“Fine is not a feeling.” When I teach “Resiliency Awareness Training” to groups, the response to this statement always stands out to me. It’s one of the few times in the class where I hear people mutter almost in unison something similar to, “Got that right.” Yet so many people answer the question, “How are…

In his article, The Self-Righteousness of Job, Stephn Flurry states, “The sin of self-righteousness is perhaps the most difficult sin there is to see.” As I pondered that statement, I thought about the times in my life where I didn’t see how my own self-righteousness destroyed relationships, hindered my inability to lead or work well…

One of the hardest and most amazing things I have ever done in my life is write my Life Map and share the hidden parts of my history with our ReEngage class in the fall of 2021. The parts that made me proud were easy to share. I didn’t realize it at the time, but…

As a leader, how do you help others shine more than you do? Yesterday I was given 90 seconds to ponder this question from John Maxwell’s book, Leadershift, and then asked to share with a group what he meant by the statement. My initial answer was that in order to let others shine, you have…

Does your demand for self-gratification ignite conflict between others? Before you answer that question, ponder the times when you’ve been involved in conflict due primarily to the need for someone (you or the other person) to feel superior, smarter, more experienced, or simply in control. We’ve all been there before – shutdown, shutout, or silenced…

The cause of our struggles in life are not other people or our situations. The cause of our struggles is the HEART that we bring to those people and those situations. When we are faced with conflict, it is natural to blame the other person. In doing so, we often respond in sin. We create…

I saw a shirt recently that read, “Love like Jesus.” I thought it was the most awesome shirt because it’s a great reminder of the second greatest commandment. In Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV) one of the the Pharisees asks, “‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with…

Over the weekend we made an impromptu stop to pick strawberries. After riding in a car for nearly three hours, I was carsick and needed a pit stop. The strawberry patch was closing in less than an hour, but we didn’t care. It was just a quick fun stop for our daughter and fresh air…

One of the best pieces of advice I was given early in my career was: “Your way is A way, but it’s just that, A way. There are lots of ways to accomplish the same task. Some ways are more efficient. Some ways are more effective. Some ways are more expensive. Some ways are more…

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, “Being right is the booby prize of life.” It has remained a motto of mine, sometimes to a fault. There have been times in my life when I should’ve fought harder for what I knew was right but didn’t because I wanted to avoid conflict. And there…