Recently I watched a baby of about one year old who was trying to learn to speak. As conversations were carried on around him, he mimicked the sounds and actions he was observing. When people were talking, he would make word-like sounds in their direction as if we...
Which is harder for you to give—your time or your money? In a lot of cases, time is the more precious resource. I’ve often found it easier to give money than time: “Why do I have to spend four hours washing cars at this youth group fundraiser? Can’t I just write a...
Your ministry flows out of your values. Picture the whole church as a tree: the values are the roots. You can’t see them, but they are responsible for virtually everything that happens above ground. The roots produce the fruit. If the fruit is good, you assume the...
A significant dimension of my continuing education is reflecting on my conversations and experiences. What did I learn? What principles did I discover, affirm or deepen? What common threads do I see? How does this connect with other situations? What patterns can I...
Mexico had a speeding problem. People would go way too fast. Now they’ve solved that problem by putting up “topes” everywhere that force drivers to slow down. “Topes” are gigantic speed bumps. Some are so big the bottom of the car scrapes across it and most drivers...
We work, yes, but we also need regular times for rest, reflection, and recreation. God has built this pattern into our seasons (holidays), our weeks (Sabbath) and our days (time with God). We also need to plan for and set aside regular times for periodic spiritual...
