Remembering Mr. Cathy

I was saddened to hear the news that Chick-fil-a founder, S. Truett Cathy had passed away.  I have been a fan of Mr. Cathy and his work for a long time.  Who does not love those chicken sandwiches and that amazing sweet tea?

More than his food place though, I admired this man's integrity.  He never backed down from what he truly believed.  He set up his company to fall in the lines of his convictions, and the Lord blessed his efforts.  It was a great reminder that when we do things - even our jobs - the way that God desires, they seem to have a blessed touch to them.

I remember my first encounter with Mr. Cathy.  I was a student minister in the Huntsville, Alabama area.  I had received an invitation to the Mayor of Huntsville's annual prayer breakfast.  Mr. Cathy was the keynote speaker for the event.  He received a key to the city and asked if it would be good enough to get him out of the speeding ticket that he had gotten on the way to the event.

That kind of humor and genuineness is one of the qualities that I admired most in Mr. Cathy.  Though he had tasted success greatly, he was very much the same man he had always been.  He will definitely be missed, but his legacy will no doubt continue on in the many lives that he has touched.

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Book Review: "It's Better To Build Boys Than Mend Men"

This was a book that I found in a closet at our church.  The title intrigued me so I decided to pick it up and take a look at it.  It was written by S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-fil-a.  Being a big fan of Chik-fil-a and having heard Mr. Cathy speak at a mayor's prayer breakfast one time, I was interested to hear what he had to say.

This is a great book for people that are working with teenagers.  Mr. Cathy has been very active in teaching a 13 year old boys Sunday School class at his local church.  The book is just some thoughts that he's had from his experience.  This book was written to feel like you and sitting down somewhere and Mr. Cathy is just sharing some of his thoughts with you.  You could tell that his love for young people and the burden that he has for seeing them become all that God created them to be was very inspiring.

If you work with teenagers or know someone who does (especially males), I would highly recommend this book for them to give them some encouragement.  It is a great read from someone who has been in the trenches with young men for many years.

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