January 8 : Stand Your Ground
I, for one, am tired of being pushed around by a culture that doesn't give God the time of day. I'm also tired of watching other men passively fade into the background of the wallpaper hanging in Satan's office. If we're going to fulfill our God-given purpose as men, it's imperative we stand up to these cultural bullies and start fighting for what matters most....
January 15 : Find Your Identity in God's Strength
All of David's mighty men were veterans in the war with disappointment and pain. The biblical text tells us they were in "distress," "debt," or "discontented" when they joined David (2 Samuel 22:2).
Their lives had fallen through thin ice and dropped into a cold darkness. They had lost their money, their homes, and their reputations. Like undersized children, they had been pushed around by a school-yard bully named Saul who tirelessly sought to dishonor and destroy them as they fled his wrath with David....
January 22: Putting the Team First
Meism says "Me first." It is the opposite of the weism that says "Team first."
The danger of meism was so great Jesus refused to tolerate it on his team for even a moment. When the mother of Zebedee's sons, James and John, asked Jesus if he would grant her sons positions of authority in his kingdom, Jesus made it clear greatness in his kingdom involved serving not being served (John 20:20-28). James and John erroneously thought their teammates were supposed to carry them on their shoulders....
January 29: Play to Please the Lord
This Sunday many of us will congregate around televisions to watch the Steelers and Cardinals fight it out for the top spot in the NFL. If the game turns into a route--some predict the Steelers will crush the Cardinals--at least we've got the commercials to entertain us. Competition seems as American as apple pie. Social psychologist Elliott Aronson has noted that, "The American mind in particular has been trained to equate success with victory, to equate doing well with beating someone." ...
February 5: Where is God's Power?
I used to ask God to show himself to me. He never did. I can't help but think my faith would be stronger if an angel, or angels, would appear to me as they did to Elisha's servant.
If you recall the story, then you know it's an impressive illustration of God's existence in a parallel dimension. The king of Aram was engaged in a war with the king of Israel. After a series of military setbacks the Aramean king discovered that Elisha was finding out his battle plans in advance and passing them along to the king of Israel. Seeking to kill the prophet, he sent an army to Dothan, Elisha's hometown....
February 12: Abandon the Old and Grab the New
As I've coached leaders and families in the management of conflict, I've discovered most of them tend to use the conflict resolution skills they learned growing up. Unfortunately, those skills often reflect a dysfunctional family of origin....
February 19: Learn to Move a 100-Car Train
I've always been fascinated by trains. I used to lay in bed at night, before falling asleep, and imagine climbing into a freight car and traveling across the country. Even now when I hear a faraway train whistle from the deck of my house it stirs up an urge to travel.
I've also developed a curious compulsion that's triggered while waiting for a train to pass at a railroad crossing--I count cars. A long train can have 110 loaded cars--each weighing 100 tons....
February 26: The Peaceful Man
I heard a band jamming a few weeks ago. Their free-flowing style had a sound that reminded me of the Grateful Dead. And that got me to thinking about Jerry Garcia.
"If you're going to San Francisco," said a song of the sixties, "you're gonna meet some gentle people there." If you're steeped in the Sixties Culture then you know about Jerry Garcia. You know he was, according to the Washington Post, "the rock oracle" of the Grateful Dead," a band that epitomizes freedom." The New York Times said Garcia, a guitarist, was a "mellow icon of 60's idealism" and embodied "psychedelic optimism." ...
March 5: The Importance of Every Goodbye
In a tiny, 20-by-50-foot air pocket, 24 stories below the ground--nine miners huddled in frigid water--praying for their lives. In a cavern so dark they couldn't see their hand in front of their face, the men passed the hours snuggled close to each other, and reminiscing about their families. At one point, when it seemed they wouldn't be rescued, Blaine Mayhugh, a 31-year old miner, suggested they all write a final note on a piece of cardboard....
March 12: The Meaning of "Holiness"
Apart from God nothing is holy in itself. For objects or people to be holy, God must sanctify them (set them apart). He must make them holy. Just as the legendary King Midas had the power to touch something and turn it into gold, so God's touch transforms men from the commonplace to something special, different, and set apart....
March 19: The Power of a Smell
I find it fascinating and a bit wonderful that three or four notes of a song, or a taste, or a smell can trigger a vivid memory. I mention this because a few hours ago I was walking along a street in New Delhi. The bike bells from bicycle rickshaws told of their approach from behind. Busses and motorized rickshaws and cabs, and cars all sped past me in both directions....
March 26: The Great Angelic Conflict
Every dark and evil character created to evoke fear in readers and moviegoers is only the devil's shadow. No battle scene from the Lord of the Rings compares with the ferocity of the angelic conflict. Even the dreaded Borg, of Star Trek infamy, is assimilated by the devil and his army of demons. The masses slaughtered by Hitler and Stalin represent only a fraction of the lives destroyed by Satan....
April 9: A Personal Chat With John Wooden
For some reason many of the heroes for boys of my generation were named "John." John Kennedy, John Glenn, John Wayne and John Lennon for instance. (John the Baptist and his cousin Jesus were added to my "hero" list later in life.)
In Southern California, we also had John Wooden....
April 16: A Key Opening Question
While flying from Chicago to Portland last month I asked the young man next to me if he was coming home. The question seemed reasonable since he was dressed in camo military fatigues. "I'm heading home from Afghanistan," he said. Before the wheels of the jet had lifted off the tarmac we were talking about God. Turns out Scott had all sorts of questions....
April 23: Servant Leadership Begins with Compassion
When we speak of becoming servant leaders we're striving for something we'll never quite grasp this side of heaven--like a kid trying to grab a soap bubble as it floats away. But as we keep trying there will be moments when our fingertips will glance the surface of the ring and we'll experience the miracle of Jesus working in us, enabling us to serve. If we smile and become proud of ourselves then the wonder will be gone because our self-satisfaction will reveal the fact that we served so we could see ourselves serving--like fans at a sporting event who realize they're on television and so they wave vigorously so they can watch themselves waving on the jumbotron....
April 30: It's A Great Question
A few weeks ago I suggested when you wanted to talk with someone about their spiritual life you ask the question: "If you could ask God one thing, what would it be?" While flying home from a men's event last Saturday evening, a 24-year-old women sat beside me. After she had told me about her job and family and upcoming marriage I asked her the question. She said, "That's the hardest question anyone has ever asked me." And then she surprised me by asking, "What would you ask him?"...
May 7: Words That Encourage
Prompted by the Spirit of God and a desire to talk, I pick up the phone and call one of my best friends. The moment he answers the phone the tone of his voice tells me he's discouraged. "What's up?" I ask. And then he tell me about his wife's failing health, or job problems, or a struggle with one of his kids or...you name it. At moments like that I sometimes remember the night Jonathan encouraged his downcast friend, David....
May 14: Sometimes You've Got to Get to the Gum
Telling someone how to give a rebuke is a bit like telling him how to get gum out of someone's hair. No matter how careful he might be, it's going to hurt. On the other hand, who wants to go through life with a wad of gum stuck on the back of their head? Strangers might act like the gum isn't there, but a friend would certainly point it out and offer to help. The fact is, I'd expect a friend to do so--even if it hurt. If I got home from a meeting and felt the gum in my hair, I'd wonder if my friend saw it and refused to point it out. I'd probably call him on the phone:...
May 21: How a Bird Handles Job Stress
Tim's knee wouldn't quit bouncing. Up and down, up and down, up and down... bouncing faster than you could say "up and down" and perhaps even faster than could be seen.
This was a new symptom. The twitching eyelid, the pain in the temple and the crick in the neck were now old hat; "comes with being in my 50's," he'd joke to those around him. The bouncing knee; he'd add that to his growing list of maladies....
May 28: Should Women Have Breast Implants?
Several years ago I was counseling a man who had been married five years. He took pride in his physical conditioning, appearance, and fast-track career.
As we sat across from one another at a coffee shop, he said, "I don't find Julie attractive anymore. She doesn't turn me on."...
June 4: An Alternative to Breast Implants
Okay, let's talk about this idea of women putting their health and lives at stake in an effort to acquire a more desirable body.
I surveyed two groups of men last week and asked if they would encourage their wife, girlfriend, or daughter to get breast implants? The first survey was sent with my weekly email to an almost exclusively Christian group and 93% of you said "no" and 7% said "yes." The second survey was administered at a secular sports site I frequent and 60% of the men surveyed said "no" and 40% said "yes." So it seems most of the guys I surveyed oppose the women in their life going under the knife to look better. Of course, as I expected, far more of the men who get my email oppose breast implants than my friends at the sports site....
June 11: A Surprising Key to Connecting with Your Wife
This week I'm going to talk about something you can do to deepen the connection with your wife. And single guys, this is an insight you won't want to miss...
I've discovered that most married men don't pray with their wives very often. I'm not sure why, but I'd guess that some guys feel awkward praying out loud with a woman they consider more spiritual than themselves. Other men may not know what to say....
June 18: Is the Bible Reliable?
Let me warn you up front-I'm going to get a bit theological today. Nothing too heavy-but just enough to strengthen your faith in the Bible.
According to a Gallup poll, one-third of the American adult population believes the Bible is the actual word of God to be taken literally word for word. While that statistic is impressive, and actually surprised me a bit, I can't help but wonder how those people would answer if asked why they have such a belief. You see, I think it's important that men understand there are some good reasons for believing in the reliability of the Bible. After all, nothing is more important to the development of your faith than the Bible....
June 25: Is Your Faith Blind?
As followers of Christ we've been called to a life of faith. When the biblical writers spoke of faith they weren't talking about positive thinking. Nor did they regard faith as some sort of hunch that's followed. It's not a feeling of optimism that things will work out for the best.
Faith is being sure of things you hope for without having seen them. It's being certain that unseen things are real. By faith we believe God created the visible world with his invisible power and energy. We accept as present a spiritual realm which we can't view with our eyes....
July 2: Mating Habits of Addicted Men
Here we go again...an openly devoted family man has admitted he had an affair with an Argentinean woman. But there's more. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford also said he had "crossed lines," but never had sex with a handful of other women. It doesn't seem that long ago that I appeared on the O'Reilly Factor to talk about why President Clinton had risked everything for a fling with Monica Lewinsky....
July 9: The Flies in McNair's Cologne
As a football fan I was shocked by the murder of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, seemingly by his 19-year-old waitress girl-friend--of course, by the time you get this the shooter could be known. But as I write on Monday night, she apparently shot McNair four times--twice in the head and twice in the chest--and then turned the gun on herself, ending her life with a single bullet to the head....
July 16: Juggle-drop! Juggle-drop! Juggle! Juggle! Juggle! Juggle!
Success now days isn't measured simply by how well a man does in one area of his life, but by how well he does in many areas. Areas like work, family, recreation, community concerns and church. Most of us could make it in one area, but how can we succeed in all of them. If we focus on one, we sacrifice the others. It's like juggling not only three balls--but ten balls. And sometimes the ball we ignore, the one we drop, is the most important one....
July 23: Dream of Something Only God Could Pull Off
Several years ago I got an email from a man who told me he had found the purpose for the rest of his life after reading my book, Awaken the Leader Within. In fact, he was making a big-time career change in pursuit of his new-found BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF VISION. As encouraging as his words were to me, they raised a bit of concern. After all, a guy was changing job careers because of something I'd written. If he'd said he was going to buy a different kind of bread, or eat more vegetable, or stop drinking Coke, I'd have felt a little better. But he said he was pursuing a dream ... one that kept him up at night....
July 30: This Will Destroy You Like Rust on Iron
Some people seem to have it all ... a quick mind ... good looks ... and a glib tongue. Add to that growing up in a family of influence and you've got a man who seems destined for greatness. Such was Absalom, the son of King David. Unfortunately, he allowed a single character flaw to eat away at his strengths like rust on iron....
August 6: A Bullet to the Temple or Something Better?
The long wait for suffering Angel fans like me was almost over.
Leading the American League Championship series against the much-hated Boston Red Sox three games to one, the Angels were one strike away from advancing to the 1986 World Series. One Strike....
August 13: I Throw Up My Hands
Today we'll consider the futility of looking for meaning to life without God...
I once spoke at a large church in Houston ... by large I mean one that drew over ten thousand people every week. Afterward, I met with some of the leadership team....
August 20: WOW! I Hit A Nerve
The number of emails I received last week told me I hit a sensitive nerve with a lot of you. That's why I decided to continue the discussion. And by the way ... I welcome your emails and try to respond to them all.
I remember when my father died. I stood with my hands on his chest when he took his last breath....
August 27: Will Pets Be In Heaven?
My friend, David Story, who sends out the email every week told me his dog died a few days ago. That got me to thinking about an article Mike Wright wrote a month or so ago about the death of his dog. And of course, that raises the question: will dogs, cats and other animals be in heaven? I'm not sure. Some insist they won't be because animals don't have a soul like people. They insist that because animals aren't conscious they won't be there. I'm not sure but I lean toward the idea that they will be....
September 3: The Art of Leadership
Dwight D. Eisenhower defined leadership as, "the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." If you accept that definition of leadership (it's my favorite) then you're buying into two truths. First, you're a leader. When I make that observation at business seminars I'm immediately greeted with looks of disbelief. Undaunted, I ask the audience a very simple question. "Have you ever been in a situation at work or home where you tried to get someone else to do something?" Immediately everyone raises their hand and nods their head....
September 10: Have You Ever Seen God?
I used to ask God to show himself to me. He never did. I can't help but think my faith would be stronger if an angel, or angels, would appear to me as they did to Elisha's servant.
If you recall the story, then you know it's an impressive illustration of God's existence in a parallel dimension. The king of Aram was engaged in a war with the king of Israel. After a series of military setbacks the Aramean king discovered that Elisha was finding out his battle plans in advance and passing them along to the king of Israel. Seeking to kill the prophet, he sent an army to Dothan, Elisha's hometown....
September 17: Spider, Spider, Spider Web
I saw a spider weave a web outside my bedroom window. The upper anchor line stretched some twenty feet between two tilting trees while the lower line clung to tiny tree branches some fifteen feet below. The thinner-than-thread silver silk cords glistened in the morning sun-light that filtered through spindly trees and floated softly from leaf to leaf to spider work....
September 24: Finding Purpose in a Bird Nest
My home sits on the side of a steep ravine in Oregon. As I sit at my desk and look out the window to my left, I see two old growth fir trees and countless other firs, pines, and maples. I slide open my window and hear birds chirping. Several black-capped chickadees dart past and light on a tree. Above the towering firs, wide-winged turkey vultures soar on the thermals....
October 1: Get a First Look at My New Book
He who is slow to anger has great understanding. Proverbs 14:29 NASB
My cell phone vibrated. I flipped it open, placed it to my ear, and said hello.
"Bill, it's Kevin. You won't believe what I've done. I need to come over ... like now!" ...
October 8: How Spiritual are We?
Last Sunday Parade Magazine published the results of an "exclusive" national poll aimed at getting America's spiritual pulse. While 75% of Americans believe in God, that belief is very non-judgmental and open. 59% said all religions are valid and only 12% said their religion was the only true faith. While there were a lot of other results which you can see by going to www.parade.com/spiritual, I'd like to focus on the now commonly held American belief that no one faith is the only way to God....
October 15: Finding True Happiness
On December 17, 1850, Captain Allen Gardiner and six companions landed at Patagonia on the southern tip of South America. They had made that long journey to bring the gospel to a people so primitive that evolutionist Charles Darwin said they existed "in a lower state than in any other part of the world." ...
October 22: A Conspiracy of Deceit
What's the big deal? Who cares if Richard and Mayumi Heene called 911 and tearfully told authorities they feared their 6-year-old-son, Falcon, could be in the saucer shaped balloon that had gone airborne? After all, Richard was just trying to create a media event that might catapult his acting career. And you've got to admit, he certainly accomplished that. I mean he created a media event ...
October 29: Entering A Spiritual Twilight Zone
How does God deal with us when we choose to live as though he doesn't exist? It might surprise you to discover that God simply turns us over to our evil appetites (Romans 1:24-32). Maybe that doesn't sound so bad. But it is. An episode of The Twilight Zone shows just how harmful it can be....
November 5: If You Knew You Weren't Coming Back Home
In a tiny, 20-by-50-foot air pocket, 24 stories below the ground--nine miners huddled in frigid water--praying for their lives. In a cavern so dark they couldn't see their hand in front of their face, the men passed the hours snuggled close to each other, and reminiscing about their families. At one point, when it seemed they wouldn't be rescued, Blaine Mayhugh, a 31-year old miner, suggested they all write a final note on a piece of cardboard....
November 12: She Didn't Get Me
A couple years ago there was a girl I really liked. I'd only met her a few times, but she was beautiful and interesting -- and I could tell she was a diamond in the mire and mud of today's world of immodesty and excess. But because she lived a couple hours away, I didn't have the opportunity to spend much time with her. So I began corresponding with her over email,....
November 19: Get Out of Your Safety Zone
As followers of Christ we've been called to a life of faith (Hebrews 11:1-39). When the biblical writers spoke of faith they weren't talking about positive thinking. Nor did they regard faith as some sort of hunch that's followed. It's not a feeling of optimism that things will work out for the best....
November 25: The Ungrateful Cat With a Paw on the Window
You'd have thought I gave them a battery-powered racecar. But no, I didn't give them a car, a guitar or a VCR. I gave them a few balloons, a toothbrush, and a small bottle of soap with a bubble-making wand. These kids rewarded me with a joyous "Thank you," accompanied by ear-to-ear smiles followed by laughter as they made and then chased bubbles that floated just above their outstretched fingers....
December 3: Break the Worry Cycle
I've got a close friend who is a chronic worrier. I asked him once if he ever noticed that most of the things he worries about never happen. He smiled and said, "Yeah, I noticed. And it just goes to prove that worrying works."
The truth is worrying never accomplished a thing except ruining the present. ...
December 10: Choose What's Best
The Christmas season can be a time of year when I feel like I'm going full speed from the moment I climb out of bed in the morning until I fall asleep at night. Days can be spent trying to tie up loose ends at work, buy gifts, and attend parties....
December 17: God is as Approachable as a Baby
Since Jesus came to reveal God to us, author Phil Yancey asks if we've ever wondered what we learn about God from the first Christmas? Not a bad question to throw around with your family and friends.
If a visiting dignitary, military officer or business mogul visited a country they would expect lodging in a five star hotel....
December 31: A New Year's Perspective
Stretching before you, further than the eye can see, lays the New Year. It consists of 365 Days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. In the course of the next year you'll take approximately 8,000,000 breaths, you'll blink over 11.5 million times, and you'll spend over 100 days sleeping--assuming you sleep 7 hours a night....
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