Did you make New Year’s resolutions for 2021? Are you on track or have you decided to chunk them into the trash with the leftover pizza? Don’t get me wrong, I am not negative about this yearly “Resolution Ritual,” but I want to suggest a better approach. I wrote this blog a couple of years ago and it seemed to…
Although I had fast-forwarded through the commercials (awe…the endorphins) it still took over an hour of viewing time to complete one 45-minute show. The reason, I concluded, was the number of times I had pressed the pause button on the remote. I press pause for three valid reasons: I’m hungry and want a snack.My wife has something “important” to tell…
What are your leadership principles? Your irreducible minimums? The things you refuse to compromise? -- How would you define these? Would writing them require a sentence, a paragraph or a full page? What would that document look like and how would you practice it? I suggest every leader do this exercise to establish their personal leadership baseline. If leaders do…
“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…
"Sometimes when I spin really fast, the kitchen looks like it's going to fall over!" Carly (5 years old) Perhaps you can relate to little Carly’s words. I can. I do. Often. But in reality, it’s your world not the kitchen that appears to be falling over. Ever feel like your world is moving too fast? Sometimes I move so…
I study people! I especially study people in leadership positions - and I have for over four decades of ministry. In that time, I have been privileged to know many incredible Christian leaders. I have seen some who’ve been thrusted into leadership positions and have watched as a few maneuvered themselves there. Like I said: I study people. One thing…
Planning is vital to success in life. Few people become successful by accident; it happens because we have a goal and passion for that goal. We utilize organizational tools, seminars and personal coaches to accomplish those goals. So what about our spiritual success? By spiritual success I am not purporting a “health, wealth and self-philosophy”: I am talking about Biblical…
“Good enough is the new perfection” captured my attention as I read the words on the sign. 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”--from time to time, so let me tread carefully. However, lowering the standard…
How would you define the irreducible minimums of your student ministry? Can you write them into a sentence, paragraph or a list? What would that look like? I suggest every youth leader do this exercise to establish a baseline for their ministry. Recently my wife and I attended a Poetry Recital for our Granddaughter’s third grade class. Each student chose…
Talk is cheap or so goes the maxim. Every generation esteems authenticity but especially the present one. This generation is more impressed with the way you live than the words you say. FutureCast executive Greg Vodicka has discussed this concept extensively and challenges organizations to consider the difference between “StoryLiving and Storytelling.” The learning curve for “Next-Gen” students may be…