I have been moving these last couple of weeks and am noticing some aches and pains I did not have last time I moved, especially in my hands. I was not kind to my hands as a young man and have the scars to help me remember how foolish and impulsive I was. …

"I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me." Psalm 16:7 In His infinite wisdom, God knows that we need steady counsel, night and day. So He chooses to speak with those who praise Him. We all know we praise God in our song. we can also praise God…

I saw a massive turtle in the lake by my apartment yesterday, one of the biggest fresh water turtles I have ever seen, a snapping turtle. As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk, he plunged into the water. I can only assume he felt the need to protect himself from me. He does not…

In his letter to the Romans, Paul encourages Christians to "rejoice in their sufferings" because in our troubles and trials of life we know that hope and character are born. I have had tremendous difficulty with this thought ever since I first came to read it 40 years ago. Only recently has a new realization…

From The Mentor Leader, by Tony Dungy: Chapter 8: The seven E’s of enhancing potential. Engage: be with those you lead. Spend time Educate: Teach others how to achieve new levels of leadership Equip: set goals and parameters and offer necessary resources for success Encourage: Everyone needs a pat on the back and a celebration for success Empower: turn people…

From The Mentor Leader, by Tony Dungy: Chapter 7: Maximizing team performance.  “The culture you create permeates everything you touch.”  We do not often think of our family or our church as a team, but it might be healthy for us to do so.  What would happen in our family of the same child always…

Last week I shared from Tony Dungey's book THE MENTOR LEADER the idea that leaders make an investment in other people. When we choose to get connected, to get involved, we always run the risk of getting in the mud with people. Our lives are so complicated and sometimes messed up. Most of the time…

From Tony Dungi's THE MENTOR LEADER, chapter 5, Influence and Impact As Christians, we should look for opportunities in life to make an impact on someone. For too long the church has counted success as the number of people in the pew or in the small group. Leaders can have a great following while…