Hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast Monday morning moments with John O'Leary.

I record these so that you and I can begin our days and indeed are weeks in awe and on fire with a burst of inspiration.

What better way to do that than what a quote from one of my favorite authors. His name was

Henry Nowan. Henry wrote this. In our own woundedness, we can become a source of life for others. For more than a decade, I've worked with

the Focus Marines Foundation. This organization hosts struggling veterans for a week-long retreats

designed to provide support for complex physical and emotional issues related to their military

service.

The women and men who attend struggle with a range of challenges, including PTSD, anxiety,

depression, and addiction.

Some have endured years of family struggles, homelessness, food insecurity, and incarceration.

Many were wounded in conflict overseas, and some have experienced self-inflicted wounds after coming home. They courageously intend these retreats because they are committed to

finding a new reality for themselves and for those they love.

A team of veteran peers, medical and mental health professionals and volunteers

diligently plan and organize and execute these transformational experiences.

I've been part of more than 30 of these events and every one of them is a moving experience.

But one of the most moving experiences is the dinner on the second night.

Let me explain.

For the past nine years, Gail and Sheila and Marissa and Marie, affectionately known as the brisket ladies,

have prepared an incredible homemade meal for this group. They have mashed the potatoes,

more than a thousand pounds of them, prepared more than 2,000 pounds of brisket. Nearly

1,000 veterans have been fed dinner by these amazing ladies who know that a meal

can fill more than an empty stomach. Although the brisket ladies prefer to work behind the scenes,

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