American by Birth, Global Citizen by Nature.

WW II Veterans

Here’s the visual reference (Video).

Please take a moment to watch this important video.

It won’t be long before all of the WWII vets and most of the Korean War Veterans will be gone.  The tagline on my personal email says: FREEDOM isn’t FREE.

It’s not.

All of us know a veteran.  Everyone knows at least one other person that has fought to insure our Freedom.  Have you ever just said, “Thank you?” Thank you for the FREEDOM that my family and I enjoy.

Life Begins When You Do – It’s Your Choice

How much time do any of us really have?  Most of us believe, when we are children in school that the time we have is infinite.  Life will go on forever.  It’s not until someone you know or respect dies that you realize, there may be a limit as to how much time we have.

My Father died at age 42 and my Mother died at age 44.  When I was a boy, my Grandmother always called me EJ (my Father’s name) because we were so alike.  We were, the same in appearance and many other ways.  Like many young boys and men, it’s an extreme compliment to be referred to as being “Just like your Dad.”  However, when you come to believe what they’re saying and then your Father dies at age 42, it may even be logical to think that you’ll also die at the same young age.  I did.

So, there was a time up to and including age 42.  I thought I would die at that age.  I lived.

At age 61 I suffered a heart attack. Because of the paramedics and then the surgeon, I lived.

Now, at age 64 I underwent heart surgery [again].  I lived. (more…)

DR Rawson – Crest Explained

The most prominent feature on Mr. DR Rawson’s personal crest is its shield.  The castle design is from the Rawson Family original family crest that was given to the family in the 12th century by the King of England for saving his life.  The castle represents safety.

The next design element is the two-piece laurel wreath.  One side represents his wife Margaret and the other half represents DR and the branching of their mutual desire to provide positive leadership for the purpose of overcoming adversity.

The six stars at the top are for his six children (Steven, McKay, Taylor, Morgan, Cameron and Katy).  The Masonic Logo represents Mr. Rawson’s commitment to the Principles and Values originally taught to him by his grandfather (HH Rawson, 320) and then his father-in-Law (Illustrious Preston M. Jones, 330, Past Potentate) and that Mr. Rawson is a 320 Knight Commander Court of Honor (K.C.C.H.) Mason.

The double-headed eagle is central to the Scottish Rite.  It generally evokes the admonishment to “know thyself” and is viewed with its outstretched wings to remind a Mason to provide protection and of his responsibility to justly lead others. The white head of the Eagles represents commitments made to be strong, have courage and to use his foresight for the benefit of others first and then oneself.

The Masonic Square and Compass represent the foundation of Masonry.  The Square reminds a Mason to always square his actions by the square of virtue with all mankind.    The Compass reminds a Mason to always have the strength to circumscribe his desire and keep his passions within due bounds. In other words, he must guard himself to prevent his falling into the grip of greed and excess.

The exact placement of the Master Mason’s symbol with a G in the center represents the fact that G-D is to be at the center of a Mason’s life.  As such, his faith must be in G-D first and then the principles and values of Masonry second. It sits between the Stars and the Eagle representing the Mason’s place in his family and their future.

The design was created as a result of a discussion between Mr. Rawson and his daughter Katy.  She then created the finished crest.  The colorization came from Chris Edwards who served as the Director of Image and Design for C4 WorldWide, Inc. at the time the design was created in 2008.

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Design by Katy Rawson & Mindy King | Copyright © 2011 DRRawson.com