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by | Dec 4, 2011 | photo


When it’s all said & done…I’m still the King here…the place where it matters most!  I love my family!

A Year Older…A Year Wiser…

by | Dec 2, 2011 | regular

It’s been said “when a man enters his 40’s he carries with him the experiences from the past and the anticipations of tomorrow.”  Thus, I decided to create an organic…ongoing list called “Now that I’m 45.


Now that I’m a year older & a year wiser:

  1. God will remain the center of my existence. Without Him I’m nothing…All to Him I owe and all to Him I FREELY give.
  2. I will work extra hard/smarter to learn how to be a better husband, father, brother, son, and pastor. I’ll practice “kaizen” – the art of continuous improvement.
  3. I’ll use teachable moments life presents to teach my sons how to be a better man than me AND model true manhood to my daughter.
  4. I’ll spend additional quality time with people who “refresh me” rather than “drain me.” Life’s too short to be miserable, frustrated, and stressful.
  5. I’m stepping up my dress code. My wife says I’m already a sharp dresser, but I want to maintain a sense of distinction whether formal or casual.  It’s true: “You never get a 2nd chance to make a great 1st impression.”
  6. I’m simplifying my life in order to spend more time with people I love and doing things that bring me joy.  Therefore I set limits on what I do.  For example, check email just twice a day. Write emails of only 5 sentences or less. Only check Facebook, Linkedin, and  Twitter twice a day.
  7. I’m committing to one (1) goal at a time. Often the problem is that we try to take on too many goals at once. We have a list of things we want to accomplish, spanning the spectrum from gardening to to getting in shape. It can be overwhelming, and because of that we never start.
  8. I’m done with multi-tasking.  I’m focusing on single-tasking. Why is it life-changing? A couple powerful reasons: (1) You’ll be more effective with your tasks and get more done. It’s hard to achieve important things if you’re constantly switching tasks and distracted by other “urgent” things.  (2) You’ll be less stressed overall and (in my experience) happier throughout your day.
  9. I’ll practice more kindness. Yes, kindness is a habit and it can be cultivated.  Focus on it every day for a month and you’ll see profound changes in your life. You’ll feel better about yourself as a person. You’ll see people react to you differently and treat you better, over the long run.
  10. I’m writing a book. There’s a book on the inside of me waiting to be birthed.  I’ll stop at nothing to get it out.
  11. I still refuse to smoke or eat chitterlings (Chitllins”) no matter what. PERIOD!

Well, that’s about it for now.  What about you?  Do you have a list?  Will you create one?

How Jesus & Paul Used Technology

by | Dec 1, 2011 | regular

Honestly, I do not understand why most pastors and church leaders do not leverage technology for the Glory of God. Pastors, church leaders, and faithful church attendees who see social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as evil are missing a great opportunity to reach people far from God.

Are you sitting?

Here’s something that’ll blow your mind…

Christianity was, in a very real sense, the first technologically driven religion.

Intrigued? Angry? Frustrated?

Galilee, Bethlehem, and the rest of Palestine were part of a Roman world whose technological underpinnings had reached a level by Jesus’ day that was not to be surpassed until the 19th Century.  Those roads that The Apostle Paul and his associates traveled to spread the faith were unprecedented marvels of engineering. Without the ingeniously constructed roads that led from the streets where Jesus had walked to the cities of Syria and Greece, Christianity might have remained another obscure Judean sect-like those that fill the pages in accounts by the Jewish historian Josephus.

The roads were technological marvels – the ORIGINAL information super-highway!

What’s The Point?

If Jesus, His Disciples, or The Apostle Paul were here today, they’d all use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites to reach people for God!  I can imagine The Apostle Paul with his MacBook Air updating his Facebook status with these words:

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (NIV)

Pastors & church leaders, if you’re not using Facebook, Twitter, or any other form of social media, you’re missing a God-sized & ordained opportunity reach people for God.

The Power of Being a Servant–Leader: Pt. 3

by | Nov 30, 2011 | regular

I’m enjoying our time together as we discuss and discover leadership from a servant’s perspective.  If this is your first time with us, check out Session One: “The Best Kept Leadership Secret” by reading Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 .

Last week I began Session 2 – The Power of Being a Servant-Leader. If you haven’t read it, you can do so HERE.  Friday’s session ended with me sharing the consequences of not having a servant-leader attitude.  Again, if you haven’t read it, you can CLICK HERE and read it NOW.  Today, let’s take a look at David’s heart – the right attitude towards servant-leadership.

A Servant-Leader has a Different Heart Attitude

By contrast David is someone who breathed and lived a servant- leader attitude. Even when he faced Goliath as a puny shepherd boy he led with his heart. In taking out the giant he would be serving his nation.

A servant-leader understands that the right heart attitude is vital to achieving success. In the Psalms, David constantly asked God to search his heart and grant him wisdom.

By being a servant-leader David built up an army of loyal followers. David rarely thought he was entitled to special privileges. David never sought to elevate himself, instead it happened naturally. This is the influence that results from a servant-leader heart attitude.

A servant-leader is someone who is secure in themselves. Success is often not as a result of the individual’s talents but because of their ability to create a successful team. Like David servant-leaders serve confidently and lead successfully. This is the power of a servant-leader.

Further Reading Inspiration and References:

Scripture verses:

  • The heart of a servant-leader – 2 Samuel 22:36
  • Jesus teaches about being aservant-leader – Mark 10:42-45
  • The demise of someone who is not a servant-leader – Ester 7:6-10
  • God rejects a non servant-leader – 1 Samuel 24-26

Other Reading:

The Power of Being a Servant–Leader: Pt. 2

by | Nov 29, 2011 | regular

Personally, I’m enjoying sharing my thoughts on servant-leadership. I know it’s counter-cultural to what we know about leadership. However, if you desire to lead God’s way, then servant-leadership is the way to go.

A few weeks ago I began the conversation sharing The Power of Being a Servant-Leader. If you haven’t read it, you can read it HERE.  Today, I’d like to continue the conversation by sharing the consequences of not having a servant-leader attitude.

The Consequences of not having a Servant-Leader Attitude

Is there really a benefit to being a servant-leader? After all many leaders rise up who don’t believe in serving. Let’s look at a character that did not have an attitude of being a servant-leader. What was their influence in history? Saul was the first of Israel’s kings. He was a tall and powerful warrior and a capable man.

But once he was king, he seemed to think this entitled him to do whatever he wanted. Attitudes of Saul’s life reflect he wasn’t a servant-leader. Saul made decisions based on popularity. When he made mistakes he tried to excuse them rather than take responsibility for them. He was insecure and tried to hold onto his position as king.

He was angry that someone like David should emerge as a leader. He often acted irrationally and put his personal agenda’s ahead of the good of the people he was leading. As a result his reign was not influential, he died young, and Israel did not prosper under his rule. History may have turned out differently had he had a servant-leader attitude.  By contrast David is someone who breathed and lived a servant- leader attitude.

Further Reading Inspiration and References:

Scripture verses:

  • The heart of a servant-leader – 2 Samuel 22:36
  • Jesus teaches about being a servant-leader – Mark 10:42-45
  • The demise of someone who is not a servant-leader – Ester 7:6-10
  • God rejects a non servant-leader – 1 Samuel 24-26

Other Reading: