Browsing all posts in Life.

Nothing Is Actually Free

Years ago, one of my best friends told me "Nothing is actually free."  We were talking about a free lunch I won.  He said, "Sure, it’s free to you. But somebody paid for it."
Never forgotten that.  And it’s completely true. 
That free CD you got – somebody paid for it.  That free ticket to the show? [...]

The Biggest Obstacle

You can accomplish more than you think.  Most of the barriers are in your head.  At least if you’re like me. 
Let me explain. 
It’s only June, but I think I’ve gotten more accomplished this year than in many other years combined.  I could say I’m excited about it, but actually I’m a bit shocked.  Shocked because [...]

One Thing That Will Fuel Your Passion

Earlier this week we had a look at seven things that won’t fuel your passion, which leaves this lurking question:  what will fuel your passion?
Here is one thing I’ve found that answers that question better than anything:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Face it, there are [...]

Seven Things That Won’t Fuel Your Passion

The longer you’re in leadership, the more aware you become of what really fuels passion over the long haul.  The question that drives me (a lot) these days is this:  How do you stay passionate over a long period of time?
Some things fuel passion in the short term, but they don’t last.  Two things often [...]

How No Leads to Yes

The longer I’m in leadership, the more I realize so much hangs on the ability to say no.  
I don’t like saying no.  It’s hard to say no to your kids, to people you like.  Honestly, it’s even hard to say no to the people you may not be as fond of.  
As a leader, [...]

Does God Trust You?

 "But not with my servant Moses.  Of all my house, he is the one I trust."  (Numbers 12.7).
That’s God speaking , by the way.
Most of us spend a lot of time trying to figure out whether we think God is trustworthy. But this verse changes the game significantly.  Maybe the only question isn’t whether we [...]

What’s God Doing IN You?

I’m at one of my favourite places (the Orange Conference) with some of my very favourite people. (If you’re not at Orange, catch glimpses of it online here).
Conferences are often places for information and ideas.  And I’m a strategy wonk for sure.
But what I love about Orange10 is that this year, it feels like God is [...]

Modern Idol

I’m so grateful for my Calvinist background.  One of the Calvin quotes I think about regularly is that the human mind is a perpetual factory of idols. 
What this means is that we continually invent new ways to crowd God out of our lives and worship something else.  For some of us, that may mean other [...]

Stoked About Sunday?

So it’s tempting as we head into the weekend to say things like "so stoked about Sunday" or "so pumped about our next (fill in the blank for the service or event here). 
But why are we stoked?
Are we excited:

because we’re speaking?
because we organized the event?
because we’re trying to get or we have momentum?
because we’re trying [...]

The Math of Methods and Outcome

Most of us want to be good at what we do. Most of us would love a little more than that – we’d love to be great at what we do.
Think about this math.  If you’re going to get top 10% results, you’re probably not going to get them using the same methods that 90% [...]