things that are going to be unexpected, to happen, and when they happen, your faith drives those decisions and makes it pretty easy. I, I'm, I'm, and you know this about me. I, I, you know, some of us, like you, dr Alquist, are born into this world with, like, just natural gifts and abilities and talents, and then some of us, we, just, we just get by on what we get by, and and, and I just, you know, I'm the most ordinary and plain person on the planet, but you, just you know you follow your faith.
Speaker 1:I love what you just said Because, whether it's an opportunity to drop everything and go to Ecuador, wherever it's going to be, or which is a good thing, it's a sacrifice, or whether they're trials that just smack you, I've got a couple of friends going through things right now that are just brutal, brutal Like things. You just think how on earth are they going to get through this kind of thing? How important is faith?
Speaker 2:It's everything. I mean it's everything when you boil down, I mean you think about your life experience. For me, you boil it down and our faith is belief in things that are hoped for but not seen. We don't know what's going to happen. Good or bad, I have no idea what's going to happen. This happened in my life two weeks ago. It was very unexpected, but people go through unexpected things all the time. All the time, if your faith is secure and you're and you're on that foundation of faith and whatever it is, you can face it and and whatever the answer is to that, that question, that dilemma, it's there ready for you because you've already decided.
Speaker 1:That's a this. I think our episode gets released Christmas week oh great. Um episode gets released Christmas week oh great, um, let's dig into that a little bit more. Yeah, I was thinking, um, I've got, we got to get him on this podcast, but at some point. But, um, I've got a good friend named Caleb Roop who owns a company here called Pacific companies.
Speaker 1:He's a great, great guy, um, and I went to lunch with him a couple of weeks and I hadn't seen him for a while. It's probably been a few months since I've seen him and what I love about him is he is deep in his Christian faith, very, very deep. And the second we sat down like the second we sat down, I said, Buddy, it's been a while, how you been? And he, like started off by saying I'm good man, I believe in Jesus Christ and I he's my savior. And he's like I just love the fact that I can pray to him and have it be the foundation and focal point of my life and that my kids are there. And he just went right to faith and family, like moment one.
Speaker 1:Second one from this time, we sat down at lunch and we had a great lunch together. But when I walked away that day I thought, gosh, that was so refreshing and awesome. Uh, so dang refreshing and awesome, and and um, and we talked in that meeting or that lunch we had to just how important that is to us and and the world. And then one other, one other quick story I wanted to tell you Mark Bottles, who is someone else, right, yeah.
Speaker 1:I've known Mark, for I know Mark for twenty five years, one of the best people who quietly Christian service and just amazing, like he just is such a great example of that to me of, and I know his family but but he puts his, he puts his faith in Jesus Christ above anything and and he, he, it's not lip service, it's quietly doing wonderful things. And um, so a couple of weeks ago he calls me, he says hey, what are you doing?
Speaker 1:I thought what are you doing? I thought, what are you doing? He's like, you got to meet this guy and um, I said great. I said come on in. So he came in with with, uh, with his wife, and, and, and he, this guy, dr Les Parrott. He's super famous. Um, he's a serial entrepreneur, eharmony guy.
Speaker 1:He's written 30 books and he comes in and sits down with me and, um, and we have this amazing connection and they're there because, um, I didn't, I didn't know this, but the marriage, um, divorce rates Idaho's got one of the worst ones per capita, and just, there's a lot of strains on things and and their theory is like, hey, if we can get more faith back into life.
Speaker 1:And just, there's a lot of strains on things and and their theory is like, hey, if we can get more faith back into life and and, just, you know, have this foundational beliefs in, in, in things that matter. Um, anyway, it was this wonderful, wonderful meeting and less was this incredible. I can't wait to be with him again because he was so inspiring. But, but he sent me a book last week that I read, but it's called Love, like that Five Relationship Secrets from Jesus. And I was thinking about this book all week because it just goes through and talks about the importance of the way we love, the way we center our lives on Jesus Christ and the way what happens. But anyway, I love this time of year because of that.
Speaker 2:I do too. Yeah, I do too. It really brings that back to its core. As you were sharing those stories, it reminded me I mean this epitomizes what you're talking about where I had a good friend, really good friend, and a teacher actually, when I was at Utah State University and he was a man of great faith and his name is Brent Cottle, and he had this saying you go in and every day you'd walk into class or leave class and say hey how are you doing?
Speaker 2:He'd say I'm cheerful, thank you. It was his tagline, right, I'm cheerful, thank you. And just through the years taking the classes from him, you just got used to it because he's just a smiling guy and always happy. And you know, how are you doing? Cheerful, thank you.
Speaker 2:Well, one of my last semesters I took a class from him and and I knew that his wife had been diagnosed with with breast cancer and it was, you know, she wasn't going to survive and and I just I, I mean I just had so much respect for this man, right and and I remember walking into his office and he meant a lot to me, and so it wasn't during class and I and I walked in and when I saw in the door it was kind of cracked open a little bit and he was sitting there and you know he thought he was having a private moment and he had his glasses off and he was wiping away tears and I I kind of tried to step away because I thought I'm not going to interrupt him now. And he saw me and so he stood up and he wiped away his tears and still was pretty emotional and I said, how are you doing? And he said cheerful, thank you, and he truly was cheerful because, whether through good or bad right, something you said sparked that in me like we can still feel like, cheerful and be thankful for the experience that we're having in life because of our, of our foundation, where our hearts are at, and it just that always stuck with me and I try to be more like that. I'm not always. I'm not always cheerful. Thank you, guy.
Speaker 1:So uh, as you're talking, I was just thinking I'm going to pull this up. It's so nice to have, like, at those moments. There are moments we all have, every one of us, and if you haven't had a moment this week, then watch out because it's coming around the corner. But just with life and relationships and kids and families and friends and and, um, you know, uh, there it's going to be hard, and this time of year, yeah, especially this time of year, um, you know we are so blessed and there are.
Speaker 1:This is a hard time for a lot of people, for, for lots of reasons, it's just, um, you know, there there's a lot of trials that come your way and, and, um, you know, this time of year, for whatever reason, emotions are a little higher, and I think you know it's. It's it's time to look around, it's a time to find ways to serve in different ways. Um, but it's also, I think, uh, I love celebrating Christmas because it is about Christ and the hope that he, he brings, and I think about my lowest times and those times where there is nothing, there's nowhere else to turn, there's nowhere else, and the hope that in having a Savior and Redeemer brings to you and you can say, hey, I can put it there or I can't put it anywhere else makes me think of there's I probably it's been that's been a long time since I've read this, but there's a poem, uh, that, um, I love, because I think it captures precisely that hope, and for me, that's Jesus Christ. It's that, it's like when everything else is gone. There's that, and people need to hear that right now. I mean, how many, how many people do you know that like that's the thing they can turn to and they find solace and they find some comfort. Uh, anyway, I'm going to read this to you.
Speaker 1:Um, it's by Emily Dickinson, which she's one of my favorites, but it says uh, hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. Sweetest in the gale, it's heard, and sore must be the storm that could abash that little bird that keeps so many warm. I've heard it in the chillest land and on the strangest sea, yet never in extremity has it asked a crumb of me, and for me that's Jesus Christ. I mean, that's all about giving and being there and hope, and I just, I mean that's a message this week, as Christmas is here for people to look for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and especially I love that If you could send that to me afterwards. That's powerful because it you know this is I guess this podcast is going to be, you know, released Christmas week and you take everything else away that life has to offer and it can really be boiled down to that hope that, no matter what, you're going through it, through him, like it's going to be okay. It's going to be okay and it's powerful to think about be okay.
Speaker 1:It's going to be okay and it's powerful to think about, and I think, when life's biggest challenges come and they come that, that point where you realize that is powerful for people and it's a, it's a place to turn, um, it's awesome, um. One other thing that I wanted to talk a little bit about is service. This time of year, um, actually almost forgot this, but you've been very involved with the giving machines and tell us a little bit about them.
Speaker 2:The giving machines are fantastic. There are, you know. For those that aren't as familiar with them, there are giving machines. There are 106 different giving machines through 13 different countries, might be 16 different countries and for the first time this year're here in the treasure valley. So these, I mean, literally look like vending machines. Um, there are three of them. They started out in boise, in the plaza, then they moved for two weeks, these same three giving machines to indian creek plaza and caldwell and during the christmas week, through through the new year, they'll be at the village in Meridian and, as opposed to going and you know, buying candy or you know pop or soda, you can buy something to help somebody else, you can give something. So there are five local charities that are hosted in these giving machines and two international charities. It's Genesis Health, local Refugee Support, boise Rescue Mission, idaho Youth Ranch, the Women's and Children's Alliance, and then the international ones are WaterAid and Church World Service. So 100% of your donation is given to these charities.
Speaker 2:So again, instead of going to buy a Snickers, you can go and buy clean water for a family. You can buy school supplies for refugee children. You can buy school supplies for refugee children. You can buy a much needed medical exam for an elderly person, you can buy a hot meal for a homeless gentleman. You can choose what you want to give and you can purchase that thing and then a hundred percent of those, those proceeds go to that, that thing that you selected.
Speaker 2:So I mean it goes along with the theme that you've been talking about this whole time here today is that at a time in the Christmas season, when the focus is so much on what I'm going to get, what I'm going to receive, how many presents we have, you can take just a few moments and, in a convenient, super accessible, super affordable way, you can stop and you can go to a giving machine and you can give to someone else. And I've seen with my own eyes, tommy, and it's been remarkable I, you know, I'm at these giving machines and it's not an infrequent experience where someone will have a little bit of emotion and when they think about I, I'm actually going to give to someone else and help lift them and love them in a way that's profound and yet simple at the same time. It's a brilliant concept.
Speaker 1:And those organizations you mentioned too, like let's just give a shout out I mean, it's like year round, nonstop, I think of the leadership of the ones you just rattled off. We live in just an amazing community, incredible, just like, I think, of the leaders of the organizations and and then all of their staff and support services and how they reach out to this community. Clearly, we've been here a long, long, long time. We've got friends in other places. I think it's pretty unique here. There's a couple of things that I think are unique. I think one, that there's so many just amazing organizations that help those people that are in the greatest need the safety net organizations. And then, two, there's a lot of interfaith connectivity here. It's incredible. There's some legacy from that. Mayor Tammy was a big part of that, I know, in Meridian, but there just seems to be so much camaraderie and common good amongst religions here and I know you've been part of that not just Christian religions, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and our whatever faith it is. You know people of faith. There is something in this community that draws them together. You know Reshma Kamal of the Muslim community. She's a wonderful soul who is doing incredible things in this community. I mean, I can't wait to introduce you to her. But you're right, this interfaith collaboration where, if you really look at it I mean it's not just a catchphrase there is truly more that unites us than there is that divides us. And at Christmastime that is exemplified so powerfully and intimately and palpably. And you see that at the giving machines it doesn't matter what faith you are from, or none at all. You can go and you can make someone's day better by giving just a little bit of money and giving a little bit of your time. It's really, it's neat just to go. I, you know, as maybe dorky as it sounds, we'll go as a family and just sit near the giving machines just watch. I mean it brings out the spirit of Christmas.
Speaker 1:So if someone hasn't heard of this, the week we release this, so the week of Christmas, they'll be at the Village.
Speaker 2:The Village, yep, right there by the ice skating rink, right in the heart of everything, you know there'll be pretty long lines.
Speaker 1:I mean it's a really popular thing for families. I know my little, almost 5-year-old grandson went to them when they were down in downtown Boise and called me. Papa, told me all about it, told me all about it and how awesome it was. What a cool tradition to have here. As I'm sitting here thinking, and again I'm going to give him a little shout out today. But Les, this guy is incredible.
Speaker 1:But one of the quotes at the end of his book that I just finished, that, I think, is really good, so it's the last paragraph. He said the bottom line loving like Jesus isn't achieved as much as is received. The instant I realized that I cannot love at the highest levels without him loving through me, I receive what's needed. Him loving through me, I receive what's needed. Like turning water into wine. God turned my best efforts, which are too often fall short, into something better than I could have ever done on my own. Wow, that's how you love like Jesus. Um, I think, combining faith in Jesus and and all those things with giving and with doing better than we can do on our own, it's powerful man. It's just really, really powerful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm blessed. Maybe I can share just a quick story. When I was a boy I mean, what you just read brought back an experience I promise I haven't thought about in 20 years and I actually haven't but I grew up as a young boy in Jackson Hole and then my family moved to Boulder, colorado. So, by the way, you could live in worse places than I did growing up, but you know, we weren't impoverished or anything, but we had modest means. And you might think, well, growing up in Jackson Hole, that must not have been the case. It wasn't what it is now. I mean, that was 40 years ago. Right, we had modest means, but I remember there was a family that moved in.
Speaker 2:We lived outside of Jackson, this little town called Wilson, and there's this family that moved in and they had nothing. I can't remember their last name, but the dad's name was Joe, and they actually lived in a trailer, not like a single-wide trailer, like an RV trailer, and they had a couple kids and, for whatever reason I remember this where during Christmas time it might've been the week of Christmas we, my family's, like hey, my dad's like hey, you know, get in the car, we're going to go give Christmas to these, to these family, but the tree and some ham and kids, like pick out some toys that you want to give to them. And of course I'm like, well, I don't want to do that. You know, I I don't want to do that. So I picked out like my junk, like all my broken junk, you know, and I put in a box and I was kind of begrudgingly like whatever, and pretty mad about it.
Speaker 2:And and this comes back to my mind, tommy we drove down there and we pulled up off the road and start driving through this field to their trailer and as a nine-year-old I was like turn the car around, like I remember having tears, like turn the car around. And it was just such a beautiful Christmas experience where you felt that like that giving spirit. And we went and I dumped out that box of junk and I put my very best things in there. I mean my very best stuff. And for a nine-year-old kid I mean it wasn't that much. But when I went and gave that to them, I felt something that stirred in my heart then and I keep with me when you read those words. That's a great book and I can't wait to read it. But that sort of embodies the spirit of Christmas and it should last all year long.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's end on that. That was awesome. I love you, brother. Thanks for your example, thanks for what you do for us, but what you do for the community, how you lead it's been great. We're going to miss you. I'm not going to get sad yet because you're still here for a few more months, but I just want to tell you how much we appreciate you and what you do.
Speaker 2:Well, I appreciate you too, Tommy, and before we sign off, I mean you are been such an example and a light to me and you know, we're told, you know in the New Testament, that our alms should be done in secret, so I'm not going to ruin that for you here, but I know that you serve as anonymously as anyone I know and you mean a lot to this community. So thank you.
Speaker 1:Love you, brother. Merry Christmas everybody.