January 25, 2012. Among the best privileges of my career is participating in the Van Lunen Center’s Executive Management for Christian Schools. Twenty-four Christian School leaders gathered at Calvin College last July for our first week together. We began as strangers and departed as close friends. Last week we reconvened in Scottsdale, AZ, for another [...]
January 2, 2012. Timing is everything they say. Gandoff in Lord of the Rings tells us that wizards are never late or early, they are always on time. Personally, I like to be on time. In fact, I am one of those folks who believe that early is really on time. I do not like [...]
December 7, 2011 Usually people write about the things they are thankful for during this time of year – and that is a good thing, we need to stop and reflect on those blessings. However, this isn’t the point of this blog. Rather it is intended to direct us to meditate on the giver of [...]
October 25, 2011 “Greater love has no man than this, than he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13. Our community recently saw a clear example of this greater love when Lance Corporal Scott Harper was brought home from Afghanistan last Thursday, one week after he was killed in action in Afghanistan. A [...]
October 12, 2011 A few weeks ago, the good brothers leading Pike’s Peak Ministry (a men’s discipleship program sponsored by First United Methodist, Douglasville) coaxed Truett Cathy onto the stage as part of their kick-off event. I had grabbed a couple of tickets, planning to take my 12-year son, TJ, for a father-son outing. I wondered [...]
September 21, 2011 Leadership Douglas is a program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce for local community leaders to learn about and experience the various aspects of Douglas county government and business. It is also an opportunity for community leaders to network and build relationships. The class meets for an entire day each month and explores [...]
September 9, 2011 This summer, Carol and I celebrated our 20th anniversary with a tour of the United Kingdom. This had long been a dream of ours – to travel and see part of our heritage, for me to experience England as she had long ago, and for us to just spend uninterrupted time together [...]
April 20, 2011 Have you ever really thought about what it means to be created in the image of God? This fundamental truth infuses dignity into our being and provides a proper understanding of our place in the universe. It also suggests something about our God. Consider that God who told the ocean where to [...]
February 2, 2011 Perspective is an interesting concept. It differs from perception in that perception is merely a reflection of something – it may or may not be accurate. Perspective on the other hand, refers to a frame of reference or a vantage point. Perspective helps us see clearly and provides context for what we [...]
November 29, 2010 Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – permission to eat way too much and take a nap, how sweet is that? More importantly, it really calls me to account to think about things normally overlooked; things like God’s provision, mercy, and grace. Thanksgiving can be very humbling as I think about receiving God’s [...]