Blog

Hooray for introverts! Discovering and naming my introverted side was a liberating moment for me. I now know my “sweet spot” preferences and can maximize them for the Great Commission. When I’m asked if introverted people can make disciples, I respond with a resounding “yes!” After all, I share the traits of introversion. Introversion describes a preference for how we process life; we’re energized by quiet and reflection. Extroverts process verbally; they’re energized by groups and conversation. Neither is more correct than the other; they’re…

One question kept coming up in interview after interview when promoting my book Walk with Me. What was the question? “I’m an introvert. Can I be a disciplemaker?” The first time I heard this question I thought to myself, “Is introversion a kind of disease? If so then I’ve had it for a long time!” I’m an introvert living in an extroverted world. In fact, probably 50% of the population are introverts. I think introverts feel they must be extroverts to disciple others. Susan Cain…

In the disciplemaking store I have a simple rule of thumb for home projects. Every project, no matter how big or small, requires 2.5 visits to a hardware store. I either forget something or the project takes an unexpected turn that requires a new tool, part, or piece of lumber. Big box hardware stores overflow with products for every home project. Did you know that there’s a disciplemaking store that we can go to for our disciplemaking needs? This store is located near every disciplemaker…

Why is Peggy sitting alone in a restaurant? This photo was taken two years ago on the Friday that our governor ordered a shutdown of all businesses to stall the Covid pandemic.  We had twenty-fours before the shut-down order would take effect. We rushed to our favorite Italian restaurant for a special birthday meal. It was 6 pm and we sat alone. It looked like the zombie apocalypse had happened. We never thought it would be another year before we would eat out again! At first…

We stumbled into a traffic jam. Peggy and I had planned a week’s vacation in sunny Savannah, Georgia. On the second day of our vacation, we decided to travel into the city to enjoy the historic downtown and sample the local food. Imagine our surprise when we were met by jammed streets, no parking, and people wearing green t-shirts and green necklaces. We had arrived in Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day. Our carefully chosen restaurant was packed with revelers. It turns out that Savannah has…

Most Protestants don’t think much about St. Patrick’s Day unless it’s an excuse to drink. I have a different take on Patrick. To me, St. Patrick’s day is a time to celebrate imagination and evangelism. Did I catch your attention? Here’s the backstory on how this former slave saved civilization. At the age of sixteen (approximately 406 C.E.), Patrick was kidnapped from his home in Britain and forced into slavery in Ireland. During this time of harsh deprivation, Patrick came to the Savior. After being…

Eugene is a gifted expository preacher. He’s relevant in his delivery and anchored in the Bible’s authority. Eugene’s church is a “destination” church; people come because of the Bible teaching. No one was more committed to preaching the Bible than Eugene. Then the Holy Spirit intervened. “With our emphasis on disciplemaking, I’ve concluded that preaching is a means of helping people understand and apply the Bible. At one time I would have said it was the means.”  “What changed your emphasis?” I asked Eugene. “Public…

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. I love chocolate especially dark chocolate. I love chocolate even though it has little redeeming nutritional value. My friend Nate debated me on this point. “The cocoa bean has proven nutritional value,” he said. “It probably does,” I replied, “but do chocolate covered caramels, double chocolate fudge ice cream, or chocolate brownies have nutritional value?”  What these foods lack in nutrition they make up in taste and enjoyment. Each is on my Top 10 chocolate list! Sometimes we…

Disciplemakers should be tree-huggers, people who admire and learn from our leaf-bearing friends. No one is a bigger tree-hugger than author Suzanne Simard. Dr. Simard is a professor of forest ecology in the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry. She has spent her life among trees. For generations, her family made its living cutting down trees. Their survival depended on the logging trade. Trees are in her blood. Simard’s first job as a college student was to inspect the new plantings that replaced the…

Re-thinking goal setting Stacked on top of my desk was a decade of my life recorded in a motley collection of journals. My sabbatical goal was to read these journals to trace God’s work in my life. What did I discover as I read? I soon realized that I’m the consummate goal setter. About every four months I recorded a new set of goals. I worked hard at writing these goals. I polished the wording to make them memorable. Some goals remained the same over…