I want to thank you for blessing me with the gift of your book this past Sunday. I have nearly finished it already. Once I started reading I simply could not put it down. You may not know that I had serious open heart surgery in 2007. Our family had joined St. Francis of Assisi and I had already been coaching football at St. X for a few years by then. I just want you to know that I have found your book to be a personal inspiration and as usual; the fact that you shared it with me represents another intervention by the Holy Spirit in my life. The message that I am getting from the Holy Spirit and you is, “You ain’t dead yet!”.

I have tell you that I smiled when I read about the importance “Intensity” plays in one’s decision to succeed. I probably had that ear to ear grin like the Grinch when he discovered love. I smiled because you used Celtic Football coaching as an example of intense desire to succeed. You may not know that I actually talked Mark and Mike Meiners into having our coaching retreats. I planned and organized them to first be held at my Father-in-law’s condo at Lake Cumberland. I think they initially saw it as a water skiing / bonding trip but were pleasantly surprised when I brought dry erase boards and books and videos on various offense and defense strategies. The meetings were so successful, so much fun, and such a “team” building experience that they continued even after I left. I love the fact that I shared that experience with you and all the men I coached with at St. Patrick. I cannot argue if someone were to say that our passion for the team and the growth of the kids actually represented an obsessive compulsive disorder at times. Nevertheless; there is no doubt that we all brought intensity and “will” to our efforts and I truly believe that the boys learned multiple life lessons as a result of your influence and all of our coaches at the time. Thank you for sharing our experiences with your readers as an example of intense desire and focused effort to be successful.

God bless you and your family John.

You definitely “Ain’t Dead Yet”!

Your friend,

Rick Rayome