Weekly Messages

Have you ever set a goal that was really important to you, and somehow, someway you lost track of it? Maybe you stuck with it for a week or a month, but ultimately it drifted into thin air only to become a wishful thought?    Of course. We all have.    But did you take the time to reflect back on why that may have happened?    Maybe the answer is as simple as the goal truly was not important to you. Maybe you lacked commitment. Maybe you didn’t believe in yourself. Maybe the noise of the world did what it does best and distracted you.   But, what if the answer is that you went about it all wrong? From day one, your plan, focus and actions failed you from the start?    Can I share something very cool with you today?    NO hacks. No gimmicks. No shortcuts.    When the time comes that you find yourself wanting to make permanent, lasting change; I mean transformational – physical, mental, emotional, relationships, profession, you name it…   START with GRACE!   Three very important reasons why:   1.  Change is an “inside” job.    It’s Truly a matter of your heart. For if your heart is not in it, the positive behaviors will not last. If you simply change your behavior, but not your heart, the behavior comes back.    2.  The outside world will say, “Try harder,” but GRACE says, “Trust More.”   “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” — Matthew 23:25-26   When you Trust that God always loves you, and his Grace Sustains you…you can be Honest.    You don’t have to show one thing on the outside that is different from the inside.   You are only as strong as you are honest. None of us can correct what we will not confront.    3.  Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God.   The GRACE that Saves you, Frees you, Strengthens you, is also the Grace that Sustains and Transforms You!!   By his Grace you are made New; different, better and stronger.   And the really good news is - it’s available to ALL, and his Grace Is Always Enough!!!   By his grace,   Brock   P.S. Help us Share the Goodness – God, Family, Country, Community, the finest chocolate sweets and positive vibes. Send this to a friend and encourage them to join the community. 

Did you happen to catch any of the World Track and Field Championships that took place over the past two week for the first time on U.S. soil?   It was a spectacular display of athletic performance to say the least. Times that had never been run before. Distances jumped and thrown that have never been seen.   Competitors giving every thing they had lying completely exhausted on the track after crossing the finish line.    Seeing their effort, results and emotions, I immediately thought about the months and years of training.  Day-in and day-out, when nobody’s watching. The dedication applied, challenges faced and setbacks overcome.    Then I thought about you and me.    We have all been given our ‘Race To Run’. Within the grand race, there are countless smaller races to run, finish and win.    There are several qualities that come to my mind that a person must possess to complete their races. And at the top of that powerful list is TENACITY.   Tenacity - is a word like resilience. It means no matter how much opposition and difficulties I face, I will Not Quit!    I will Not Stop.    I will continue in the race.    A person that has tenacity is a person that keeps Showing up.    And they’re not showing up all the time because they’re succeeding.   On the contrary…   They’re Showing Up because they’re Determined. Committed. Driven to become their best.    There is greatness found in ‘becoming’ – it means one is moving, growing. Not still and stagnant.    There is absolutely no shame in struggle.  Actually the struggle can be and most often is how we build our strength.    The best flip that critical, self-doubt, negative thinking with an attitude that says – “You may see me struggle, but you will not see me quit.”    They see the task at hand and the mission they have in their heart is so important they have to Work for it.    They have to Earn it.    They don’t back away from hard work. In fact, it serves as a reminder that they are on the right path.    How you see things drives how you’ll do things.   They have to be tenacious to stay in the game in order to achieve the incredibly important goal they have in their life.    Dignity is gained through facing adversarial forces, pushing past the hard, persevering, and completing the work/assignment you have been given.    This is a Process, Approach, Attitude, Expectation and Action that needs renewed and strengthened Each and Every Day! 💯💯💯   Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.    If you’re not dead, you’re not done.    God’s Got More For You to do.    Fully finish the work God had you start!    “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:6   Run your race. See it through. Give all you’ve got.    Be Tenacious.    Be a Finisher,   Brock   P.S. Resident Confectionery Guru Mike has been working in the Dulci kitchen/lab on some super fun and incredibly delicious new chocolate sweets. I believe he’s nailed it on not just one new creation, but two. My my my…be on the lookout for new releases coming soon. 

Family is truly a most valued, highly important part of life. Whether you have children or not, married or single, parents living or passed, all of us know how precious close relationships are.    To have them is a wonderful gift. To be in the same place and time with people that love you unconditionally; that will absolutely be by your side when tough times appear, is surely a blessing not to be taken for granted.   Each day is a gift. Each moment an opportunity to share an experience, learn something new, teach and mentor, love and laugh, support and encourage…   Sometimes big and obvious. Sometimes small and relatively unnoticeable.    Priceless all the same. And quick to pass in a blink of your eyes.   In those moments, why would we choose anything other than to be present with those we are physically with? Family, close friends or even people you occasionally associate with deserve your attention.    Why would anyone bother investing any $$ amount for tickets to a baseball game if they're going to watch the whole thing through their phone?   Why would anyone take their kids to the park if all they're doing is scrolling through the Facebook newsfeed?   I share this with you because my family and I just returned from a little vacation that surrounded my oldest son’s first Nationals Championship Track Meet.    While I’m not excusing myself from this issue and concern - we all do it from time to time, I couldn’t help notice this happening -  a lot!   From a dad missing the chance to help his son grab a foul ball that he never saw to a women repeatedly taking video and pictures of herself at the Atlanta aquarium without any fish or others in view.  Really!?!?   People are more concerned with how many "Likes" notifications they get from strangers, and how the outside world views them, than they are with what and who is right in front of them.    Don’t allow yourself to miss real life being distracted and caught up with other people’s filtered images, messages and highlight reels.   I came across this quote one time...   "Quit obsessing over how your life looks through the digital glass of the outside world."   If you don't, you'll forget how important it is to be present in the reality you're actually in.   And that my friends, is the only one that truly matters.    Let’s not miss the good in front of us. Be here and now. Give your attention and best to who you're with and where you are.    Live life at full strength,   Brock    P.S. Camden had a fun and rewarding experience earning bronze in the 800m and gold running the first leg on the 4x400 relay team. 

In the hands of the current and loud culture, lost is the freedom to disagree and still respect and love one another.   Look at our country right now, it has been turned upside down.  Everyone has their own truth, and if you don’t agree with it, you are labeled as a bad person.     The media wants you to believe that the majority of American’s hate America and they are trying to force us to hate it too.     But what you may or may not see is this is an attack orchestrated by Satan!   Satan is a force of evil as great as you can ever imagine. A force determined to take everything from you.    Masquerading as the “new normal" parading around as acceptance and calling for anyone who disagrees to be silenced, shutdown, cancelled and even hurt.    He is working in and out of the lives we lead pretending to have our best interests in mind while shaping our future right before our very eyes.   Did you know that God warned us how this happens?   In fact, he warned us to be on our guard as Satan prowls around like a roaring lion. Did you catch that?  He prowls around.     How many of you have a cat? Have you watched it lay low in the grass and sneak up on its prey, then at the right moment, he pounces!  That is what the devil does to us - he pounces because we are standing idle, doing nothing.   We cannot afford to sit back and tolerate or accept that which is morally wrong.     Truth that is flawed and allow society to dictate out next steps.  We cannot be afraid to lose business, relationships, or even our job, in the name of “well its just the way it is?”     No it isn’t.  We need to not be idle and act.     What if we blessed someone by telling them the truth.    Telling them they matter, showing them that we are willing to put our money where our mouth is.     What if we took the money from a business that isn’t aligned with our values and supported one who does?    Could it be more expensive? Maybe. Maybe not.    Would it be an inconvenience for me?  Perhaps. Perhaps not.   Would it hurt a relationship? Possibly. Possibly not.   All things we certainly would not like to have to happen, but doing the right things are often not the easiest. Yet, another trick the devil uses again and again to get his way.    But what if a small sacrifice to us, leads someone to a lifetime of truth, hope and love.    Now that’s a great possibility worth moving for.   In my experience God blesses those who sacrifice on his behalf.   If we aren’t willing to sacrifice, be inconvenienced, speak up and act, then maybe we do hate America too.       Your friend,    Mike    P.S. May this encourage you in the choices you make and the actions you take. 

In order to do that right, proudly and honorably, we can’t ignore or wipeout history. We must remember the good and the bad. The horrible and the spectacular.    For they teach of us lessons that provide great wisdom, compassion, and inspire us to be better.    If you don’t study the hurts and mistakes of the past, we are destined to repeat them.    If you don’t study the triumphs and heroic acts of the human spirit, we miss out knowing what is possible and will never reach our full potential.    The next time you’re faced with a challenge, experience a disappointment or setback, and you find yourself complaining how hard it is or how much that sucks - stop and catch yourself.    Look, we all have done this.    And rest assured, we will do it again. But before I let the words – ‘this is unfair’ come out of my mouth, I plan to remind myself of the story of Louis Zamperini.    If you don’t know his story or have not read the book, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand or seen the movie by the same title released in 2014 – I highly encourage you do as soon as you can.    Louis Zamperini was a real war-time survivor. He was a USA Olympian track star running in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, an army officer and also survived three prisoner of war camps in Japan.    The story recounts his treacherous life while sharing his extraordinary will of perseverance and spirit of forgiveness during a life full of unimaginable hardships.    I think I’m pretty self confident and strong, but to be honest, reflecting on what he went through, I don’t think I’d stand a chance to mentally or physically overcome what he did.    So let us not forget. Dismiss or for god’s sake disrespect the many people that came before.    Think on the lives they lived. The struggles they had to endure. The massive sacrifice and price that they paid fighting for you and me.    While we may be facing some real troubles in our world today, and the pain you and I feel is very real, most of them really do pale in comparison to what just a couple generations ago had to overcome; not once, but many times over.    In an interview at the age of 94, Louie was asked what was it, deep down inside, that kept him from giving up?    He immediately responded, “When you overcome adversity, you become more hardy. The more problems you face and overcome the more and more hardy you will be. If you have some truth inside you to survive, you will go all out.”     Asked the follow up question, What advice would you pass down to somebody in the younger generation that is feeling like giving up?   His response - “If they feel like giving up, they don’t have respect for themselves. I don’t see how anyone can back off from a challenge. Take the challenge. Whether you win it or not, you’ll learn from it. You’ll expand from it and become stronger.”   No sugar-coating there.  No here’s a trophy for just showing up.  No blaming anyone else.    Personal Responsibility. Ownership. Grit. Toughness.    And yes, Hardiness. Meaning robust, capable of enduring difficult conditions.    All characteristics found in so many amazing Americans that made, and continue to make our Freedom and Independence possible.    To living and protecting our freedom!   Brock    P.S. Help us Share the Goodness – God, Family, Country, Community, the finest chocolate sweets and positive vibes. Send this to a friend and encourage them to join the community. 

Ever been to Church Camp?   We go every year, well, I shouldn’t include me in that.     I go to work on projects and up until this year, to visit my wife and kids who have been unofficial full-time staff since they were born.   Our family is very involved in a Christian camp.     My wife and her siblings grew up attending (as did their parents) eventually working on staff and then returning to be the staff the last 15 or 20 years now.   I never went to camp as a kid other than camping with the scouts or at the annual jamboree, and that I never cared much for.     But not my wife.  She and her family Love camp. And now my children love camp.  For many reasons I suppose but no matter the reason, they spend most of the summer in a small county in Ohio on a 40-acre plot of land having the time of their lives.     No phones, no internet, and at least once in the summer—no power and no worries.    They click, they bond, the form new and rekindle old friendships and for one week, 6 days, 16 meals, 10 snack times and countless memories, they get lost in relationship with each other and God.    Each week a new age group of students come in while the outgoing group leaves.  Ready and eager to take their newfound energy back to their little part of the world.     But then something happens.     Very soon after they return home, the summer church camp vibe or high, wears off.  What started as I’m so on fire for The Lord, very quickly falls back into the old ways, old patterns, habits, and “normal” life.     For the past 6 days they were in a camp isolated from the world, in constant relationship with each other, doing fun games, worship and prayer together.  Then they go home, back to the real world and get stuck with the same habits the same friend group, playing on your phone, wondering why things didn’t change.     Sound familiar?      It’s not just camp.  Ever been to a business conference and come back thinking you can set your business, or sales or team on fire (not literally) but nothing happens, and your fire doesn’t catch and soon goes out altogether.     Why do we think that we can change the world without changing first the things that get in the way?      You just came from an expo, or a conference or training event or camp, where you were with like minded individuals.  People who uplifted and encouraged you, poured into you and allowed you to pour into them.    You were isolated with them, out of touch from your normal way of life and invigorated with a new way.     So why is it so hard when you return?    Because you haven’t recreated that environment.     You haven’t changed those things that distract, deny, and defeat your goal. You have fallen back into the old ways, expecting things to be different.     That my friends, is the very definition of insanity.    If you are not changing your, habits, your activities, your friends’ groups, or putting down the video games, turning off the phone or the tv and working on the goals you want to achieve, the goals you created with so much excitement, the goals that lit a fire within you – nothing will change!     Not only will nothing change, but it will also seem like nothing you do matters.  And your fire will go out.     So, before I ramble on too much, think of this:  if you want something to change – be the change.     Create the environment!     Find the people who are like minded, who can uplift and encourage you, strengthen you and call you out (in love) when you are being an ass.    Then together create an environment to succeed.     Jesus had his 12 and his 3.  David had his mighty men. Who do you have?  Who can you partner with for your dreams?   When you change your environment, you may just change your thinking and the fire that burns will get bigger and brighter and attract others to it.     Don’t believe me?  Try it! Who knows, you might surprise yourself.   Keep burning bright,   Mike   P.S. Help us Share the Goodness – chocolate sweets and the positive vibes. Send this to a friend and encourage them to join the community. 

You being consistent in your life has more potential to impact your life than anything else.    We know consistency matters!    Consistency is attractive. It’s contagious. It builds leaders.   And this community consists of leaders that want to share hope, light and a bright future.    But, we are human and sometimes we get sidetracked with our best intentions.    When this happens, three things that will help you reset, grow in your consistency and breakthrough.    1. Start with the Why.   I mean the deeper and ‘real’ why behind it. Your true motives, purpose, and devotion for doing what you’re doing.    I’m talking more than your desires and desired outcome.    Consistency is a result of Devotion, Not out of Desire.    2. Plan to not be perfect.    Lose the “all or nothing” mindset.   Understand being perfect is not the same as being consistent.    Don’t confuse the two. 👆🏼   We will mess up. Plan for this and allow yourself to mess up.    Do not let “being perfect” stop you from getting started.    I’m seeing this way too often in our youth.    “If I can’t win, I don’t want to play.”    “When things don’t go my way - I quit.”   3. Fall in love with the process.   Life is not easy. Troubles, problems, hurts, disappointments happen.    Nobody ‘wins’ all the time.    The great ones take those defeats and use them for fuel to put consistent time, practice, effort into getting better.    Especially, when it’s inconvenient and hard.    Remembering how falling short felt – The ‘pain’ can be a terrific force to o achieve beyond what you thought was possible.   Let us adults, parents, leaders, coaches, never forget that.    We can prepare the child for the path, but we must not try to prepare the path for the child.    In order to grow, improve, overcome, become more - Everyone has to learn to push pass the hard. To climb the damn wall or mountain.    Those trials, failures, hard times serve an incredibly important purpose…they refine us. They help build resiliency, fortitude, and resolve.   They can strengthen us; the Good and the Bad times    “The distance you can go in life comes down to the amount of pain you are willing to endure to grow there” - Darren Hardy   The next time you have a bad day or you’re met with a difficult challenge - lean in and embrace the hard.    In time, Goodness will come from it.  You’ll be better on the other side.    Your friend,   Brock  P.S. Help us Share the Goodness – chocolate sweets and the positive vibes. Send this to a friend and encourage them to join the community. 

We need strong men and strong fathers right now. In many places you look the outside world appears to be on fire. A massive storm of hypocrisy, contradiction, situational ethics, floating morals, and blatant untruths.    Men and Fathers - we must stand up and speak up for what is True.    There is right and wrong - It Does Exist.    And it certainly needs to.    We are NOT to be judge and jury,    but we are NOT to remain quiet in fear of the few loud and obnoxious that would like you to believe they are the many.    Our children’s future and generations to follow are depending on us to fulfill our responsibilities.    To protect the sanctity of life.    Defend family values, and honor godly principles. Including the rules and laws that we know help guide and teach us to live honorable, loving, purposeful lives.   There’s only 168 hours in a week. To be and do what we know we are called to do as men of our homes;    to be a leader to our family, a devoted husband, dedicated dad.    We must be intentional, committed, and deliberate in order to DO our best to GIVE our best energy, time, focus, attention to the one’s that want and deserve it most.    For we must understand it won’t happen on accident. Nothing worthwhile is achieved randomly drifting through life.    My point today is twofold.   To celebrate the Strong Dad’s in the world who are leading by example. Who demonstrate hard work, sacrifice, love and courage in the face of real challenge and imperfection   Who are devoted to their family and honor their wives with their words and actions.    This is not about being perfect. It’s all about being purposeful.   Happy Father’s Day to you.    And to encourage all men (single, married, fathers, uncles, brothers) to Rise Up, man your post - be a watchman, and fight for what is good and true.    To be purposeful and righteous in all that you do.    Now when’s the last time you received a message like this from a chocolate company? 😃   If this resonated with you, and the image of your dad, husband, uncle, brother came to mind why not send him a box of the best chocolates that are delivered with a clear statement of your love, appreciation and respect?    Perhaps a very cool signature “Get Up & Show Up” Dulci Sweets shirt or sweatshirt too. 😎🎁   Wishing you a Strong week and Super Father's Day,   Brock

If you’re a parent you probably often think about the environment that surrounds your child. Who they’re hanging out with, what they’re watching, and what they’re listening to.    And that’s mighty important because you know just how influential and impactful their environment can be on them.   That’s even before social media and YouTube. iPhones, IPads, and whatever other devices make it easy for the messages and images of all kinds to capture their attention.    Here’s the point of this week’s message….   When’s the last time you applied that same concentration and effort to assess, evaluate and adjust, if needed, your environment? 🤔   We all need a regular check up in this area and would benefit from it greatly.   If we are to be a light in this world and to others we must be on guard all the time.    If you want to perform to your potential and operate at full capacity, being consistent in this area of your life has more potential to impact your results than anything else.    Think of things that are most important to you and that you want to be the best they possibly can be.    Better marriage.  Better finances. Better health. Stronger family. Closer to God.  Greater generosity.  Meaningful contribution and Positive impact on the lives of others.   Now think about your environment; created by your routines and behaviors, and the parts created by others.    A terrific place to start is being intentional with what you allow your eyes to see and ears to hear.    I’ll give you two significant examples.   Sensationalized News media. It constantly presents nothing but tragedy that plays on our fears. It comes at us everywhere and all the time. In our homes, in our cars, on your news feeds. These purveyors of horrid are searching for the most tragic, heinous, negative stories to fill our minds with.    All while many wonderful, miraculous and amazing things are happening in the same 24/7 365 but we rarely or never hear about it because it doesn’t “scare” us into attention.    Include social media madness that thrives on insecurities, comparison, and has become a top distraction and great drain of peoples best – vigilance and consistency of effort is absolutely required.    Both can be stealth-like in their ability to apply little nudges to your behaviors, choices, and habits that will take you in a direction you don’t want to go.    This is incredibly important because what we see, hear, what we feed in our minds, shapes our perspectives of ourselves, the world, what’s possible.    You’re familiar with the saying, “garbage in, garbage out.”    Or, my absolute favorite, “the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.”   Ohhh, read that one again. There’s not an instance I can think of when that inner negative voice tries to speak up and stop you from doing something you know you should do, speaking that phrase won’t provide the positive kick in the butt to help you do it.     Let both of those simple, yet profound statements of truth encourage you to protect your environment and keep your attention where you are at your best.    Not only for yourself, but for and to those around you.    You Are Different.  You Are Committed to Excellence.  You Know the Great Value of Each Day.    Make it great,   Brock    P.S. If you haven’t heard it yet today: You’re awesome. Keep doing you.

Yesterday, being Memorial Day and the honoring, reverent holiday weekend that it most certainly should be, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude and a concentrated focus of what it means to be an American.  Not surface level either. I’m talking down to the bone. Heart and Soul.  Definitive characteristics and attributes that helped overcome relentless adversity, fight unimaginable battles, and to remain courageously steadfast to the mission at hand…  To gain FREEDOM. Protect and Preserve it. And for many incredible Heroes and their loved ones – at all cost.  Asking the important questions like, how are we able to have and do the things in this country that people in many other countries can not?  And a very real and necessary follow up question – could the Freedom we are so blessed to have be taken from us?  Look, you self-selected to join Mike and I in this community – A community and lifestyle that encourages you to uphold and celebrate the foundational values of God, Family, Country, Community.  Asking you to DO MORE, ENDURE MORE, and BE MORE… Every. Single. Day. And you don't "just show up" for the occasion like 99% of society — You consistently rise up to it. This includes remembering and appreciating the great price that has been paid for our Freedom.  Knowing the service and sacrifice of those who have bravely given theirs is the reason we enjoy the freedoms and incredible privileges we have.  Because of that greatness, we stand on their shoulders today. Able to do more, reach higher, and become our best.  Let us not forget that. Let us not allow comfort or taking the quiet path to avoid scrutiny, because it’s easier, become the acceptable choice of behavior.  The younger generation that follows desperately needs our leadership and to witness our example. Not just today, but EVERY DAY. Thank YOU for inspiring US, And furthering our opportunity to be a positive impact on society. We know NONE of this would be possible without the Brave men and women who risked their lives So that we may lead free lives. May these words not be forgotten and ring forever true…   And this be our motto - "In God is our trust," And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.   To our Freedom and the Courage to Fight to Protect it, Brock 

I want to share with you something very cool that a person I personally know accomplished in the face of many challenges, setbacks, and against great odds.  This very situation and outcome shows us that Winning is determined by what happens BEFORE the “GAME”. “Game” meaning any event, small or large, that’s has meaning and is important to you.  Everyone has goals and dreams. They’re easy to come by and fun to have. However, so many people take it no farther beyond a wish. The moment things don’t go their way, or the effort required becomes too hard, or the work is not fun anymore – they either begin to go through the motions or stop all together.  But not my friend Abu Daramy-Swaray. I met Abu when he came to help us move and pick up a huge roll of outdoor field turf for a speed training facility I’m associated it with in Columbus, Ohio.  He was working multiple jobs trying to pay his bills, while not giving up on his life-long dream to play in the NFL.  No need to be a football fan to appreciate the goodness of this story.  Born in the Republic of Sierra Leone, ranked as one of the poorest in the world and ravaged by an 11-year long civil war that displaced two million and killed more than fifty thousand.  One of those families was Abu’s and one of those lives lost was he father.  In 2000, when Abu was three year old, his mother was able to get out of the country and to the United States where he moved in with family living in Columbus, Oh.  Limited resources, and virtually no money, we can only imagine the great difficulties Abu and his mom experienced.  And today, at 5’9” and 172 lbs. nearly everyone told him he’s got no chance to fulfill his life-long dream to make it to the NFL.  Especially, after the few years that have passed since finishing his collegiate career in 2019 without a single call from any interested teams.  Not giving up, Abu spent 2021 playing in the German Football league.  This year, he did whatever he could, however he could to cover bills and still train to be ready for one shot that perhaps only he still believed would happen.  Well, as you might guess, knowing that Dulci Sweets and this Champion Community is all about Shining a Light on What is Good, Positive, and Inspirational, that one call – one shot presented itself.  And Abu was more than ready. He had stayed true to himself and his dream. He did what most don’t. He practiced, trained, prepared, worked on himself, his skills, his development in advance of the opportunity.  Did you catch that? Not after the opportunity became known or available, but beforehand. All while no one appeared to be watching. No lights, no cameras, no fans. And no one would have known the difference if he had or hadn’t. Until, the opportunity arrived and then it would haven been too late to “get ready”.  Being at the top of his “Game” given his first and only shot, in one 45 minute tryout, Abu shinned and stood out among the rest.  Last week the Cincinnati Bengals made him an offer.  The headlines read, Bengals sign CB Abu Daramy-Swaray after rookie tryout. The news announcement included, “It’s always a good story when a player doesn’t even hear his name called as an undrafted free agent get a shot in rookie camp and earn a spot on the offseason roster and a chance at training camp, especially after a few years.” To me, this situation and process, regardless of the outcome, screams the word Relentless - No walk away. No quit. Continually knocking on the door. Putting in the work. Learn, Practice, Apply, Review, Refine, Improve and Repeat, constantly!  Not because success came quick and easy. He was successful because he was relentless. He remained committed to the process. He was willing to stay in the game, be patient when it often appeared nothing was happening.  Abu’s work, heart, belief, faith, and eventual achievement epitomizes the fruitful reward that comes through perseverance.  Nobody stops their way to success.  We all know what it’s like to have no one ‘open’ the door so we have to keep knocking.  Relentless - keeps us in the game when most people want to stop.  A relentless person WILL Not Be Denied!  A relentless person WILL Keep Coming!  A relentless person WILL Eventually Breakthrough and Win!  Today, go out and Be Relentless. That’s the only way you will get what you need and eventually accomplish what you want.  God allows you to go through tests and trials so you can learn by experience that doing things his way is the best way. If you will not serve and worship him in the hard times of life (the valleys), you may not consistently serve and worship him in the good times (the mountaintops).  Remember that mountaintops encourage you, but valleys mature you. Let us be thankful for both.  Be relentless, Brock

Did you ever wonder if Nike slogan Just Do It, really started as SHUT UP and Just do it?  I often find my self saying that to myself.  It seems these days everyone has an excuse or someone else to blame.  There is no longer accountability for our actions, words or even our intentions.  Yes intentions.  The graveyard is full of people who had great intentions but failed to act.  It's not hard really to see, from the highest offices in the country we are being conditioned to blame someone or something else for the issues we have created. After all, we are all victims, right? (sarcasm added). This recent leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision on Roe V Wade, was no different.  Clearly the leak was planned with one intention, to create a hate-based narrative and stir up others to do what the left has failed to do for years – intimidate the court to abandon the constitution and follow the narrative.  They have encouraged protestors to illegally assemble in front of Justices homes and families.  They have encouraged hate, violence and vandalism against Pro-life and Christian groups that have nothing to do with the decision but everything to do with what is right and just according to God. If it seems as though I am rambling, I am.  I am so sick of Satan moving and working in the hearts and minds of the lost. Polluting the young minds of our children, through schooling, social media and media networks like Disney, Netflix, etc.  But more importantly I am sick that me as a Christian have let it happen.  Jesus says that we who are filled with the Holy Spirit have the power to remove strong holds; those of Satan and his army.  But I am mad at myself because I haven’t used that power to do so.  So today I say to myself, “Shut up and Do something”.   And before I grab the jawbone of a donkey and go to town on those who oppose God, I want to double down on our vision. We created Dulci Sweets to combat the darkness by flooding it with light.  Buy a gift to share with someone else.  Share a smile along with a piece of chocolate.  A Sweet message right?  But it's more than that.  We started it because we were tired of big business dictating where we are to spend our time, our money, and our energy.  But we can’t do it alone, we need action.  We need this community to act.  Jesus had his posse, we need ours.  Imagine if you set a goal to reach one person, one soul a month with a simple message of love; perhaps gift wrapped as a box of chocolate.  With nothing more than to bring a smile to someone’s face, say thank you for doing what they said they would do, or to uplift and encourage them in a time of need.   One act, one person and one more shining light in this world of darkness.   One person taking action can make a world of difference to someone who is struggling.  So join us in doing so.    Let's Get Up and Show Up Together, Mike

I know you are a part of the Dulci Sweets Community for several terrific reasons, and at the top of that list is you are a warrior.  A wonderful person that chooses to See the Good, Do the Good, and Share the Good. If you see something that is not right, you say something. If you see someone in need, you do something.  I also know that you know we are far from a typical, ordinary, everyday chocolate company.  This is a movement dedicated to helping people shine bright. To use the God-given gifts and talents to fulfill the life assignments God has provided each of us.  And a definite truth of life is that living it is not easy. Our best defense is having a healthy and strong body, mind and spirit to deal with, manage, and overcome. In recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, and the reality that we all deal with stress, fear, uncertainty, and doubt I want to equip you with a couple important items to achieve Steadiness despite the stress.  First, know that you are Not alone. The vast and fast paced world can certainly make all of us feel overwhelmed, stressed out and unnoticed at times.   Stress is real and needs to be recognized.  It affects all of us and we must be proactive with our thoughts, behaviors and actions to ensure it does not keep us from being and living our best. Second, Allow me to give 3 ways to find and remain Steady and Stronger in the presence of Stress:   3 A’s - easy to remember and simple to include in your day immediately.    Anchors - your Values, Beliefs, Faith - All of us must Identify what is most important to us. In our lives, work, family, and community.  Our anchors provide the WHY be the What. They center and guide us.  Then they enable us to do something extremely important - Build our “Guardrails”  Guardrails prevent you from drifting off course. Keep you on the right path. And when well defined - they make the many decisions you have to make on a daily basis SO MUCH EASIER.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. - Proverbs 3:6   Associations - Be aware of your surroundings. Choose wisely. Relentlessly Guard your mind. Protect your environment.  The saying, “You will become the combined average of the five people you most often surround yourself with”, is so true.  You will end up with the combined attitude, combined health, combined income. Be very careful, your associations don’t shove you in a direction you don’t want to go.    Actions - Thoughts and intentions are important, but the outcomes we receive, the results we create, are ultimately determined by our actions. Let us Run with Endurance the Race God has set before us. - Hebrews 12:1  As in “I’m grounding myself by taking a walk around the block without my phone.”   Sitting quietly and completing a 3-5 minute Mind-Body Scan. From head to toe. Heart to gut. Ear lobes to finger tips.  Simply taking notice of how you are feeling - physically, emotionally, spiritually. Without being critical.  Just Notice and Name it to learn and increase personal awareness, mindfulness and connection.   As for actions to build and support greater steadiness despite stress, start here… Pick one and commit to following through on it for the next two weeks. Be sure it’s something you’re confident you can do consistently.    1. EXERCISE  Exercise relieves stress by increasing blood flow, burning calories, and  stimulating your nervous system.  In my opinion a most effective strategy includes a mix of intense strength training, conditioning, cardio, and low intensity recovery. When stressors are up, decrease intense exercise; when they’re down, increase it.    2. GET OUTSIDE Being in nature lowers stress hormones and heart rate and improves mood and immunity, giving you motivation and energy to cope with your next challenge.  A nice stroll down the road, shooting hoops with you kids, or simply sitting down for a few minutes, away from the noise, and complete a quality mind-body scan.    3. PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION Know you limits / Establish Guardrails - Honor Them!!! Ask for help/support when needed Get coaching if you feel stuck Get counseling if you feel helpless Unplug as often as possible - At Least Once Per Week Lastly, Winning on the INSIDE is Always your first Victory!   Beware of your self talk. The little voice inside your mind that talks a lot and can often be a negative nanny.  Notice it. Call it out. And flip it to be positive, encouraging and full of grace.  Please know this truth - You Are Worthy. You are important. You are loved. Have a Steady and Strong week, Brock 

Hugs and Cheers To All The Mom’s and Mother figures in our community. They’re the women who consistently care for their families. The ones navigating busy schedules, messy rooms, and helping us feel better after receiving some bumps and bruises. They’re the women who mentor others with love, and who lead others with compassion. And they’re the women who keep showing up—when life gets hard, and nobody is watching. These women show us what it means to be a Mom. They are Exceptional and most deserving to be recognized and celebrated. Not just on Mother’s Day, but EVERY DAY! But since Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday, be sure to have your plans in place and gifts in hand or scheduled for delivery. This day is a most meaningful day and a special opportunity to show your love, appreciation and gratitude for who she is and everything she has done for you in your life.  I can personally speak to this and know just how wonderful it is to have a Super Hero mom. My mom was a single parent with two little ones; me and my sister. With two little ones counting on her, she faced fear and uncertainty daily with a 'No Quit, Can't Stop' Grit and fortitude that rivals the greatest warriors of all time. She did whatever needed to be done. Reinvented herself to get a couple good jobs. Then work tirelessly to develop her skills to rise up through the corporate ladder. It wasn’t easy. And our childhood was far from perfect, but who’s is? We never went without and knew we were loved. I learned a great deal from her. Hard work, sacrifice and commitment are at the top of the list. A mother’s love has no end. It will overcome all. She will find a way. There's no doubt that my mom's response to adversity and her resiliency impacted and influenced me.  Today, I’m twice blessed to have married an incredible women. My wife Nicole inspires me every day with how Amazing and Wonderful of a MOM she is to our two boys. A Mother's work is FAR reaching and Never Done... So if you're a MOM - THANK YOU! You are more appreciated than you can possibly know. A Grateful Son and Husband, Brock P.S. Be intentional and give her gifts that allow her to indulge a bit. That tell her she is Sweet and Beautiful.

Mike and I, along with our wives, recently attended the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center's 16th Annual Fundraising Banquet.  The evening was a celebration of the sweetness of life!   And you’d be right if you guessed that a Dulci Sweets box with our delicious chocolates was on every table for all attendees to enjoy. 😊   There are three important reasons I would like to share a small part of the evening with you.   First, one of the core missions of Dulci Sweets is to shine a light on good people and organizations that are doing good works.   Please allow us to introduce you to the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center. It is a Christ-centered ministry offering Compassion, Hope, & Help to women and men facing critical pregnancy decisions. They provide many free, confidential services, education, resources, and empower families to live life according to God’s plan.    Second, is a tiny snippet of what we had the pleasure of hearing and feeling from Special guest, Dr. Alveda King. She was such a delight and bright light to the overall event.   In her 71 years of life she has seen and experienced more than most. Being the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. and part of an incredibly influential family in the civil rights movement in our country’s history.   Her Testimony was filled with pain, loss, hurt, anger, that as she shared, caused great confusion, uncertainty, and fueled many destructive decisions. Justifiably, darkness could have easily overwhelmed her, becoming a stronghold that kept her on that path.   However, in those tumultuous times and painful trials, she shared several amazing and loving moments from her family and her lord and savior, Jesus Christ, who by his abounding Grace delivered her from brokenness and made her new.   At one moment in her conversation, Dr. Alveda King took a long pause and with strength, courage, and love, she said these words. “We are One Human Race. One Blood. While we are not color blind, the different colors are beautiful and should be celebrated. There is no one color that makes a life matter more than another.”   As someone has said, Knowledge is horizontal. Wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. Intimacy with the Father leads to growth in wisdom.   Then something pretty cool and unexpected happened.   You know the old song - “This little light of mine”?…   I’m going to let it shine – let shine, let it shine, let it shine.   Well, Dr. King had all 660 + attendees stand up and sing a few verses as one.   Only she took the liberty of adding a couple new verses to it that I believe you will think are pretty cool too.   This little light of mine…   If you don’t let yours shine, please don’t put out mine.   Think on that 🤔   Extremely wise thing to do.   And then there was this one…   If yours won’t shine, you can have some of mine. 💡🌟❤️   I’m going to let it shine, let shine, let it shine.   We are all little lights shining. When we come together, every light doing its' part, a huge light illuminates, devouring the darkness and removing its presence.   This WE Can ALL DO!   Each of us need all of us. And all of us need each of us. 💯   And third is a reminder to this loving and strong community that a portion of ALL Dulci Sweets orders goes toward a mission driven organization. For this current quarter (April - June) that very organization is the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center.   With love, faith, and joyful action - Be A Light. Shine it bright. As much as you can. As often as you can. Wherever you can. 🌟🌟🌟   May Your Light Shine Bright,   Brock   P.S. Remember to celebrate two groups of people that certainly shine lights in our lives; Teachers and Mom’s. ❤️  Say Thank You to your Teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week May 2nd - 6th and Sweet Treats for all the Mom’s in your life for Mother’s Day, May 8th.