Category: Practices
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No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. Really?
1 Samuel 8 (written around 1050 BC) records the moment when God’s people—the nation of Israel—rejected God as their King and demanded an earthly king to judge them “like all the other nations.” In verse 7, God tells the prophet Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for…
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Are You Ambitious?
Over the past two months, I’ve been riveted by the Apostle Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4. In verse 3, he says that “this is the will of God—your sanctification.” As Paul unpacks this chapter and explains the “how,” he tucks in a phrase that almost sneaks up on us: “Make it your ambition to lead…
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Trapped in the Cage of Work?
Have we reached a point in our lives and careers where our obsession with success — chasing position, power, prestige, or financial milestones — has caused us to forget how to actually enjoy life? Are you so focused on saving 11 times your annual salary or hitting some arbitrary financial target that you’ve stopped spending…
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Recognizing Your Triggers
As I continue my journey toward rest and life balance, I’ve come to realize that no matter how disciplined I am, there are still moments when I slip back into old patterns. It can feel like taking a step backward—demoralizing and discouraging, often leaving me with a sense of defeat and failure. Whether it’s eating…
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What’s Love Got to Do with It?
In 1984, Tina Turner recorded the hit song What’s Love Got to Do with It? The pre-chorus and chorus ask a haunting question: It’s physical, only logical,You must try to ignore that it means more than that.What’s love got to do, got to do with it?What’s love but a second-hand emotion?What’s love got to do,…
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Life Span – Health Span
In my journey toward rest and life balance, the themes of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being have consistently resurfaced—and I expect they always will. Today, I want to bring two important concepts into the discussion: life span and health span. To keep it simple, life span refers to the total number of years…
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The Danger of Competency
Throughout nearly my entire professional career, I have heard—and been taught—that the key pillars for building trust and achieving success in the workplace are character combined with competency. This concept is powerfully reinforced by Stephen M. Covey in his best-selling book The Speed of Trust. Covey makes a compelling case as he unpacks the building blocks…
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Dull of Hearing?
I tell this joke often. My uncle bought a hearing aid, and it cost him 1500 bucks. I said 1500 bucks for a hearing aid what kind is it? He said four thirty. It always gets a chuckle, but I’ve learned first-hand hearing loss is no laughing matter. My wife and children have begged me…
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Follow that Cloud!
I am sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair at a small cabin near Mt Airy, NC. for a couple of days of R&R with my wife Tammy. To my left is a small mountain and the top third is engulfed in a misty cloud. Interestingly, I just finished reading Exodus 40 during…
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Kill the Spider!
Every day Bob prayed, “Lord take the cobwebs out of my heart.” Another man overheard him praying this same prayer day in and day out and finally prayed, “Lord, I’m tired of listening to this guy, please, kill the spider!” Vinny prayed, “Lord I want to win the lottery. After a year of praying Vinny…
The Rest Stop 