Reflections on a New Year
A year, a complete rotation of the earth around the sun, is a marker in the march of time through the ages toward eternity. For me, having a January 3rd birthday, the end of the calendar year is also a mark of another year of life. This morning, my six-year-old son Danny said, “I see […]
Reflections on Life
As we end this year, I am reflecting on what really matters in a leader’s life. Please indulge me a bit as I wander through some hallways of rhetorical fog and hopefully come out on the other end with some thoughts to take away. Like anyone, my life includes a mix of successes and failures, […]
Closing the Year with Purpose and Gratitude
To my friends in leadership, As the year comes to a close, I invite you to join my staff and I this week as we reflect on our bigger purpose as Christians. With that in mind, we close our laptops and open our hearts to the wonder of Emmanuel, “God with us.” We […]
On Frustration
Nothing gets under my skin more than when a leader says “I’m frustrated.” Quite frankly, it really frustrates me. I’m being cheeky here, but it does seem that some of us love to get frustrated. It is a go-to emotion we absent-mindedly employ. When we get emotional, engaging any emotion, our limbic system takes charge […]
What’s Stronger, Concrete or Steel?
My son Danny at 6 ½ likes to ask questions. Some are funny: “Why is your beard connected to the hair on your head?” Some are factual: “When a baby is born, what do they eat?” And others are just gut-wrenching: “Will I see you in heaven?” Or, “Can we feel each other in heaven?” […]
A Financial Legacy for Your Children
My death. This is a subject I do not particularly enjoy discussing. I suppose no one does, but we must, especially if we have a family. Here are three issues to remember when thinking about passing on money or assets to your children. Pass it on safely. If we do not clearly define the terms […]
Essential Money Management Tools for Your Personal Finances
How do leaders successfully manage their personal finances? I have been blessed to surround myself with capable leaders and accountants throughout my career who have imparted wisdom to me in this area. Here are some guides I’ve learned that can help you, too. Awareness. How much do you have? How much do you spend? And […]
Four Questions to Ask to Cultivate Your Wealth
Every human would like to have more. While we should neither worship money nor put it first, wealth for a Christ-follower should not be a dirty word. As long as God is first and foremost in our lives, then we are in the clear. So then, how do we expand our wealth? As Christians, we […]
The Roots of Democracy
In the US, we laud the amazing benefits of democracy. But at its roots, what does democracy mean, and how do we protect it? The word democracy comes from the ancient Greek word δημοκρατία (dēmokratía), which is a combination of two parts: Dēmos (δῆμος), meaning “people” or “the common people,” and Kratos (κράτος), meaning “power” […]
The Discipline and Delight of Saving Money
Do you like to save money? I am not a big saver by nature, however I have seen its power in my life. Growing up, my dad did not make much income from his carpentry business. So, even during the Lebanese civil war, in midst of lack and danger, my mother secretly saved enough money […]