President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid outdoorsman. In 1902, he was invited on a hunting trip in Mississippi, which he was delighted to join. When hunting dogs cornered a small bear, and several hunters managed to tie that bear to a tree, the scene was set for the President to make an easy kill.
But Roosevelt refused to shoot the helpless bear.
Word of the bear’s pardon quickly spread. A Brooklyn toy store owner named Morris Mitchom came up with a great idea. He began to market stuffed bears with a picture of Teddy Roosevelt alongside them. And the name “Teddy bear” soon caught on.
The original “Rough Rider” had a tender heart. All good men do.
The Bible calls each of us to “be compassionate and humble of heart” (1 Peter 3:8).
Recovery Step: It is important to do the right thing. But it is more important to be the right person. And that begins with the heart.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
