My Ears Itch
A recent newspaper article said the American government is considering leaving a large number of troops in Iraq despite promises made for a complete pullout by the end of 2011. I understand the war in Iraq is wearisome. We’ve been there a long time and have lost over 4500 service personnel. I want them to come home, too. I wasn’t bothered by the promise of leaving Iraq, and I’m not overly troubled that troops will remain. What bothers me is that our leaders are not leading. They are “tickling our...
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Our Finest Hour
Happy Fourth! I was recently reading a story from World War II. After Hitler had conquered France, most believed Britain would seek a peace treaty. They did not. The great leader, Winston Churchill inspired his nation by saying, “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’” I know not which is more difficult: the establishment of a nation or...
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The Day I Inhaled
I’m in a particular busy season. I find that as my schedule increases, my worship tends to decrease. I usually don’t even recognize this until I am in a corporate worship environment and realize how much I’m being refreshed. Worship is a natural part of my spiritual DNA, so it seems like worship should just ooze out, right? Well, sometimes. Breathing is also a natural part of my DNA. My body is designed in such a way that 99% of the time I never think about the breath I’m inhaling. But...
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Happy Birthday!
Today my oldest daughter is one year older; one year closer to driving; one year closer to high school; one year closer to graduation; one year closer to college; one year closer to moving out; one year closer to the love of her life; one year closer to a walk down an aisle; one year closer to the struggles life offers when you’re on your own; one year closer to fulfilling her destiny; one year closer to wondering if she’ll ever know what her destiny is; one year closer to the day when, no matter how hard I...
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I Hate Confrontation
The other night my girls started having problems with the boys behind our house. They were calling my girls’ names and creating a generally uncomfortable environment. My wife approached me to solve the problem. She sent me one street over to talk to the boys’ parents. As I made the trek to the offenders house, my heart reminded me that I don’t do confrontation well. My history is not that great, and it’s not an area where I seem to be successful. By the time I reached their front door my heart...
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Leading Like a Bulldog: Persistence
Standing before a weary nation during World War II, Winston Churchill tried to lift the spirits of the British people. Knowing their fight was difficult, he painted a picture by saying, “The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backward so he can breath without letting go.” His image worked and the British people prevailed over Hitler. The substance of Leaders is persistence. It courses through their veins. They have a ceaseless attitude that drives them forward every day. The crowd around them might even...
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Five Ways to Earn Trust
I’ve found myself going out of the way to visit QuickTrip. I will pass several closer gas station/convenience stores if I know a QT is near. They’ve earned my business; I trust them. Why? 1. I like the way they greet me. They don’t know me by name, but I always get a boisterous hello. 2. I know what to expect. Every QT is laid out nearly identically. I always know where to find a Diet Coke or a quart of oil. 3. They value what I value. Specifically, they value my time and money. They’re not...
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Decide Now
Right now is the time to decide how you will worship this weekend. Don’t wait for the impact of an emotion. Schedule it in your heart. Push beyond the reality that you faced. Your King is ready, and regardless of the traumas of the week or the challenges that were weighty, He is Worthy! Declare Him as truth because you’ve been presented a lot of lies this week. Decide now. If you choose now that you will worship–even if your heart is heavy, or your faith has been challenged, or your circumstances call...
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Sleep Isn’t Enough
Rest. The American society by and large has no real understanding of rest because it is something we don’t practice. Oh sure we have vacations and weekends, but we generally pack those days with more activities. When the vacation or weekend is over we feel more tired than when we began. We have 24 hour news cycles, 24 hour Wal-Marts, 24 hour pharmacies, and so on. Our lives have moved into a state of perpetual motion and rest is the thing we sacrifice to fit everything else in. Sleep and rest are two different...
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Something to Make You Smile:)
A leader’s greatest asset isn’t their mind or techniques. It’s the opening of flesh just below the nose: your smile. Here’s why: a smile is your very first and very best point of connection with another human being. Lists and ideas are good, but what people need most is a smile. A smile represents that you care, that you’re human too, and that we’re all in this together. You can come into any situation fluent in leadership, and armed with the world’s greatest ideas. Those...
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