Lesson From a Firefighter: Don’t Wait to Make a Positive Difference in Someone’s Life

The third practice of the five SemperVerus components is BE, which emphasizes the importance of intentionally reinforcing rectitude in yourself. It’s stated thusly:

III. Be: developing rich personal leadership character of exemplary moral and ethical quality.

In the following brief TED Talk video, volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos shares a life lesson he learned on his first fire emergency:

Or watch it here.

Something to think about as you live a SemperVerus life.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of BE ]

Stay True to what is right. Stay True to your aim.

Invite SemperVerus® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

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Stopped: Armed Man Threatening Mass Shooting in a Naples, Florida Church

A 23-year-old man walked into a Naples, Florida church Sunday, July 6, 2025, during the final moments of the morning worship service. Two church employees observed his erratic behavior and strange statements. He claimed to be a “trained killer,” asked how much money it would take to stop a mass shooting, and appeared to have a handgun in his waistband.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

While one staff member attempted to de-escalate the situation and call 911, another discreetly moved children to safety. When deputies arrived and disarmed him, they discovered he had a loaded handgun, a round in the chamber, and three fully loaded magazines containing 60 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

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Too Little Faith to Be an Atheist

The observable universe is approximately 93 billion light-years (one light-year equals about 5.88 trillion miles) in diameter, containing an estimated 100 billion to 2 trillion galaxies, each comprising an average of 100 million stars, according to calculations based on the Hubble Space and James Webb telescopes and new mathematical models. Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA in 1977 to explore the outer solar system and interstellar space. After 48 years of continuous flight, it is currently over 15 billion miles (22.3 light-hours) from Earth and still going. Our own Milky Way galaxy alone is estimated to be 105,700 light-years in diameter and contains 100–400 billion stars and at least that number of planets.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Life Lessons to Learn From a Space Capsule Failure ]

Our unique planet teems with life, from the microscopic flea to the colossal blue whale. While the exact number is unknown, scientists estimate around 8.7 million animal species are on Earth. Only a small fraction of these have been formally described, with estimates suggesting that 86% of land species and 91% of marine species remain undiscovered. And there are roughly 391,000 known species of plants.

WOW!

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Church Active Shooter Prevention Saves Lives in Wayne, MI

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, a heavily armed gunman opened fire outside CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, during a morning service. Thanks to effective Church Active Shooter Prevention measures—including the quick actions of a trained security team and a brave parishioner—a large-scale mass shooting was stopped before it could unfold.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security Book Review: Defending the Flock ]

Kris P. Moloney, founder of Sheepdog Church Security (SDCS) certification curriculum, writes about the lessons learned in his after action incident report.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Shooting Analysis Reports ]

“In summary,” he writes, “the Wayne church shooting incident ended with the intended victims unharmed, aside from one injured security guard, thanks to the brave and prompt reaction of church members. The suspect was armed for a massacre, but he was stopped before he could reach the 150 men, women, and children inside. Police and community leaders have hailed this outcome as ‘the best possible outcome in a worst-case scenario,’ while also acknowledging the trauma it inflicted. The incident is now prompting other communities to examine their own security plans, and investigators continue working to understand what led to the suspect’s deadly actions. Wayne’s CrossPointe Community Church, though scarred by the event, has emerged as an example of preparedness and courage under fire, illustrating both the challenges and the hope in Church active shooter prevention going forward.”

Read the lessons learned as presented by Kris on The Sheepdog Sentinel.

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