Slow traffic is always an annoyance to me, especially if I am running late. I don’t like admitting it but sometimes I fail to leave enough margin in my schedule and cut things too closely. Lack of proper planning means I either have to slow down, taking things in stride - or rush, thinking I am somehow going to recover…
I love college football; I count down the days till the season begins. If given the opportunity, I plant myself in front of the TV on Saturday and “O.D.” on games. The appetizer to the afternoon and evening games is better known as Game Day. While watching this pre-game show, I was intrigued by the interviews of several coaches concerning…
“Good enough is the new perfection” captured my attention as I read the words on a t-shirt. I found it to be extremely intriguing and simultaneously troubling. Was this meant as a joke or an excuse? I admit to being a perfectionist - or shall I say “given to excellence” (as I prefer to refer to my tendencies). However, lowering…
Often the topic of legacy is discussed by those in leadership. Some leaders are consumed with leaving a personal legacy based on their accomplishments. Their energies and efforts are focused on creating what could be defined as the “pièce de la résistance” of their lives. This is not a new concept; men have striven to leave their mark on society…
As a veteran leader, I have watched my share of Christian Leaders exit places of responsibility over the years. There were some who made unwise decisions necessitating a change. But for far too many, I observed another heartbreaking phenomenon. If I had to put it into words, I would say it like this: Often good leaders don’t leave organizations/churches that…
The top five comments (and I sanitized these) during the Final Four Tournament could very well have been: You have got to be kidding!What the ___?I never saw that coming.The refs were terrible.My bracket is busted! According to CBSSports.com, only 0.02% of the 2019 NCAA Final Four Brackets actually picked a perfect Final Four. ESPNStatsInfo reported 7,928 of the 17.2…
“Stay in your lane!” This is what I said (to my windshield) the other day while driving on our local interstate. I was following someone who constantly drifted from lane to lane. Besides being dangerous, it was just plain frustrating. Drifting or unintentional lane changing are just unacceptable in a variety of activities. Here are a few of them: Stay…
There is no such thing as a perfect leader, one who never fails his followers. Failure is a part of the leadership story of every leader. All leaders succeed and fail. Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Since most of us are not “the leader,” the one…
One of the first rules of communication is understanding your audience. Unfortunately, we have all heard sermons, speeches or lectures that were off topic - or missed their target audience by a decade. Being conscientious in the preparation of our content is vital, but it is also imperative we understand the people we intend to address. Over the years I…
I was only twenty-one years old as I stood reading a copy of the letter my mentor had written. Addressed to a key supporter of our international ministry, it was someone whom he wanted me to visit. Reading the last line, I said to my wife, “I’m not going on this trip. I’m afraid I cannot live up to the…