The idea of blessing is powerful in the Old Testament. Issac blessed Jacob. Even though Jacob tricked Isaac into thinking he was his older brother, Issac couldn’t take the blessing back. He had given it to Jacob and it was done (Genesis 27). When Jacob was older, he blessed Joseph’s two sons. Much to Joseph’s … Read more
Time change weeks come around twice a year to the dismay of practically everyone. I always read the stories about why it should stop. While I’m not passionate about that, I realize that the older I get, the more I notice the time change. I takes me about a week to get back to a … Read more
Financial hardships can bring extra stress in life. But financial freedom doesn’t bring enduring happiness either. How do we live so that the amount of money we have doesn’t keep us from flourishing? Happiness with less isn’t just a good sentiment. It really is true that people who have less tend to have a level … Read more
Giving “experiences” instead of things has become a normal part of conversation. I hear about it from blogs, books, and family personal stories. It makes sense and I often think about it around Christmas and other times of the year. I recently read The Myths of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. The author several reasons why … Read more
“When your values are clear, your choices are easy.” – Thad Allen When our values are really clear, the choices become more limited. A simple example might be our value to be honest. Because we value honesty, we don’t make the choice to cheat on our taxes, our timesheet, or other things in life. This … Read more
How is it that some people are never late and others always are? How can an issue always arise that creates the conditions for being late? There may a few good reasons, but overall, the leader sends some certain messages when they are late. I’m far from perfect in this regard, but I do have … Read more
When I was younger, I heard the Mark Twain quote: “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” It stuck with me. It was inspiring. I don’t know how often kids and students get an opportunity to read quotes, but here’s a … Read more
I lived with my grandma during a college internship. She let me borrow her car when mine was in the shop. I returned home that evening and thought I would scare her a bit. I joked, “Your car really shakes when it gets to 95 miles per hour.” She calmly said, “I know, honey, it … Read more
Clutter will congest the opportunity to fully enjoy life. As someone who naturally keeps too much stuff, I’m speaking from experience. During a couple decades of marriage, I’ve watched my wife naturally keep things simple, leaving me with a small pile of stuff in the basement that I haven’t been able to part with. I’m … Read more
Here’s a call and reminder for Father’s this weekend: Run To Jesus I recently caught a bit of a sermon online about the official who traveled to Jesus to see if he could heal his son (John 4). His young son was so sick, he didn’t even bring him – he was counting on Jesus … Read more