Blogposts
Baseball and Bucket Lists
I have been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, there was nothing more meaningful to me than watching, talking, or playing baseball with my dad. One year we even went on an epic road trip, and the climax of that trip was watching the Reds (my favorite team) versus the Cubs at legendary Wrigley Field.
Do We Have the Courage to Wash Each Other’s Feet?
I have been grieving a lot lately. People dying always hurt my heart, and when it seems so tragic it hurts even more. I’ve also been grieving the reaction of so many people passionately defending their positions.
What Needs to Be Said?
In our last blog we talked about the idea of when to inform the masses. (You can read about it here). In that blog, we didn’t let our kids know that there was a tornado warning till the next morning after the entire event was over. Interestingly enough, when I did tell them their response was, “So what?” The entire incident led me to a place of wondering: When should we be informing the masses, and when should we be waiting?
Is it Worth Waking Up the Kids?
Recently, the area where we live endured some pretty serious storms. It was straight-line winds, fierce lighting, and thunder that made the whole house shake. Karen and I were immediately awakened by the noise and in minutes we were watching the storm unfold. In that moment, we learned that there was a tornado warning for the area immediately to the south of us, and the powers that be advised that we seek cover. I happened to be watching the radar at the moment of the notification and I couldn’t see the need for cover. I kept watching, and then Karen & I wrestled with the big question: Should we wake the kids?
Healthy Things Grow
My wife recently sent me this picture of my oldest son. The string represents his height at the beginning of the school year. Needless to say, he has grown three and half inches in nine months!
The Best Leaders Aren’t Heroes
I’ll never forget my first day of Basic Training. I reported to 1/34 Infantry Battalion for nine weeks of formation. One of the tools that the Army uses to bring the unit together is to create a battalion slogan. Our slogan was, “Always forward.” Every time we saluted, came to attention, and stood as a unit, we would say that slogan. Every. Single. Time.
Busy is Not a Leadership Style
I am a self-confessed FOMO (fear of missing out). I like to keep my schedule extremely full. And, to top it all off, I have a little A.D.D. (self-diagnosed). When you put all that together it means that I am busy all the time. Don’t feel bad for me, I do it to myself – on purpose. I love being busy, moving a thousand miles a minute, I love being able to know what’s my next move.
Anxiety, Mortality, and the Light
This weekend in church I am going to be talking about one of the most personal topics in my life: anxiety. Anxiety is something (I’m learning) that impacts so many people throughout the world. The Anxiety Disorder Association of America estimates that over 40 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder, and who knows how many countless more suffer from occasional anxiety.
General Conference 2016: Mom and Dad – Stop Fighting!
For ten days the United Methodist Church has been in (arguably) its biggest debate ever on human sexuality (you can catch up on all that happened here). General Conference is the event where the church gathers to set the vision and direction of the church for the next four years. There have been protests, there have been bold speeches, and there have been frustrations. Through it all I have watched: I have watched my friends in Portland fight for what they believe in and I’ve watched my colleagues at home anguish over the future of our denomination.
The DNA of a Thriving Leader: Three Observations from ReThink Leadership
As I wrote about in an earlier blog I recently attended the ReThink Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference continues to give me lots of things to think about, and at the same time has refilled my tank so that I can continue to pursue God’s calling in my life.