Welcome
Dear Friends of the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm,
What a contrast of events this month! On one hand violence, assassinations, protests, the unexpected loss of a dear Veteran volunteer, and international intrigue; yet also signs of revival across America, a Spirit of Virginia Arena ribbon cutting signifying the power of resilience at NCHV, celebration of a life well lived, and a powerful act of forgiveness that impacted the world. Our theme for this month is in fact FORGIVENESS as modeled for us by Erika Kirk as she forgave her husband’s murderer. I will address this further in Diving Deeper. As well, we say farewell to beloved Veteran volunteer Jim Tenant in the Team segment below.
In light of the emotional roller coaster many Americans have experienced this past month, a number of folks have asked me “What should we do?” One of our key resilience principles for navigating turbulent times is to “Remember Your Call.” My simple answer is to keep doing what God has called you to do, and if possible more of it. Our great team at NCHV will “Keep Returning Healthy Veterans to America” because “America Needs Her Veterans More Than Ever Before” as guardians of values, family and community protectors, societal role models, spiritual leaders, and economic contributors. With God’s continued favor and guidance, and the help of individuals like you, we can do this. Organizations such as Tunnel to Towers and the Veterans Service Alliance are sending us more Veteran referrals than ever before, moving us to occupy some of Village 2 newly-constructed houses earlier than expected. Our unique NCHV national prototype to help at-risk Veterans is meeting critical needs, gaining greater visibility, and scaling rapidly. We are grateful!
A brief word about resources: The Spirit of Virginia Arena construction is complete (yea God!), but we still need to “raise a barn” and continue our normal 24/7 program tempo. I thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support to complete our recovery from last November’s tragic fire.
Now for a few snapshots from a very dynamic and productive September at the National Center for Healthy Veterans:
Plays of the Day – NCHV Meeting with Veterans Affairs, The Day After, Brick Campaign, Horsemanship
Farewell to a Special Team Member, Jim Tenant.
Diving Deeper – The Necessity of Forgiveness by Bob Dees
In The Media – The Day After Recap, Horsemanship Overview
Prayer Points – Join us in prayer as we continue to support and empower Veterans.
Thanks again for your encouragement, your volunteerism, your gifts-in-kind, your financial donations, your referrals of Veterans in need, and your prayers.
Blessings and gratitude to each of you,
Robert F. Dees
Major General, U.S. Army, Retired
President and CEO, National Center for Healthy Veterans
YOUR encouragement and generosity
have made these amazing things happen at Valor Farm. We certainly welcome and need your further support on behalf of Returning Healthy Veterans to America!
Join our Healthy Veterans Community!
Plays of the Day
Meeting with Veterans Affairs – General Dees was privileged to attend very positive meetings at the White House and Veterans Affairs regarding faith-based initiatives (such as NCHV) to help our nation’s Veterans
The Day After – Thank you to everyone who joined us for The Day After on September 12. This special evening marked the ribbon cutting of our Spirit of Virginia Arena and gave us a chance to reflect on resilience and restoration following last year’s fire. It was a powerful reminder of how far we have come together, and an exciting glimpse of what is still ahead for Valor Farm.
Horsemanship – Our Patriots recently had the opportunity to use the Spirit of Virginia Arena for horsemanship for the very first time. This class has long been a favorite because it offers so much more than learning how to ride or work with horses. In every session, Patriots gain lessons in patience, communication, and leadership, while experiencing the unique parallels between horses and people. Watching these powerful connections unfold in the new arena has been a true gift to our entire community.
Brick Campaign – We are thrilled to announce that more than 120 bricks have now been sold for the Courage Courtyard. Each engraved brick tells a story and serves as a lasting tribute to the Veterans and loved ones who inspire us. We still have a long way to go before reaching our goal, so do not miss your opportunity to be part of this meaningful campaign and honor your Veteran in a permanent way.
Meet The Team
FAREWELL TO A SPECIAL TEAM MEMBER
Jim Tennant
James Gaston Tennant, age 83, passed away on September 26 while doing what he loved, riding his Harley on a scenic Virginia highway.
Jim was born on June 12, 1942, in Newberry, South Carolina to the late Ebenezer Gaston Tennant and Lucille Lester Tennant. Jim will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 57 years, Bess Vansant Tennant and children Shannon Tennant, Chad Tennant and his spouse Christina Tennant, sibling Betty Edwards, four cherished grandchildren: Sydney, Kylee, Shelby and Braeden and numerous other family members and friends.
Jim served in the U.S. Navy, Seabees, where he served in two tours in Vietnam (65-67) and received Vietnam Service Medals, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the National Defense Service medal.
As a civilian, Jim was employed in various states by Singer (SC and AR) and American Meter (PA). In 1984, Jim moved his family to Lynchburg where he worked at GE, Framatome and Virginia Transformers prior to retiring in 2005.
Jim is fondly remembered for his love of, and loyalty to, his family and many passions that he shared with his long time buddies and family. As an avid outdoorsman, he spent many years along the East coast whitewater canoeing/rafting, exploring wilderness caves, cycling along the roadside and in the mountains, skier, avid hiker (completing the Appalachian Trail in 1996 and Pacific Crest Trail in 2005), rock-climber and hunter.
Jim got involved in Boy Scouting where he helped his son get to Eagle Scout and then carried on teaching and guiding other young men well past after Chad left to go to college. Jim was honored by receiving the Order of the Arrow.
Jim was a beacon of support for countless veterans and their families, tirelessly working with organizations like National Center for Healthy Veterans, Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, the Desmond Doss house, and Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. His goal was to advocate and bring awareness for veterans by hands on assistance through volunteering. The Navy Seabee “Can do” was a driving force behind his actions.
Jim was a member and strong supporter of Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion, Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, Patriot Guard, Combat Veterans Motorcycle Organization and Timberlake Church.
His dedication and compassion left an indelible mark on the lives of those he helped.
The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the American Legion riders who were with Jim on Friday, September 26. True meaning of Leave No Soldier Behind, Leave No Biker Behind.
Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, October 11 at 2 PM at the National Center for Healthy Veterans, 980 Wards Road, Altavista, VA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s memory to the National Center for Healthy Veterans or the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council.
Diving Deeper
he Necessity of Forgiveness – Bob Dees
Willie Mays (for those of you “mature” enough to remember this great baseball player) was once asked why he was an All-Star player. He simply responded “When they throw it to me, I hit it. When they hit it to me, I catch it.” It’s all about the basics! For this Diving Deeper, let’s discuss a fundamental “relational reflex” necessary to maintain healthy relationships.
In our Resilience God Style curriculum at the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV), we discuss how to bounce back without getting stuck in the toxic emotions of guilt, false guilt, anger, and bitterness. The primary basic antidotes to bitterness (“the poison we drink to kill someone else”) are gratitude (our theme last month) and FORGIVENESS (our theme this month). Forgiveness is certainly topical across America as many were awed at the courage and obedience of Erika Kirk to authentically forgive the murderer of her husband.
Forgiveness from God to each of us is available through Jesus. Forgiveness between us and other humans is likewise possible and a Biblical imperative. Here are a few examples as a helpful reminder:
Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive others their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another and,
if one has a complaint against another,
forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.”
As we all know, it is very hard to forgive a grievous offense committed by another, particularly if we haven’t learned and practiced this fundamental life skill. No doubt Erika Kirk was able to model such forgiveness because in earlier life experiences she learned the power of forgiveness to resolve conflict and restore spiritual and emotional health. While Erika’s “stage” for forgiveness involved tens of millions in the viewing audience, equally important acts of forgiveness can and should occur around the dinner table, on the athletic field, in the boardroom, and between individuals who simply need to “kiss and make up.”
Perhaps the ten most powerful words in the human language are “I was wrong, I am sorry, will you forgive me?” Ideally this ownership of one’s part of an interpersonal conflict is met in return by a heartfelt “Yes, I forgive you.” Such a relational transaction is a key way to “keep short accounts” and not allow offenses to turn into long-standing and deep roots of bitterness. Rather than write a primer on forgiveness, however; let me discuss the consequences of a failure to forgive.
When one does not follow Biblical and secular guidelines for conflict resolution and forgiveness, the frequent alternative is “emotional cutoff” which leads to dehumanization and demonization of the offender. This is extremely destructive between individuals, in families, in organizations, and even across a nation strongly divided by partisanship. Regrettably, such dehumanization often leads to ill-conceived moral justification for violence against a party with differing views.
Gratefully, we have numerous examples of courageous forgivers. Erika Kirk is clearly a recent example. Another courageous forgiver was Louis Zamperini, the Olympian who became a Japanese prisoner of war and was tortured brutally by his captors. His return to Japan to forgive his captors made a powerful statement about the peace that comes from obedient forgiveness of offenses against us. No doubt you can think of many other examples.
While FORGIVENESS has been the subject of many books including Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, let’s end this short reflection with the simple questions:
Do I need to forgive an offense by another?
Do I have the courage to be a courageous forgiver?
At NCHV we teach these principles to our Patriots and we seek to model them ourselves. May we all be obedient and courageous forgivers as we seek to “live at peace with all men and women.” The cost of not doing so is simply not worth it!
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
as God in Christ forgave you.”
Calendar
- Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. Scheduled Tourscontact@healthyveterans.org if interested.
- First Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Community Campfire at Valor Farm
Come join us for fellowship!
- Jim Tennant Memorial Service in Spirit of Va Arena – October 11th
- Volunteer Saturday – October 18th
- Dalton Darnell with 3:10 Ranch Life – Ranch Roping Clinic in New Arena – October 23rd-25th
- Volunteer Saturday – November 8th
- Annual Veterans Day Commemoration at Valor Farm Arena – November 11th at 4:00 pm
- New York Fundraiser – November 13th
- NCHV @ Liberty University MURPH Challenge – November 15th
- Luke Rob Concert in Spirit of VA Arena – November 15th
- Williamsburg Fundraiser – November 20th
- Volunteer Appreciation Dinner – April 18th, 2026. Details to come
Prayer Points
- Pray for leadership in Washington D.C., and for national security at home and abroad.
- We give thanks for the visible and invisible signs of healing and restoration in the lives of our Veterans. May these transformations continue to blossom, a testament to Your love and the dedication of those who serve them. Amen.
- Without mentioning specifics, pray for the many Veterans and their families in our midst who have financial issues, health crises, relational dysfunction, and suffer from mental and emotional challenges. May God bring wellness to Veterans throughout the land. May we together, “Return Healthy Veterans to America”.
- Join us in praising God for the beauty of His Creation — horses, rivers, cattle, valleys, chickens, the fruit of the land, the beauty of the fields, the wonder of His Creation.
- Pray that the work of the National Center for Healthy Veterans would rapidly advance to provide help, hope, and healing for our nation’s Veterans and their families.
