A Community’s Legacy of Change
I recently sat on the outside patio of the Auburn, Indiana Starbucks, pondering historical legacy in the context of community. Many years ago, as a teenager, this very spot might have been where I experienced the first garlicy joys of Fazoli’s breadsticks....
When Being Teachable Takes More Humility than Smarts
Realizing you are not teachable is humbling. But literally changes both your career and your life. I know that was the case for me, at least. Having graduated high school, gone through college, and launched into an awesome rising career, I was excited to prove myself...
Why Do We Expect World Peace From Miss America, But Not Jesus?
World Peace is one of just two easy answers in life. It’s the correct response when a pageant contestant is asked what she would most want to see happen during her lifetime. This response is the mocked canned answer made famous in the movie Miss Congeniality. The...
Understanding and Responding to the Stirring Ache of a Restless Spirit
Several times in life, I’ve diagnosed myself as having a restless spirit. I’ve often thought it indicative of a compulsion to do something creative. Other times, I’ve felt it as an awareness that mighty life changes are afoot. Sometimes, I’ve found...
Are you Greater or Less than Your Mental Health?
I wanted to share an important message in light of Mental Health Awareness month. It’s gonna be gritty and raw. And that is for good reason. You may know that I was brought up in a home where Mental UNhealth was prominent. At least partly because of that, I have spent...
Why I Dislike Coaches, and Why I’ve Become One
Group and individual role labels – like leader, manager, coach, mentor, go-getter, team, type-A, etc. are frequent observations and studies for me. In my 20+ year career, and in college before that, this stood out to me as both peculiar and aspirational. Then, I...
With a Rebel Yell… She Cried
In 2017, shortly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, I wrote a post called “The Great American Stalemate will Show Who we Really Are.” Parts of it were sort of “off” but much of it turned out to be (sadly) prophetic. Most notably,...
Your Divine Calling and Getting Out of God’s Way
A divine calling is not just a purpose or call. A lot of folks exhaust a lot of time searching for what it is God “wants them to do with their life”. And many writers distill the path to that down to a few “easy steps”. Presumably, getting to...
Why Treating God’s Living Word as a Textbook is Foolish
Referring to Scripture merely as God’s word falls short (stay with me before deciding I am a heretic). I’m asserting this according to our cultural mode of thinking. You see, we have become a culture that’s addicted to experiences over knowledge. It’s hard to...
What is Biblical Virtue and the Essential Need for Integrity of Heart?
The concept of virtue is a bit of an oddity. On the one hand, one might “stand for virtue.” But on the other hand, we ponder what actually constitutes virtue. In other words, there is both a definition of it and a classification of virtues in the plural. A common...