Get Real With Rick Dancer

We see data on the mental health status of people

in America but rarely do we hear from those working in the industry in rural America.

The Bearded Social Worker works out of a private office in one of Oregon's smallest counties.

What he seeing is pretty amazing.

He's someone we will have on again in the near future.

Share this with your friends.

She's a disabled veteran who trusted an Oregon contractor and got ripped off big time. She's still living in a partially remodeled home and the creditors came knocking at the door. But something happened that is so generous it will touch your heart. 

Our lives intersect in amazing ways. The man you are about to hear from started following me a while ago. Then I interviewed a friend of his who lives in Virginia. Recently he spotted me in La Grande Oregon.....but when I heard this man's story I knew you needed to hear it and what I discovered in questioning him, he needed to share it too. 

Close to 100k people are without power. But what's happening now and how long till power is restored? Bill Lundun of KPNW fills us in.

I learn so much from people who've experienced harder, more difficult times than myself. No one's life is easy but sometimes you find someone who teaches such courage it challenges you to do better. Nick The Trainer Dude is that guy for me. Take some time and listen to what Nick says. I think it will greatly encourage you.

Maybe Easy Isn’t Really Living?

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I wake to 15 degree’s.

It’s my running day but consider for a moment changing that to a gym day.

I know how running makes me feel.

Yes, it hurts and today my knee is bugging me a bit.

Last year it was so cold and windy and snowy I didn’t get to run outside and my mental health arose from the dark.

So I decide to grab the hand warmers, a stocking cap and layers and layers of running clothes and hit the path.

I run a 7 mile stretch around a pond that in parts, borders Canyon Ferry Lake.

I love it here.

I rarely see another human but witness wildness in its purest form.

Today I’m listening to a podcast with David Goggins and Andrew Huberman.

They are talking about living strong, living hard and living long.

I’m captivated by the topic because it’s real life, it’s my life, it’s your life.

I wrote something this same morning that lines up perfectly with what they are saying.

If you want a great life, not just a good life, it means hardship, hard work and hard knocks.

Most people don’t want to put out the effort to have that.

I’m not sure, up to this point, that I would either.

I’m fortunate, I started doing this long ago and God is good to me.

He shows me the depths of despair but only as much as I can handle.

However I will say he pushes me.

What if you and me are stronger than we think?

What if the amazing life we want is not found in a promotion, more views or measured by vacations and comfort?

It’s hard because I don’t want to ask for more pain but I don’t want to go to my grave thinking I missed out of something either.

I pick up a little book I try to read each morning and see where Jacob was taking his people through the wilderness and would measure how far he would push them in the desert by this standard. He said: “I will lead on softly, according to the cattle that goeth before me and the children.”

I think God is like that too.

He only gives us what we can handle but many of us could handle much more if we’d only allow ourselves to have those hard, difficult conversations with ourselves.

I finished my run, knee’s felt fine and my soul was full.

God lead us softly according to what you know we can take but don’t allow us an easy way out.

I want to live a full life, but only if you are in control.

A 17 year old man with autism has found his voice. His parents call it a miracle. The child they've raised in silence for 17 years is finally able to communicate with them, not with sounds, but by spelling. There's too much to explain in a headline like this. Take a few minutes and listen to a Christmas story sure to touch your heart

The Fed's met recently and we got some promising news. But what does it all mean? We go to a mortgage lender and a realtor to find out what they think.

Oregon leaders, hired a company to insure misinformation doesn't get spread about elections, and some are not happy about it. They are taking leadership to court over this, as I think they should. Censorship is alive and well in the Beaver State and if Oregonians don't get a clue it's gonna ruin them.

Oregon voters passed a measure that basically decriminalized all drugs. Well as you can guess that didn't workout that well and now 12 of the states 36 counties voted to get rid of it. We talk with a lawmaker about the problems, the history and the solution.