(Mighty Mouse and Leadership) Interviewing prospective staff for our regional Navigators team was always a collaborative process. As was our custom, the team met prior to the interview to discuss the questions we would ask the applicant. We identified the usual ones: “What are your strengths?” “Tell us about your past ministries,” and “What is your ideal working situation?” One question, though, jumped out from all the rest. “If you could describe yourself as a cartoon character, which character would you choose and why?” was…
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After years of receiving bad haircuts, I decided to entrust my hair to a hair stylist. Nicky was my wife’s stylist so I made an appointment with her. We soon hit it off. It turned out that she was launching a second career as a life coach. While cutting my hair, we talked about coaching and learning. During one of our conversations, I had a sudden flash of inspiration. “You know Nicki, this ten-foot-square solon is your classroom.” “I never thought of it this way,…
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Who is this woman? I want you to meet my life and ministry partner. You will enjoy her. She’s peaceable, gentle, open to reason, and full of mercy and good fruits. Without her partnership, my life and ministry would have taken some very different turns. If you guessed my wife Peggy, you’re partly right. Who is this other partner? Her name is Wisdom and she’s stood behind my ministry for nearly fifty years. What distinguishes this woman? Wisdom in the Bible is personified as a…
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3 Principles to Age Well This isn’t a promotion for a time-share in Florida; the place where palm trees grow. A palm tree is a biblical picture for successful aging. The Psalmist describes how the godly in old age “will flourish like a palm tree . . . still bearing fruit in old age” (Psalm 92:12, 14). No matter our age we should be preparing for the palm tree life. Three simple principles can help us age well — principles not only for us seniors…
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Choosing the right playing field for a sport is a no-brainer. We don’t play basketball on a baseball diamond. However, when it comes to the playing field of faith, I think there are two fields we can play on but one field tends to dominate our playing time. In my normal prayer gatherings, I find that nearly 100% of the prayer concerns that I and others express are what I call “prayers of circumstance.” This is the playing field of everyday life. We’re immersed in…
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I’m always looking for new pictures to express familiar truths. Here’s a new image to capture disciplemaking: “Disciplemaking is an elevated form of fellowship.” I’ve been pondering this statement from our former U.S. Director Alan Andrews for years. I’ve come to this conclusion: “Alan, you’re right!” And here’s why. Fellowship, not discipleship, is the over-whelming theme of the epistles. There are no commands to make disciples and the word “disciple” is not found in the epistles outside of a reference to the original twelve. What…
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Our lives are full of images — pictures of heartache, love, and faith. Jesus used pictures extensively. They were more than power point images to illustrate the main points of his sermons. Jesus used pictures because they suggest truth rather then spell it out; they evoke faith instead of explaining faith. Ultimately, they catch us by surprise. This blog is the last of my four life pictures — images that the Lord has used to suggest growth and to evoke new ways of living. All…
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When I first wrote this “What I’m Reading” blog I never imagined it would serve as a testimony to Timothy Keller’s life and ministry. Like many of you, I was saddened to hear of his recent death. Keller’s writing and teaching ministry had a profound impact on the church in the first decades of the twenty-first century. Hansen doesn’t paint an intimate portrait of Keller but explores the development of his thought life and teaching. I didn’t walk away understanding how he parented his children,…
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There’s two subjects I enjoy reading about — rock and roll and creativity — and this book combines both of them. Rick Rubin is an illustrious record producer. Besides his work in rock and roll and rap, he resurrected Johnny Cash’s career on his American Recordings. Even if you’re not a music fan, you will enjoy this book. Here’s why. The Creative Act is a series of meditations/brief essays about the nature of creativity. Rubin writes from the wisdom gained from his work producing various…
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“We seldom rise above the quality of the pictures that hang in the galleries of our minds,” writes author Warren Wiersbe. Our minds are full of pictures that have shaped our lives. One picture that’s hanging in my mind’s gallery features CROWS. Here’s the crows’ background. I’ll be the first to admit it; sometimes I’m concerned about money. This doesn’t surprise Jesus since nearly one-fourth of his teaching is about money. Even we “faith” missionaries worry about finances. Early in our staff experience our monthly…
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