Message from Skip Lowe

Men,
For those of you who attended Van Harden's amazing challenge at Ox Strong, it is hard to imagine that it was last month already.
Much has changed and all of us are witnessing an unforeseen issue.  I believe the only way through this is together.  Could our leaders have acted sooner?  Well, I am not sure because imagine if our President said on Januaury, 31st that he was not only denying travel to and from China but we are shutting our country down.  That would have been impossible and I would also submit doing this same thing three-weeks ago would have been equally impossible.  It is not fair to blame our leaders for this happening.  I believe that we would have seen this happen and now we must end it....together.
Stories of frustration, greed, and evil will abound but they will not penetrate my heart of iron.  Never will I lose my strength in my Lord, Jesus Christ.
The world leaders are all saying the same thing and cannot keep up....regardless of the quality and quantity of health care resources.  Making a million ventilators and storing them in a warehouse or having an extra quarter million hospital beds staffed and ready for a pandemic....etc.
...etc. would have been impossible.
None of us can honestly look at what we know and say we could have done better. Especially now...this is here and we have to do what we are told.
"There is trouble in the forest, there was
trouble in the trees.
For the maples want more sunlight and the oaks ignore their pleas."
This is much the way man saw himself in the planet world pre-pandemic.
So metaphorically, if we are the trees that once focused on receiving more sunlight, or things, or pride, this pandemic is a reminder that we are all made equal by hatchet, axe, and saw.
Translation, humility.
..God made us equal and every man has a story about who they are and this moment is our clean slate.  
I am facing everything you are, men.  Managing the emotions of my family, trying to keep my business open, my finances afloat, and keeping my faith.  I am not going to freak out!  Our families need our men and you are not going to freak out. 
For those who have turned on the TV, can you believe the utter silliness we let our minds digest?  The Kardashians come to my mind in this post....can you say irrelevant?  Death of the reality shows and rebirth of family, books and yes, Jesus Christ.
So much good is going to come of this calamity....I promise you. 
Look beyond this time and how you responded.  You will be asked to help in the near future from our leaders and make sacrifices you never imagined a month ago.
Stand with me and we are activated.  We have spent the past five years together working on building each other and finding our inner faith.
Skip